Kevin Bronson on July 18th, 2025

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Busy week. Thirty-eight songs featured in Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 347). Some long ones. Interestingly sequenced. Too humid for complete sentences.

Takes a slug of iced coffee.

Buzz Bands LA’s new playlist features songs from new albums by Lord Huron, Natalie Bergman, Dream Ivory, Run River North, Trevor Beld Jimenez, Jade Bird, The Rocky Valentines, Groceries! and more. Plus, attention-grabbing singles from Sudan Archives, The Sophs, Boyish, The Altons, The Warlocks, Child Seat, Electric Guest, Mirrorball, Avalon, Sophia Center, Double Wish, Girljockey and others. And some band named Nine Inch Nails. Plus, a soft landing courtesy of Doe Paoro and Kelcey Ayer. Enjoy.

You’ll be tested in the morning.

Catch up on our recent playlists here.

Note: Anita Wills contributed to today’s roundup.

■ Run River North, “Perfect” — L.A. folk-pop band Run River North must be used to expecting the unexpected by now. Who can forget the “prank” that launched the band (then called Monsters Calling Home) from obscurity to Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night TV show? They released their most recent album in the dregs of the pandemic and didn’t plan to release another — but here it is, out this week, “Perfect.” Its seven songs, Alex Hwang says, include three songs originally written for the film “Worth the Wait,” one for a brand of water, two holdovers from the pandemic and one, “Miss You,” that “should be in Fallout.” RRN have always had a penchant for penning heart-swelling anthems, and we’re happy to report nothing has changed. Perfect.

■ Jade Bird, “Save Your Tears” — Today brought the release of U.K.-born, L.A.-based songwriter Jade Bird’s third album, “Who Wants to Talk About Love?,” a strong folk-rock-adjacent collection that tries “to make sense of the broken relationships in my family — my parents, both sets of grandparents — and the way they echoed into my own life when my engagement ended,” she says. “It’s as much a question as an answer, wondering if I could break the cycle while finding my own path to forgiveness- not just from my dad, but for myself.” Live at Amoeba Hollywood on July 29.

■ Trevor Beld Jimenez, “Say” — Trevor Beld Jimenez’s earnest folk-rock continues to be a salve for wounds inflicted by a bitter, blaring world. The singer-songwriter, whose past and present associations include Tall Tales and the Silver Lining, Parting Lines, Gospelbeach, Pearl Charles and Kacey Johansing (among others), has released his fourth solo album since 2020, “Wilton Place,” named for the Riverside street on which his family lived when he was a child. So naturally it is imbued with nostalgia — but also hope. He said this about making the album: “You know at the end of ‘Field of Dreams’ when Ray gets to play catch with his dad? That’s what this record felt like.” It feels like that to listen to it, too. Live July 27 at Healing Force of the Universe.

■ Natalie Bergman, “Looking for You” — Friendly reminder that Natalie Bergman’s new album, “My Home Is Not in This World,” is out today. The Chicago-bred songwriter’s sophomore LP serves up a bouffant a throwback pop adorned with old-school production courtesy of her brother, Elliot. Singles “Dance” and “Lonely Road” proved excellent calling cards for a collection that includes a tune for her infant son, “Song for Arthur,” and a nod to her adopted home, “California.” Live July 25 at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever.

■ Lord Huron, “Watch Me Go” — Friendly reminder that “The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1,” the fifth album from Lord Huron, is out today. Songwriter Ben Schneider and crew remain exceptional at immersing listeners in alternate worlds … perhaps ones where ghosts have more sway. Live Nov. 2 at the Kia Forum.

■ Boyish, “Jumbos” — Later this summer, L.A.-via-Brooklyn duo Boyish (India Shore and Claire Altendahl) is set to release their first album in five years, “Gun,” produced by Loren Humphrey. The band says: “The idea of ‘Gun’ came to India while she was bedridden for three months after breaking her leg in a freak surfing accident. The album is a love story set against the backdrop of this town, like it’s the set of a play.” “Jumbos” is a quality dream-pop single with a catchy guitar hook, and a righteous breakdown. Watch the R-rated music video here filmed at the legendary Jumbo’s Clown Room.

■ The Sophs, “Death in the Family” — The Sophs (pronounced “soafs”) burst on the scene in May with their debut single “Sweat,” arriving with the distinction that they’d been signed to Rough Trade Records via a blind submission. Their early shows (there are two more in SoCal: July 25 at Scribble and Aug. 2 at the Above the Bridge Fest in Pomona) did nothing to dampen the buzz. “Death in the Family” is their second single, a song, frontman Ethan Ramon says, that “confronts my complicated relationship with shame, and how, at a certain point, I had convinced myself I’d rather grieve a loved one than take any kind of accountability. Releasing it almost feels like purging those thoughts.”

■ Sudan Archives, “My Type” — Sudan /archives (Brittney Parks) this week introduced her third album, “The BPM” (out Oct. 17 via Stones Throw), with the single “My Type,” which she described as her “rap rap song.” It arrived with the companion tune “Yea Yea Yea.” Live Nov. 7 on the Outdoor Stage as part of the Lodge Room Festival.

■ Cayucas, “The Spirit of a Surfing Cowboy” — “Think Jeff Bridges in ‘Crazy Heart’ meets Captain Ron but played by Keanu Reeves,” brother duo Cayucas say of their typically catchy new single “The Spirit of the Surfing Cowboy.” (Here we pause get our brain around that.) “The surfing cowboy is character or a caricature of a man on the road with nothing to lose. He’s moving his way through life with a ‘never give up’ attitude and an appreciation for the spiritual side of things.”

■ Saundia, “Shift” — Saundia is the solo project of Armenian American artist Sandra Agababyan, a singer-songwriter-producer who debuted in 2022. The DIY artist bundles pop, soul and world music into celebratory, empowering songs. “Shift” is her latest release.

■ Katzú Oso, “A Woman Like You” — “I’ve always wanted to write a song entirely in falsetto — something soulful, tender, and full of feeling,” sinfger-songwriter Paul Hernandez says of his new Katzú Oso single, “A Woman Like You.”

■ The Altons, “Love You Like That” — It was just this past Valentine’s Day that retro-soul outfit the Altons (Adriana Flores, Bryan Ponce, Joey Quiñones, Chris Manjarrez, Caitlin Moss and Christian “Elyzr” Meraz released their album “Heartache in Room 14.” Now, to brighten your summer (see the video), comes “Love You Like That,” a song the band says is a “playful, sun-kissed song” with a video “to showcase what a day in L.A. could look and feel like for two lovers.” Live July 26 at the Greek Theatre, with Los Lonely Boys, Thee Sinseers and more.

■ SAADI, “Bottom To The Top” — Solo artist Saadi releases “Bottom To The Top,” an experimental electronic track that follows “Homo Sapiens,” from her upcoming sophomore album “Birds of Paradise” (out Sept. 4 via Switch Hit Records). Watch a man fall in love with some sort of inter-dimensional being here. Live Sept. 12 at Zebulon.

■ The Rocky Valentines, “Music on the Shelf” — Twenty-one-year-old Charlie Martin released “Erase,” his debut album as the Rocky Valentines, just over a year ago. Having expanded the project to a trio with the addition of guitarist Levi Perelman and bassist Luke Westrup, the Rocky Valentines return this week with their sophomore LP, “Music on the Shelf.” File under heady things for guitar heads — start with the layered title track.

■ Nine Inch Nails, “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” — The new Nine Inch Nails single appears on “TRON: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack),” releasing Sept. 19. “As Alive As You Need to Be” is NIN’s first release in five years. Their shows Sept. 18-19 at the Kia Forum are sold out.

■ Alice Glass, “Catch and Release” — Ex-Crystal Castles siren Alice Glass, who released her most recent album “Prey//IV” in 2022, returns with her first single since the summer of ’24, the biting, uptempo “Catch and Release.”

■ The Warlocks, “You Can’t Lose a Broken Heart” — The Warlocks, purveyors of heavy psych-rock for a quarter-century, will return in August with their seventh full-length, aptly titled “The Manic Excessive Sounds Of.” “This album is a positive one, and it totally rocks in the best way, too,” mastermind Bobby Hecksher says. “It’s about cherishing the things that matter – the ones around you, the people you love and dealing with those relationships that are oh so frail.” So go ahead and cherish the big chords in “You Can’t Lose a Broken Heart.”

■ Girljockey, “Young Man” — Nothing can quite prepare you for the 7 1/2 minutes of “Young Man,” the second single from the Gillian Chamberlin-fronted indie band Girljockey. (Here’s the first single.) Visceral is kind of an understatement; it’s a song about aging that bleeds out a full range of emotions slowly. Listen to it.

■ Groceries!, “Angel Numbers” — Today brings the release of “Human Extinctions,” the debut LP from indie-rock outfit Groceries! (Edward Graveline, Gabrielle Fiszman, Grant Gonzalez and Nathan Ramer). Visceral and slyly shambolic, it’s left-field indie-rock for warehouse-dwellers and mainstream-haters. Live tonight at Non Plus Ultra, with Gigi and more.

■ Double Wish, “How Often Do You Think of Me” — “How Often Do You Think of Me” (video) sounds like the sun trying to break through the clouds and instead getting swallowed by a liquid light show. It’s the latest single from O.C. duo Double Wish (Adam Sabolick and Philippe Andre), who will release their self-titled debut album on Aug. 22. “Sometimes I feel like I’m being haunted by my own impulses, and this song reflects that,” Sabolick says of the new song. “The shame, pride, fatigue and bittersweet understanding that self-acceptance is not easy, and sometimes when you think you’ve achieved it, you find something new that humbly restarts your journey. This song is about the difficulty of facing yourself, and the strength it takes to thrive within that discomfort while confronting it.” Live Sept. 27 at the Goldfish, with Supergloom and Famous Friend.

■ Sophia Center, “Signals” — Sophia Center is a solo artist born and raised in South Pasadena. Despite her young age, Center delivers a mature sound in “Signals,” a sparkling, guitar-driven track from her debut EP, “The Kids’ Table,” set to drop on Oct. 10. Center says the song is about “feeling disconnected from something others seemed to find so easily.” Watch Sophia experience college life in the music video here.

■ Electric Guest, “Stand Back for You” — Electric Guest have announced that their new album, “10K,” will be out Oct. 10. It’s the first LP from the duo of Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton since 2019 and includes the June single “Play Your Guitar.”

■ Mirrorball, “The Hour” — The first release of 2025 from Mirrorball (the duo of Alexandra Johnstone and Scott Watson) is a dreamy, plaintive slice pop, “The Hour.” Remember to breathe. Live Aug. 9 at the Family Affair Folk Fest.

■ Dream, Ivory, “Orange” — “When You Come Back I Have So Much to Tell You” is the title of the new album from Dream, Ivory, the brother duo of Christian and Louie Baello. It’s a swirl of shoegaze, dream-pop and post-punk framed (for better or worse) with modern production that features singles such as “Tangerine Dream,” “Solar Eclipse” and “Lost Angeles.” All if which put them in good position to tour as main support to shoegaze buzzkids Wisp — including Sept. 23 at the Fonda Theatre.

■ Joydamage, “Dawn of Moonlight” — Joydamage (Alejandro Corpeno, John Ahearn, Manuel Alfaro, and Roberto Alfaro) is a dark alt-rock band that makes music for “listeners seeking depth and authenticity.” “Find A Way,” off their debut album “Aporia,” boasts an impressive grunge guitar and refreshing unfeigned vocals.

■ Together Pangea, “Empty Church” — Is Together Pangea channeling some Weezer on their new single “Empty Church?”

■ Gatlin, “Jesus Christ & Country Clubs” — Singer-songwriter Gatlin (aka Gatlin Thornton) shares “Jesus Christ & Country Clubs,” the second single from her debut album, “The Eldest Daughter,” to be released Oct. 3 via Dualtone Records. Thornton says: “This track is about not being able to fit in where I grew up, and not wanting to.” Watch Gatlin turn her struggles growing up in conservative Florida into art in the music video here. Live at the Troubadour on July 31.  

■ Angelsaur, “Around You” — Angelsaur is the alt-rock project of singer/bassist Logan McQuade and guitarist Jonah Feingold, who met as students at USC and, besides their work as sidemen for artists such as King Princess, Del Water Gap, Fiji Blue, Mark Ronson and Omar Apollo, released their debut album, “Children Disguised As Adults,” in 2023. They’ve stayed busy, and Angelsaur’s sophomore album, “The Girls Are Stressed,” comes out Aug. 13. “The album feels like a chaotic feast,” the duo says, and “Around You” is the latest track on the menu. Live Aug. 14 at the Moroccan Lounge.

■ The New Division, “Sabotage” — Another dose of ’80s-styled synth-pop from Riverside’s John Kunkel, aka the New Division.

■ Child Seat, “Love Drug” — Child Seat (Madeleine Mathews and Josiah Mazzaschi) will release their third full-length, “Hyperphantasia,” next March, and while they’ve been a reliable purveyors of disco since they debuted three years ago, their new single “Love Drug” is a bit of a deviation: more indie-rock than dance-pop.

■ Famous Friend, “Sun Lite” — Singer-songwriter-producer Zachariah Carlson released his latest Famous Friend EP, “Blue,” in April, but the well is not dry. “Sun Lite” is his third single since. Live Aug. 24 at the Smell.

■ Foliage & .COM, — Foliage (San Bernardino’s Manuel Joseph Walker teams .COM (Corona’s Cameron Khan) on a rainbow Sno-Cone of post-punk, dream-pop and jangle-pop, “Everything’s Okay.” Color us convinced.

■ Avery Lynch, “Sweetheart” — Avery Lynch follows up “Lasting Effects” with “Sweetheart,” an acoustic guitar-driven bittersweet love song off her forthcoming EP. Lynch says: “I wrote this one with my boyfriend Jordan and our close friend Neisha Grace. Producing the track with Jordan afterwards felt like a really full-circle moment.”

■ The Manic Standstill, “Go Away” — Adam Bones (Two Tens, Save Ferris, Josie Cotton) filled in for Go Betty Go while guitarist Betty Cisneros was undergoing treatment for cancer. Then in April he debuted his new power trio the Manic Standstill. “Go Away,” the band’s third single, features Go Betty Go’s Nicolette Vilar. Here’s the video.

■ Avalon, “Dedication Hour” — Friendly reminder that Avalon’s debut EP “Permanent Californian” is available now via KRO Records. Following “Scream,” Her new single, “Dedication Hour” (co-written with George Lewis Jr. of Twin Shadow and co-produced by Yves Rothman), finds the artist (fka Avalon Lurks, born Avalon Lopez De Magaña) crafting a dark-pop track featuring a new wave drum beat. Watch the music video, shot, directed and edited by Avalon, here.

■ Your Favorite Color, “Where Did It All Go Wrong?” — O.C. alt-rockers Your Favorite Color follow “Less In Love” with “Where Did It All Go Wrong?,” a heavy-hearted rock song featuring shoegaze guitar and pop-punk vocals. The band says: “This song is about battling identity, isolation, and emotional disconnection after moving to Los Angeles — the weight of regret and confusion that comes from setting out to transform, only to end up lost in the process.”

■ Doe Paoro, “Forgiveness Is” — Doe Paoro (Sonia Kreitzer) has released only a handful of songs since 2022’s EP “Divine Surrendering.” Now she’s prepping her new album, “Living Through Collapse,” arriving on Sept. 19. “Forgiveness Is” is a delicate guitar track with soothing vocals. Doe Paoro says: “Forgiveness is such a high frequency to seek counsel from.”

■ Kelcey Ayer, “Mother Is the Real Jesus” — We’ll bring this playlist in for a soft landing with “Mother Is the Real Jesus” (video), the closing track on the new EP from Kelcey Ayer (ex-Local Natives), “No Sleep.” Live Saturday at Permanent Records Roadhouse.