Kevin Bronson on August 29th, 2025

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For your holiday weekend, we bring you a jam-packed Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 353), featuring songs from Fime, Jazzie Young, Thrice, Sharon Silva, Bitter:Sweet, Chris Chu, Courtney Farren, Hunny, Runnner, Desert Sparrow, Cuco, Fiona Grey, Tei Shi, Boy Deluxe, Crushed, Jordana, The Berries, Tender Misfit and a bunch more.

More playlists in your home for playlists tended by makers of playlists: here.

Note: Anita Wills contributed to today’s roundup.

■ Fime, “Burning the Candle” — Preceded by SOTY contender “Better Half of a Dollar” and “Soft Science,” “Burning the Candle” is the latest single (and de facto title track, if you dial in to the refrain) from “Just Can’t Win,” Fime’s sophomore album. Catharsis for anybody metaphorically pushing the boulder up a steep hill, and anybody who roots for them. Live Sept. 16 at Gold-Diggers.

■ Jazzie Young, “Light Headed” — Jazzie Young’s formidable debut album “Everything Changes” (out today) mixes dreamy indie-pop confessionals with sharp, folk-adjacent songwriting. The John Velasquez-produced LP features singles such as “Lux,” “Mr Casual” and “Waiting on You!” (the latter made with Day Wave’s Jackson Phillips).  

■ Runnner, “Claritin” — After rolling out teasers such as “Achilles And,” “Get Real Sleep,” and “Chamomile” over the past 10 months, Runnner (Noah Weinman) this week finally released his sophomore album, “A Welcome Kind of Weakness.”  Crafted in the entrails of relationship turmoil and the slow recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, the LP offers a full embrace of anthemic 2000s indie-rock, full of emotional oscillations and widescreen moments. Invigorating. Live Sept. 25 at the Lodge Room.

■ Jordana, “Still Do” — Jordana Nye (just Jordana when she’s releasing rays of pop sunshine like this) releases “STill Do” to introduce her new EP “Jordanaland,” out Nov. 7.

■ Wrabel, “Up Above” — “Up Above,” the new single from Stephen Wrabel (dba Wrabel), is an ascendant slice of pop that introduces his new album of that title, arriving Feb. 13. It’s his third full-length. “For me,” Wrabel says, “this album explores the balance between existential meaning and beauty, and existential dread and impending doom. If you knew the world was ending tomorrow, how much more would the person you love matter today?”

■ Marni, “Bee Stings” — Indie-rockers Marni (Nicolas Lara, Michaela Gradstein, Manny Trujillo, Kai Zeleznik and Joey Anderson) will release a new EP, “fml era,” on Oct. 10. Like the latest single “Washed Up,” “Bee Stings” showcases the band’s bold dynamics and propensity for simply letting it rip. Live Sept. 11 at Gold-Diggers, with Mo Dotti.

■ Boo Boos, “The Toughest Bitch I Know” — Following “Total Thunder,” “The Toughest Bitch I Know” is the fourth single from eccentric rock duo Boo Boos (Kate Mattison and Mark Oliver Everett of EELS) off their debut album “Young Love,” set for release Sept. 19 via PIAS. “The Toughest Bitch I Know” is a guitar-driven love letter with a country twist.

■ Hunny, “I Can See My House From Here” — Jason Yarger says of his new Hunny album “SPIRIT!” (out Sept. 26 via Epitaph): “I’m happily married with a child. You know, there’s not too much tortured stuff for me to write about anymore. I love that songs I’ve written have resonated with people, but I also loved the opportunity to just be a fucking silly guy and tell some weird stories on this album.” In that spirit, here’s “I Can See My House From Here,” the album’s fourth single, following nuggets like “Catalina” and “Title Track.” Live Oct. 10 at the Observatory.

■ Bitter:Sweet, “Other Side” — The dancefloor-ready “Other Side” is one of two bonus tracks on the deluxe version of “Baby Is Back,” released this week.

■ Crushed, “Oneshot” — Pop duo Crushed (Bre Morell and Shaun Durkan) will release their album “No Scope” on Sept. 26. “Oneshot” is the third single.

■ Courtney Farren, “Mathemetical” — “Mathematical” is the first single of 2025 and just the second since 2024’s album “Punchlines” from Courtney Farren. Suffice to say she gets a lot done in under 2 minutes.

■ Chris Chu, “Moving On” — “Moving On” is the third single from “Accidental Album,” the forthcoming solo LP from Chris Chu (of POP ETC), penned in the aftermath of a serious bicycling injury that left him with a broken spine, brain trauma and massive facial injuries (some of the photos on his IG page are not for the faint of heart). “This is a song about turning the page,” Chu says of the new single. “A song about being OK with letting go of the past, even if its shadow is always there. It’s about leaving behind the trauma of my accident, the fear of dying. Leaving the city. Leaving behind old friends. Leaving behind some older version of me.” See also: “Carrying On” and “California’s on Fire Again.”

■ Sharon Silva, “Hold It Down” — Sharon Silva (formerly one-third of the folk trio the Wild Reeds) has released three solo singles this year, two made with Ryan Pollie and “Hold It Down” with Cody Ackors (Wild Child). Nik Freitas (Conor Oberst) and Thomas Berg (Z Berg) are contributors on the song, which Silva says “was written in a limbo-like headspace, while I was overworking myself at another odd job. I was daydreaming of my future being fully immersed in music again, to the point where I became very frustrated. I sat down at my old keyboard to release the stress, and what started as a complaining session ended up as a promising pep talk for myself. I realized if there were a lot of things I wanted to accomplish, I better start saying them out loud.”

■ Pink Skies, “Close My Eyes” — “Close My Eyes” is the latest single from the new album “American Mood Ring,” out Sept. 10.

■ Desert Sparrow, “My Mind” — Desert Sparrow is a dream-pop outfit formed in the pre-pandemic days by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Krystal and Californian guitarist Dave Carreno. They added Jarred Ratley (drums) and Josh Adams (multi-instrumentalist) to their lineup two years ago and have ramped up this year with the release of three singles, including the filmic ballad “My Mind” (video).

■ MacGregor Burns, “Let Yourself Go” — The charismatic puppet Jitney Boy makes another appearance in a MacGregor Burns video — this time for “Let Yourself Go,” the latest single from Burns’ album “My Corner,” out later this year.

■ Tei Shi, “Montón” — Friendly reminder that today brought the release of “Make Believe I Make Believe,” the new album from Tei Shi. xxx s Live at the Lodge Room on Sept. 26. (There’s also a listening party for the record on Sept. 5 at the Silverlake Lounge.)

■ The Berries, “Sedentary Blues” — Friendly reminder that the Berries today released their new, self-titled album. “Sedentary Blues” is the opening track on the guitar-forward collection

■ Fiona Grey, “Cavalier” — “Cavalier” is one of the highlights from singer-songwriter Fiona Grey’s new collection of spirited pop-rock confessionals, “Adult Tantrums.” (For something of a different tenor, go deep on the LP for the devastating ballad “Los Angeles Angel.”) 

■ Boy Deluxe, “Whiplash” — Having just released a new EP, “From Black Sheep to Icon,” in June, dark-pop duo Boy Deluxe return with some club-ready lightning, “Whiplash.”

■ Killah Cortez, “Like That” — “Pronoia” (out today) is the debut EP from Killah Cortez, the solo project of sought-after producer/engineer Greg Cortez. “This whole project started as a personal production experiment,” Cortez says, “but it came to life the second I opened it up to my friends.” Included: collaborations with Jetta Juriansz and Manickin.

■ The Technicolors, “Posh Spice” — “Heavy Pulp” (out today) is the first album from L.A./Nashville rockers the Technicolors since 2021. Live tonight at Zebulon.

■ Waverly Drive, “Roses on a Rainy Day” — The follow-up to singles such as “Lazy Day” and “Decadence,” “Roses on a Rainy Day” is the latest single from Waverly Drive’s debut album, “Decadence” (out Sept. 26).

■ Thrice, “Albatross” — Following 2021’s “Horizons/East,” Orange County post-hardcore legends Thrice will drop their newest album “Horizons/West” this fall. “Albatross,” following the lead single “Gnash,” is a post-rock song with a hint of pop in the chorus via Epitaph Records: “They keep on tellin’ me our stars are crossed / But I think that you might be my albatross.” Thrice plays November 22 at The Novo, and House of Blues Anaheim on November 23, and 25.

■ The Anti Groupies, “Not My Problem” — The Anti Groupies are Cassidy Fleeman, Isabella Broersma, Sydney Moore and Kyla Foster, a hard-rock band hailing from Long Beach. “Not My Problem” is a heavy-hitting anthem with blues vocals and killer guitar riffs. The band thrashes boldly, wearing doll dresses in the music video here.

■ Jack Xander, “Chevy Suburban” — “It’s not just about the cars — it’s about the power dynamics they represent,” Jack Xander says of his new satirical single, “Chevy Suburban.” “It’s wealth on wheels, and it makes for a perfect metaphor.”

■ Myah, “Dissolve” — Friendly reminder that alt-pop artist Myah’s (Mariah Morgenstern) seventeen track LP “I Don’t Know What I’m Feeling” has dropped. “Dissolve” is a pop-grunge track that follows “Glitter.” Morgenstern says: “It’s warm and nostalgic, but emotionally, it’s cathartic and desperate, which is kind of my signature. It’s the perfect intro to what ‘Myah’ sounds like.”

■ Cuco, “Sin Un Corazón” — On Sept. 12, Cuco will release the deluxe version of his 2024 album “Ridin’,” and “Sin Un Corazón,” a ballad in Spanish, puts the romance in Romanticos. Live Sept. 15 the Greek Theatre.

■ Moon Panda, “Superstore” — Fronted by California-born songwriter/singer/bass player Maddy Myers and Danish guitarist Gustav Moltkechill, Moon Panda make soft pop touched by funk with nods to the twee universe. Their album “Dumb Luck” is out Sept. 26. Live Nov. 7 at Gold-Diggers.

■ Jordan Patterson, “Racecar” — Jordan Patterson is a North Carolina-born solo artist who now writes music in the Valley. “Racecar” is the newest single from her upcoming album “The Hermit,” dropping September 19. “Racecar” is a unique ballad featuring children’s vocals. Patterson says: “Racecar” is my journey to community and a real home.” The music video is a heartwarming mix of home footage and family photos.

■ My Violence, “Paper Bag Princess” — My Violence, the solo project of Sylvia Ryder (one-half of the duo Sugarplum Fairies), have announced the Oct. 31 arrival of their sophomore album, “Monday’s Child.” The slo-mo melancholy of “Paper Bag Princess” introduces the LP.

■ The New Division, “Argyle” — For fans of ’80s synth-pop heavyweights, here’s “Argyle,” the new single from John Kunkel’s solo project the New Division.

■ Tender Misfit, “Sundress” — Pop (“with a bite”) artist Tender Misfit, aka Ariel Beesley, returns with “Sundress,” which despite her modeling background is not a fashion statement, but a banger with a runway-sized chorus.

■ Meteor Street, “Likewise” — Meteor Street, the band founded by Alison Belle and Aldo Riba, released their latest album, “Tell Me It’s Still Changing,” in February. They’re back with “Likewise.”

■ Richard Turgeon, “Signs” — “Signs” is a taste of ’90s-radio-style rock on Richard Turgeon’s new EP, “Shungite,” released Aug. 22.

■ Pop Cautious, “Smilodon” — Tyler Porterfield, aka Pop Cautious, is rolling out tunes from his forthcoming album, “Troubadour.” The reggae-tinged “Smilodon” is the third single. Live tonight at Harvard & Stone Sept. 12 at Boomtown Brewery.

■ Lucky Horse Red, “Noon Moon” — Lucky Horse Red is a large ensemble comprised of long-serving local musicians (Bunny Gaubert, Keilah Nina, Mark Martino, Laine Gaubert, Colin Croom, Jake Melende, and Mika Rabina) who have played in bands like the Aquadolls, Twin Peaks, and Babe Ruthless. Their self-titled album will be released Sept. 26 via Shuga Records. “Noon Moon” is an alt-Americana jam song featuring uniquely gritty vocals by Bunny Gaubert. Gaubert says, “A swampy summer tune. We wanted to create a catchy chorus with group vocals à la Courtney Barnett or Kurt Vile.”