Kevin Bronson on August 9th, 2024

0

Here’s Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 232), a decidedly rock-heavy mix … Must be summer? Dive in for tracks from Sun Room, Jesse Jo Stark, Finneas, Jordana, MacGregor Burns, Mondo Cozmo, Sparkbyrd, Pigeon Club, Alisa Xayalith, Sego, De Nada, Jagged Baptist Club, Peel Dream Magazine and more.

■ Sun Room, “Get Me Outta New York City” — “Can’t Explain” is the new EP from SoCal surf-cum-garage-rockers Sun Room. It’s their third (they released two EPs last year); it’s produced by Jonny Bell and out today, and damned if “Get Me Outta New York City” doesn’t give us the Hives. Live Aug. 31 at Aviator Nation Dreamland in Malibu.

■ Finneas, “For Cryin’ Out Loud!” — One thing Finneas O’Connell is not doing is resting on his laurels. This year, the 27-year-old collected his second Oscar for his co-writing and producing sister Billie Eilish’s “Barbie” theme “What Was I Made For.” And 2023 brought the arrival of Eilish’s third album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” Now Finneas is announcing an album of his own and releasing the title track; “For Cryin’ Out Loud” is out Oct. 4.

■ Jesse Jo Stark, “Billie Don’t Be So Mad” — Co-written and produced with Linda Perry and Thomas Hunter, “Billie Don’t Be So Mad” follows this spring’s “Skeleton” as another strong entry in Jesse Jo Stark’s catalog.

■ MacGregor Burns, “She Never Took a Chance on Me” — First, a confession: We slept on MacGregor Burns’ album, “Paradise Motel,” produced Ryan Pollie and released early this year. Go support if you like paeans to seedy motels, 7-Elevens and Tinseltown dreams as narrated by somebody who, no lie, has worked as a Hollywood tour guide. “She Never Took a Chance on Me” is Burns’ first single since the album, and it’s a collaboration with Luke Temple.

■ Jordana, “Like a Dog” — The follow-up to “We Get By,” the classic pop-leaning “Like a Dog” introduces Jordana’s new album, “Lively Premonition,” out Oct. 18. The new single, says the singer-songwriter (full name: Jordana Nye), is “about fawning over someone so entirely that any ounce of attention from them feeds the desire even stronger. Even if that means being treated in an inhumane way … like a dog.”

■ Mondo Cozmo, “Killing Floor” — The latest single from Josh Ostrander and Mondo Cozmo is “Killing Floor” (video), a torchy ballad in the vein of 2017’s “Plastic Soul.” Following “Angels” and “Wild Horses,” it’s the latest from Mondo Cozmo’s fourth full-length, “It’s Principle!,” out Aug. 30 via Last Gang Records.

■ Little Bit, “Out to Dry” — The beautifully understated “Out to Dry” is the third single from “Talk a Blue Streak,” the solo debut EP from songwriter Hannah Liuzzo (ex-Lilith), now ensconced in L.A. and working as Little Bit.

■ Peel Dream Magazine, “Central Park West” — We’re less than a month away from the release of Peel Dream magazine’s fourth album, “Rose Main Reading Room.” The follow-up to “Wish You Well,” “Central Park West,” one of two singles released this week, puts you in the trio’s comfort zone. PDM’s record-release show is Sept. 7 at Zebulon (with Goon), and you can also catch them at Desert Daze in October.

■ Dawn Richard & Richard Zahn, “Traditions” — “Traditions” introduces the second collaborative album from Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn: “Quiet in a World Full of Noise,” out Oct. 4 via Merge.

■ Pigeon Club, “Another Year in the Minors” — “Another Year in the Minors” is the title track to the new album (out today) from songwriter Wayne Whittaker, a multi-instrumentalist, sideman to many and raconteur whose self-effacing humor and tender touch make for captivating folk-rock. The album was made with co-producers John Would (Fiona Apple, Warren Zevon) and Amy Wood (Fiona Apple, The Donnys The Amys). Live Aug. 18 at Healing Force of the Universe.

■ Alisa Xayalith, “Roses” — You know New Zealand-born, L.A.-based Alisa Xayalith from The Naked and Famous. Her solo career got off to a good start with the release of the beguiling “Superpowers” EP in 2022. Now she debuts with Nettwerk, releasing the single “Roses.”

■ Brandon, “Without You” — “Without You” (video), the new single from Brandon (full name: Brandon Joseph), is the Riverside native’s first release for Secretly Canadian. He’ll release a new EP, “Blush,” on Sept. 13.

■ Sego, “Oh My” — Seventeen months ago, Sego released the single, “Tandang.” Seven more singles later, there’s a limited-edition vinyl album with that name. Their outsider electro-punk-meets-indie-rock remains vitally subversive as ever. (lyrics come in handy here). See them Sunday, Aug. 25, on Day 2 of the (free) Happy Sundays festival in Long Beach.

■ OFF!, “Oblivion” — Keith Morris and gang are putting OFF! out to pasture, but what a way to go. Today brings the release of the feature film “Free LSD” (trailer / deluxe Blue-Ray / watch digitally). “Oblivion” is a bonus track from the release.

■ Jagged Baptist Club, “You Are a Dog” — L.A. foursome Jagged Baptist Club introduces their new, Alex Newport-produced album, “Physical Surveillance” (out Nov. 15), with a raucous volley of post-punk. “I just imagined Shaun Ryder writing the screenplay for a ‘Crank’ movie, just a collection of wild scenes and surreal images, again keeping it simple,” JBC frontman Blake Stokes says of the record. “See you in the pit, let’s get to shoving.” Speaking of the pit: Live Aug. 17 at Sick City Records and Sunday, Aug. 25, on Day 2 of the Happy Sundays festival in Long Beach.

■ TR/ST, “Dark Day” — Robert Alfons has released “Dark Day,” the latest single from TR/ST’s new album, “Performance,” out Sept. 13 via Dais Records. The album arrives ahead of a fall tour that winds down with dates Nov. 21 at the Observatory and Nov. 22 at the Novo.

■ Los Saints, “Hard” — “Hard” is one of the highlights on “Certified,” the debut album from San Diego rockers Los Saints.

■ De Nada, “Fast Jawn” — L.A. trio De Nada play highly caffeinated power-pop, and “Fast Jawn” is one of the high-velocity tracks on their new EP, “Disaster Hour,” released earlier this year.

■ Scarlett Taylor, “Reckless Love” — Minneapolis-bred Scarlett Taylor brought her dark pop to L.A. six summers ago, and although she hasn’t been terribly prolific since 2018’s EP “Heaven Punk,” she scores with “Reckless Love,” her first single in almost two years.

■ Brother Tank, “Cull the Herd” — Brother Tank might have a good thing going — part collared-shirt indie rock circa 2000 and part strident Sabbath. Don’t be lulled into a comfort zone by the first couple minutes of “Cull the Herd,” from a self-titled EP released earlier this year. At the 2:45 mark, singer-guitarist Jacob Kennelly flexes.

■ Jr. Juggernaut, “Inclined” — Friendly reminder that L.A. trio Jr. Juggernaut today released “Another Big Explosion,” their fourth album and first since 2016. It roars like our ’90s did.

■ Your Favorite Color, “Medicine” — the follow-up to “Stained,” “Medicine” is the latest does of O.C. quartet Your Favorite Color’s debut album, “For You,” out later this year. File under easily digestible pop-rock.

■ Blame My Youth, “Olé” — Sean Van Vleet (ex-Empires) has clicked since he launched Blame My Youth in 2020. “Olé” follows “Running” as his latest rocker.

■ Sparkbyrd, “Burn” — The third single from the collaboration between Lauren Willow White and Chelsea Davis (both ex-the original Rocket) makes the spine tingle. See also: “Ruby Red Clementine” and “Arrow.”

■ Los Yesterdays, “Love Is a Game for Fools” — We’ll wrap this week’s playlist with a dose of old-school soul. “Love Is a Game for Fools” is the latest single from Los Yesterdays, whose debut album “Frozen In Time,” is out Aug. 23 via Now Again Records.