Kevin Bronson on September 6th, 2024

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Here we are, on a Friday (and a Bandcamp Friday at that, take note of the links below), presenting Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 306). It’s 33 tracks strong; that’s about as “heavy lifting” it gets for Buzz Bands LA’s weekly missives.

This week’s reps a slew of full-lengths and EPs just released … though we probably missed some. Hear songs from new albums by Dummy, Amy Allen, The Airborne Toxic Event, Gavin Turek, Claude Fontaine, Peel Dream Magazine, Tamar Berk, Fatal Jamz, Smallpools and more. Plus, check out new singles by Mo Dotti, Theo Moss, Cornelia Murr, Magic Bronson, Linying, Eliza McLamb, Jerry Paper, Tender Misfit, Osnova, Theo Kandel and others. Whew.

Check out all our recent playlists on Spotify. Info on these tracks can be found beneath the player.

Note: Anita Wills contributed to today’s roundup.

■ Dummy, “Soonish …” — Friendly reminder that our current faves for Most Interesting Band in L.A. (since 2021), Dummy, have released their sophomore album, “Free Energy.” It’s like five bands from the ’80s and ’90s undergrounds got together and did mushrooms and windsprints. Don’t settle for not being challenged. See them Sept. 7 at the Lodge Room.

■ The Airborne Toxic Event, “Our Own Thunder Road” — Titled “Glory,” the Airborne Toxic Event’s new album is their seventh full-length and first since 2020’s “Hollywood Park.” The new album finds the quintet (founding members Mikel Jollett, Steven Chen and Daren Taylor, along with Adrian Rodriguez and Mimi Peschet)  crafting seemingly Boss-like anthems that might not be so Boss-like after all. Consider the opener, “Our Own Thunder Road.” The band explains that Jollett’s song is “about longing to write like Bruce Springsteen but realizing he didn’t have the sense that that road went anywhere, that he was just too broken, too angry, too bitter — so all he could do was scream about that — and that our own thunder road had to be about how we were never the ones who saw the ‘graduation gown.’ We were, ‘the ghosts in the eyes of those boys fell.’” Disillusionment, it seems, is coming to the realization that the two lanes you’re driving won’t take you anywhere. Live Oct. 18 at the Ford and Oct. 19 at the Wiltern.

■ Amy Allen, “Reason to Forgive” — To call Amy Allen’s self-titled album a “debut” is a bit of a curveball — as a songwriter, she’s worked with the likes of Harry Styles (earning a Grammy for her work on “Harry’s House”), Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, Tate McRae and Halsey, among many others. She finds her own lane in the indie-rock and folk on “Amy Allen,” and singles such as “Girl With a Problem,” “Even Forever” and “Darkside,” keepers all, only hint at the depth on Allen’s record. Live Sept. 21 at the Greek Theatre, opening for Bleachers.

■ Gavin Turek, “Back on the Market” — Gavin Turek’s third album (and first since 2021’s “Madame Gold”) is out and raring to go at your ’80s dance party. It’s titled “Diva of the People,” a collection of fresh, funky disco, that, by three songs in, will make you forget that you ever harumphed about nostalgia. Grab your “Disco Boots.” Live Sept. 21 at the Echoplex.

■ Peel Dream Magazine, “Counting Sheep,” — Friendly reminder that Peel Dream Magazine’s fourth album, “Rose Main Reading Room,” came out this week. Featuring songs such as “Lie in the Gutter,” “Wish You Well” and “Central Park West,” it’s one of those records you simply allow to infiltrate your being. FFO: Stereolab, Yo La Tengo and everything in between and adjacent. Live Sept. 7 at Zebulon, with Goon opening.

■ Theo Moss, “The Garden’s Burning” — Sam Valdez debuted her new project Theo Moss in July with “Autopilot,” and now she returns — sounding at turns muscular and tender — with the second single, “The Garden’s Burning.” Produced again by Gabe Wax, it’s the title track to the forthcoming debut Theo Moss EP. Live Sept. 23 at the Echo, opening for Sunday (1994).

■ Mo Dotti, “Whirling Sad” — Mo Dotti are back with another dose of shoegaze/noise-pop from “Opaque,” out Sept. 20. Like the lead single “Lucky Boy,” “Whirling Sad” will sweep you away.

■ Touché Amoré, “Hal Ashby” — Named for the acclaimed director, “Hal Ashby” (check Sean Stout’s video) is the latest single from Touché Amoré’s sixth album, “Spiral in a Straight Line,” out Oct. 11. Cinephiles, meet post-hardcore. See the band Oct. 9 at the Regent Theater.

■ Magic Bronson, “We Used to Settle” — The follow-up to “Good Time,” “We Used to Settle” is the latest single from “Good Dogs” (out in November), the new album from the duo of Matt Lieberman and Michael Nicastro, aka Magic Bronson.

■ Claude Fontaine, “Laissez-Moi L’aimer” — Aptly described as a “romantic message in a bottle,” “Laissez-Moi L’aimer” is the release-week single from Claude Fontaine’s new album, “La Mer,” out today via Innovative Leisure. It’s an intoxicating mix of ’60s French pop, reggae lite and tropicalia; get slinky with it.

■ Fatal Jamz, “Faye Dunaway” — The duo of Marion Belle and Nicholas Johns, dba Fatal Jamz, have been sorely overlooked purveyors of cinematic, glammy pop over the past decade. Today they released the album, “The Soft Kingdom,” the final LP in their “lead singer trilogy,” which they previewed at the Teragram in 2023 when they released Part 2, “Fatal Attraction.” Excusing the obvious rhyme with the surname, “Faye Dunaway” is one of the new album’s luminous moments. There’s a listening party tonight.

■ Linying, “Donovan” — The blitheful new single from L.A.-based Singaporean songwriter Linying, “Donovan,” is her first release since last year’s EP, “House Mouse.”

■ Sam Blasucci, “Witching Hour” — One-half of the duo Mapache and creator of the album “Off My Stars” (2023) from his home base in Ojai, Sam Blasucci steps out again with “Witching Hour,” a genre-fluid song that really sounds like nothing he made with Mapache or on his solo record. It’s the first single from Blasucci’s new album “Real Life Thing” (Bandcamp pre-order), out Nov. 1.

■ Eliza McLamb, “God Take Me Out of LA” — Eliza McLamb, who released her Sarah Tudzin-produced debut album “Going Through It” early this year, returns with a twangy single that’s a reminder she’s originally from North Carolina. It’s twangy and sad, not to mention more thoughtful than the usual L.A. kiss-off songs/rants.

■ Jerry Paper, “Everything Angel” — As a follow-up to their two previous singles (“Scenic Route”, “Moonstruck”) from the new album “INBETWEEZER”out Sept. 27, “Everything Angel” is a song for fans of the Flaming Lips and Ben Kweller. Catch Jerry Paper on Oct. 11 at the Teragram Ballroom.

■ Cornelia Murr, “How Do You Get By” — Singer-songwriter Corenelia Murr took two years off recording due to economic roadblocks, so naturally, she wrote a stand-alone single about it , “How Do You Get By.” Says Murr: “The song loosely examines different forms of currency and what we choose to give value. Be it money, creative expression, spirituality, love …”

■ War Strings, “Enough” — Andrew Stogel (ex-Dreamers Dose) launched his solo project War Strings in the spring of 2020 right before the lockdown. Since then, he’s released three albums — two last year — of considerable depth and a storytelling style that’s soaked in mopery no matter what genre of music he chooses. “Enough” is the opening song on War String’s next album, “Die By Light,” out Oct. 11. The heartache is palpable.

■ Tender Misfit, “Stupid Girl” — Ariel Beesley dials it back … for a minute and a half … before the strings (!) kick in on her new Tender Misfit single, “Stupid Girl.”

■ Tamar Berk, “Good Impression” — San Diego power-pop/pop-punk siren Tamar Berk today released her fourth album in the past four years, “Good Times for a Change.” Watch the video, which winks at the ’80s, to see if she makes a “Good Impression.”

■ Osnova, “Waiting for June” — Released in August, “Waiting for June” is the first single in almost a year from L.A. shoegaze/dream-pop trio Osnova. Fresh off a show at Harvard & Stone, they play the Redwood on Oct. 4. Behold the soaring vocals of Caroline McLaughlin.

■ Smallpools, “Be Kind, Rewind” — Smallpools (Sean Scanlon, Michael Kamerman and Beau Kuther) began rolling out their treacly alt-pop over a decade ago (hard to believe, right?), starting with their undeniable debut “Dreaming.” They’ve treaded the footprints of arena-sized electro-pop artists to release three full-lengths and rack up huge streaming numbers. Their fourth album, “Ghost Town Road” (the first half of which came out in April), arrives Sept. 20, and it’s not hard to heave a deep sigh over its conceit. “There’s not that many of the bands that we started with that are still doing it, so it feels a little bit like a ghost town out here now, especially post-pandemic,” Kamerman says. Moreover, many venue where Smallpools (who are now split between L.A. and Nashville) cut their teeth have gone by the wayside. “When the band first started, the goal was to play the free Monday nights at the Satellite, that’s all we wanted to do,” Kuther recalls, referencing the now-shuttered Silver Lake room. So here’s to those days — and one of the many singles they’ve released from the new album, and another gesture to bygone era, the days of video rentals, “Be Kind, Rewind.”

■ Child Seat, “Screaming to the Wall” — Child Seat, the duo of Madeleine Mathews and Josiah Mazzaschi, follow up June’s album “Dancing at the Disco” with another belter, “Screaming to the Wall.”

■ Von Boyage, “Heat Wave” — Von Boyage is the quirky pop project of multi-instrumentalist Christopher Hocker, whose new stand-alone single “Heat Wave” is a fun danceable track perfect for this week’s scorching temperatures.

■ Carmela, “Santa Fe” — Ana Carmela is no stranger to the SoCal music scene. Formerly of the rock duo THRIFT, Carmela has been putting in the work for over a decade. Strong and confident vocals lead the way in her new single “Santa Fe,” proof that her dedication to the craft is paying off.

■ Theo Kandel, “Honeydew Moon” — Theo Kandel’s debut album ,”Eating & Drinking & Being in Love” is out Sepy. 20 via Nettwerk. “It’s a love letter to your 20s and the relationships that shape it,” says the New York-born, L.A.-based songwriter.” His previous single, “The Painters,” is an upbeat, reflective love song, while the latest single, “Honeydew Moon,” is a romantic ballad that lives in the moment.

■ Wax Owls, “Ladybug Season” — “Ladybug Season” is the opening track on “Cowboy Cologne,” the new EP from folk-pop duo Wax Owls (Gerry Hirschfeld and Chris Tsaganeas). Live Oct. 1 at Hotel Ziggy.

■ Blu Jay, “Money, Power, Sex, Fame” — Brazilian-American indie-pop artist Blu Jay (also known as Blu Jay and the Lovebombs, the project of songwriter Jade Duncan) has released a new stand-alone single, “Money, Power, Sex, Fame.” The L.A. native says the song is “a statement on the emptiness that often lurks beneath the city’s glamorous surface.”

■ Franc Loz, “Crossroads” — Singer-songwriter Juan Francisco Lozano — just Franc Loz when he’s releasing music — makes his debut with the single “Crossroads,” a track reminiscent of early 2000s indie-rock, and one about immobilized by bleakness and longing for the loveliness of the great outdoors.

■ Sunder, “Follow” — Alt-pop quartet Sunder this week dropped their first EP, “Heaven Can Decide”. “Follow” is an atmospheric dream-pop track about the kind of love that is just out of reach,”I will follow you. I can’t tell the truth. I will follow you in your dreams.”

■ Dead Senses, “Fake” — “Fake” is the lead-up track to noise rockers Dead Senses new LP “Dreamless,” which was made with engineer/mixer Manny Nieto and will be out Nov. 1.

■ Your Favorite Color, “For You” — “For You” is a romantic alternative rocker from Huntington Beach band Your Favorite Color — and also the title track of their debut album “For You,” out this week. See also: “Medicine.”

■ Sloan Golden, “Missing Stair” — “Missing Stair” is the latest single from singer-songwriter’s debut EP, “Long Conversations,” out Sept. 25. You’ll get the gist from the video, directed by Seannie Bryan and Zoë Hughes.

■ Weathers, “Wasn’t Gonna Go Out” — Hearing this from L.A. rockers Weathers, we agree. Stay home. You can do better.