Kevin Bronson on May 22nd, 2026

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Author’s note: Like our previous two playlists, this mix (principally for releases during the week ending May 22) is arriving late. Did they make a song called “catching up is hard to do?” They should’ve.

Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 388) boasts album-kickoff singles from Shannon Lay, Dent May and Johanna Samuels, along with music from Jordan Patterson, Smirk, Ny Oh, Brightmoon, Buckets, XCOMM, Devlin and the Harm, Fightmaster, Livingmore, Fake Dad and more. Have at it.

Previous Buzz Bands LA playlists, with liner notes, here.

Anita Mills contributed to this roundup.

■ Devlin and the Harm, “Stress Dreams” — “Stress Dreams” — an intensely personal song a out grief and coming out on the other side — is the final single from the album “Devlin and the Harm” (out today), the solo project of Devlin McCluskey. “When I lost my best friend years ago, a family friend said people that go through something like that often end up falling in love with someone who also experienced tragic grief,” says McCluskey, former frontman of the L.A. trio the Dead Ships. “I certainly didn’t intend to, but that is what happened. ‘Stress Dreams’ feels like an attempt to express the kind of shared unconscious river that shows up from time to time with my fiance and me. And a sort of love song that’s more about the things that shaped us and how we understand each other.”

■ Livingmore, “To Be True” — Alex Moore’s striking vocal melodies recall any number of ’60s and ’70s chanteuses on “To Be True,” the latest single from Livingmore’s fifth album, a self-titled collection that is being released on vinyl first. By our count, there are nine singles on streaming services (and not a dodgy one in the bunch), and the album will be available when the duo (Moore and Spencer Livingston) play their album-release show at the DTLA venue LAX on June 26.

■ Dent May, “The Big One” — Dent May has left bedroom-pop behind, gathering a handful of musicians to create “The Big One,” out Aug. 14 via Carpark Records. May says: “The album and title-track references the long-anticipated natural disaster that may or may not be coming to destroy the world, but the song is about any personal life-altering moment that shakes you out of your comfort zone.” The title-track holds a steady beat with emotive vocals. Watch the music video directed by Ambar Navarro here. Dent May begins his U.S. tour this fall. Live Sept. 11 at Sid the Cat Auditorium.

■ Shannon Lay, “Past the Veil” — Shannon Lay’s heavenly vocals find a more lush backdrop on “Past the Veil,” the title track of her sixth album of originals, releasing July 28. The title track, she says, “is about turning towards discomfort and moving into it in order to get out of it. Learning how to be present with our emotions requires a lot of practice. I hope this can be a reminder to continue that courageous work and live more freely because of it.” Lay made the record with co-writer and producer Rob Shelton. “Mirrors,” released in 2024, was the first song from the collaboration.

■ Johanna Samuels, “Circles” — Johanna Samuels has announced the Aug. 14 arrival of her new album, “Sorry, Kid,” which features guest turns from the likes of Madison Cunningham, Courtney Marie Andrews, Tyler Ballgame and Erin Rae, production by Jonathan Rado and, of course, Samuels’ own deft folk songs. “Circles” (featuring Mr. Ballgame himself) is the latest single, following “White Limousine” and “Two People, the Moon.”

■ Coma Girls, “Candy Apple Red” — Light some scented candles for the slow-burning “Candy Apple Red,” the latest single from songwriter Chris Spino’s solo project Coma Girls.

■ Jordan Patterson, “Just My Friend” — Solo artist Jordan Patterson is set to release her new EP “Songs From A Valley Girl” June 19 via Secretly Canadian, following “The Hermit.” “Just My Friend,” the lead single, is an arty piano track showcasing unique vocals.

■ Ny Oh, “Shift” — Six months after the release of Jonathan Wilson-produced album “Wildwood,” Naomi Ludlow (dba Ny Oh) undergoes a “Shift.” The frenetic, beat-driven pop song was co-written with and produced by Elin Sandberg and it lands like visual quick cuts to all your summertime fun.

■ Smirk, “Dog Years” — Smirk is the creation of Nick Vicario, a Portland-reared musician whose resume includes everything from hardcore to indie-pop. Vicario says: “When this band started in L.A., it was a crazy time in my life. I was crashing cars, doing drugs — I was doing horrible things and destroying my life.” Smirk returns after a four-year hiatus with their third full-length album, “Speculative Fiction,” out July 3 via Smoking Room. Vicario finds redemption by revisiting the dark themes of his past on the lead single “Dog Years,” a poignant track shifting dramatically between glam rock and power-pop/punk.

■ Brightmoon, “Almost Tragic” — Today brought the release of “First Light,” the debut EP from Long Beach shoegazers Brightmoon (Billy and Becca Mohler).

■ Buckets, “Wishing” — Punk-emo-grunge quartet Buckets (Tanner Houghton, Sasha Massey, Mitch Rossiter and Hiram Sevilla) will release their sophomore full-length, “Horse to Water,” on June 12. They come in hot on their latest single, “Wishing.” Live June 12 at Permanent Records Roadhouse, with Lauren Lakis (also a record-release show) and Marni.

■ XCOMM, “Fake ID” — Today brought the release of “Time to Burn,” the debut album from Venice Beach hardcore quartet XCOMM (Michael Gatto, Revel Ian, Adan Escoto and Hunter Grogan). File under fast and muscular punk, produced by Ross Robinson (Korn, The Cure, Slipknot, Glassjaw, At The Drive In). Live July 25 and 26 at Warped Tour in Long Beach.

■ Tangients, “We Are Listening” — “Embers” is the debut long-player from L.A. duo Tangients (Chelsea Ray and Be Hussey), a collection of widescreen shoegaze and dream-pop that stands proudly with the ’90s forebears of the genre.

■ Jacob Ungerleider, “Letters of Your Name” — Singer-songwriter Jacob Ungerleider has collaborated/toured with the likes of Fruit Bats, Hand Habits, Flock Dimes, Natalie Prass and Miya Folick. On June 26, he’ll release his debut album, “Congratulations,” via 2 Heads, the new label helmed by Jenn Wasner. “Letters of Your Name” (watch the video) is simply gorgeous. Live June 28 at Healing Force of the Universe.

■ Blondshell, “Heart Has to Work So Hard” — Sabrina Teitelbaum returns with her first Blondshell single since the release one year ago of sophomore album “If You Asked for a Picture.” Like the album, the new single was produced by Yves Roithman. “This song is really about friendship and betrayal, getting stuck in a dynamic and letting things fester,” the songwriter says. “It’s about pain and confusion — no one trains you for the ups and downs of a friendship between two women — but it’s also about a love so enduring that you find compassion no matter what.” Live Oct. 16 at the Wiltern.

■ Alejandro Aranda, “Glowing” — Alejandro Aranda (fka Scarypoolparty) drops “Glowing,” a love song featuring finger-picking guitar, following “Queen.” Aranda says: “”Glowing” is a guitar song at heart, but a love song in the lyrics. It’s a wave of emotion about true love. The guitar represents the way life ebbs and flows, and the drum beat is the rhythm of emotions.” Live Aug. 6 at The Echo, and Aug. 7 at House Of Blues Anaheim.

■ SeeTrees, “Easy Times” — “Easy Times” is a sanguine folk-rocker that strikes a note of optimism in calamitous times. The follow-up to “Lights Out in the City,” it’s the third single from SeeTrees (Drew Lawrence, Luke Adams and friends) since last year’s release of their debut album, “Greater Than the Past.”

■ Luke Armstrong, “Heavenbound” — “Heavenbound” is the second single from Beirut-reared, L.A.-based singer-songwriter Luke Armstrong, in collaboration with producer Daniel James (Hayley Williams, et al).

■ Kady Zadora, “Malibu” — This week brought the release of “Stranger,” the debut album from Americana artist Kady Zadora. The songwriter navigates a breakup on the eight-song collection, made with producers Ben Wylen and Caleb Parker.

■ Scott Fisher, “Try So Hard” — Friendly reminder that Scott Fisher’s new album “A Billion Suns” arrived today, boasting nine songs of laid-back, ’70s-style blues-pop with warm keys and tasteful guitar.

■ Fightmaster, “Glide” — The follow-up to “Quicksand,” Glide is the latest single from E.R. Fightmaster’s album “Tolerance,” out June 5. Live June 2 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, opening for Lord Huron.

■ Ryan Güt, “Beggars and Choosers” — Desert rocker Ryan Güt (the drummer for Brant Bjork, among other exploits) has released his debut album, “The Shastafarian,” a collection of psych-jazz-rock titled with a nod to his Northern California roots.

■ Fake Dad, “Third Degree” — The duo Fake Dad (Josh Ford and Andrea de Varona) follow their 2025 single “Science Fiction” with “Third Degree.” Vocalist Andrea de Varona says: “We really wanted to make a 2000s-inspired club jam that still had the angsty, Riot Grrrl-esque energy that has been at the forefront of Fake Dad’s performance and writing style over the past couple of years. This time, though, rather than going for all angst, all yell we wanted the crux of the song to circle back to something really vulnerable.” Live June 27 at 360 Fest at the Santa Monica Pier, and July 23 at The Echo.

■ Maris, “Mosh Pit” — Solo artist Maris announces her new EP “Mosh Pit,” arriving September 18. The title-track “Mosh Pit” is perfect for the sweaty dance club floor, following “Missing Me.”

■ Jeremy Toback, “Never Know” — Veteran rocker Jeremy Toback has been through the wars, so when he sings “Never Know” … well, you just never know.

■ KennyHoopla, “Obstacle 1” — Hard to believe Interpol’s “Turn Out the Bright Lights” is almost a quarter-century old. Meanwhile, our playlist-ending cover song this week is KennyHoopla’s take on “Obstacle 1.” The track dates back several years, he explains, to when he was asked to cover a song for the “Meet Me in the Bathroom” documentary. That placement never happened, and not-quite-finished languished on Soundcloud until producer Thomas Powers put the finishing touches on it. KennyHoopla opens for Young the Giant and Cold War Kids on July 17 at the Kia Forum.