Kevin Bronson on March 28th, 2025

0

Here’s Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 331), featuring new music from Butch Bastard, Poolside, Bardo, Gaby Moreno, Royaljag, Mating Ritual, Softjaw, Harmony, Wallows, Maddie Zahm, The Walters, Eyedress, Polyglam, Anna Duboc, The Dumes, Alejandro Aranda, Loren Kramar and a bunch more.

Note: Anita Wills contributed to today’s roundup.

■ Poolside & Satin Jackets, “Pull Together” — Poolside’s Jeffrey Paradise teams up with Satin Jackets (German producer Tim Bernhardt) for a little disco pep talk on “Pull Together,” written in the aftermath of the January fire that destroyed Poolside’s Malibu Hills home and studio. It’s where Paradise recorded the fourth Poolside album, 2023’s “Blame It All on Love.” “Tragedy and art have always been old friends. I understood that before, but now — I live it,” Paradise says. “Losing a home changes you, but it also opens a door to create something from the ruins. What started as loss became a cycle — pain feeding art, art feeding healing. And now, the beginning of the new beginning — for me, and for Poolside. I could throw in a cliché about rising from the ashes, but I’d rather just look ahead … ‘Pull Together’ [is] inspired by the way Los Angeles has pulled together to help each other out.”

■ Anna Duboc, “Suffocating” — Speaking of the Palisades fire, 18-year-old singer-songwriter-actress Anna Duboc wrote “Suffocating” before losing her home in the California blazes. The tune was co-written and co-produced with Matias Mora (Chappell Roan, Gracie Abrams).

■ Royaljag, “Circles” — The pride of the 909, Royaljag (twins Jay and Roland Garcia and best pal David Ajoku) are rolling out singles for a new EP titled “Designer.” Try “Circles” for your daily dose of feel-good.

■ Butch Bastard, “Locked Out Of Disneyland (Everything You Had Is Gone)” — All the way down to the secret bonus track (unlisted on streaming services, “Green Figurines” popped up on our Bandcamp download), Butch Bastard’s third album, “Death Valley,” is a marvel. Songwriter Ian Murray doesn’t just play with your heartstrings, he goes full-on macramé. One second you’re aching, the next chuckling and then maybe doing a full spit take, as in “Locked out of Disneyland,” which Murray originally posted as a demo during quarantine and which invokes the names of Mussolini and Chiang Kai-shek. Lyrics on Bandcamp, go.

■ Mating Ritual, “Buffalo Blades” — Popshifting brother duo Mating Ritual have announced the June 13 arrival of their sixth-full-length, “Shangri-blah.” New single “Buffalo Blades” follows the title track and “Obviously.” Relatable? “I’ve got to die a few times / before I live / I’ve got to let the demons win.” The sweet background vocals are courtesy of Marina Aguerre and Lizzy Land.

■ Polyglam, “You Might” — Alt-folk trio Polyglam follows “Blue Heights” with the dream-folk single “You Might,” off their as-yet-untitled debut EP, out later this year. “You Might” showcases Allie Stamler’s strength as a soprano, as well as a very capable violinist.

■ Softjaw, “Undercover Lover” — Long Beach quartet Softjaw — Dustin Lovelis (The Fling), Daniel Michicoff (Tijuana Panthers), Vinny Earley and Tanner Duffy — released their debut EP last spring. They’re back with a pair of singles this month, “I Need You” and “Undercover Lover,” fully embracing classic power pop. FFO: Teenage Fanclub, Big Star, Cheap Trick, XTC.

■ Pleasure Pill, “Line Up the Stars” — Speaking of power pop, Pleasure Pill is a San Diego indie outfit built around brother duo Jonah and Ethan Paz. Theirs is more of Britpop variant — the vague insouciance in the vocals of their new single “Line Up the Stars” recall a certain brother duo who’ve famously had their spats. Pleasure Pill’s debut album, “Hang a Star,” releases June 27. Live April 25 at Permanent Records Roadhouse.

■ Lord Huron, “Nothing I Need” — Ben Schneider and Lord Huron return with more cinematic folk-rock finery in “Nothing I Need,” the band’s second single this year following “Who Laughs Last.” Live at the Kia Forum on Nov. 2, joined by Feist.

■ Brenda Carsey, “Go Do Something About It” — Jacob McCaslin directs the video for enchantress Brenda Carsey’s latest single, “Go Do Something About It,” the follow-up to last year’s “Soul Shine.” Both tracks represent kind of a vibe shift for the singer-songwriter, with pop-soul vocals and a some nifty rapping over beats by Matthew Christopher Wright. Live April 7 at the Hotel Café’s Monday Monday showcase.

■ NomBe, “In This Room” — “In This Room” is the latest from pop-soul maestro Noah McBeth, dba NomBe, who will release his third album, “Diáspora,” this spring. The new single, written in Europe with Mads Christensen and Mette Mortensen (of Off Bloom), is finger-snapping feel-good.

■ Maddie Zahm, “Cannibal” — Friendly reminder that Maddie Zahm’s new EP, “(The Angry Part),” is out today, punctuated by the new, extravagant piano ballad, “Cannibal” (watch the video). Live April 26 at the Fonda Theatre.

■ Gaby Moreno, “Lamento” — Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated Gaby Moreno’s new single “Lamento” arrives with a stunning short film starring actor Tony Revolori, directed by Diego Contreras and filmed in Moreno’s native Guatemala amid the ruins of an abandoned beach rosrt what has been reclaimed by the sea. Take a moment and watch it here.

■ Bardo, “Renacer” — “Renacer” is a stand-alone single from solo artist Bardo (formerly of Chicano Batman) featuring the group Combo Chimbita via Stones Throw.  Bardo says: “‘Renacer’ comes at a time of profound change: pushing my solo career is a huge shift for me. I’m digging deep and giving it my all. Rebirth is something that happens every moment; every breath is an opportunity to center yourself.” The music video celebrates the Latin and Black influence on NYC’s rich musical history. Bardo plays April 25 at Zebulon.

■ Levitation Room, “It Happens All the Time” — Psych-rock warriors Levitation Room will issue their decade-old debut EP, “Minds of Our Own,” for the first time on vinyl for Record Store Day (April 12). And the quartet has something trippy and new to launch a big tour next month, the dreamy single “It Happens All the Time.” Live May 16 at the Glass House, supporting Brainstory, and May 17 headlining the Lodge Room.

■ Naz Hejaz, “Incurable Demons” —Songwriter Leila Hejazi, who previously released music under the moniker of LEILA, now introduces herself as Naz Hejaz. She reunites with producer-songwriter Tim Carr ((Perfume Genius, Fell Runner) for the new single “Incurable Demons,” off her forthcoming debut album, “Human Halfway House.” “Incurable Demons” is five-minutes of funky bass, whispering vocals and experimental monologues. The song concludes with a seductive saxophone playing as the track slowly fades away.

■ Wax Owls, “The Notice” — “The Notice” is the first single from folk-rock outfit Wax Owls since last fall’s EP, “Cowboy Cologne.” “The song explores the aftermath of a life-changing moment—the struggle of letting go, the passage of time, and the hope that it’s just a phase,” the band says.

■ Harmony, “Where Strangers Go” — Solo artist Harmony (aka Harmony Tividad, ex-Girlpool) makes a dramatic turn with her new stand-alone single, “Where Strangers Go.” The track features minimalist keys backed by poetic vocals, different from her debut electro-pop album “Gossip,”  released late last year. Watch Harmony wander the streets of New York City, mixed in with home video fo otage as a kid in the music video here.

■ Lionmilk, “All I Have” — Mokichi Kawaguchi creates music under the name Lionmilk, and his new album “When the Flowers Bloom” will be May 30 via Stones Throw. Lionmilk’s sound is an unvarnished dive into jazz-influenced pop, circa the 1960s. Of “All I Have,” he says: “This song is about trying to love someone fully, even when you know they may not be able to love you back the same way. It’s a painful yet hopeful moment in the journey.”

■ Swimming Bell, “Meet My Shadow” — Katie Schottland makes pop music under the name Swimming Bell, and her new EP, “Somnia” (produced by Rob Schnapf) will be out May 16. “I wanted this EP to feel like sinking into water, where everything is softened and suspended,” Schottland says. “Given all the stress and tension in the world, I wanted to make a feeling of escape — something hypnotic and transportive.” On the new single “Meet My Shadow,” mission accomplished.

■ Kyle M, “Digital Society” — Well, this is interesting. Kyle Mooney has given up acting in favor of music, and his debut album as Kyle M, “the Real Me,” came out last week via Stones Throw. It’s a wild ride, the self-recorded and unvarnished work of a very active mind … freak-folk, if anybody calls anything that anymore. There’s no one song that’s representative of the whole album, as if hops around stylistically, but “Digital Society” made us smile.

■ Eyedress, “Satan’s Son” — “Satan’s Son” is the latest single off  Eyedress’s 21-track album, “Stoner,” out April 11 via RCA Records, featuring notable guitarist Matt Sweeney. “Satan’s Son” features dark spaghetti Western drums and guitar, matched with retro vocals in the vein of the Animals. Watch the music video here, which plays like a mini horror film.  Catch Eyedress at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on April 10.

■ The Dumes, “Boring” — the follow-up to “You’re a Letdown,” “Boring” is the latest alt-rock banger from Portland/L.A. outfit the Dumes.

■ Wallows, “Hide It Away” —Friendly reminder that Wallows’ John Congleton-produced EP “More” drops today via Atlantic Records. “Hide It Away” boasts an infectious drum beat, clever breakdowns, and a catchy vocal hook. Check out the music video here, directed by Jason Lester. Wallows will be performing July 26-27 at Dodger Stadium, opening for My Chemical Romance.

■ Dry Spell, “Dry Spell LLC Has Gone Public” — O.C. rockers Dry Spell follow up “Ready and Caffinated” with “Dry Spell LLC Has Gone Public,” a powerful punk song about the evils of corporate America fueled by two vocalists, a killer bass and profound lyrics: “The folly of man falling all for a scheme / The financial burden of the American Dream / They’ll sell you the chains, a tale being told / A cell is a cell even if it’s made of gold.”

■ Ronnie Martin, “Ever Sing for Joy” — Ronnie Martin released 14 albums as Joy Electric before retiring that name over a decade ago. His penchant for analog Moog symphonies remains steadfast, though; “Ever Sing for Joy” introduces Martin’s new solo album, “Consume Like a Moth What Is Dear,” out April 18.

■ The Walters, “Good Company” — Friendly reminder that L.A. rockers the Walters today released their debut album, “Good Company.” The quartet — Luke Olson, Walter Kosner, Danny Wells and Charles Ekhaus — dial it back on the title track; watch the video here. Live May 2 at the palladium, with Half•Alive.

■ Manny Moura, “Enough” — Manny Moura is an L.A-based Brazilian solo artist who studied at Berklee College of Music. “Enough” is a confessional folk-pop song about heartbreak, produced by Fernando Tavares and Nathan Dies.

■ Alejandro Aranda, “Meant to Be” — Formerly releasing music under the name Scarypoolparty, Alejandro Arando has continued to coax earnest, lovelorn and moving confessionals out of his acoustic guitar. Of his latest, he says, “I had a dream about running away from society and just hopping on a train leading all around the world, crossing different countries and cities, but no matter what it always led me back to love and how it feels. It’s ‘meant to be.’”

■ JESSIA, “Moved Around You” — Vancouver-born, L.A.-based songwriter Jessika Harling, aka JESSIA, released EPs in 2020 and 2024, and she’s back this week with the swirling pop song, “Moved Around You.”

■ Loren Kramar, “Ride” — We bring this week’s playlist in for a soft landing with Loren Kramar, whose croontastic debut album “Glovemaker” came out last year. This week, he released “Living Legend,” an EP of five Lana Del Rey covers.