Stream: Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 283)
Kevin Bronson on
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We’re sufficiently recovered from being gobsmacked by the new Storefront Church single to share Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 283), the latest mix from Buzz Bands LA. Press play to hear that, along with new tunes from Clara-Nova, Remi Wolf, BEL, Brainstory, La Poré, Los Yesterdays, Cuffed Up, Crêpe Girl, Cameron Leahy, Gregory Ackerman, Mt. Joy, Daz & the Demons, Billy Tibbals and more. Enjoy.
■ Storefront Church, “The High Room” — Lukas Frank’s new tour de force as Storefront Church sounds like a soundtrack waiting for a movie. It’s pretty jaw-dropping. Storefront Church’s new album, “Ink & Oil,” is on the way in June, so stay tuned.
■ Clara-Nova, “Future Black Hole” — The latest Clara-Nova single from Sydney Wayser sounds like a beacon of light rather than the darkness its title suggests.
■ Daz & the Demons, “Ronnie and Louise” — L.A.-based Australian songwriter Daz Cordeux is at the helm of Daz & the Demons, dispensing infectious, retro power-pop. He’s joined by Mackenzie Howe (The Wild Reeds) and Genevieve Patterson, Zachary Schellhase and Spencer Lere. “Ronnie and Louise” (watch the video) is the fourth single from the band’s debut album, “8 Songs,” out April 5. Live April 6 at the Goldfish, along with Softjaw.
■ BEL, “Window Shopping” — Four months since BEL’s strong EP, “Read the Room” — and fresh off two nights opening for Cold War Kids at the Fonda — songwriter Isabel Whelan returns this week with a double-single, “Nos Despedimos” and “Window Shopping.”
■ La Poré, “Wasted Love” — Props to La Poré for the simple but clever video for the new single “Waste Love,” which is an catchy, thoroughly danceable homage to vintage MJ.
■ Remi Wolf, “Cinderella” — “Big Ideas” is the sophomore album from Remi Wolf, and it’s out July 12, just after she wraps a European tour supporting Olivia Rodrigo. Wolf’s outsized personality shines in the disco romp “Cinderella,” which the songwriter says “is a lyrical collage of the ups and downs and mood swings and transient lifestyle I was experiencing while writing this album … moving from feeling really insecure to feeling really good to feeling manic and depressed and then feeling OK again, while desperately craving a grounding figure to tell me I was doing a good job. So, this song was me stepping in as my own fairy godmother telling myself that I was in control.”
■ Sumeau, The first release from the L.A duo of Kat Primeau and Christopher Sousa since 2022’s “This Is a Dreamix,” “Kinda Awesome,” mixed by Joel Jerome, “was written shortly after I completed death doula training and speaks to how intimidating and awe-inspiring it is to hold space for people at the end-of-life,” Primeau says. Sumeau plays a free show Sunday at The Fable in Eagle Rock (1630 Colorado Blvd.).
■ Mt. Joy, “Highway Queen” — Ahead of a tour-heavy 2024, Philly/L.A.-based folk-pop Mt. Joy have released a new single, “Highway Queen.” Did we mention a tour? Live at the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 25.
■ Brainstory, “Peach Optimo” — SoCal trio Brainstory’s new album “Sounds Good” is out April 19, and on the sgtrong of singles such as “Nobody But You,” “Hanging On,” “Listen” and, this week, “Peach Optimo,” something is sounding really, really good. Their April 18 album-release party at the Lodge Room is sold out, so … Pappy & Harriet’s, anybody?
■ Los Yesterdays, “I Can’t Feel” — Chicano soul standouts Los Yesterdays have announced the May 17 arrival of their debut album, “Love Is A Game For Fools.” They’re not fooling around on the opening single, “I Can Feel.”
■ Kate Clover, “Here Comes the Love Bomb” — The follow-up to “Damage Control” and “Like a Domino,” “”Here Comes the Love Bomb” sprinted on to our playlist this week as the latest single from Kate Clover’s new album, “The Apocalypse Dream,” out April 5. Live at the Echo on April 13.
■ Peel, “Cycle” — Next week brings the release of Peel’s “Acid Star,” the debut album from Sean Cimino and Isom Innis (both of Foster the People). The fifth and final single from the album rollout is “Cycle,” which leans to the psych corner of the duo’s post-punk/electronic/psychedelia triangle. More highlights include “OMG,” “Climax” and “Y2J.”
■ Rosie Tucker, “Big Fish/No Fun” — Rosie Tucker’s fourth album, “UTOPIA NOW!,” came out Friday, yet another flex from a songwriter who matches sharp riffs with even sharper wit and manages to seem devastatingly nonchalant about it. “Big Fish/No Fun” is the final “single,” but truthfully everything in Tucker’s little utopia is pretty singular. Live May 18 at the Moroccan Lounge.
■ Billy Tibbals, “Dream Away” — Young rocker Billy Tibbals pulls an OG arena ballad out of his sleeve with “Dream Away,” the latest from his Chris Robinson-produced EP, “Nightlife Stories,” April 26. Live April 11 at the House of Blues Anaheim — and opening for the Black Crowes at the Greek Theatre the following night, April 12.
■ Cuffed Up, “Meet the End” — Ralph Torrefranca, Christina Apostolopoulos and Joe Liptock — dba Cuffed Up — will release their debut album, “All You Got,” on April 5. It’s all so suitably prickly, as singles such as “Mock Dance,” “Finer Things” and “Little Wins” testify. Live May 2 at the Moroccan Lounge.
■ Crêpe Girl, “Circles” — The follow-up to “Keep It Simple!” and “Drug,” “Circles” is the opening track on French-American artist Eliza Grégoire’s new EP, “Stargazing” (out this week). See Crêpe Girl live on Sunday night at Gold-Diggers.
■ Gregory Ackerman, “Brand New Life” — Here’s the title track to Gregory Ackerman’s new EP, which is being released May 24 by Dutch label Polymoon Records. It’s the follow-up to “Breaking My Heart,” a tender tune with a ride-or-die guitar outro. “Brand New Life,” produced by Dillon Casey (who also worked on Ackerman’s 2023 EP, “Mhm Okay”), has a warm hopefulness that’ll warm your heart.
■ Natalie Del Carmen, “The Highway” — L.A. native (and Berklee grad) Natalie Del Carmen released her debut album of folk-inflected pop, “Bloodline,” last year, followed by the folkier EP “Tandem Songs.” She dives further into Americana on her new single,”The Highway,” thanks in no small part to her increasing proficiency play her grandfather’s 1930 banjo.
■ Cameron Leahy, “Critic” — “Critic” introduces “Dizzy Freedom,” the debut album from Cameron Leahy, former frontman of the Downtown Fiction now finding inspiration in engaging left-field folk. Leahy made the album (out June 7) himself in his SoCal studio.
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