Kevin Bronson on November 28th, 2025

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When Black Friday comes, Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 366) is along for the ride.

With the holiday making it a light week for releases, this week’s playlist is a mix of new songs and some that have eluded us (until now). So press play for music from Andy Stavras, Fake Dad, Janelane, Livingmore, The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers, Crash Richard, Pigeon Club, Hidden Fortress, Common Law, Poolside, Anna May, Bandie and more.

But first, we’ll start with something that is not on Spotify. Wife Support is the new solo project of Marlana Sheetz, a founding member of the indie-pop band Milo Greene. Wife Support’s self-titled debut album arrived earlier this month, finding Sheetz shape-shifting between pop siren and indie-folk storyteller as she wrestles with the institution of marriage. It’s an LP worthy of long listens (and did we mention supporting it on Bandcamp?). Sample the torchy track “The Winner:”

Past playlists, with liner notes, here..

Note: Anita Mills contributed to this roundup.

■ Andy Stavas, “Motion” — It’s the time of year when releases that we missed seem to suddenly reveal themselves. (In this case, via a reader, so hat tip to Richard.) Andy Stavas, whom you might (should) remember from the band Kiev, has released his debut full-length, “Not for Power” (downloadable for free, and you should). It’s a tour de force that defies categorization, but we’re filing it under experimental rock that sees composer/producer/multi-instrumentalist Stavas (keys and saxophone are his specialties) crafting expansive soundscapes over dynamic, propulsive rhythms and splashes of synth, guitar and sax. The aptly titled “Motion” is a good introduction to the LP. RIYL: Storefront Church, Foals, Double Wish, Radiohead.

■ Fake Dad, “Demonology” — “The dream of the ’90s is alive in L.A.” is the mantra adopted by Brooklyn-bred duo Fake Dad (Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford). And if you’ve sampled liberally from Buzz Bands LA’s 46 weekly playlists in 2025, or the 1,400 (!) songs therein — and their Thanksgiving dinner-sized portions of shoegaze, grunge-adjacent and radio-ready alt-rock music — you know there is veracity in that. Fake Dad, whose most recent EP, “Holly Wholesome and the Slut Machine,” came out this spring, had added two new singles to the pot. The latest, “Demonology,” sounds like a hallucination set to a lo-fi trip-hop beat, with a chorus that coos: “You wanna be evil / You wanna be pretty / Put on that celebrity skin.” Which is to say: cool. Fake Dad plans to release a new EP, “Sci-Fi Fantasy,” in 2026.

■ Livingmore, “Away Away Away” — Prepping their fifth full-length for a release in 2026, Livingmore return with their fourth single of this year, “Away Away Away” (see Brandon Bernath’s video). The band headed up by Spencer Livingston and Alex Moore seem to achieve a slightly different vibe on each of this year’s releases; here, we’re feeling some “Summerteeth”-era Wilco.

■ Common Law, “Wires” — Common Law is the new project headed by Marcus Congleton, formerly of Drug Cabin (their releases were recently restored to Bandcamp, by the way) and Ambulance LTD. The issued their debut last week, simply titled “EP.” the five songs throw back to feel-good ’70s psych-pop/folk. Common Law make their live debut Sunday at Gold-Diggers.

■ Bandie, “So Long” — Bandie, the rock outfit led by Brian Hill, continues to get heavier and fuzzier. “So Long,” a tribute to lost loved ones, is their third single of 2025 and fifth since releasing their EP back in 2019.

■ Janelane, “Layla” — With its sticky, undulating melody and emotional sweep, “Layla” is a slice of indie-pop finery from Janelane (Sophia Negrini). Watch the video while we make a quick run to Fosters Freeze.

■ Poolside, “Otherside” (feat. Thunder Jackson and MiiRACLES) — After losing his home and studio in the Palisades fire, Jeffrey Paradise took some time to decamp to Europe, which included booking some studio time in London. “On my first morning there,” he says, “I ended up in Damon Albarn’s studio with a group of people I’d never met: Dan [Rothman] of London Grammer, Nicholas Gale of Digital Farm Animals and Kyle Bradley of Thunder Jackson. We had coffee, talked music, listened to each other’s demos … then decided, f*ck it, let’s write an entirely new song. Kyle got on the mic. No warm-up, no take two, he just sang.” “Otherside,” which Paradise calls “the ultimate slacker anthem about death,” is the result.

■ The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers, “Heaven Is Moving” — The Eagle Rock Gospel singers will release their new album, “Revival,” on March 6. It’s the folk outfit’s first LP since 2020, and “heaven Is Moving” is the latest single.

■ Anna May, “Atom Bomb” — Folk singer Anna May’s aching tales of heartbreak read like novellas — gently delivered requiems that routinely span 8 minutes or more but never wear out their welcome. “Atom Bomb” is her latest single.

■ Crash Richard, “Sensitive Devil” — Friendly reminder that “Sensitive Devil,” the new album from Crash Richard (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Deadly Syndrome), is out today. Get in the groove with the title track.

■ Neil Soiland, “When To Fall” — Retro-rock solo artist Neil Soiland newest five-track EP “Neil Soiland Presents: The Soul Family Band” is available now. “When To Fall” is a groovy 60s rock song featuring psychedelic guitar, and a mean flute.

■ Tatiana Hazel, “I Can’t Be Around You” — Chicago-bred, L.A.-based Tatiana Hazel (of PROM) released a new solo EP earlier this month. “Spinning” is highlighted by the single “I Can’t Be Around You.”

■ A/S/L, “Booth Juice” — “Booth Juice” is a mesmerizing dance track and first single from solo electronic artist/producer A/S/L’s upcoming EP.

■ Scarlett Taylor, “Roulette” — It’s a gamble, it’s dangerous, but let’s spin the wheel anyway: That’s the sentiment behind “Roulette,” the new single from dark-pop artist Scarlett Taylor.

■ Hidden Fortress, “We’re Not Dead Yet” — Friendly reminder that Jeremiah Hammerling’s debut full-length as Hidden Fortress, a synth-splashed self-titled album, is now out.

■ The New Division, “Hostage” — John Kunkel wraps another busy year at the helm of his synth-pop/house/techno project the New Division with the single “Hostage, ” the follow-up to October’s EP, “Sabotage.”

■ Familiar Faces, “Do You Even Love Me” — Long Beach’s alt-rock band Familiar Faces (Sean and Chad Bierman, Nonso Ikeji, John Tessin) drop “Do You Even Love Me,” a hard-rock banger from their upcoming debut album, produced by Tayte Nickols. Live Dec. 6 at Universal Bar & Grill.

■ Stuntdriver, “AI” — Longtime L.A. hellraisers Stuntdriver have artifical intelligence in their crosshairs on their defiant new single “AI.” Frontwoman Kym Priess points out that of course no AI was involved in the creation of the song, but that didn’t stop her from asking ChatGPT to describe it. The verdict: “a love-hate anthem for the machine age.” One thing for sure, no way AI could have done this video. Live Dec. 7 at the Goldfish.

■ Pigeon Club, “Airships of 1897” — Wayne Whittaker has been laying low, at in terms of his solo project Pigeon Club, since the 2024 album “Another Year in the Minors.” He returned in October with some mellow goodness, “Airships of 1897,” co-produced with Ryan Pollie.

■ Devon Again, “Skittles” — Today brought the release of pop singer Devon Again’s new EP, “In Order,” which includes a love letter to … “Skittles.”

■ Death Valley Girls, “Season of Dreaming” — Since Thanksgiving dinner has been digested, we feel comfortable guiding this playlist in for a landing with a holiday song. Death Valley Girls’ “Season of Dreaming” appears on the compilation “Slow Xmas 5,” out next week, featuring artists such as Shannon Lay, Meridian Brothers, Zach Cooper of King Garbage, Eric Slick of Dr. Dog, and Nightlands (Dave Hartley of The War on Drugs).