Erin Anne recently released the music video to her album single, “Tough Love,” and it is catching fire quickly. Her heavy guitar riffs and cleansing punk rock energy brings a light and fun spark to the video, focusing on the importance of staying true to who you are. It’s a quirky ode to the journey of finding and holding onto the things that make you who you are, where all the paths you can take in life are vital to remembering who you are.

Erin Anne will perform live at the Bootleg Theater on December 10th. – Kayla Hay

"Blueberry Skies," Loser Company’s latest single, opens on a blissful tone, floating like a nostalgic reverie. A psychedelic whimsy immediately invites with a wondrous glow, but the songwriting duo of Will Saunders and Mas (Masato) Kihira present a setting that is far more grounded than it appears at first glance. "Smiling wide under blueberry skies / Pretendin’ everything’s fine," Saunders sings in a coarse, gruff manner, letting us assume that there’s a troubling back story behind his otherwise colorful imagery. And it’s a joy to behold—accented by a mid-tempo piano vamp and Saunders’ histrionic guitar work, the duo’s sprawling pop opus brings us back to the days of indie-rock giants like Built to Spill and the Elephant 6 collective, all while propelling the genre forward.

"Blueberry Skies" is the first single off Loser Company’s forthcoming EP of the same name, releasing December 7 on all streaming platforms. Catch the band perform at Harvard & Stone on November 17. Juan Rodríguez

"Rattlesnake," Lauren Rocket’s new single, captures the pleasure of feeling alive and adventurous. The singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist’s latest solo endeavor subverts rock ‘n’ roll tropes, sweetening her blustery guitar passages with an empowering anthem that flirts with pop’s experimental possibilities. "Wild nights/playing games in the dark," Rocket sings in a whispery croon, living through life with infectious zest. If "Rattlesnake" comes across as fully-formed, there’s a good reason for this. Having led the power-pop group ROCKET, and toured with bands like The Pink Spiders and Night Terrors of 1927, she’s taken from those experiences to mold a musical persona that is all her own.

Check out the video for "Rattlesnake below. – Juan Rodríguez

On "Lené," Club Oro’s latest single, you’re never entirely sure where their taut, misty bedroom pop will take you. Led by singer Cassandra Cronin’s gentle lilt, the track’s clipped metronomic rhythm weaves in and out like a trance. Her clever imagery is just an uncanny, following a soulful, improvised groove that reveals itself the more you engage with it: "Most of art must be explained/Most of secrets end in flames." What once was a duo between Cassandra and her sibling Connor is now a full-fledged five-piece, though even in broadening their musical palette, they remain true to their DIY sensibilities.

"Lené" is featured on Club Oro’s forthcoming debut EP Where’s the Hook?, due out later this fall. Juan Rodríguez

The promise of a "forever" can seem unattainable. It’s a concept that alternative rock four-piece Sonic Acrylic attempts to understand on their latest single, "Forever," drawn by the connectedness that keeps us together—both in time and in energy. It may seem like a highbrow endeavor for a three-minute song, but the raw, neo-psychedelic single unravels in simpler, aurally pleasurable means. "I’ll give you what you want/have more power than I planned," songwriter/producer Ben Kernion sings in his rough-hewn voice, centered around a slick torrent of guitar textures reminiscent of Sweet Oblivion-era Screaming Trees. 

"Forever" is one of the many musical detours Sonic Acrylic take on their debut album full-length album Alternates, which came out October 25 on all streaming platforms. – Juan Rodríguez

It isn’t too often that a young singer-songwriter from L.A. writes and creates a literary masterpiece. On “Bite,” Lou Roy passionately tells a deeply moving and emotional story through her lyrics—the newest release from her upcoming EP Your Friend, out in November. Roy’s sultry voice creates an indie jazz vocal experience that will set the tone for your night in alone. It draws influences from the musical stylings of Joni Mitchell and Fiona Apple, but Roy finds a sound that is all her own.

Passionate sentiments like ‘bite so hard’ have settled so deep in my bones that I am not sure if I can wait until November 15 for her EP to drop. Thankfully, though, she has a release show in at The Bootleg Theater on the 11th—and it is not to be missed. – Kayla Hay

These days, Sarah Tudzin would rather not overthink things too much. In between touring in support of her debut album, last year’s Kiss Yr Frenemies, Tudzin (who fronts Illuminati Hotties) has been releasing new material as it comes to her—raw, spontaneous, and without considering the album format. One of those experiments, "I Wanna Keep Yr Dog," was a slice of cool surf-pop that could’ve easily stood out in a full-length album. Her latest, "ppl plzr," is brash and beautiful, a fuzz-driven scorcher where she details a messy relationship quarrel during a loveless New Year’s Eve. It’s sad, but also bitingly humorous, elegantly illustrating Tudzin’s songwriting mastery—even if she downplays the track as a spur-of-the-moment idea. 

All proceeds from the single will be donated to The Trevor Project, an organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young folks under age 25. – Juan Rodríguez

Brian Collins doesn’t wish anything heinous on any duplicitous friendships. So instead, the rootsy singer-songwriter, who goes by Hurt Valley,  would rather kill them with kindness. "I’m so happy you are leaving/I only want good things for you," Collins jests on his first single "Apartment Houses," keeping his cool over a breezy guitar melody that’s pitched halfway between acoustic folk and late-sixties British psychedelia. The dusty, sun-dappled track takes Collins out of the city and into the highway, or at least through his state of mind, learning to move on as he gives himself the space he needs. 

 "Apartment Houses" is the first single off Hurt Valley’s debut album Glacial Place, which is due out December 6 via Woodsist. – Juan Rodríguez

On their poignant new single, "Branches," Trends deal with time’s ever-changing nature. The surging first single, which started as the lo-fi project of Marina Paiz, considers how we deal with change in our lives, and how the people we care for come in and out of our lives—some we outgrow and others outgrow us. It’s a bittersweet feeling that Paiz conveys through the now quartet’s powerful blend of shimmering guitar leads and surging choruses. "Time passes me by/ pieces, they flake right off me," she softly sings, following the song’s placid ebb and flow before it builds into a driving indie-rock scorcher.

Trends are playing two upcoming shows in the month of November, starting with Harvard & Stone on November 20, followed by The Other Door in North Hollywood on November 27. Check out the video for "Branches" below. – Juan Rodríguez

On "Cobwebs," Esbie Fonte finds comfort in the darkness of her psyche. Backed by a trip-hop inspired beat, the singer-songwriter (alongside collaborator Peter Tilley) enchants with her cryptic storytelling over an acoustic chord progression—slathered in a grey-hued atmosphere. But there’s also a gothic elegance to her seductive delivery, as she conjures doomy folk with an intensity that never fails to captivate—and continues to keep us guessing with her chameleonic musical personality. 

"Cobwebs" is her second single this year following the release of her debut EP, Cemetery Drive. – Juan Rodríguez

 If you were to mute Behavior’s video for their latest single, "Organic," you could easily assume that it’s a corporate travel promotion sponsored by the city of Los Angeles. Except that behind the scenic landscapes and glamour shots, the L.A. trio juxtaposes these images with crippling unease—a disconnect they translate in their minimal, throbbing post-punk. Centered around Evan Burrows’ circuitous tom-tom hits, vocalist Bedros Yeretzian sets his disaffected, yet oddly sing-speak against Justin Tenney’s tight, rumbling bass.

"Organic" is the third single off of Behavior’s forthcoming third LP, Spirits & Embellishments, which comes out on October 18 via Post Present Medium. Before they head out on a West Coast tour, catch them their album release show at Zebulon on October 19. – Juan Rodríguez

Dusted with a warm, psych-pop sound, “Spotlight” is born, Communicant’s newest release from their upcoming self-titled LP due October 25th. Picture a 1968 vintage mustang driving down the PCH—the windows are down, your best friend is snapping pictures on her disposable, and the waves are crashing as the song blares. That is what I see when I close my eyes and play this song, and if my summer doesn’t end the way it makes me feel, then I don’t want it to (but who does, really?). Just one sip of you and I’m faded too,” sings Dylan Gardner, doing a ravishing job at pulling in his audience with not only captivating lyrics but a music video that will make your toes curl.

Communicant will perform at Moroccan Lounge on October 22. Watch the video for "Spotlight" below. – Kayla Hay