[A few tunes from L.A. artists who have been hard at work...]

FIDLAR, “Got No Money” — Zac Carper and gang, whose acronym stands for F–k It Dog, Life’s a Risk, return with yet another single from their “Don’t Try” EP (out now on Mom + Pop). “Got No Money” has the odd juxtaposition of urgency and slacker undertones but follows suit with their other punk anthems. This time, they even have a Ramones flair going on. FIDLAR is currently on tour with the Hives.

White Arrows, “Roll Forever” — Pills in hand or not, White Arrow’s new single “Roll Forever” packs in a punch that previous hazy White Arrows singles had yet to offer. Serving as another teaser for their forthcoming record “Dry Land Is Not a Myth” (out June 19 on Votiv), Mickey Church’s bright vocals dance in between the heavy beats and light harmonies to make it a titillating push-and-pull listen. White Arrows briefly return from their European tour June 16 at the Troubadour with Beat Connection and Mmoths.

Jail Weddings, “(There’s Nothing Worse in the World Than a) Crying Girl” — Jail Weddings follow up 2010′s “Love Is Lawless” with “Four Future Standards” EP (out now on Neurotic Yell Records), and they return with even more members. Gabe Hart and company continue to slam doo-wop into garage rock, but “There’s Nothing Worse in the World Than a) Crying Girl” pulls back on the loud drama and focuses on natural grooves. Jail Weddings may have been labeled as a party band (one that would probably play the funnest prom ever) before, but they’re pleasantly more versatile than you think. Jail Weddings celebrate the release of their new EP on Friday night at the Satellite.

Photo of FIDLAR from their recent show at the Mayan Theater by Debi Del Grande

 

The Hudson Block Party on Sunday in West Hollywood might not have been very popular with neighbors — there’s quite an afterburn surrounding the second annual event — but it was a big hit with music fans, who were treated to another great outing from White Rabbits and a show-stealing performance by LP. Haim and Yellow Alex & the Feelings also turned in rousing sets on a sunny Sunday, and photographer Debi Del Grande shares this gallery.

Maria Lindén and Fredrik Balck of Sweden’s I Break Horses may or may not be fans of Smog, but either way, the sonic offerings on their debut album “Hearts” is far from anything one would liken to Bill Callahan. Their shoegaze influences are obvious (My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Jesus & Mary Chain), but the electronic haze, which washes over as much as the guitars rise and roar, is nice and steady. The electricity in songs such as the title track pulses and massages the audio senses as noise gradually builds up underneath Lindén’s feathery vocals. A suitable opening band for the current leg of M83′s tour, I Break Horses provide an experience without the narcotics (and without glow sticks). Even their Alex Southam-directed music video for “Hearts” aims for au naturel.

||| Download: “Hearts”

||| Also: Make sure to grab their gorgeous collaboration with CSLSX, “Violent Sea.”

||| Live: I Break Horses play tonight at the Echo.

Midweek madness:

► Robert Francis celebrates the release of his third album, “Strangers in the First Place,” with a headlining show at the Troubadour, with opening sets from Leslie Stevens (solo) and Edwards & Edwards.
► The Pharcyde celebrate the 20-year anniversary of “Bizarre Ride II” at the Roxy.
► Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s hold forth at the Bootleg Bar behind their March release “Rot Gut, Domestic,” with Dinosaur Feathers and Whispertown opening. That’s the video for “Prozac Rock,” above.
► Swedish shoegazers I Break Horses visit the Echo, supported by Geographer and Old Toy Trains.
► Big local bill at Los Globos features Light FM, Soft Swells, the Singularity and Omniflux.
► And Devendra Banhart pays at a headlining show at the Observatory in Santa Ana.

Also:

Dandelo, Irontom and Nacosta at the Satellite
Daedelus, Slick Rick, a surprise guest and more at the Music Saves Lives party at Saint Felix in Hollywood
The Spazmatics, the Bad Bad Things and the Dares at the Viper Room
Danger at the El Rey Theatre
David Ryan Harris and Naia Kete at the Hotel Cafe
Sabaton, Ana Kefr and Relicseed at the Key Club
Tic Tic Boom! at Lot 1 Cafe
Marco Benevento at the Mint
The Breakups at the Down and Out Bar
Alaska Reid at the Baked Potato
Jonzo West and Half Blood at Harvard & Stone
TraPsPs, Whitman, Ezra Buchla and Nora Keyes at the Smell
Apparitions at the Redwood
The Chief Resolve at the Detroit Bar

Funeral Club’s mesmerizing new single “Waves & Waves” is the latest slice of folk noir from the partners in tune (and life) Joseph and Jenny Andreotti, who explain that the song was inspired by some of their favorite films. You can certainly hear a little Bergman in Jenny’s plantive vocals and the mournful keys and horn. It’s the title track of the band’s new EP, out on Pale Noir Records, that’s the follow-up to last year’s album “In the Fire.” Again, the Andreottis (who formerly recorded under the name the Grizzly Owls) worked with producer Raymond Richards. We’re assuming the lights were turned low.

||| Download: “Waves & Waves”

||| Live: Funeral Club celebrates its album release with a show tonight at the Echo.

Nikki Lane’s album “Walk of Shame” (released last fall on IAMSOUND) is Americana that’s all full of spit and vinegar, stuff that will remind you of a dozen twangy songstresses you love. The video for “Lies,” on the other hand, reminds me of something else. I. Want. That. Car.

||| Live: Nikki Lane opens for Spiritualized tonight at the Wiltern.

Our show picks for Morrissey’s birthday (Moz himself is in San Diego tonight):

► The Riverboat Gamblers’ new album “The Wolf You Feed” is out today, and the Texas punk-rock quintet celebrates with a show at the Satellite, supported by Biters and Roll the Tanks.
► The Mark Lanegan Band swings back through town behind the new album “Blues Funeral” for a special show at the Autry Center.
► Beck plays a sold-out show at the El Rey Theatre.
► The reunited Sparta headlines the Troubadour.
► Spiritualized plays the Wiltern behind its new album “Sweet Heart Sweet Light,” with Nikki Lane opening.
► And Funeral Club marks the release of its new EP “Waves & Waves” with a show at the Echo that also features Sneakpeak and The Donnies the Amys.

Also:

Lianna La Havas at the Bootleg Theater
Trampled By Turtles at the Fonda Theater
Rocco DeLuca at the Hotel Cafe
Sugarland at the Greek Theatre
Kottonmouth Kings at the Key Cub
Sweet and Tender Hoologans at the Mayan Theatre
Haim at Palihouse
Austin Brown and the Petrels at the Central
Sean O’Connor and Julian McCullough at the Mint
Nobody Beats the Drum at Dim Mak Studios
Mishka & Anuhea and Micah Brown at the Viper Room
Lovers Drugs at Hemingway’s
The Child’s free in-store at Amoeba (7 p.m.)
Bright Young Things, Miss Chief and Kevin Tyler Zepeda-Compton at Lot 1 Cafe
Morrissey at Valley View Casino in San Diego

Death to Anders, the L.A. quartet who through five releases largely adhered to the jagged, dissonant ideal of indie-rock in the 1990s, is going not-so-quietly into the night. “We had a good run, but it’s time to close the chapter on Death to Anders,” frontman Rob Danson said in a Facebook post. “Thank you for all of your kind support.” With that, D2A announced the release of an eight-track, self-titled collection (free via Bandcamp) that’s easily its best work yet. Danson and mates always traded in the prickly sonics (and even pricklier lyrical content) of the likes of the Pixies, Sonic Youth and their bedfellows. Without forgoing their sharp licks, their swan songs nod to Americana and the friendlier melodicism of classic rock. Danson retains plenty of bite with his curled, sometimes-shout-sung vocals, and the quartet’s rhythms are as furious as ever. If this indeed is farewell, we should tip our caps to the Silver Lakers, who never played to fashion and who depart on a high note.

||| Download: “Drowning Song”

||| Also: Visit Bandcamp to get “Death to Anders” and last October’s “Don’t Give Up” EP.

Photo of Death to Anders at Buzz Bands LA’s 3-Year Anniversary party last October, by Zoe-Ruth Erwin

[Here are new tunes from a few L.A. bands we've written about in the past...]

Goldroom, “Fifteen (feat. Chela)” (via Facebook) — The last time we heard from producer Josh Legg, aka Goldroom, his synths had taken on a more festive feel with “Morgan’s Bay,” but Legg — who is also a member of the trio Nightwaves on Binary Entertainment — returns his summer ’80s synths toward the richer hues that have both a stronger drive and a delicate shimmer. “Fifteen” has a title that automatically invokes teen romance nostalgia, but the melodic riff nicely anchors itself in between surreal dream-pop and breezy chillwave.

So Many Wizards, “Happy Birthday” — After several excellent hazy, jangly and falsetto-laden singles,  Nima Kazerouni and company finally announced Aug. 14 as the official release of their new record “Warm Nothing” (out on JAXART), and with this news we get the new single “Happy Birthday.” The single has all the regular So Many Wizards elements with a chorus that has a touch more urgency.

AV Club, “End of the Night” — It’s been a while since we’ve heard form quintet AV Club. Keyboardist Sean Guerin has been busy playing his bands such as Old Man and New Child with his brother (and former Casxio frontman) Lucas Geurin. But they’ve come back with the shiny pop tune “End of the Night,” which will be part of a forthcoming three-song EP. AV Club play May 27 as part of Silver Lake Jubilee.

Photo by Conrad McGee-Stocks

Around 2007, the Deadly Syndrome were among the brightest lights on L.A.’s indie-rock horizon, four scruffy dudes who performed sweat-soaked shows with cardboard cutouts of ghosts onstage — a reference to one of their best songs and also symbolic of the quartet’s unspoken maxim that what they were doing (and probably whatever we were, too) was all about confronting your fears. They re-popularized the set-ending drum circle (“Eucalyptus,” ended with a bang, every time), released a very good debut “The Ortolan” and generally slapped smiles on the faces of everybody who saw them. Whether it was their unfortunate label association (Dim Mak) or other problems, the Deadly Syndrome never got the credit it deserved. The foursome rebounded in 2010 with the self-released “Nolens Volens,” even as frontman Chris Richard joined up with Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. And now they have their third album ready: “All in Time” will be out Aug. 7. More on the album later, but its first single “Spirit of the Stairs” has hit iTunes. It has a bit of a Talking Heads-meets-psych-pop vibe and (yet another) wicked guitar part from Will Etling. Makes you happy to hear them, and not just their ghosts.

||| Stream: “Spirit of the Stairs”:

||| Also: After the jump, check out the video for the new song “Demons”: