Sharing is caring is creepy. The world is a wasteland, the Amazon is soot, and Selena Gomez is still singing about Justin Bieber. Let it go, girl! In a world where being guarded is the move, Talk2Strangers—a.k.a. Lori LeChien—dares you to bare it all. Or at least to like ... be open to the world around you. She’s one of L.A.’s—nay, the world’s—most gripping vocalists, and her songs are bristling with hooks and unimpeachably earnest. I mean, I’m biased cuz she’s a respected friend and colleague. But check for yourself, jerk! We talked about privilege, sex, guitars, chicken and connection. This interview by Tolliver. ►

Royal Trux were and are a dimension to themselves—they had their own gravity, their own laws of physics and their own extra- terrestial kind of white light / white heat even on their rst self-titled album for Drag City in 1988. Their Quantum Entanglement is out on Record Store day on Fri., Nov. 29, via Fat Possum. Co-founder Neil Hagerty was unavailable for this interview but Zig Zags’ Jed Maheu got Trux co-founder and frequent L.A. RECORD alum Jennifer Herrema to dig up some good stuff. ►

Synth/piano/producer polymath Mark De Clive-Lowe is a crucial part of Los Angeles music, both personally and as a vital force behind local musical institutions like epochal club CHURCH, the storied Ethio-Cali ensemble and more. This spring he released the Heritage and Heritage II albums, recorded in part live at the Blue Whale and both out now on the Ropeadope label. They’re twinned releases with a day-night split—or maybe a sunrise/moonrise feel? As the title makes clear, both albums chronicle De Clive- Lowe’s exploration of his heritage and personal history, which spans at least three or four continents. His most recent release is CHURCH Sessions, chronicling the unique sound of the formative night. It's out now on World Galaxy / Alpha Pup. This interview by Christina Gubala. ►

Vōx’s piety-purging new I Am Not a God EP feels like the Resurrection. It sounds like a death, production wise: ominous and low and lurching, like some fantastic creature in its final throes. Lyrically, though, it’s a testament to resilience. She’s replaced her lace-whites with curdling reds, her questions with declarations, her hymn with HIM. We talked about the EP, her recent extended stay in Europe, and her multidimensional approach. This interview by Tolliver. ►

The connection between music and spirituality gets frequent lip-service but it is a rare and special thing to find music that can function as a pathway towards the spirit. It is even rarer to have the privilege of recognizing a musician devoting themselves to music as a spiritual practice in real time. That’s been my experience with Dakim, the unassuming prodigal son of Detroit’s deep and fertile cultural legacy. A quiet warrior, Dakim’s art aims for the soul—he’s using the magic of sound to bring the discerning listener that much closer to the source. Dakim's regos_mined will be available digitally on Thurs., Oct. 10. This interview by sweeney kovar. ►