Stream: Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 370)

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Cover image by Liana S via unsplash.com

Musically, 2026 is off to a good start, yes? Just looking for a silver lining here …

Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 370) features new tunes from The Sophs, Sunday Mourners (do not sleep on their record), Silversun Pickups, Scout Gillett, The Pretty Flowers, Moby, Together Pangea Spill Tab, Mariachi El Bronx, Morgan Nagler, Spencer Hoffman, Chris Hess (of SWIMM), Sedona, Giant Killer Bats, Livingmore and a bunch more.

Past playlists, with liner notes, here..

Anita Mills contributed to this roundup.

■ Sunday Mourners, “Careers In Acting” — The quartet Sunday Mourners (Quinn A. Robinson, Maxwell Pugh, Casey Conklin and Z Evan Long) make a stunning debut on their first album, “A-Rhythm Absolute,” released this week via Brent Rademaker’s Curation Records. Produced by Johnny Bell, the record combines British Invasion-style vocals with post-punk art-rock instrumentals. The track “Careers In Acting” features a searing guitar melody paired with snarling yet gorgeous vocals.

■ The Sophs, “Goldstar” — Buzzing L.A. sextet the Sophs — who signed to Rough Trade Records and released three singles in 2025, have announced their their debut album, “Goldstar,” will be out March 13. And speaking of gold, how about some Spanish guitar? That the tint of the album’s title track (Eric Daniels’ video here), released this week. “‘Goldstar is the worst person you know yelling at God to give them a sign that they are good,” frontman Ethan Ramon says. “In a deliberately unserious way, we want the song to prompt the same question that the album raises, which is — if you are a good person for the wrong reasons, does that detract from your goodness?” Live March 28 at Side the Cat Auditorium.

■ Morgan Nagler, “Grassoline” — It was a year ago this week that Morgan Nagler (Whispertown/Whispertown 2000, Supermoon) released her first single under her own name, “Cradle the Pain” (which ended up climbing into our year-end favorites). Now she’s announcing the March 13 arrival of her debut album, “I’ve Got Nothing to Lose, and I’m Losing It” (already a contender for album title of the year), and it’s out via Little Operation. The LP is produced by King Tuffy, and the new single “Grassoline” (video) is co-written with Madi Diaz, who also contributes backing vocals. “Grassoline.” Whatever fuels ya. Live March 12 at Permanent Records Roadhouse.

■ The Pretty Flowers, “Came Back Kicking” — Two albums and a collection of covers in, the Pretty Flowers are in full bloom, if you collage radio-era indie rock whose bark matches its bite. “Came Back Kicking” announces the third LP from the quartet (Noah Green, Sam Tiger, Jake Gideon and Sean Johnson) — it’s titled “Never Felt Bitter,” out March 27 via Chicago’s Forge Again Records.

■ Together Pangea, “Hollywood Trash” — Friendly reminder that the new, rager-filled album from Together Pangea is out today. “Eat Myself” is the band’s  sixth LP and heaviest yet.  We were sold when they released “Like Your Father” (in September) and “Little Demon” (in April). Live tonight at the Teragram Ballroom and Saturday at Pappy & Harriet’s.

■ Scout Gillett, “Too Fast to Last” — After eight years New York, where she made a name for herself in indie-rock circles, Missouri native Scout Gillett has landed in L.A. This week, she announced the March 6 arrival of her sophomore album, “Tough Touch,” and unveiled the first single and lead track, “Too Fast to Last” (video). “This was written right after my first headlining European tour,” Gillett says. “It felt like I was unable to sustain romantic relationships and like I was always missing friends’ birthdays or shows. This song reflects on the feeling of chasing the highs and new experiences, but also feeling lost and trying to identify what’s changed and what has stayed the same.” Live Feb. 8 at Zebulon.

■ Giant Killer Bats, “I’m Falling Behind” — Ever since he launched his solo project Giant Killer Bats in 2019, McCoy Kirgo (once of the L.A.-four-piece Talk in Tongue) has leaned into the bright guitar work employed by the likes of Teenage Fanclub, Wilco and Kurt Vile. “I’m Falling Behind” is the beautifully slacker first single from GKB’s sophomore EP, “Lottery Paradox,” arriving later this year.

■ Chris Hess, “Salma Hayek” — Chris Hess, the Florida native who fronts the long-running L.A. indie band SWIMM, debut his solo project with a swoon-worthy ode, “Salma Hayek.” It’s the opening track on his album “Cookie,” release date TBA.

■ Sedona, “Hollywood” — After releasing her strong sophomore album “Getting Into Heaven” last May, Sedona takes on “Hollywood” in an incandescent new single about the “loops, hoops and fragile egos we have to jump through” as a woman in L.A. Director Sammy King’s excellent video, filmed at the Hollywood-adjacent Silverlake Lounge, features Sedona performing in front of a supporting of male gazers. Live Feb. 21 at Sid the Cat Auditorium, opening for Christopher Owens (of GIRLS).

■ Silversun Pickups, “Long Gone” — Silversun Pickups frontman Brian Aubert puts the electric guitar away for “Long Gone,” the third single from L.A. quartet’s seventh album, “Tenterhooks,” produced by Butch Vig and out Feb. 6. But it ain’t a ballad. “I wanted to do an acoustic song, but not a ‘slow song,’” he says. “It had to be really kicking, and I was thinking of Johnny Marr or a Western-style Ennio Morricone vibe. The sentiment is, ‘Don’t worry. This isn’t going to end badly because I’ll be gone before that.’ I’m not necessarily speaking about an event. I’m speaking about an inherent emotion, and it feels very melancholic and beautiful.” Suzie Vlček directs the video, which features a host of familiar faces. Live Feb. 6 at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever.

■ Livingmore, “Sweet Louise” — “Sweet Louise,” the fifth single Livingmore have released since their 2024 album “The Garden,” featured Spencer Livingston and Alex Moore engaging in a lilting duet. Which means their new album will cover a lot of stylistic ground, considering the pedal-to-the-metal “Not That Nice,” the Laurel Canyonesque “Hurting,” the brash ’70s rock of “Resident Psycho” and the jangling charm of “Away Away Away.” The self-titled “Livingmore” album is out in May.

■ Spencer Hoffman, “Cherry Picker” — Singer-songwriter Spencer Hoffman introduces his sophomore album with the heartrending and achingly beautiful title track, “Cherry Picker,” a chronicle of a 13-year relationship that ended during the making of the record. We were stopped in our tracks. The new album is out March 13 via Anxiety Blanket Records.

■ Christian Paul Philippi, “Your Dog” — On the day after Christmas, singer-songwriter (and producer-engineer) Christian Paul Philippi released his new album, “5G’s,” which, if you distill it, is the sound of one man processing. He covers many styles — ’90s-styled alt-rock, ragged indie, post-punk, garage- and noise-rock and even neo-shoegaze, all peppered with trippy tape tricks — while navigating personal and societal turbulence. The eccentricities are a delight; Eels frequently come to mind. Also: How did we just discover the compilation of Bob Dylan covers by Hemet musicians (“Knocking on Hemet’s Door,” not kidding) released for Dylan’s 80th birthday 2021? Philippi’s offering.

■ Moby, “When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die” (feat. Jacob Lusk of Gabriels) — First released in 1995 on the album “Everything Is Wrong, “When It’s Cold I Like to Die” is one of Moby’s most memorable songs. Now he’s remade the track with singer Jacob Lusk of Gabriels, and it’s gotten legs because of its appearance in “Stranger Things.” “I first heard Jacob’s voice on KCRW when they started playing ‘Love and Hate in A Different Time’,” Moby says. “And, like anyone who’s heard Jacob sing, I immediately fell in love with his voice. After hearing him sing on the radio, I spent weeks tracking him down and begging him to work with me. And, lucky me, he agreed.” The song is the opening track on Moby’s new album (his 23rd), “Future Quiet,” out Feb. 20.

■ Phantom Pink, “Czech New Wave” — Brayton Walls, aka Phantom Pink, continues his avant-garde macabre-rock sound with “Czech New Wave,” following “I’m At The Right Place At The Right Time” from his upcoming album “Gothika” to be released this year. Walls says: “I wrote “Czech New Wave” as a talisman or a good luck charm to keep me on the right track, not returning to my destructive behaviors. The Czech New Wave film movement was an inspiration for the song as it was a splash of color in a black and white world. I needed to be dared to live, to find light in the darkness.”

■ Nymphlord, “Star” — Solo artist Nymphlord (Tia Rabinovitz) drops “Star,” a haunting, guitar-driven track via Lauren Records, following her EP “Rough Blue Blanket.” The stand-alone single is inspired by the cult film “Heathers.” Tia says: “”Star” is a cautionary tale – the trials and tribulations of a teenage girl.”

■ The Undercover Dream Lovers, “Prom Queen” — Matt Koenig skips prom to hang out with a friend (who has her own memories of prom) in the thoroughly endearing video for “Prom Queen,” the latest single from Koenig’s solo project the Undercover Dream Lovers. Lili Currie (prosthetics and all) stars in the video, which was directed by Alex LaLiberté and Grant Spanier.

■ Haute & Freddy, “Dance The Pain Away” — Michelle Buzz and Lance Shipp are Haute & Freddy: an alt-pop duo with a wildly distinctive vaudeville-but-make-it-glam-rock aesthetic. “Dance The Pain Away” is the newest single off their upcoming debut album “Big Disgrace” out March 13 via Atlantic Records. Shipp’s vocals are full of texture in the verses, then surprisingly switch to operatic in the chorus. The band says: “It was everything we were feeling, all the overwhelmed emotions, the chaos of how life can feel, and at the same time, the ease of how it can all go away for a little while when you’re dancing.” Take a dance class with Haute & Freddy in the music video here.

■ Big Monsta, “Blur” — Big Monsta is a riff-loving quartet out of Orange County fronted by singer-guitarist Jimmy Hua, joined by Mike Willson, Adrian Sanchez and Kris Butcher. The band’s new four-song EP, “Lovesick,” kicks off with the fast ’n’ furious, swaggering “Blur” (video here).

■ Spill Tab, “Suckerrr” — Spill Tab is rolling out songs that will appear on the deluxe edition of her 2025 album “Angie” (the value-added release is titled “AngieAngieAngie”), out Feb. 18. Live March 7 at the Lodge Room.

■ Shane Sato & Box Dreams, “Deep Dive” — Shane Sato, whose sophomore album “Wavelength” arrives in May, teams up with Box Dreams on the dreamy new track, “Deep Dive” (video).

■ Sydney Ross Mitchell, “Big Boy Promises” — Sydney Ross Mitchell is a Texas-reared folk dream-pop solo artist. Her new EP “Cynthia” drops Feb. 6 via Disruptor Records. Mitchell says of her new upbeat single, following the heartfelt “Queen of Homecoming”: “I wrote it about being a bitch to my crush and feeling sexy.”

■ Mariachi El Bronx, “Bandoleros” — The Norteño-flavored “Bandoleros” is the third single from “Mariachi El Bronx IV,” the fourth LP (and first in 12 years) from the alter egos of punk warriors the Bronx. The album is out Feb. 13, and “Bandoleros” — which the band describes as the album’s “battle cry” — also serves as the B-side with “Forgive or Forget” on a newly available 7-inch. Live tonight at La Santa in Santa Ana. Also: an in-store performance on Feb. 17 at Amoeba.

■ Sylvia Black, “Long Gone Gardens” — Friendly reminder that Sylvia Black’s new LP “Shadowtime” has dropped. “Long Gone Gardens” is a dark New Wave track featuring an in-your-face bass line; it follows the release of “Talking In Tongues” in November. Black says: “The track is a reflection about a choice that seemingly lets you lose everything but puts you on a new path to find salvation again in another form.” Live Jan. 24 at the Monty Bar, joined by Magic Wands.

■ Draag, “NSPS” — Shoegaze quintet Draag (Adrian Acosta, Jessica Huang, Ray Montes, Nick Kelley and Nathan Najera) bring to the table “NSPS,” from their forthcoming EP “Miracle Drug,” dropping Jan. 23 via Smoking Room. Acosta says: “I wrote NSPS on my 10-year sobriety anniversary. I’ve come very far in my sobriety journey and don’t struggle as much as I used to.”

■ Night of the Hunter, “Isolation” (Stratosphere Soundsystem Remix) — Darkwave trio Night of the Hunter (Ezra Lockwood, Jeffrey Browning and Thomas Thorson) today release their self-titled debut album, a cloud of stormy synths, insistent beats and harrowing vocals. A handful of remixes are included in the package. Live Saturday at Harvard & Stone.

■ Carly And The Universe, “Money” — “Money” is the newest track from indie soul/pop band Carly And The Universe. Carly Liza’s buttery vocals take the lead in the stand-alone single. Dollar bills rain in the music video here.

■ Rose’s Pawn Shop, “American Seams” — “American Seams” is the ripped-from-the-headlines title track of the new album from Americana outfit Rose’s Pawn Shop. The album is out Feb. 27, and the spirit of this one deserves some kind of exclamation point.

■ Jacob the Horse, “Bad New Religion” Aviv Rubinstien, Rick Chapman, Mark Desrosiers and Josh Fleury are Jacob The House:a political-punk band named after Rubinstien’s father. “Bad New Religion” is an anti-fascist track from their new album “At Least It’s Almost Over,” out March 20. Live March 13 at Harvard and Stone.

■ Cherry Bomb, “Never Be Me (M★therf★cker)” — Mandy Lee of Misterwives has gone solo under the moniker Cherry Bomb. Her debut single “Never Be Me (M★therf★cker)” is “a defiant Declaration of Independence dressed up in maximalist synth pop made for dancing out a loveless love,” she says. Watch the extremely colorful music video here.

■ MacGregor Burns, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” — As is our habit, we wrap this week’s playlist with a cover. Michigan native MacGregor Burns (see “Let Yourself Go” and “Kids These Days”) takes on Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” on the 50th anniversary of the song’s recording. The story goes that when Burns worked as a Hollywood tour guide, he’d sing a few bars for passenger.