Kevin Bronson on May 16th, 2025

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Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 338) contains multitudes.

First, we have new singles from the likes of Rocket, Jade Bird, Wavves, Night Talks, Career Woman and Bandie. Then, we have tracks from 11 (that’s eleven) new full-lengths. In no particular order: Alexandra Savior, Your Grandparents, Bouquet, Emotional Oranges, Windser, Madame Gandhi, Alejandro Aranda, Lia Braswell, Hooveriii, Spill Tab, Sonja Midtune and Romantic Dividends. Not to mention songs from just-issued EPs by the likes of Theo Moss, Swimming Bell, MIEU, Kilo Kish, Leo Lauren and Ava Maybee. And because boldface doesn’t cost anything, we could also name-check Annahstasia, Ronboy, Nelson Bragg and Triptides. But we still would not have mentioned everybody. (And we probably missed someone.)

Dive in.

All our recent playlists and their sometimes-voluminous liner notes can be found here.

Anita Mills contributed to today’s roundup.

■ Rocket, “One Million” — Guitars blazing and phasing, and harmonies soaring, L.A. quartet Rocket are back with a new single, “One Million,” which has almost that many reasons to think it’s the ’90s again. The band (Alithea Tuttle, Baron Rinzler, Cooper Ladomade and Desi Scaglione) earlier this year released an expanded version of “Versions of You,” which included the new single “Take Your Aim.” “‘One Million’ [video] is about wanting someone to meet you halfway but not knowing if they ever will,” the band says. “It’s the feeling of doing everything you can, going above and beyond for someone, knowing that you would wait a million years for them just to notice how important they are to you. It’s the hoping that maybe you are as important to them as well. It’s learning to be OK with the fact that you might always love them more.” Rocket plays some U.K. dates late this summer opening for Smashing Pumpkins before launching their first headlining tour, including a Nov. 22 date at the Roxy.

■ Wavves, “Spun” — The latest single from Nathan Williams’ Wavves is a shout-along waiting to happen. “Spun” is the title track and opener of the album Wavves will release June 27. Live July 25 at the Fonda, with Chokecherry.

■ Career Woman, “Boyfriends” (feat. Pacing) — L.A. native Melody Caudill sings like the indie kid next door, but there a lot of heart and smarts to waht she’s accomplished so far as Career Woman. Her debut record “Lighthouse” arrives June 6, and “Boyfriends,” which features Katie McTigue (aka Pacing). “Me and my friends, we don’t like men / but we got boyfriends,” they sing in the chorus. Career Woman’s previous single, released last month, saluted none other than “Mel’s Drive In.”

■ Bandie, “Undone” — Bandie, in the indie-rock outfit led by Brian Hill, returned last fall with their first music in four years. “Undone,” the follow-up to singles “Minute” and “Figured Out,” finds the group dialing into the catharsis of ’90s alternative rock. Kristian Riley co-wrote and produced this one; there’s an album in the future, but no details yet.

■ Alexandra Savior, “Goodbye, Old Friend” — Alexandra Savior has the kind of voice that should be singing over strings, and here they are, on “Goodbye, Old Friend.” The new single, following “The Mothership” and “Unforgivable,” arrives today with Savior’s third album, “Beneath the Lilypad.” Drew Erickson (Lana Del Rey, Father John Misty) produced, imbuing the songs on “Beneath the Lilypad” with proper gravitas and elegance. Eleven songs at the cinema, if you will. Live Aug. 10 at the Observatory before a three-night stand at the Troubadour: Aug. 14, Aug. 15 and Aug. 16.

■ Your Grandparents, “Down” — Friendly reminder that “The Dial,” the new album from Your Grandparents, is out today. The trio’s raft of singles, including “All Dem Times,” “White Flags” and the title track, show how smoothly they change lanes between R&B, funk and rap.  

■ Bouquet, “Spellbreaker” — Bouquet, the duo of Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs and Max Foreman, today released their first album in 10 years, “Spellbreaker,” a thoroughly intoxicating and (dare we say?) erudite collection that marries dreamy pop, post-punk and minimalism. You know what’s genius these days? Restraint. Live June 15 at Gold-Diggers, opening for Vetiver.

■ Windser, “Lose You” — Jordan Topf’s debut album at Windser (a self-titled affair) is out today. The fairly soaring “Lose You” is the release-week single, emblematic of Windser’s melody-rich and richly affecting pop. That single, along with tunes such as “These Days”, “Shut Up and Kiss Me” and “Abandon,” feel deceptively sunny. You could do much worse for a soundtrack to be wistful to. Live tonight at Permanent Records Roadhouse.

■ Madame Gandhi, “Take Your Time!” — “It is about flow. It is about acceptance. It is about existing without pushback,” Kiran Gandhi says of “Let Me Be Water” (out today), her sophomore album as Madame Gandhi. “I do feel very much like a butterfly out of the cocoon on the other side. I feel more in my power energy, and when we show up for ourselves, it ends up being medicine for others.” Ten brisk songs (none longer than 2 1/2 minutes), co-produced and performed by Gandhi and composed by 50 women and gender-expansive creatives, it’s percussion-driven positivity. Live Aug. 8 at the Fonda Theatre, opening for Femi Kuti & the Positive Force.

■ Alejandro Aranda, “Summer Bummer” — “Farewell Superstar” (released today) is the third full-length Pomona native (and “American Idol” 2019 album) Alejandro Aranda has issued since ditching the artist moniker Scarypoolparty. The prolific artist has settled into a nice groove as an emotive writer of confessionals who is as adept at blurring genres as he is playing the guitar.

■ Lia Braswell, “Gloomy Gazebo” — Friendly reminder that “Rising,” the debut solo album from Lia Braswell, arrived this week. “Gloomy Gazebo” kicks off the collection of moody and often-entrancing goth-pop from the singer-songwriter who has drummed for the likes of Place To Bury Strangers, Current Joys, TR/ST, She Wants Revenge, Le Butcherettes, Sextile and more.

■ Romantic Dividends, “Gold in Them Hills” — Romantic Dividends is the collaboration between Allen Blickle and Josh Wiener, who bond over music from foreign films and the cinematic tilt of psych, soul and disco. The project’s debut album, “GIALLO,” came out earlier this month, a monument to their retro-futurism. Belgian-American artist Noah Sacré (aka Speelburg) guests on “Gold in Them Hills.”

■ Emotional Oranges, “Call It Off” (feat. Jaehyun) — “Call It Off,” which features South Korean singer Jaehyun (of NCT), is the final single from Emotional Oranges’ new album “Orenjii” (out today) — music that was inspired by time the duo of Azad Naficy and Valentina Porter spent in Seoul and Tokyo over the past few years.

■ Sonja Midtune, “Salt to Breathe” — Friendly reminder that “Running From the Lesson,” the debut album from Sonja Midtune (aka Minnesota native Sonja Midthun), landed today. The collection of airy and affecting dream-pop was made with co-writer and co-producer Sean Oakley.

■ Hooveriii, “Tin Lips” — “Manhunter,” the new album from psych-space-punk-rockers Hooveriii, is out today. Live May 28 at Zebulon.

■ Spill Tab, “Athlete” — Friendly reminder that “Angie,” the debut album from Spill Tab (Claire Chicha), is out today. It’s liable to make you feel like the couple in the booth in Sweetiepie’s video for the single “Athlete.” Live June 17 at El Cid.

■ The Black Watch, “Listen You Wait” — The follow-up to “Achilles Past,” “Listen You Wait” is the second single from the double-LP “For All the World” (out June 20), the 24th album from indie marathoners the Black Watch.

■ Ronboy, “Get Rich Fix” — Ronboy is the vehicle for the solo work of songwriter-guitarist Julia Laws, who has played with Matt Berninger (The National), Jade Bird and IDLES. Her debut album “Pity to Love” came out in 2022, and “Get Rich Fix” marks her first new music since. Co-produced with Sam Stewart (Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, Blondshell, Lo Moon), “Get Rich Fix” finds another gear (compared to her full-length) for her emotional intensity. Live May 21 at the Palace Theater, opening for Matt Berninger.

■ L’Éclair, “Run” (feat. Gelli Haha) — L’Éclair is the genre-defying Swiss group headed up by Bulgarian brothers Stef and Yavor Lilov, signed to L.A. label Innovative Leisure. L.A.’s Gelli Haha — she of “Bounce House” — has an album coming out via IL on June 27. “Run” is one of those tracks that’ll stop you in a mid-conversation at a party this summer so you can Shazam it. L’Éclair’s album “Cloud Drifter” is out June 20.

■ Annahstasia, “Be Kind” — “Be Kind,” which follows singles such as “Silk and Velvet” and “Villain,” offers yet another example of Annahstasia’s beguiling vocals, which firgure to be on full display when her debut album “Tether” is out on June 13. “‘Be Kind’ is one of the first lessons I was taught,” Annahstasia says. “As life takes you through the full spectrum of emotions it certainly isn’t always easy to be a ‘good’ person. ‘Goodness’ is a moral grey. … It’s best practice to take a few deep breaths and find kindness again. I believe that is the world we all want. A kinder one. A softer one.” Live June 28 at Pico Union Project.

■ Dylan Meek, “Higher Place” — The follow-up to “Be Your Man,” “Higher Place” is the new single from soul purist Dylan Meek, whose album “Love Languages” is on the way.

■ Kilo Kish, “Enough” — Fresh off wrapping up her “Womxn In Windows” residency at MOCA (and the launch of “American Gurl: home–land,” six short films from Melvonna Ballenger, Shenny De Los Angeles, Ella Ezeike, Solange Knowles, Alima Lee and Cauleen Smith), Kilo Kish today released a new EP, “Negotiations.”

■ CAPYAC, “Sexy in my Bodyyy” — “A big part of the sentiment of this song is suddenly feeling hot in your own skin,” Obie Puckett, the newest member of dance-pop trio CAPYAC, says of the new single “Sexy in my Bodyyy.” “It doesn’t matter where you’ve been with your self-confidence, it can always click on one day, and that’s beautiful.”

■ Theo Moss, “Warning Sign” — Today brought the release of “Garden Runner,” the first EP Sam Valdez has released under her new imprimatur Theo Moss. “Warning Sign” ends the six-song release with a bang. Live tonight at Permanent Records Roadhouse, opening for Windser.

■ Hunny, “Sidewaze”— Indie quartet Hunny returns after a two-year hiatus with their upbeat single “Sidewaze.” Frontman Jason Yarger says: “I came up with that first line and it turned into a nice little track about two people playing games with each other.”

■ Night Talks, “Gasoline” — L.A. trio Night Talks (Soraya Sebghati, Jacob Butler and Josh Arteaga) empty the tank on their new single “Gasoline.” Butler directs the video.

■ Scarlet House, “Lose Myself” — The slow-burning, intense “Lose Myself” is the second single of 2025 from North Carolina native Cameron Odums, aka Scarlet House.

■ Caroline Kingsbury, “Shock Treatment” — “Shock Treatment” is the title track of indie-pop artist Caroline Kingsbury’s upcoming EP, dropping Sept. 16 via Seeker Music. The track is a feel-good dance song with sharp-witted lyrics, “I really need to move somebody tonight / Even if it’s fake love just for an hour or two.” Watch the colorful music video here.

■ Triptides, “Connection” — Triptides have been Glenn Brigman’s trip for over a decade now, and their new album, “Shapeshifter,” is out June 16. They’ve released a slew of singles since December leading up the the release, and “Connection” is the latest appetizer from Triptides’ buffet of psych-folk-jazz-pop. Triptides open for Rain Parade at Zebulon on May 31.

■ Swimming Bell, “Found It at the Bottom of the Ocean” — Folk meets dream-pop with great results on “Somnia” (out today), the new EP from Katie Schottland’s solo project Swimming Bell. Also see: “95 at Night.” Live May 23 at Oblivion.

■ Leo Lauren, “Supernormal” — Friendly reminder that Leo Lauren’s debut EP “Supernormal” drops today, produced by Heather Liz Baker. Lauren gives an impressive performance in the music video for the goth-pop title track, a well-crafted blend of Tim Burton meets glam-rock.

■ Nelson Bragg, “We’re Gonna Laugh About It” — Veteran multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Nelson Bragg will release “Mélodie de Nelson: A Pop Anthology” via Big Stir Records on June 20. Largely a handpicked selection of Bragg’s pop-leaning numbers over the years, the collection leads with “We’re Gonna Laugh About It,” a crackling new power-pop track and an excellent entrée into the work of a musician who was a member of the Brian Wilson Band and played with the likes of the Negro Problem, the Quarter After, Anny Celsi, Andrew Gold and more.

■ Ava Maybee, “Gold Star Sticker” — Friendly reminder that indie-pop artist Ava Maybee’s debut EP “Orange Drive” drops today. “Gold Star Sticker” is a heavy rock song with commanding vocals. Ava Maybee plays the Roxy on June 14.

■ Beauty School Dropout, “On Your Lips” — “On Your Lips” is the new single via Verswire from rockers Beauty School Dropout. The band says: “This song is our first big leap into a sound we’ve never harnessed before. It’s experimental, rhythmic, heavy and fun all at the same time.” In other words: KROQ, late-’90s. Watch the rebellious music video here.

■ MIEU, “Purple Night” — The airy “Purple Night” is one of the highlights of “Love So Grand,” the new EP from L.A. duo Mieu (Shelley Zhao and Christopher James). See also: “Get Closer.”

■ Sam Austins, “Hot Like You”— “Hot Like You” is a steamy dance track from eclectic singer-songwriter Sam Austins, off his upcoming EP, “The Woods,” out June 20 via Atlantic Records. The Detroit-born artist is a force of nature in the alluring music video for “Hot Like You.” Catch Austins at Lodge Room June 21.

■ Jade Bird, “Avalanche” — Another slice of acoustic guitar and vocal sparkle from the forthcoming album “Who Wants to Talk About Love” (out July 18), “Avalanche” finds U.K.-born, L.A.-based Jade Bird working with producer Teddy Geiger. See also: “Dreams” and “Who Wants.”