Kevin Bronson on June 17th, 2022

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Singles roundup from the Dept. of Rock: Hear new songs from Starcrawler, Hooveriii, Together Pangea and Dreamers …

STARCRAWLER, “She Said”

The follow-up to “Roadkill,” Starcrawler’s “She Said” is the title track to the rock quartet’s major-label debut album, produced by Tyler Bates and out Sept. 16. Known for their no-holds-barred sleaze-rock in their early days, the band — Arrow De Wilde, brothers Henri and Bill Cash, Seth Carolina and Tim Franco — are still capable of three-minute thrill rides, as “Roadkill” confirmed. “She Said,” with its acoustic lead-in, wandering bass line and headbanging riffs, is a more of a ’90s excursion. “‘She Said’ was one of the first songs written for this album,” De Wilde says. “It was at the beginning of the pandemic and Henri came to my window and played me the demo, and we wrote the lyrics together like Romeo and Juliet. It’s what really kicked off the writing process of this album, and it was such a powerful moment that we wanted to name the record after that song.” Starcrawler plays Heaven After Dark with Porno for Pyros on July 7 at the Belasco.

HOOVERIII, “The Pearl”

In May, L.A. psych-rockers Hooveriii announced the July arrival of a new album, “A Round of Applause.” So here’s an ovation for “The Pearl,” a sonic curveball if you know the band’s catalog. “‘The Pearl’ is an ode to pop songs of the ’60s/’70s in the vein of Nilsson, Ringo, Phil Spector, girl groups, Motown, etc.,” the band says. “A little light-hearted, nursery rhyme palate cleanse to close out the LP and quite possibly a vision of things to come. We like the idea of being a bit unpredictable, keeping folks (and ourselves) on our toes.” Be on your toes for their live dates: Aug. 2 at the Wayfarer and Aug. 6 at Gold-Diggers.

TOGETHER PANGEA, “Cigarette”

Like the preceding single “Grass,” Together Pangea channels some good ol’ Replacements on their new single “Cigarette.” Also like “Grass,” the song will appear on the deluxe edition of the album they released last October, “DYE.” The value-added release is out July 8. “‘Cigarette’ is about the lies that we tell ourselves to avoid taking responsibility for our bullshit,” singer-guitarist William Keegan says. (Trying to quit? Resist watching the visual below.)

DREAMERS, “Body Language”

Boasting chest-thumping, ’80s-styled production, “Body Language” is Dreamers’ third single of the year, following “Black Confetti” and “Upgrade” and released ahead of this summer’s big co-headlining tour with the Score (Aug. 19 at the Glass House, Sept. 18 at the Fonda). “‘Body Language’ is a song I wrote while I was having trouble communicating with my girlfriend,” singer Nick Wold says. “There’s so much that we say without saying anything, sending each other messages from the heart, with just a look or a gesture. Sometimes the gesture is missed completely; other times, we understand each other almost telepathically. This song is about that dance.”