Over the past few months, Honyock have been hard at work keep their musical output fresh. Their latest EP, #13, features four new tracks including "The Quarry", a single the band released back in June along with a lyric video. But Honyock — like plenty of other bands — have been making music for good. At the beginning of June, Honyock gave the track "Boutonnière" to Park The Van Records’ banded against racism compilation, with all proceeds going towards the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. And while they had postponed the release of "The Quarry" and #13 at the beginning of June in order to give attention to more pressing matters, both the single and album are now out, along with the video for "The Quarry". You can watch the latter below. – Will Sisskind

DIY newcomer Sadie Belica released "Bad Girl" earlier this month; it’s the latest single from her project The Waking Point in 2020. Leaning into the grunge vibe, "Bad Girl" portrays an abusive relationship through Belica’s intense vocals and instrumentation. During the pandemic, Belica has put out music through which she airs out her most painful experiences; you can hear the trauma in every beat of "Bad Girl", which you can listen to below. After that, take a listen to Belica’s "Rose Colored Violence", her debut release this year. – Will Sisskind

Amo Amo have released their new EP Canta, a five-track collection of new psych pop, with all proceeds from Bandcamp sales going towards Black Lives Matter LA. The record includes the previously released title track and the diversity-celebrating song "Colors", along with "Missed Connection", a song about finding ways to bridge divisions between people in a world of increasing tensions. And because Amo Amo knows that lyrics alone don’t make a difference, they’ve committed to donating all of the sales on Bandcamp for Canta to Black Lives Matter LA to help lift up black voices across the community and the globe. Take a listen to the title track "Canta" below, and consider purchasing the album to stand with Amo Amo and support Black Lives Matter LA. – Will Sisskind

Singer-songwriter Andrew Stogel will put out his debut album as War Strings, called Who Cares How It Ends, on June 19th. Using inspiration from former stints as the frontman for indie and psych rock groups, War Strings is a grittier evolution from the groups that Stogel has performed with in the past. The darker vibe comes from Stogel’s months-long recovery from a major head injury, which caused him to remain bedridden for the better part of a year. But this long road back to good health allowed Stogel to reflect and write what would become Who Cares How It Ends, which includes the two tracks "Seventeen" and "Archer". Take a listen to the double single below. – Will Sisskind

Eyedress‘s upcoming LP Let’s Skip To The Wedding has been a long time coming, but its release date of August 7th is right around the corner, so you won’t have much longer to wait in order to hear the magnum opus. In the meantime, Eyedress has put out another single from the album called "Can I See You Tonight?", a track smacking of Ariel Pink and Wild Nothing vibes that expresses his love for his girlfriend. Her voice appears on the single, as both she and Eyedress recorded the track during one of her visits to LA before moving there. Let’s Skip To The Wedding is Eyedress’s first LP of original material since moving back to the U.S., and it’s tailor-made for a summer that may have us all seeing less of the beach and more of the backyard. Take a listen to "Can I See You Tonight?" below. – Will Sisskind

Lionel Boy is a new signee to LA label Innovative Leisure, coming to Long Beach by way of Hawaii. His first release, the EP Who Is Dovey?, introduces his style which fuses grunge, shoegaze, and early 2010s dream pop together into an original form of darkwave. The first video released from the project is for the track "Lost", which mixes home video footage to the beat as it shifts from laid back and pondering to intense and cathartic. The full EP drops on June 26th, but you can check out the video for "Lost" below. – Will Sisskind

It is a time to celebrate whatever freedom we can, and Doug Fraley’s doing so with his solo project flowers de moon and new single "Anthem of Bob". Fraley’s new track gives praise to the van life, a life upon which Fraley embarked last year as he trekked from his home base of Pittsburgh to his new digs in Highland Park. "Anthem of Bob" is Fraley’s LA debut, as well as his first release as a solo project, although the new single does include contributions from former bandmate Olivia Price. The video features the indietronica track over clips of Fraley near the Salton Sea, all of which were filmed before quarantine. The song and video stand as a testament to freedom of spirit and location, which will hopefully resume in full force soon. Take a look at the video for "Anthem of Bob" below. – Will Sisskind

In 2018, Paper Jackets continued the age-old tradition of making indie songs out of hip-hop hits with their twinkling cover of Cardi B’s "Bodak Yellow". The now six-piece group have evolved in the past two years, with Souvenirs Volume One — their first full-length collection of tracks — due out this summer. Paper Jackets dropped their first single from the album, called "What They Call A Life", earlier this spring. Now the band has released the energetic follow-up, "Baby Teeth", which has enough song-of-the-summer spirit to power fans through what might be an unconventional season. "Baby Teeth" and "What They Call A Life" convey the urgency and passion behind everything that’s to come on Souvenirs Volume One; keep an ear out for it this summer. Take a listen to "Baby Teeth" below. – Will Sisskind

The pandemic hasn’t stopped musicians from putting out work, even if they’ve had to travel halfway around the world. The Blossom — the project of Lily Lizotte — has released her new single "Bored Baby Blues", a song pulsing with dream pop nostalgia and a sense of coming home. The video for the song consists of footage Lizotte took after arriving back in her native home of Sydney, showing her biking around and driving around her neighborhood in the earliest days of the pandemic. Surrounded by uncertain energy, the video shows Lizotte enjoying what freedom she can get. Take a look at the video for "Bored Baby Blues" below. – Will Sisskind

Love Ghost‘s success has come quick, and not even a pandemic can stop their rise or creative output. Their new single "I’ll Be "Fine"" makes use of quotation marks to make a point of the song, a grunge-fueled slow jam with lyrics that make no bones about teen angst, doubt, and depression. As all of the band’s members are fresh out of high school, the song fits right in their emotional wheelhouse, but it makes for a perfect example of how "Write what you know" works. "I’ll Be "Fine"" makes for a perfect track to fit any bout of isolation, especially during a pandemic-related quarantine. Take a listen to "I’ll Be "Fine"" below. – Will Sisskind 

Imagine the energy of a summer festival where Blink-182, Mac DeMarco, and MGMT are all playing at the same time. Magic Bronson have tapped that energy in the form of their new single "Tell All Your Friends", an example of their style where indie rock meets EDM. Although they’re stripped of the ability to share their explosive sound on stage this season, the duo of Michael Nicastro and Matt Lieberman still have plenty of music to share this year; "Tell All Your Friends" is the first single from an album due to drop this fall. With more releases planned, Magic Bronson are bringing the party to your home; without the crowds, jacked prices for water, and heat, having your own festival might not be so bad. Take a listen to "Tell All Your Friends" below. – Will Sisskind

Misty Boyce has a new collaboration out with Doe Paoro in the form of "The Clearing". The new single pairs Misty’s dark indie dream pop with Doe’s haunting voice, resulting in a track that burns with its emotion. "The Clearing" previews what’s to come on Boyce’s upcoming album genesis, a product of her thoughts over the last two years. Stemming from disaster, "The Clearing" and the songs on genesis cover a rebirth from trauma, as well as what it’s like to ruminate on that trauma day after day. They illuminate Boyce’s view on the female experience, as well as the freedoms and lack thereof associated with it. Take a listen to "The Clearing" below, and check out genesis when it comes out on September 25th. – Will Sisskind