Kevin Bronson on May 31st, 2024

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Neither a laptop near-meltdown nor distractions over guilty verdicts could prevent us from compiling Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 293), the latest mix from Buzz Bands LA. Check out new songs from SASAMI, The Marías, Foster the People, Courtney Farren, Paige Stark, Winnetka Bowling League, Superfan, Outside Air, JOSEON, Love Fiend, St. Kio, Channel Tres, Angela Muñoz, Magdalena Bay, Noelle Sucks and more.

Find all our recent playlist here.

■ SASAMI, “Honeycrash” — Steeped in drama (aptly captured in Andrew Thomas Huang’s video), “Honeycrash” is SASAMI’s first release since her 2022 album, “Squeeze.” Live June 5 at the Echo.

■ St. Kio, “infinity Mirror” — St. Kio is the project of Filipino songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Nicole Bandoquillo. Like St. Kio’s 2023 EP “Songs to Drive To,” new single “Infinity Mirror” cascades into the world of shoegaze and post-punk.

■ Courtney Farren, “Fear” — Bay Area native, world wanderer and songwriter-producer Courtney Farren will release her debut album, “Punchlines,” in June. “Fear” follows a raft of stellar pop singles including “Last Seen in New York”, “I’m Not Alone (I’m Lonely),” and last December’s collaboration with BØRNS, “Together Together.” Her new single deals with being “scared often that I’m doing everything wrong and that no one cares — it comes in waves,” she says. “How did I get here?”

■ Angela Muñoz, “Forest Fire” — Back in 2020, L.A. native Angela Muñoz gave us some fine lockdown listening with her album “Introspection,” produced Adrian Younge. Now the 22-year-old is the newest talent on the roster of Stones Throw Records. “Forest Fire” is the first track from Muñoz’s forthcoming EP, “Descanso.”

■ Channel Tres, “Cactus Water” — “Cactus Water” follows “Berghain” as the latest single from Channel Tres’ new album, “Head Rush” (release date TBA).

■ The Marías, “Paranoia” — Friendly reminder that the Marías’ new album, “Submarine,” arrived today. Alas, the band’s shows Aug. 22 and 23 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery are sold out.

■ Foster the People, “Lost in Space” — Fourteen years since Foster the People released that song that wasn’t about stylish, inflatable shoes, they are back with “Lost in Space.” It’s the first taste of their new album, “Paradise State of Mind,” out Aug. 18.

■ Magdalena Bay, “Death & Romance” — The duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin return with “Death & Romance,” their first rleease (aside from a “mini-mix” EP) since their 2021 album, “Mercurial World.” The single’s arrival coincides with a tour announcement, including a date Oct. 2 at the Fonda Theatre.

■ Deep Thrills, “First Date” — Matan Koplin-Green (aka Matan KG) has a six-year catalog of infectious electro-pop under the name Paper Idol, but the singer-songwriter-producer returned this week with a new project. Deep Thrills’ inaugural single, “First Date,” which features XKYLAR (Skylar Steinberg), throws back to electroclash’s heyday some 20 years ago. And Matan KG owns this new turn to a near-death experience last August “I was walking home from a friend’s in Atwater, and this guy randomly came up and rammed me into the overpass ledge. I almost fell onto the highway below,” he explains. “I went to the studio and didn’t leave for like a month. It was maniacal.”

■ Magic Bronson, “Ritalin” — The L.A. duo of Matthew Lieberman and Michael Nicastro have released a deluxe version of their 2015 EP, “Wake Up,” home to some of our favorite Magic Bronson tracks, such as “Run Run,” “Hell With a Water Pistol” and “Wake Up (11th Dream).” “Ritalin” is one of the new bonus tracks.

■ Noelle Sucks, “Nonchalant” — “Nonchalant” is Noelle Sucks’ second single for Graveboy Records (see also: T“Ugly Ugly”), a sneaky-smart pop song that finds the artist, born Noelle Denton, merrily trying to “hit the same atmospheric, dreamy, nostalgic feeling I get when I listen to The Postal Service and early Owl City,” she ssays.

■ Winnetka Bowling League, “We’re Not Having Any Fun” — Friendly reminder that “Sha La La,” Winnetka Bowling League’s debut album, is out today. Right up our alley. WBL’s June 29 show at the Troubadour is sold out.

■ Talker, “Everything Is Something (I Never Saw Coming)” — Celeste Tauchar, aka Talker, continues to roll out the nuggets on her debut album, “I’m Telling You the Truth” (out June 21). Live dates: June 15 at the Glass House as part of the No Earbuds festival; Day 2 (June 23) of the June Gloom festival at the Other Side; and July 26 at Permanent Records Roadhouse, along with Kississippi.

■ Possible Oceans, “Disintegrate” — The title track to the new EP from Trevor O’Neill, dba Possible Oceans, displays the artist’s penchant for melding atmosphere groove. It’s been two years since Possible Ocean’s album “Death by Misadventure,” and “Disintegrate” is the first of two EPs planned for this year.

■ Paige Stark, “Ur Girl” — Paige Stark’s Jon Brion-produced EP “Good at Love” arrives June 7. “Ur Girl” (arriving with Aislyn Murray’s video) is the new single, and you’ll want to catch Stark at her EP release show June 9 at Scribble.

■ Sofia Wolfson, “History” — L.A. native Sofia Wolfson is currently residing in Brooklyn, but she writes a lot about home on “Imposing on a Hometown,” the new full-length she released today. It’s her first record in five years, preceded by such singles as “Donuts (Everyone Reminds Me of You)” and “From Up Here.” Gorgeous. And, speaking of imposing: Live June 2 at Permanent Records Roadhouse, along with Mal Not Bad.

■ Superfan, “When You Come to LA” — “I’m not a trust fund baby / Can’t afford to move to New York City,” Kali Flanagan sings on the new Superfan single, “When You Come LA.” It’s the lead track (and the fifth single, counting songs such as “Sewn Up and Handsome,” “75 Germany” and “Twilight Living”) on Superfan’s new album, “Tow Truck Jesus,” out June 28. Live July 17 at the Echo.

■ Almost Monday, “Can’t Slow Down” — Second single from the San Diego trio’s debut album, coming later this year.

■ Tender Misfit, “Every Time We Kiss” — Choices, choices, Ariel Beesley gives you choices. Two weeks ago, she released the single “Every Time We Kiss;” this week she unveiled the “sped up” version. Make ours caffeinated, please.

■ KONG., “Hell Is a Holy Place” — Somewhere between alt-pop, arena folk and a gospel rave — that’s where you’ll find “Hell Is a Holy Place,” the new single from Justin Joyce (aka KONG.). His is a mighty powerful Kongregation.

■ Outside Air, “The Painter” — Outside Air is the new project from Charlie Glick and Kevin Farzad, both of whom were in Sure Sure. “The Painter” is a pretty and pretty wistful first single. They explain how the project started here.

■ Kate Bollinger, “Any Day Now” — “Any Day Now” (with Ambar Navarro’s video) introduces Kate Bollinger’s debut album, “Songs From a Thousand Frames of Mind,” arriving Sept. 27. Bollinger sings softly but spins a web of beguiling, observational pop.

■ Chris Cohen, “Sunever” — The follow-up to “Damage,” “Sunever” is a paean of perseverance written for a transgender child. Cohen’s new album, “Paint a Room,” is out July 12. Live July 27 at 2220 Arts + Archives.

■ Child Seat, “Fever” — “Fever” is the follow-up to “Fool for Love” and latest single from L.A. duo Child Seat’s album “Dancing at the Disco,” out June 21. Live June 20 at the Paramount, along with Broken Baby and Night Talks.

■ Love Fiend, “Vacant Love” — L.A. rock/new wave quintet Love Fiend (Jesse and Own Summers, Raymond Schmidt, Owen Barrett and Kurtis Ray) introduced their debut album, “Handle with Care” (produced by John Dwyer and out July 12), a few weeks ago with “Hard Feelings.” The straight-ahead rocker “Vacant Love” is the album’s closing track.

■ AWOLNATION, “Jump Sit Stand March” (feat. Emily Armstrong) — Dead Sara’s Emily Armstrong joins Aaron Bruno and AWOLNATION to add some daggers to the new single “Jump Sit Stand March,” which introduces “The Phantom Five,” the fifth album of originals from the L.A. rockers. The album is out Aug. 30. Live at Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa on Aug. 27, along with 311 and Neon Trees.

■ Tiny Stills, “We Really Felt Something” — Here;’s the title track to Tiny Stills’ new album, “We Really Felt Something,” out next week. Live June at the Moroccan Lounge, with Dikembe.

■ JOSEON, “Fiends” — Korean-American trio JOSEON (Brennan Shin, Jonah Cho and Grant Spitzer) make distortion-spiked psych-rock. Their debut EP, “Youthinasia,” came out this spring. The trio is among the artists on the bill for an event called Hollywood Live tonight at the El Rey Theatre.

■ Gold Star & Johanna Samuels, “I Found a Reason” — Two L.A. luminaries team up to cover Lou Reed. Samuels, who, by the way, released a deluxe edition of her album “Bystander” in March, will release a new EP, “First and the Last,” on June 21. And she will perform on June 22 at Permanent Records Roadhouse.