Kevin Bronson on April 30th, 2009

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So much music, so little time. I’ve fallen woefully behind when it comes to acknowledging non-album releases (EPs and singles) from L.A. bands, so this edition of the Buzzsicle will make a dent in that. Buzzsicle 5 is an hour’s worth of music – 16 songs that have caught my ear in the past few months. Hopefully, it’ll provide you a little introduction to, or a refresher course on, the likes of the Broken Remotes, Star Parts, the Tender Box, Avi Buffalo, Amateurs, Le Switch, Seasons, Courtenay Green, Evan Voytas, the Polyamorous Affair, the Airlines, Ronald of Orange, the Hard to Get, One Trick Pony, Hello Dragon and Charlie Wadhams. And you know what? I’ve got another 16 songs ready to go for next week. Enjoy.

||| Download: “Buzzsicle 5”

After the jump, a song-by-song recap – and I’ve tried to provide info on where you acquire the songs for your very own:

1 The Broken Remotes, “Boxer’s Arm” – Four months into 2009, this track is at or very near the top of my Best Local Songs of the Year. I could itemize the ways in which I love this song, but there’s not enough space. Suffice to say when it hits the lyric “I”ve got one last punch left in me,” I’m shadow-boxing, right here in my blogger hovel. [Single released on JaxArt Records.]

2 Star Parts, “Human Skin” – From the debut EP “What You Bleed Is What You Get” from this new indie-rock quartet fronted by Michael Compton (but not Shovelhead’s Michael Compton). [Seven-song EP available for free download at Missing Records.]

3 The Tender Box, “Another Lover” – Indie 103.1, bless its soul, helped these Eastside guys have a minor hit in 2006 with “Mister Sister,” and soon they will release a new EP that includes this track. [Live: May 21 at the Roxy with Star Parts, Funeral Party and Venus Infers.]

4 Avi Buffalo, “What’s In It For?” – This song echoes decades of classic rock, and to me it’s chilling – beautifully so – to think it was written by a 17-now-18-year-old kid. I’m told it will be on the EP that Avi Buffalo will be selling at its Tuesday night residency at the Echo in May. Don’t miss ’em.

5 Amateurs, “Chain Reaction” – “If We Dare Win” is the forthcoming EP from this L.A. five-piece that gives you a little twang, a little brass and plenty of hooks. [Live: EP release show at Spaceland on May 15.]

6 Le Switch, “Sunday Morning” – Silver Lake veterans built on their boozy, woozy aesthetic on their recent EP, “the Devil Needs a Cough Drop,” the follow-up to the well-received “And Now … Le Switch.” [Live: Sunday at the Cinema Bar.]

7 Seasons, “Empty Spaceships” – L.A. sextet’s new “Spring” EP is a little bit all over the map, but when these guy nail it they are calamitously good. [Live: Friday at Mr. T’s Bowl.]

8 Courtenay Green, “Thief” – Ivy League-educated singer-songwriter’s new EP, “Mixed Message,” reminds me of ’90s favorites like Natalie Merchant and Heather Nova. [Live: 4 p.m. Saturday at the Artpeace fundraiser, Box Eight Studios, 1446 E. Washington Blvd.]

9 Evan Voytas, “Getting Higher” – L.A.-by-way-of-Pa. songwriter stretches his wings on his second EP, “The New Dynamic Sound of Evan Voytas.” In this case, dynamic means a little freaky Motown. [Download the song here.]

10 The Polyamorous Affair, “Whoever Controls the Groove” – Very fun disco-pop from a duo with fashion sense and a fetish for synths. New album is coming this summer on Manimal Vinyl. [Live: May 14 at the Echoplex]

11 The Airlines, “S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y.” – Another L.A. contender borrowing heavily from the ’80s, this quartet takes a dab of New Order and runs with it.

12 Ronald of Orange, “Brush Away the Cobwebs” – The latest outlet for O.C.’s Ronnie Martin (brother of Starflyer 59’s Jason Martin and longtime frontman of Joy Electric), Ronald of Orange indulges in some playful electro-pop on his new “Brush Away the Cobwebs” Stream the EP, which includes an Innocence Mission cover, at Velvet Blue Music.

13 The Hard to Get, “Looking Good” – Melissa Kaplan and Tim Lee, as the Hard to Get, play the girl-boy pop game pretty effectively, as their new EP, “Looking Good,” testifies. [Live: Sunday at the Air Conditioned in Venice.]

14 One Trick Pony, “Loose Talk” – One Trick Pony are anything but; over the course of their seven-song “Full of Life” EP, the band’s Jeff Buckleyesque folk goes through plenty of mood swings, all vividly articulated by Randy Williams. [Live: May 26 at Echo Curio, and the band is also playing the May 31 installment of Kidrockers at the Echo.]

15 Hello Dragon, “Cities Need a Subway” – What a city this is when pop this good can fly so far under the radar. Hello Dragon is following up last year’s occasionally brilliant “The Quantum Explorers” with a free song of the month, so long as you sign up for their mailing list right here. [Live: May 13 at the Silverlake Lounge]

16 Charlie Wadhams, “Someone to Kiss” – Back when the Silversun Pickups were still playing for drinks, there was a pretty good indie rock band in Silver Lake called Rex Aquarium. Wadhams fronted that band. His solo folk balladry, as you hear on his “In a Goldmine” EP,” is the stuff of sweet heartache.