Kevin Bronson on January 17th, 2025

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Be safe. Be kind. Go catch a benefit show or three.

Here is Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 321), Buzz Bands LA’s weekly missive, featuring new music from Kills Birds, Mating Ritual, Trousdale, Magic Bronson, 20/20, Luther Russell, Spill Tab, Jazzie Young, Greer, Iyana, Famous Friend, Eddie Chacon and more.

Follow all our playlist by checking in here every week.

■ 20/20, “Back to California” — Power-pop legends 20/20 are back for a third go-round, with founding members Steve Allen and Ron Flynt teaming up for the band’s sixth album, “Back to California,” out today. It’s the first LP in 25 years for guys who first made a splash in 1979, when they released a self-titled album that’s considered a classic of the genre, and re-formed in the mid-1990s for more releases. Guitars forever, right?

■ Kills Birds, “Madison” — After breaking a three-year silence in November by releasing the explosive single “Behind,” Kills Birds return with a dynamic new single, “Madison.” The band explains that the song took shape during a tour stop in San Francisco, when “a storm trapped us in an underground Airbnb with no power. As the rain poured down, we began sketching out the melodies and chords. The gloomy weather and being in a basement felt deeply nostalgic, evoking memories of … a pivotal moment in [singer Nina Ljeti’s] childhood and [guitarist Jacob Loeb’s] Midwest upbringing.” The song is the centerpiece of Kills Birds’ new EP, “Crave,” out April 11. Live Jan. 18 at the Moroccan Lounge.

■ Mating Ritual, “Shangri-blah” — Brother duo and makers of unfailingly catchy things Mating Ritual return with their first single in almost four years, “Shangri-blah.” It was back in 2021 when the brothers Lawhon (Ryan and Taylor) finished a stretch during which they released five albums in five years. Now they’re back at work on a new LP and you can catch up with them Saturday night at Gold-Diggers. The duo are donating show proceeds to Musicares to help with wildfire relief.

■ Iyana, “Beg for Your Love” — Iyana Banks (just Iyana when she’s releasing music) is an alt-R&B artist who released her first EP, “Master Manifester,” last year. She is from Altadena, and on Jan. 7, the day she released her follow-up single “Beg for Your Love,” she lost her house in the wildfires.

■ Greer, “Had Enough” — O.C.-bred rockers Greer, who released the second of their two EPs, “Happy People,” in 2021 and went on hiatus the following summer, return with “Had Enough,” which (like that EP) was produced by Rob Schnapf.

■ Trousdale, “Growing Pains” — On their new single, folk-pop harmonizers Trousdale (Quinn D’Andrea, Georgia Greene and Lauren Jones) chart their “Growing Pains.” It’s the title track of their sophomore album, out April 11. “The idea for this song came about pretty naturally by discussing one of our favorite subjects: how exhausted we are,” Jones says. “It really is so disorienting at times to have a career that is your passion, but also your work. Your boundaries are constantly being pushed and pulled, and you’re always willing to put in the overtime because you care so much. Over time, this can really start to look like burnout if you’re not careful. ‘Growing Pains’ is about living the dream while acknowledging that the dream can be pretty hard sometimes.” Live June 21 at the El Rey Theatre.

■ Famous Friend, “Carmen San Diego” — Pacific Palisades-reared Zachariah Carlson, aka Famous Friend, introduces his sophomore EP “Blue” (out April 2) with the poppy post-punk number “Carmen San Diego.” The song was inspired by memories of playing the game “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego” in his second-grade classroom (Marquez Elementary in the Palisades, damaged in the L.A. wildfires). Famous Friend is donating Bandcamp proceeds to wildfire relief.

■ Widows Gold, “Thoughts & Prayers” — “Do you feel better / Looking the other way / Hide up in your penthouse / As we go up in flames,” Madeline Star sings at the start of Widows Gold’s poignant and pointed new single, “Thoughts and Prayers.” It’s a takedown of those who, to paraphrase, wash their (already stained) hands with thoughts at prayers. Catch Widows Gold on Saturday night at 4th Street Vine in Long Beach.

■ Jazzie Young, “Waiting on You!” — Jazzie Young teams up with Day Wave’s Jackson Phillips on the dreamy/breezy new single “Waiting on You!,” the follow-up to last fall’s alluring “Lux.” There’s a full-length somewhere in Young’s future.

■ Baths, “Eden” — The follow-up to “Sea of Men,” “Eden” is a fast-paced electro-pop song from Will Wiesenfeld’s forthcoming album “Gut,” out Feb. 21. Catch Baths at the Echo on March 20.

■ Vōx, “Having Be” — Minnesota native Sarah Winters has been make thoroughly immersive experimental since she assumed her Vōx persona in 2015. Having relocated from L.A. to Portugal, she released two EPs in 2024, “I Hope” and “Wet,” and returned this week “Having Me.”

■ Magic Bronson, “Show My Teeth” — “Show My Teeth” (here’s the video) is the fourth single to revealed from “Good Dogs” (out Feb. 7), the first album from L.A. duo Magic Bronson in 4 1/2 years. Michael Nicastro and Matthew Lieberman always seem to sound like they’re calling you from a party somewhere, and this single is no different. Speaking of parties: Live Jan. 28 at the Moroccan Lounge.

■ Spill Tab, “De Guerre” —  Spill Tab — aka Claire Chicha, the L.A.-based French-Korean experimentalist — gets glitchy and fuzzy on her new single “De Guerre,” sung in French and sounding every bit like a battle. With three EPs to her credit, there’s expectation that she has a full-length on the way.

■ Luther Russell, “Happiness for Beginners” — Speaking of power-pop (see first entry in this playlist), here’s your reminder that Luther Russell’s seventh album, “Happiness for Beginners,” is out today. See also: “Downtown Girls” and “Wanna Be Your Lover.” If Rickenbacker 12-string wizardry gives you feels (who, us?), this one’s for you.

■ Paul Givant, “21 Seconds” — Rose’s Pawn Shop frontman Paul Givant goes widescreen on “21 Seconds,” the third single from the folk artist’s forthcoming solo album, “Marigold.” (See also: “Awake” and “Tripping on the Moon.”)

■ Chase Petra, “A Bug’s Life” — Get ready to rumble with Chase Petra’s newest single, “A Bug’s Life,” off their upcoming sophomore album, “Lullabies for Dogs,” set to be released in March. “A Bug’s Life” is a charming alternative folk-rock song fueled by intended aggression: “I am not a punching bag, and I don’t know why so many people have forgotten that I’ve got fists too.” Catch Chase Petra on March 28 at the Parish at House of Blues Anaheim and on Apr. 26 at the Roxy.

■ The Crushedvelvets, “Glutton For Romance” — File under things we missed in 2024: The Crushedvelvets, aka Dani Meza of Indio, is an avant-garde artist whose presence and sound conjure up a more soulful variant of Leon Redbone. “Glutton For Romance,” off of his recently released album, “I Planted, Apollos Watered, But God Kept Making It Grow” (produced by Chris Schlarb) is a slow-groovin’ track with bluesy instrumentals and long verses that chug along, making you wait for that decadent guitar solo finale.

■ Lindsey Rose Black, “Wrong Side” — The follow-up to the brisk “Whisk Miss,” the tender “Wrong Side” is the new single from Texas native Lindsey Rose Black. Like the previous release, she works with producer John Velasquez and Local Natives drummer Matt Frazier.

■ Eddie Chacon, “Let the Devil In” — Nick Hakim’s haunting production sets the tone for “Let the Devil In,” the latest single from Eddie Chacon’s new album “Lay Low,” out Jan. 31 via Stones Throw. Live Feb. 1 at the Lodge Room.

■ Gold Child, “On The Other Side” — Emily Fehler, aka Gold Child, is back after a four-year hiatus with a laid-back folk-pop single, “On The Other Side,” “I wrote ‘On The Other Side’ during a period of melancholy, when I was grappling with life choices and wondering what could have been if I’d taken a different path,” she says. The tune is produced by Ariel Loh (Yoke Lore, Cape Francis, Drinker, among others).

■ Roger Weeks, “Traveler” — As a follow-up single to “The Kid Who Made It,” “Traveler” is an emotional pop ballad from Roger Weeks about loving your family no matter what. “I’ve loved many addicts. My dad, my aunt, my lovers,” he says. “‘Traveler’ is about what it feels like to love them.”

■ Madison Violett, “Circling”— Madison Violett is a pop-punk artist from L.A. Her debut single, “Circling,” is a high-energy banger backed by powerful vocals.

■ Pisces, “Follow Me” — The airy “Follow Me” is the latest single from Pisces, the solo project of Sarah Negahdari of the Happy Hollows.

■ Glim’ring, “Borrowed Light” — We’ll wind up this week’s playlist with a song seemingly plucked from the ashes of the firsts. “Borrowed Light” is the work of avant-folk husband-and-wife duo Glim’ring. “We wrote this song while the power was out in our apartment on the edge of Simi Valley for about three days as we anxiously monitored the hills for signs of fire,” Camille Boudreau says. “This song is meant to be a respite — soothing to fried nerves and heavy hearts. These fires have been a constant weight on our minds and hearts since they began as they have affected the safety of family and friends.”

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