Phoneboy, courtesy.

This week’s picks include propulsive, yearning tunes by Phoneboy and Michigander, a retro-sounding blend of music icons’ sounds by Rose City Band, a simmering southern rocker by Loose Cattle, a ’90s cover for a good cause by White Denim and a fun bop with a serious theme by Raissa and Rahim Redcar.

Phoneboy, “I Look Alive” — This cathartic blast blends the alt-rock revival of the early aughts and the yearning lyricism of the ’90s with modern production. The New Jersey band has described the song as being about facing off with your insecurities, which it does over driving guitar lines and a propulsive beat. And there’s a bonus! The band has added vocalist and keyboardist Jordan Torres, whose feminine dynamic adds a new twist to the harmonies of guitarists Wyn Barnum and Ricky Dana.

“I don’t wanna be alone tonight/ All I wanna do is get it right,” they sing on the first Phoneboy song since 2023 album Moving Out. Phoneboy will support Good Kid on tour next year, playing The Catalyst in Santa Cruz on Feb. 24.

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Michigander, “Emotional” — “I’m so emotional, but I don’t know any other way,” sings Michigander Jason Singer. “I’m just trying to get out of my own way.” They’re deceptively complex lines that will cut through to the bone of those who feel the same. This poppy jam is from Singer’s forthcoming first full-length record, though the Nashville-based artist has released a couple of EPs that have relatively quickly found an audience with their blend of rock, pop and folk craft.

Like the song above, this one has a driving foundation courtesy of a synth bass, rock beat and crunchy guitar chords. Thematically, it also shares some similarities with the first song in this playlist. Michigander plays Cornerstone Berkeley on Oct. 22.

Rose City Band, “Lights on the Way” — I’ll get right to the point: Rose City Band has taken the iconic sounds of Tom Petty, Creedence Clearwater Rival and Jackson Browne and turned them into this song. You can hear all three so clearly that I miss the ’70s even though I wasn’t actually alive for them.

The psych-country and folk is from Portland, Ore. and is led by Ripley Johnson, who also plays in Moon Duo and Wooden Ships. But this song doesn’t really fit into any of those categories. Nor is it country or Laurel Canyon/AM Gold. It’s from Rose City Band’s next album, Sol Y Sombra (out Jan. 24), and the band plays The Chapel in San Francisco on March 6.

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Loose Cattle featuring Patterson Hood, “The Shoals” — New Orleans’ Loose Cattle and Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers got together to make this ode to music mecca Muscle Shoals, in Alabama. It’s also a spooky Southern gothic tale that involves Hood singing the part of a river demon. Cool!

Hood duets with Loose Cattle cofounder Kimberly Kaye and the two play off each other wonderfully, as if sparring with each other. It’s dark, simmering and waiting to explode. Even cooler is that the band released the song on Muscle Shoals label Single Lock Records, started by John Paul White (The Civil Wars) and Ben Tanner of Alabama Shakes. The new album, Someone’s Monster, is out Nov. 1.

Loose Cattle’s other cofounder, Michael Cerveris, is preparing for his role in “Tammy Faye,” a Broadway production with music by Elton John and lyrics by Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, which begins preview performances this week and opens on Nov 14.

White Denim, “Connection” (Elastica cover) — This terrific cover is from a compilation album put together by Nashville indie record label 3Sirens that benefits the Everytown For Gun Safety Support Fund. That organization was started after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville. So, great cause. The album itself has a theme of current artists covering ’90s songs. Doubly cool. It’ll include Oregon sisters Joseph covering Jimmy Eat World, Lucius playing Filter, Liz Cooper covering The Verve and Delacey playing Third Eye Blind. Other artists take on Weezer, the Cranberries, Flaming Lips and more. It’s out Dec. 13 and if you hate existing gun laws, go ahead and pre-save it now. You can also make a donation.

The first single is Elastica’s “Connection” performed by Austin’s White Denim. It sounds more like the Talking Heads. It’s glitchy, slowed-down, noisy and still fun, but in a different way than the original.

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Raissa featuring Rahim Redcar (fka Christine and the Queens), “No Genius” — Raissa Mokrani was born in Spain and has also lived in Beijing, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur and London. She is fluent in English, French and Spanish. Her multicultural worldview shows up on this new Euro-pop song featuring Rahim Redcar, the French artist formerly known as Christine and the Queens. Actually, it also sounds a bit like Ace of Base, which is likely the first thing that got my attention.

Raissa’s worldview also finds way into the song’s lyricism and themes of alienation. “It doesn’t take ‘no genius’ to know that those who seek to divide us are up to no good,” she has said. She’s currently working on her next EP, Cute Threat.

Roman’s pick: “I Look Alive” by Phoneboy has my perfect mix of fresh musicality and nostalgic vibes. Those ’80s-sounding synths are also courtesy of new member Jordan Torres, so the band has two new dimensions to its music. I can dance to it, drive to it, feel angsty to it… the band has my attention.

Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter.