Join me at 10 tonight on 88.5 FM The SoCal Sound for the L.A. Buzz Bands Show — this week’s local music hour features new music from Redd Kross, Hana Vu, Veers, Illuminati Hotties, Chris Cohen, Faux Prix, Frank Lenz, COQUÍ, Mehro and Jessica Pratt, along with recent faves by Cameron Leahy, Nik Freitas, Monica Aben and more. Find the playlist below; and go here to find archives of recent programs. Redd Kross, “Candy Coloured Catastrophe” COQUÍ, “Today” Illuminati Hotties, “Can’t Be Still” Chris Cohen, “Damage” Faux Prix, “Walking in the Rain” Hana Vu, “Airplane” Mehro, “Cynical” Jessica Pratt ..read more

Our fat and fine Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 289) covers a lot of ground stylistically, so thanks for making it a playlist of choice. Press play to hear new songs from Redd Kross (!), Hana Vu, Mehro, Fana Hues, 5 Billion in Diamonds, Faux Prix, Illuminati Hotties, MILCK, Chris Cohen, Superfan, Sasha Alex Sloan, Evangeline, Death Lens, Veers, Channel Tres, La Luz, Guppy, Thomas Powers, Angélica Garcia, Gracie Gray, COQUÍ, Spencer Hoffman and more. Clouds will part. Tip your servers. Past playlists here. ■ Redd Kross, “Candy Coloured Catastrophe” — A top-3 L.A. sibling band (hat tip: Sparks ..read more

Join me at 10 tonight on 88.5 FM The SoCal Sound for the L.A. Buzz Bands Show — this week’s local music hour features new music from Monogem, Shannon Lay, 5 Billion in Diamonds, Gavin Turek, Wallows, Nik Freitas, Swerve, Nitefire, Jelani Aryeh and Isaac Watters, along with songs from just-released albums by Loren Kramar, Lawrence Rothman and Joh Chase. There’s more as well: See the playlist below; and go here to find archives of recent programs. 5 Billion in Diamonds, “Waiting to Land” Cuffed Up, “Finer Things” Nitefire, “LA’s Got Gorgeous” Talker, “Old Enough” Nik Freitas, “Cheer Up, Cadiz” L ..read more

From experimental music to sublime folk to psych-rock to power-pop to indie-pop to dance-pop, Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 288) is a handful. Actually, maybe an armload. Press play to hear new songs from Louis Cole, Storefront Church, Nik Freitas, Monogem, Shannon Lay, Lee Lewis, Gavin Turek, Kai Tak, Robert DeLong, Daniel Davies, Swerve, Geneva Jacuzzi, Marina Allen, Lily Kershaw and more — plus tunes from newly released albums/EPs by Loren Kramar, Lawrence Rothman, Joh Chase, Lee Lewis, Billy Tibbals, Cold War Kids and the Blank Tapes. This clocks in at 2 hours and 34 tracks, so get to it ..read more

Join me at 10 tonight on 88.5 FM The SoCal Sound for this week’s L.A. Buzz Bands Show — I’ll have new songs from recently released albums by Brainstory, Local Natives, The Black Watch and Janelane, along with new tunes from Nitefire, Jelani Aryeh, Hana Vu, Lawrence Rothman, Rett Madison, Giant Killer Bats, Monica Aben and more. Listen here if you’re out of FM range; find previous shows in the archive. And support public radio. Nitefire, “LA’s Got Gorgeous” Hana Vu, “22” Jelani Aryeh, “Shudder” Janelane, “Useless” Diamond Hands, “Do It All Again” Ciao Howdy, “The Thing You Do” Brainstory, “Nobo ..read more

OK, deep breath. Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 287), Buzz Bands LA’s latest compendium of things we feel compelled to share, starts off with a bang — the new single from garage-rock prodigies Nitefire. Then we settle in for new songs from the likes of Jelani Aryeh, Hana Vu, Iress, Local Natives, Brainstory, Isaac Watters, The Black Watch, Rett Madison, Giant Killer Bats, Cameron Leahy, Winter, Cold Cave, Monica Aben and a bunch of others we can’t fit into one paragraph. The playlist is 30-some track deep and, seemingly, 30-some genres wide. Have at it. Past playlists here. ■ Nitefire, “LA’s ..read more

Five fun facts about The SoCal Sound’s Spring Into Summer Pledge Drive: ■ The SoCal Sound is member-supported public radio, and you are the public — 91% of the station’s operating budget comes from subscribing members. ■ The SoCal Sound airs 55-plus minutes of algorithm-free music per hour — handpicked tunes on programs such as The Morning Show with Nic Harcourt and Jet, Middays with Julie Slater, Afternoons with Matt Pinfield, Bilingual Sounds with Byron the Curator, the Dylan Hours with Lisa Finnie, Open Road with Gary Calamar, Sundays with Mimi Chen, Ann the Raven’s Blues, Tangled Roots wit ..read more

Even with that one festival starting today, there was a lot on our plate for Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 286). Check out songs from Janelane, Lawrence Rothman, Talker, Ariella, Launder, David Robert Pollock, Claire Rousay, Auditorium, The Black Watch, Jesse Jo Stark, Jade Bird, Irontom, Big Search, Cary Brothers, Catpack, Love Trip, Vicky Farewell and more on this weekly installment from Buzz Bands LA. ■ Talker, “Old Enough” — Six years, three EPs and a roller-coaster of melodic memoirs later, songwriter Celeste Tauchar will release her debut Talker album on June 21. It’s titled “I’m ..read more

Join me at 10 tonight on 88.5 FM The SoCal Sound for this week’s L.A. Buzz Bands Show — I’ll have new songs from Beachwood Sparks, Winnetka Bowling League, Milly, Sparkbyrd, Janelane, Paige Stark, Max Foreman, Waverly Drive, Pride Month Barbie and Nico Vega, along with songs from just-released albums by Kate Clover, Cuffed Up, Lo Moon and the Palms. And more, in a jam-packed local music hour. Listen here if you’re out of FM range; find previous shows in the archive. And support public radio. Milly, “Drip From the Fountain” Janelane, “Clean” Sparkbyrd, “Arrow” Beachwood Sparks, “Torn in Two” Du ..read more

Here’s some pre-eclipse listening for you — Greatest Hits … This Week (Vol. 285). The riches herein include the debut single from Sparkbyrd; album announcements/new songs from Beachwood Sparks, Milly, Winnetka Bowling League, Guppy, Draag, NxWorries, Jess Cornelius and Pride Month Barbie; and fresh tracks from Paige Stark, NoMBe, Max Foreman, La Luz, Cassowary, Tender Misfit, Townies, Tiny Stills and more. This is our 13th playlist of the new year, so catch up on your 2024 here. Find info on the artists and songs beneath the player. ■ Milly, “Drip From the Fountain” — This week’s sounds ..read more