Las Chicas del Bombón, is 25 minutes of ’60s surf-inspired garage punk jams that ride the line between the charm of Beach Blanket Bingo and the soundtrack that might accompany Link Wray surfing on a coffin. Bombón’s members manage to escape the cliché of the cute all-girl neo-doo-wop trios we’ve seen so much of lately by seriously knowing how to rip on their instruments without masking them in a bunch of fuzz.

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Austin-based Woven Bones are the next installment of dark lo-fi weirdo rock to be introduced into L.A. Bandleader Andy Burr (vocals/guitar) talks to L.A. RECORD about melting faces, being buried with a Velvet Underground record and turning heartache and anguish into rock ‘n’ roll. This interview by Camella Lobo.

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Vosotros Presents: The Years is a startlingly great project. It plays like a virtual mix tape of modern treasures inspired by the golden days of soul, Motown, funk, hip-hop and even old school electro. This is the kind of album that can (at least temporarily) bridge the giant gap between the casual music listener and the snobbery of the record-collecting elite.

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The album’s true gem “TAM” lifts off into a glorious anthem fit for any summertime mix—maybe tucked between Black Tambourine and some early Chills. “Lowercase” sparkles with handclap percussion over a dark bass line and “Everything at Once” showcases the band’s consistent command of pop sensibilities, while still remaining true to a wryly upbeat persona. The eight-minute closer—“All You People,” ends the album with a gentle nudge toward social responsibility: “You will surely be the tallest of the tall, if you take pity on the smallest of the small.” Let’s be honest—there’s enough sunshine on this album to dish out to the whole world but the Spires make you feel like they carefully composed every one of these songs especially for you.

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