Stream: Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 340)

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Cover image by Tim Mossholder via unsplash.com

Here’s Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 340), Buzz Bands LA’s regularly scheduled blast of L.A.-centric music. This week it’s not as rock-first as usual, as a handful of dark electro rather suited our mood.

Press play for new songs from Boy Deluxe, Deep Thrills, Dagger Polyester, Possible Oceans, Ty Segall, Shaki Tavi, Drugdealer & Weyes Blood, Haim, Mt. Joy, Jesika von Rabbit, Gelli Haha, Quinnie, Faerybabyy, Freedom Fry, Ruby Sparks, NoMBe, Sharpie Smile, Illuminati Hotties and more.

Note: Anita Mills contributed to this roundup.

Boy Deluxe, “Feedback” — L.A. duo Boy Deluxe (Hope S and True Murra) infiltrate the dark recesses of your own private dancefloor on the new EP, “Black Sheep to Icon,” which on the strength of singles “Feral” and “Feedback” alone satiate all your nocturnal urges.

Possible Oceans, “Love Is a Dying Sun” — Who doesn’t like a do-over? Earlier this month, Possible Oceans — the solo project of Trevor O’Neill (working with producer Jules de Gasperis) — released the EP “Big Wave.” Now Possible Oceans return with more dark electro, “Love Is a Dying Sun,” which sees O’Neill revisiting a 2023 single “Dying Sun.” And, notably, turning up the intensity.

Dagger Polyester, “Conversion Therapy” — Dagger Polyester debuted in 2023, revisiting in music and in sartorial style the hedonistic, norm-busting post-punk, glam and metal of yesteryear. “Conversion Therapy” is one of just a handful of singles they’ve released since, but there’s more coming soon — to be teased, we’re told, at shows Sunday at Permanent Records Roadhouse and June 8 at Zebulon.

Deep Thrills, “Climax” — Deep Thrills is the latest vehicle for the songwriter-producer Matan Koplin-Green (aka Paper Idol), who announced his new dive into electroclash-inspired music last year. Tapping into his darker side, “Climax” finds Matan KG building the song “around this simple synth arpeggio,” he says. “I wanted to see how much I could keep it building and building until it was just chaos.” The EP, “How Deep Is Your Thrill?” is out July 11.

Jesika von Rabbit, “Go Back to L.A.” — “‘Go Back to L.A.’ was written in jest as a response to a local Joshua Tree group’s mounting frustration with the influx of neo-L.A. hipsters infiltrating the community out here,” Jesika von Rabbit says of the latest single from her new album, “Bollywood Babylon” (out June 13). “Having lived here for over 20 years, I can understand their resistance, but to quote the great Bob Dylan, ‘the times they are a-changin,’ and that’s not always a bad thing either.” Live June 13 at Pappy & Harriet’s, with Black Crystal Wolf Kids.

Shaki Tavi, “Breaker” — Shaki Tavi is the solo project of Leon Manson, who dispenses heavy shoegaze with a whiff of Madchester. On a landscape crowded with shoegaze revivalists, “Breaker” might be one of the strongest tracks we’ve heard in a while. It’s the first single from “Minor Slip,” the new Shaki Tavi album arriving Aug. 15 via Felte. Live July 17 at the Regent Theater, supporting Spirit of the Beehive.

Ty Segall, “Buildings” — Friendly reminder that Ty Segall’s new album, “Possession,” is out today, gifting fans with yet another compelling roadside attraction on the winding highway of his musical explorations. A collaboration with filmmaker Matt Yoka, who co–wrote the lyrics and hatched a lot of the album’s direction, “Possession” veers from Segall’s garage- and psych-rock into riffy, vibey classic and prog rock. Yoka’s video for “Buildings” is not to be missed, as is the whole record. Live Aug. 6 at the Greek Theatre, opening for Primus.

Drugdealer & Weyes Blood, “Real Thing” — Drugdealer (Michael Collins) and Weyes Blood (Natalie Mering) team up for “Real Thing,” a song a couple years in the making. “Natalie took the wheel and really wrote such amazing lyrics and harmonies as usual,” says Collins, whose string arrangements, along with Sergio Tabanico’s sax, are the cherries on top.

Faerybabyy & Zzzahara, “Cigarette Song” — Faerybabyy, the solo project of Peyton Morse, unveiled their debut album, “Jabbermouth,” earlier this year. Now there’s a collaborative EP with Zzzahara in the works, and “Cigarette Song” is the first single. You find post-punk in the darnedest places these days. Also, don’t you guys know I’m tryna quit?

Pleasure Pill, “Don’t Fly Away” — Following up singles such as “My Way to You” and “Line Up the Stars,” San Diegans Pleasure Pill stretch out on the 6 1/2-minute jam “Don’t Fly Away,” still sounding like guys who’ve mainlined every Stone Roses and Oasis song ever made. Their debut album, “Hang a Star,” is out June 27.

Gelli Haha, “Spit” — The follow-up to “Funny Music” and the even funnier debut single “Bounce House,” Gelli Haha returns with the dance-floor jaunt, “Spit,” the third single from her Sean Guerin-produced debut album, “Switcheroo” (out June 27).

Blackpaw, “Party Lover” (feat. Fox Sinclair) — Blackpaw, the solo project of Adrian Rodriguez (bassist of the Airborne Toxic Event), has evolved into a dance-pop force. This month brought the release of “It Does,” the collaborative album Blackpaw made with L.A.-via-Liverpool duo Big Sis. Blackpaw’s new single featuring dancer-actress-singer Fox Sinclair is titled “Party Lover,” and it’s exactly as advertised.

Freedom Fry
, “A Farewell” — Bruce Driscoll and Marie Seyrat returned in April with a new EP, “Lost and Found,” along with a promise there was more new music to come. The duo made good on that promise this week with “A Farewell,” which feels like a miniature bittersweet symphony. It’s the first single to be revealed from their new album, “Best Friend,” out June 25. The video for the song is a caped caper.

Dream, Ivory, “All Good” — As a follow-up to the dream-pop track “Solar Eclipse,” “All Good” is the fourth single off “When You Come Back I Have So Much To Tell You,” the new album from brother duo Dream, Ivory (Christian and Louie Baello), out July 18. “All Good” mixes early-Aughts’ shoegaze instrumentals with light and airy pop-punk vocals. Watch the music video, filmed on tour, here.

Illuminati Hotties, “Skateboard Tattoo” — Today brought the release of Illuminati Hotties’ new EP, “Nickel on the Fountain Floor,” five tracks that seem to come from distant corners of Sarah Tudzin’s musical universe. It includes a collaboration with PUP and another with Jay Som, two more experimental songs and “Skateboard Tattoo,” a good ol’ punk rocker.

Grandson, “Brainrot” — Grandson (aka Jordan Benjamin) is back after a two-year hiatus with his new album “INERTIA,” out Sept. 5 via XX Records. Grandson says that the lead single “Brainrot” is the first of its kind: “It’s the first Grandson song ever recorded exclusively with live instruments — drums, guitars, vocals, and marks the next chapter of my career as a recording artist, in pursuit of an authentic feeling, an analog sense of anger and energy that only rock ’n’ roll at its core, primal form can touch.” Watch the music video, starring Sophie Powers, here.

Sharpie Smile, “The Staircase”— Following the intensity of “Slide,” Sharpie Smile dial down the tempo with the whimsical, soothing sounds of “The Staircase,” the title track from their upcoming album, out June 27 via Drag City. The band says: “The Staircase” is about trying to reconnect with a fractured self — losing sight of oneself while maintaining relationships that aren’t working anymore, and the process of rediscovery after the fact.” Check out the fairy-tale style music video here. Sharpie Smile plays live June 30 at Zebulon and August 22 at Teragram Ballroom.

Ruby Sparks, “Nowhere Man” — We last heard from Ruby Sparks (Jake Sternberg) in 2022 with the release of “California Honey.” Three years later, Sternberg returns with news of his debut album “Iris” (out Nov. 5), and its lead single, “Nowhere Man.” “Nowhere Man,” a nod to The Beatles, is a groovy track that is heavy on the bass and showcases a righteous guitar solo. Live tonight at the Hotel Café, along with Thom Sawyr and Nightgames.

Quinnie, “Paper Doll” — L.A.-based New Jersey native Quinnie (Quinn Barnitt) makes bedroom pop with reading room lyrics. Having earned plaudits (not mention a millions of streams) for her 2023 debut album “Flounder,” this week she announced the follow-up, “Paper Doll” (out July 24). “Paper Doll” the song, she says, is “about how being idealized by a partner is fun until it isn’t. This song is the title track of my record because it encapsulates the thesis of always feeling too messed up to be loved by somebody else.”

Mocky, “Today Years Old,” — We’re a month away from the release of “Music Will Explain (Choir Music Vol. 1),” the new album from Mocky. Like the title track, “Today Years Old,” with its nine-voice backing choir, lilting piano, harp, saxophone, strings and other accoutrements, is a bundle of joy.

HAIM, “Take Me Back” — Sister trio Haim will release their new album “I Quit” on June 30. They confess that recent spates of nostalgia inspired the new single “Take Me Back.” Live Oct. 9 at the Kia Forum.

NoMBe, “Please Don’t Feed the Lions” — The follow-up to “In This Room,” “Please Don’t Feed the Lions” is the latest taste of NoMBe’s new album, “Diáspora,” out June 13.

Ember Knight, “Pandora” — Following the success of “Ember Sings the Dr. Bronner Soap Label,” “Pandora” is the first single from Ember Knight’s upcoming album “Water Can Fly!,” out July 25. “Pandora” is a heartfelt piano ballad that ends in an unexpected cinematic monologue. Watch the impressively animated music video here.

Mt. Joy, “In the Middle” (feat. Gigi Perez) — Friendly reminder that “Hope We Have Fun,” the new album from Mt. Joy, is out today. “Gigi Perez” (“Sailor Song”) joins in on “In the Middle.”

Hannah Hughes, “Stranger With My Secrets” — “Stranger With My Secrets” is a fun pop-rock song from singer-songwriter Hannah Hughes. Hughes rocks out with her band in the music video here.

Gunnar, “Bitter” — “Bitter,” a buoyant and bright pop tune, is the first single from Gunnar’s (Gunner Gehl) upcoming album, “Sun Faded,” out June 20 via PREACH Records/Virgin. Gahl says,“It’s about the pain, the growth, and finally realizing that I’m not just okay. I’m better than ever.” Watch the AI-inspired video here. Live Oct. 29 at the Echo.

Gina Zo, “Dirty Habits” — Gina Zo, previously of the rock band Velvet Rogue, is a Philadelphia-born singer-songwriter who appeared on “The Voice” back in 2016. Zo’s strong country-rock style vocals shine in her synth-heavy debut single “Dirty Habits.” Watch the music video filled with pillow fights and teddy bears here. Zo plays July 11 at The Mint.

Echo Bird, “Old Friend” — Echo Bird is the folk-rock outfit of Bryan Sua, Levi Larkin, Michael Villaclara, Rob Paterson and Wyatt Whaley. In April, the quintet released their debut album “Eye to Eye,” and we bring this playlist in for sincere landing with their single, “Old Friend.” Live July 11 at the Hotel Café.