Our latest stop on our Summer in the Cities tour is Los Angeles, where sun faded billboards, winding canyons and late night freeways quietly shape the sounds coming out of bedrooms, warehouses and old studios. Don and Dude drop the needle on two Los Angeles born records that trace how the citys haze, tension and restless energy seep into confessional pop and psychedelic rock, turning private struggles and midnight wanderings into full album statements.
The Albums
Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft (2024)
Billie Eilish and Finneas turn a Los Feliz home studio into an intimate pop laboratory, stitching close micd vocals, detailed dynamics and slow building arrangements into a tight 10 song journey about queerness, self image, fame and tangled relationships. Quiet folk tinged openings bloom into cinematic swells so naturally that the record plays like one late night emotional arc rather than a stack of singles.
The Doors – Strange Days (1967)
The Doors deepen their Sunset Strip mythology on Strange Days, draping Jim Morrisons surreal poetry over Ray Manzareks carnival organ, Robby Kriegers fluid guitar and John Densmores jazz steeped drums. Tape effects, early synthesizer experiments and club tested songs about alienation, odd crowds and end of the world tension turn this short, eerie set into one of Los Angeles late 60s cornerstone psychedelic rock albums.
Diggin Albums
Mary in the Junkyard – Role Model Hermit (2026)
London trio Mary in the Junkyard blend indie rock, folk, post punk and art rock into dark fables and richly layered arrangements on their debut Role Model Hermit, marking them as one of Britains most imaginative emerging bands.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Mothers Milk (1989)
With John Frusciante and Chad Smith on board, Mothers Milk pairs the Chili Peppers funk energy with heavier guitar and stronger melodies, using songs like Higher Ground and Knock Me Down to launch their shift from cult favorites to mainstream rock forces.
Michigander – Over Before You Know It (2026)
Jason Singers second full length as Michigander stretches big guitar driven indie rock over reflective lyrics about growing up, doubt and savoring fleeting moments, pushing his once DIY project into full band, arena ready territory.
Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Weekend (2026)
Los Angeles born Phoebe Bridgers continues her quietly devastating storytelling on third solo album Lost Weekend, folding detailed, intimate songs into a subtly expanded sound that keeps her indie roots while nudging closer to widescreen singer songwriter status.
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“I love Los Angeles, and I love Hollywood. Theyre beautiful. Everybodys plastic, but I love plastic. I want to be plastic.” – Andy Warhol
