Kevin Bronson on January 31st, 2025

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Sample music from Bitter:Sweet, Archer Oh, Miya Folick, Dutch Interior, Magenta Moon, SASAMI, Alisa Xayalith, Darker Lighter, Theo Moss, See Night, Bad Suns, The Walters, Maddie Zahm, Alejandro Aranda, Polyglam and more in Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 323), the latest playlist from Buzz Bands LA.

Here you go.

■ Bitter:Sweet, Bitter:Sweet emerged in the mid-Aughts with the beguiling, ready-for-a-spy movie single “The Mating Game,” the title track to an album of sleek, sensual trip-hop and pop. Singer Shana Halligan went on to release two solo albums and collaborate with artists such as Thievery Corporation. Now she’s rebooted Bitter:Sweet without co-founder Kiran Shahani and released a charmer titled “Baby Is Back.” “I wanted to make a big band, swinging banger with Bitter:Sweet’s roots while propelling the new music into this exciting new era,” Halligan says. “The band’s music has always been about freedom, vibrancy and limitless creativity. The new album takes that even further.” Joey Verskotzi handled the production on the new single.

■ Dutch Interior, “Fourth Street” — Most of the members of Dutch Interior (Jack Nugent, Conner Reeves, Davis Stewart, Noah Kurtz and brothers Shane and Hayden Barton) were making noise under the name Skin Mag before the pandemic, releasing the promising EP “Mourning Sickness” in 2019. The new Dutch Interior this week announced that their debut album, “Moneyball,” will be out March 21 via Fat Possum. Dig into “Fourth Street,” as well previous single “Sandcastle Molds” and their 2023 album “Blinded by Fame.” Live Feb. 21 at the Regent Theater (opening for Acetone) and March 22 at the Echo (with Frog).

■ Alisa Xayalith, “What The Hell Do We Do Now?”— “What The Hell Do We Do Now?” is the fifth single from alt-pop artist Alisa Xayalith (The Naked and Famous), who will release her debut solo album, “Slow Crush,” in April via Nettwerk. “What The Hell Do We Do Now?” is a guitar-driven track filled several with choruses about navigating a relationship stuck in a liminal state. Watch Xayalith sing her heart out to the camera in the music video here.

■ SASAMI, “In Love With a Memory” (feat. Clairo) — Co-written by Rostam and featuring Clairo, the wistful “In Love With a Memory” is the latest single from SASAMI’s new album “Blood on the Sivler Screen,” out March 7. “‘In Love With A Memory’ was actually the first song I wrote that ended up on ‘Blood On the Silver Screen,’” SASAMI explains. “I grew up going to Japanese or Korean ‘noraebang’ private karaoke rooms with my mom, who was secretly the most incredible singer. Most of her go-to numbers were oooold Japanese and Korean folk songs that low key kind of made me feel like I was in a horror film or David Lynch movie. I can picture my mom in a Julee Cruise-type setting — single, jazz lounge spotlight and cigarette smoke hanging stalely in the air — singing one of those old songs with the most gorgeously haunting vibrato and breathtaking vocal control. That’s the feeling I was tapping into … and there is a very timeless but relevant crooning feeling imbued in the song that I think was perfectly reflected by the production that Rostam and I orchestrated together. Claire has been a longtime, long distance friend and dream collaborator for me, so it was such a magnificent gift for her to lend her voice to the narrative. I really imagine this track as a cinematic duet with a ghost.” Live April 19 at the Lodge Room.

■ Darker Lighter, “Someday Soon” — “Someday Soon” is the third single from multi-instrumentalist Salar Rajabnik, who debut his new project audaciously in October with single “Hanging On.” Behold the grandiosity of the song’s wall of sound; stay tuned for more on Darker Lighter’s self-titled debut album, out March 28.

■ Theo Moss, “Shotgun” — Theo Moss (who previously released music as Sam Valdez, see “The Garden’s Burning” from September) is back with “Shotgun,” along with a video you oughta watch, directed by Keegan James Hurley.

■ BØRNS, “Grateful For” — In 2023, Garrett Borns (BØRNS) returned from a five-year hiatus from music with a typically tuneful but low-key release, the EP “Suddenly.” Borns’ break came after the release of his 2018 sophomore album, “Blue Madonna,” followed by allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denied at the time and which he revisited with this statement a year ago. In January, BØRNS released a seven-song mini-album, “Honeybee,” led by the single “Grateful For.” It is your call on whether to skip this song in the playlist.

■ Miya Folick, “Fist” — The follow-up to “Erotica,” “Alaska” and “La Da Da,” “Fist” (video here) is the latest single from Miya Folick’s new album “Erotica Veronica,” out Feb. 28. Live May 21 at the Lodge Room, with Olivia Kaplan opening.

■ Scott Goldbaum, “Emergence” — Scott Goldbaum’s first single in almost two years comes after the singer-guitarist underwent two procedures to treat irregular heart rhythms. He says he’s doing great now, and “Emergence,” a song that chronicles his cardiac ablation, will appear on his forthcoming EP, “Electrophysiology.”

■ Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, “Into Your Eyes” — Electronic composer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith announces that her new album, “Gush,” will be out Aug. 22. The restrained but alluring “Into Your Eyes” introduces the LP.

■ See Night, “LA Traffic” — As a follow-up to “Gravity,” “LA Traffic “is the latest single from singer-songwriter Linda Sao’s indie-rock project, See Night, off her upcoming debut album, “Just Another Life,” out Feb 28. Sao flexes her strong vibrato skills on “LA Traffic.” Oddly, the track is quite short, clocking in around 2 minutes. Definitely not long enough to get you through rush hour, but worthy enough to play on repeat. You can watch the animated music video by RNotte here.

■ Alejandro Aranda, “Dissonant Harmony” — “Dissonant Harmony,” the latest stand-alone single from Alejandro Aranda (fka Scarypoolparty,) is a successful blend of indie folk-pop and electronica. Watch Aranda shred his guitar in the music video here.

■ Winter & Hooky, “Horseshoe”— “Horseshoe” is the first single off the EP “Water Season,” a collaboration between shoegaze artist Winter and electronic artist Hooky, set to release on Feb. 14 via Julia’s War Recordings. Reminiscent of the ’90s band the Martinis, the vocals in “Horseshoe” are light and playful, while the guitar and drum machine keeps a steady beat. You can watch Winter and Hooky wander about the Museum of Modern Art in their self-directed music video here.

■ Archer Oh, “Spineless” — Moreno Valley rockers Archer Oh will release their new album “The Internal Theater” on Feb. 27, and they’re smokin’ on the new single “Spineless.” Catch them live May 31 at Fox Theater Pomona.

■ Emily Daccarett, “Dark Fires” — Alt-pop artist Emily Daccarett returns after a three-year break with a new single, “Dark Fires,” that was originally composed for a cyberpunk short film. FFO Goldfrapp, “Dark Fires” is a synth-heavy dark-pop ballad with a powerful chorus.

■ Polyglam, “Blue Heights” —  Polyglam’s first release since last May’s “Pleasure,” “Blue Heights” is an ethereal love song featuring gorgeous vocals and a swooning guitar. The L.A. trio (Allie Stamler, Rachel White and John Sinclair) plans to release their debut album later this year.

■ Magenta Moon, “Red Again” — L.A. duo Magenta Moon — Elaina Whitesell and Joseph Petrarca — get back in the groove with their new single “Red Again.”

■ Bad Suns, “Communicating” — Bad Suns check with the pop bauble, “Communicating,” their first new original since their 2023 EP “Infinite Joy” and a tune that songwriter Christo Bowman says seeks to capture a “quintessential SoCal moment.” Live March 5 at the Palladium, opening for Finneas.

■ Maddie Zahm, “Sheets” — Idaho-born pop artist Maddie Zahm, who busted out with her 2023 album “Now That I’ve Been Honest,” returns with “Sheets,” her second single since. Live April 26 at the Fonda Theatre.

■ Disco Shrine, “Disco Daddy” — Dance-pop artist Disco Shrine returns with her first single since her 2021 EP.

■ Fake Suede, “Love Don’t Come Easy” — “Love Don’t Come Easy” is a groovy stand-alone single filled with soulful vocal melodies and lyrics about the challenges of modern dating. It’s the third single from Fake Suede, aka singer-songwriter Jeffrey James.

■ The Walters, “Life on the Line” — Chicago-bred quartet the Walters have announced the March 28 arrival of their debut album, “Good Company.” The short-but-sweet introductory single “Life on the Line” was co-written with Adam Melchor and Doug Schadt and produced by Schadt (Maggie Rogers, Wet). Live May 2 at the Palladium, opening for Half•Alive.

■ Big Black Delta, “Pik Pok” — Jonathan Bates nicks the Verve’s video for “Bitter Sweet Symphony” for the visualizer for his new Big Black Delta single “Pik Pok.” The instrumental song, the latest from BBD’s fifth album, “Adonai” (out Feb. 28), is … well, intense. “At the peak of being a full-time drunk, I really enjoyed the combo of vodka, THC and a sunrise walk,” Bates says. “Wake up around 4 a.m. Drink some almond milk to coat the stomach. Five shots of vodka to the dome, followed by a lemonade with 200mg of THC. Then maybe some quick weightlifting. The combo of all of this would open a portal in my mind’s eye. This portal seemed to channel music the likes of Esquivel, the Mexican mid century composer. DMT elf music. Here is an example of what would be playing in my head. Ride the snake.”

■ Eddie Chacon, “Good Sun” — We’ll bring this playlist in for a soft landing with a friendly reminder that Eddie Chacon’s new album “Lay Low” arrived this week. “Good Sun” opens the LP, which will be celebrated tonight with a show Saturday night at the Lodge Room.