Kevin Bronson on June 27th, 2025

0

Not gonna kid you: Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 344) features 42 songs, and it could/should have included more except we flat-out ran out of time. We’ll try and catch up next week, OK?

The behemoth that is No. 344 boasts songs from just-released albums by Freedom Fry, Syd Taylor, HLLLYH, Oddnesse, Gelli Haha, Wavves, Mareux and Mocky. Plus: some notable singles from Chris Chu (of POP ETC), Runnner, Sun Room, Kristiane, Tei Shi, Lydia Night, The Rocky Valentines, Lord Huron, Shaki Tavi, NoSo, Mini Trees, Hunny, Small Shake, Hunx and His Punx, Dream Ivory and more. Lots more.

Here’s hoping that our “liner notes” below make things more interesting. Enjoy. Review all our playlists here.

Note: Anita Wills contributed to today’s roundup.

■ Sun Room, “She’ll Move to London” — The early 2000s garage-rock revival lives on in the new music from Sun Room (Luke Asgian, Max Pinamonti, Ashton Minnich), who today announced the July 11 arrival of their third EP (in as many years), “Ritual of Chaos.” “She’ll Move to London” follows “Oslo, Paris, LA” and “Jackknife” as the trio’s latest single. The video was shot at Cabrillo State Beach, not far from where Asgian grew up. “Lyrically, the song is basically about kids who come from wealthy families and take off to London or Paris after finishing school without having to worry about money,” he says. “That always blew my mind. I mean, I would if I could, so maybe I just wrote the song out of spite? That’s probably what it is.” Live at the Fox Theater Pomona on Aug. 16.

■ Freedom Fry, “Best Friend” — Over more than a decade, French-American indie duo Freedom Fry (native Michigander Bruce Driscoll, native Parisian Marie Seyrat) have mined every subgenre of pop to craft buoyant songs. Their fourth album, “Best Friend” (out this week) is a little darker, a bit more chill and thus a little different — though no less mesmerizing. In the video for the title track (a meditation on a toxic friendship), Driscoll and Seyrat are kidnapped by paper mâché versions themselves, à la the film “Coraline.”

■ Runnner, “Get Real Sleep” — Just here to thank whatever forces of nature led singer-songwriter-producer Noah Weinman to embrace early 2000s indie-rock for the sophomore Runnner album. “A Welcome Kind of Weakness” is out Aug. 29, and “Get Real Sleep” (“Transatlanticism” vibes, or is it just us?) is the sixth single, not a throwaway in the bunch. (Here they are, all in a row.) Live Sept. 25 at the Lodge Room.

■ Kristiane, “Beacon” — Kristiane (L.A. native Kristiane Alphson) returns with her second single this year, “Beacon,” the follow-up to “Good & Ready” and last year’s “Stray Dog” EP. Fans of Blondshell and Phoebe Bridgers, take note.

■ HLLLYH, “Endless High Five” — Friendly reminder that HLLLYH (early 2000s L.A. indie heroes the Mae Shi, reborn) this week released their album “URUBURU.” It arrives 17 years after the Mae Shi released their final album, “HLLLYH,” and, yes, there’s a longer story there and we recommended reading this piece for background. Anybody who worked up a sweat during the Mae Shi’s art space or club shows in the end days will agree that, euphorically speaking, they felt like an “Endless High Five.” Live Aug. 8 at Permanent Records Roadhouse and Aug. 9 at the Smell.

■ Oddnesse, “Claws & Scales” — “Glass House Mountain” is the title of Rebeca Arango’s debut album as Oddnesse, and the first of two full-lengths the singer-songwriter has been crowd-sourcing on Patreon. From the get-go (2017, if memory serves) Oddnesse’s songs have exhibited a certain ethereal smarts to go along with their languid grooves. The surprising “Claws & Scales” (at 1:45) opens the album, which includes singles such as “Unicorn” and “God With the Windows Open.”

■ Chris Chu, “Carrying On” — The first solo single from Chris Chu (POP ETC, and before that the Morning Benders) comes in the aftermath of a life-changing experience. Chu was in a serious bicycling accident, sustaining a broken spine, brain trauma and gnarly facial injuries. Chu says: “Somewhere in the middle of recovering from all that, still wearing a chest brace and floating through some strange, drugged-up, dreamlike existence, I started making music again. Hearing songs in my head about dying, about the trauma and the pain. And songs about gratitude. Choosing to live. I later discovered that I had recorded an entire album during this time that I have no memory of making.” (See also this.) “Carrying On” is the first single from that LP.

■ Tei Shi, “222” (feat. Loyal Lobos) — The collaborative single between Tei Shi and Loyal Lobos began as a inside joke between two friends with a shared Colombian heritage. “‘222’ is a song about friendship, fun, and roaming free in the world,” Tei Shi says. “It’s about rejecting male attention in exchange for joy and pleasure. We were laughing about giving out fake numbers, and ‘222-2290’ just stuck. From there, the track came together effortlessly — mixing our bilingualism with our love for electronic dream-pop and nostalgic perreo.” Director Gabriella Kashi’s video is great fun, too. Tei Shi’s new album, “Make Believe I Make Believe,” is out Aug. 29. Tei Shi plays the Lodge Room on Sept. 26.

■ Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, “Stare Into Me” — Composer, producer and electronic music shapeshifter Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has announced that her new album, “Gush,” will be out Aug. 22. “Stare Into Me” (video here) follows singles such as “Urges,” “Drip” and the title track as offerings from the LP.

■ The Rocky Valentines, “Nat Song” — Second-generation indie-rocker Charlie Martin (son of Starflyer 59’s Jason Martin and in recent years also the drummer for his father’s band) returned this week with guitars blazing. “Nat Song” is the first Rocky Valentines song since their debut album “Erase,” released in March 2024. It’s also the first single from their sophomore LP, “Music on the Shelf,” out July 18.

■ Crushed, “Starburn” — L.A. duo Crushed (Bre Morell and Shaun Durkan) last year announced their signing to Ghostly International and released an expanded version of their 2023 EP, “Extra Life.” Now they’re back with bigger news: Their debut full-length, “No Scope,” will be out Sept. 26, so enjoy the “maximalist dream-pop” of its initial single, “Starburn.”

■ Wavves, “Way Down” — Friendly reminder that Wavves’ new album “Spun” is out today, an LP that is as much 1996 as it is 2025. Not a bad thing, the way Nathan Williams does it. Travis Barker co-produced the new single “Way Down,” and here’s the video. Live July 25 at the Fonda.

■ Lydia Night, “Gutter” — Lydia Night (ex-Regrettes) has announced that her debut solo album, “Parody of Pleasure,” will be out Aug. 8. “Gutter” follows “Pity Party” and “The Hearse” as songs on the punk-adjacent collection, made with songwriter-producer Alexis Kesselman, aka Idarose. Things get a little lustful on the new single, about a girl crush. The video for the track is directed by Ramisha Sattar (Chappell Roan). Night will celebrate the album release on Aug. 13 at the Echo.

■ Dream, Ivory, “Tangerine Dream” — Brother duo Dream, Ivory follows singles such as “All Good” and “Solar Eclipse” with yet another dreamy entry from their third album, “When You Come Back I Have So Much To Tell You,” out July 18. “Tangerine Room,” they say, is “a song we wrote about someone who is self-deprecating in all facets of life. They’re at the creek withering at their own reflection, feeling both violence and sadness.” Watch Dream, Ivory play about in a tangerine field in the music video here. Live Sept. 23 at the Fonda Theatre, supporting Wisp.

■ Mini Trees, “Close” — Songwriter Lexi Vega’s latest Mini Trees indie-rocker is titled “Close” and was made with producer Jon Joseph. On socials, she hints at another announcement soon (album? EP?), which makes sense since Mini Trees just announced a show on Sept. 5 at Zebulon.

■ NoSo, “Don’t Hurt Me, I’m Trying” — “Don’t Hurt Me, I’m Trying” is the second single from “When Are You Leaving?,” NoSo’s sophomore album, releasing Oct. 10. Those who know songwriter Baek Hwong for his softer pop/dance music might be downright shocked at the jagged little thrill he slips you on this one. Live Nov. 12 at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever.

■ Syd Taylor, “Time to Go!” — Detroit-reared, L.A.-based Syd Taylor (née Schmier) leans into femme-fatale rock on “After the Fact,” her solo debut album that arrived this week. Led by the single “Heaven,” the self-produced album also dlays down the moxie with “Time to Go!,” featuring this video. “I really wanted to dive into this ’60s Brit-rock world with my visuals for ‘Time to Go!’,” she said. “It felt so true to who I am.”

■ Mareux, “Ébène Fumé” (feat. Riki) — Today brought the release of “Nonstop Romance,” the sophomore album from Mareux (Aryan Ashtiani). Fans of darkwave/goth-pop will find bliss here. Says Ashtiani, who wrote and recorded the album in his Lincoln Heights bedroom in 2024, “I like when music sounds like found footage.” Live Dec. 12 at Fox Theater Pomona and Dec. 13 at the Novo.

■ Shaki Tavi, “Foam” — Not unlike the first single (“Breaker”) from the forthcoming album “Minor Slip,” Shaki Tavi’s new song “Foam” seems plucked from shoegaze’s grandiose past. Shaki Tavi is the solo project of Leon Manson, joined by a rotating cast of co-conspirators. Here, he’s got a very good case of go-big-or-go-home. “Minor Slip” is out Aug. 15 via Felte. Live July 17 at the Regent Theater, opening for Spirit of the Beehive.

■ Hundred Bliss, “Ketamine Head” — Reviving the sounds of the noise-rock underground, Hundred Bliss combines the talents of Garrett La Bonte, Jeff Day, Nathan Burger and River van dn Berghe, all of whom have experience in various L.A. and Bay Area indie bands. The debut release, “EP1,” offers a shake-you-to-you-core quartet of songs. Live July 6 at Non Plus Ultra.

■ Groceries!, “Stars” — Speaking of noisy indie, “Stars” is the third single from L.A. outfit Groceries! (Edward Graveline, Gabrielle Fiszman, Grant Gonzalez and Nathan Ramer. Find all three songs here. They will release their debut album next month. Live July 18 at Non Plus Ultra, with Gigi and more.

■ OSEES, “Fight Simulator” — OSEES have announced the Aug. 8 release of their new album, “Abomination Revealed At Last,” out Aug. 8. “This album just channeled out of the mist of atrocities swirling around the planet right now,” songwriter John Dwyer says. “AI empathy, genocides, social media data collection and addiction, the alignment of tech billionaires with the fascist overlords and their armada of dogs, civilians being kidnapped by bootlicking thugs, the death of due process … the list goes on and on. It’s been a long year already.” “Fight Simulator” is the first single. OSEES have a slew of live dates at the Teragram Ballroom: July 17, Aug. 29, Sept. 30, Nov. 29 and Dec. 19.

■ The Dollyrots, “Get on This Ride” — SoCal’s favorite married pop-punk duo, the Dollyrots (Kelly Ogden and Luis Cabezas), return with “Get on This Ride,” their first new original since last fall’s release of their eighth album, “Night Owls.” The release kicks off a summer your that takes includes stops July 3 at the Echo (with Go Betty Go) and July 5 at the Parish at House of Blues Anaheim.

■ Lord Huron, “Bag of Bones” — Western noir storytellers Lord Huron will release their new album, “The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1,” on July 18. The follow-up to “Looking Back,” new single “Bag of Bones” finds them cinematic as ever. Live Nov. 2 at the Forum.

■ Hunny, “Catalina” — The follow-up to “Sidewaze,” “Catalina” is the latest single from songwriter Jason Yarger and Hunny. Summery, we might even summarize.

■ Gelli Haha, “Tiramisu” — “Switcheroo,” the debut album from Gelli Haha (Angel Abaya), is out today, so how about some dessert? Depending on how closely you watch the news, fun might seem hard to come by these days, but this record, made with Sean Guerin (De Lux), seemed like a bounce house from the first single, “Bounce House.” Live Aug. 8 at Resident.

■ CAPYAC, “Keep Me Close, Pt. II” — Speaking of party-starters, CAPYAC returned this week with a dose of funk, “Keep Me Close, Pt. II,” the follow-up to “Sexy in My Bodyyy.”

■ Origami Ghosts, “Heaven’s Gate” — Origami Ghosts (JP Scesniak, along with Cassandra Wulff, Ben Kendalland Jacob Leavitt) introduce their new album, “A Fine Time to Talk About Nothing” (out Aug. 8) with the single “Heaven’s Gate,” a song about a near-death experience. That’s Wulff on flute, injecting the song with proper spirit. Live Aug. 23 at the Harmony Room.

■ Quinnie, “Hate F*ck” — A month after sharing the title track to her new album “Paper Doll” (out July 24), Quinnie has released “Hate F*ck,” a plaintive acoustic guitar track. “This song is about the lengths we will go to to be close to another person, and chasing the thrill of acceptance that is often disguised as love,” says the songwriter, full name Quinn Barnitt. “The chorus is directed at the common romantic counterpart in a loveless relationship, but also serves as internal dialogue with myself.” Quinnie plays the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever on Nov. 14.

■ Alex Bloom, “My Room” — After releasing a host of singles dating back to 2021, singer-songwriter Alex Bloom has announced a larger home for them. His new album “Across the Country,” the follow-up to 2019’s “Chaos/Control,” will be out Sept. 12. “My Room” (here’s the video) is the new single, finding the songwriter in a mellow place. In fact, he says, “I talk directly to my room, having gratitude for my space and admit that my room is so great and comfortable that it makes me feel aimless.”

■ The Two Lips, “Talk” — The Two Lips (Andrea Flores and Julia Gurule, formerly known as the Tulips but not these Tulips) won a lot of fans with a string of singles last year, including “Still Love You (Todavía).” The Cerritos-bred indie-pop duo return this week with “Talk” ahead of a summertime tour that includes dates at the Troubadour (sold out) and the El Rey Theatre (sold out).

■ Foreign Air, “Maniac” — “Maniac” is the latest single from Jesse Clasen and Jacob Michael, who craft indie-pop as Foreign Air. Along with “Smile”, it’s another offering from Foreign Air’s new album, “Such That I May Glow,” out Aug. 22. Live Aug. 26 at the Moroccan Lounge.

■ Sharpie Smile, “Disappears” — Friendly reminder that the L.A. duo of Dylan Hadley and Cole Berliner, dba Sharpie Smile, today released their debut album “The Staircase.” Live Monday at Zebulon.

■ Hunx and His Punx, “No Way Out” — “No Way Out” is the second single from Hunx and His Punx’s comeback album, “Walk Out on This World,” out Aug. 22. It’s the first full-length from the trio of Seth Bogart, Shannon Shaw and Erin Emslie in 12 years. Live Sept. 27 at the Belasco.

■ Waverly Drive, “Decadence” — “Decadence” is the title track of Waverly Drive’s new album, out Sept. 16. Main man Phil Galloni says: “The title track is a reflection on the new gilded age we’re living in and inequality in general.”

■ Small Shake, “Still Too Soon” — “Still Too Soon” (video) is the new, slow-building indie-rocker from Small Shake, the solo project of L.A.-via-Seattle artist Aarin Wright. There’s a big payoff in the crescendo of this one, which introduces Small Shake’s new EP, “Platonics” (out Aug. 22).

■ Syante, “Save Ourselves” — “Save Ourselves,” inspired by January’s L.A. wildfires, is the newest stand-alone single from singer-songwriter Syante via Future Youth Records. Syante says: “There’s a collective sense of apathy — a belief that someone else will deal with it, or worse, denial that there’s even a problem. This album is a direct response to that. It’s a call for accountability and awareness. It’s about shaking people out of complacency.”

■ Madison Margot, “Fun” —Madison Margot is a fifth-generation Angeleno who release her debut album, “The Chronicles of Lovers,” in 2020. Her is new “Fun,” she says, “is a song to dance around your room in the midst of heartbreak and healing. It’s a song for anyone who’s prone to romanticizing the past.”

■ Fitz & the Tantrums, “OK OK OK” — The follow-up to “Ruin the Night” and the title track, “OK OK OK” is the third single (and, as many of this band hits are, a rather feel-good imperative) from Fitz & the Tantrums’ new album “Man on the Moon,” out July 25. Live on July 25 at the Pacific Amphitheatre at the O.C. Fair.

■ Between Friends, “XD” — Another dose of production-first pop from sibling duo Between Friends, “XD” follows “1234567” as a sampling of their debut album, “WOW!,” out Aug. 1. Live Oct. 30 at the Novo.

■ Mac DeMarco, “Home”— “Home” introduces Mac DeMarco’s new album, “Guitar,” dropping Aug. 22 via Mac’s Record Label. Watch DeMarco paddle a boat in the music video here.

■ Mocky, “Infinite Vibrations” — Can’t think of a sunnier way to wrap this week’s playlist than with a friendly reminder that songwriter-producer Mocky today released his brilliant “Music Will Explain (Choir Music Vol. 1),” an album made by having friends and collaborators crowd around a microphone in his garage and sing together. ​​Of the final single “Infinite Vibrations,” Mocky says, “Music has the power to heal. When we make music or act with love, we create vibrations with ripple effects that are infinite.” He adds: “R.I.P. to the legend Brian Wilson. He and the Beach Boys were a big influence on this song – a loose homage to ’60s California culture, with a nod to ‘Good Vibrations.’ I wanted to tap into that feeling of sunshine and possibilities, and innocence with voices singing together as one. I even tried to emulate the theremin melody that starts off the song, in the form of sound waves and love being sent through the universe.” Smile awhile — here’s the video. Live July 1 at Zebulon.