Toad the Wet Sprocket, courtesy.

This week we bring you a guitar-hero-antics-inducing tune by Des Rocs, a bittersweet release by The Exploding Hearts, Jesus and Mary Chain revivalists DAIISTAR, a nine-minute epic by Maps, a live concert favorite by Santa Barbara’s Toad the Wet Sprocket, a folky gem by Thom Southern, a solo tune by the frontman of Fontaines D.C. and a Southern throwback by Bedroom.

Des Rocs, “Never Ending Moment” — I hope you’ve prepared your best windmill guitar technique. On “Never Ending Moment,” you’ll use all the air-guitar moves in your arsenal. New York City native Danny Rocco latest as Des Rocs is a rambunctious (crazy drum solos!) and contagious banger. That chorus is sickly catchy and you’ll be singing along in addition to those guitar moves. Sadly, his tour does not come West, and I really hope he changes that!

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The Exploding Hearts, “So Bored” — The Exploding Hearts are probably a band you rarely think of these days. Their story is tragic: Most of the band died in a car collision in 2003 after performing at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. It’s a nice surprise that their sole album, Guitar Romantic, will be expanded and remastered. Fan-favorite “So Bored” will be included. This song is a power-pop gem, with jangly guitars, melodic hooks, infectious harmonies and an electric energy. Surviving guitarist Terry Six will be performing the songs of Guitar Romantic at shows in Los Angeles, Detroit and Brooklyn.

DAIISTAR, “Tracemaker” — This song explodes from the opening guitar lines, which are driving, blistering and heavy. There’s distortion for miles, as well as a wall of sound. I was swept into the world of Jesus and Mary Chain and early Primal Scream. The music is fuzzy and loud and that hook is contagious. Austin band DAIISTAR (pronounced “Day-Star”) is really bringing back the shoegaze sound. The album was produced by one of my favorite psychedelic Austin rock musicians, Alex Maas of The Black Angels, and includes a Primal Scream cover.

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Maps, “Heya Yaha” — James Chapman is the man behind Maps. And, I have been a fan since his first album. His latest, Counter Mixes, is a six-track companion piece to Counter Melodies. The first three tracks are a euphoric exploration of sound and beats. “Heya Yaha” begins with a heavy synth drone, but it’s the vocals that capture your attention. The four-to-the-floor dance beat puts you into a hypnotic daze. As the song picks up, it’s impossible to not get lost in it. The percussion enters around the three-minute mark. At longer than nine minutes, you think it will drag on, but it never does. It’s a heavenly aural journey.

Toad the Wet Sprocket, “Best Of Me” — Santa Barbara is home to the University of California, Santa Barbara, my alma mater, and my favorite college band, Toad The Wet Sprocket. “Best Of Me” is a track many of us will recognize from their live shows. Glen Phillips harmonizes with original band members Dean Dinning and Todd Nichols, creating for a rich lushness. The band will tour this summer and play at Hopmonk Tavern (shoutout to my hometown Novato, where I first heard Toad many years ago).

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Thom Southern, “Love Hz” — The moment I heard this song, I was immediately drawn into Thom Southern’s vocals. The musician from Ireland has a warm, soft Irish lilt to his voice. This track starts out with acoustic guitars and I immediately though, “Simon & Garfunkel meet The Shins.” There’s a bit of a ’90s slacker vibe that adds to the melodic vocals. The song feels even more complete with this black and white video of Southern roaming the streets. When he sits on the train and looks at the camera, it feels like he’s singing directly to you. “Love Hz” is fragile, raw and a beautiful listen.

Grian Chatten, “The Score” — If you didn’t have enough Irish lads for one week, let’s throw another into the mix. You may recognize Grian Chatten as the lead singer of Fontaines D.C. Whether this song makes it onto an album or an EP remains to be seen. “The Score” is a haunting and melancholic beauty. Chatten has scratchy, cracked vocals and it’s almost as if you were hearing it on vinyl. The melody draws you in. It’s reminiscent of early Radiohead or Elliot Smith. Here’s hoping this isn’t just a one-off and that Chatten continues down this road.

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Bedroom, “Better Friends” — It’s amazing what happens when you inject pedal steel into a song. It adds gravitas. Add some slide guitar and you get a song that sounds Southern, yet never becomes country. On “Better Friends,” Noah Kittinger seems to have made his way back to the ’70s; like a lost track from the band America. It’s achingly beautiful and has a pastoral Americana sound. Just based on this song alone, I am really looking forward to the rest of the album (Thread). 

Rachel’s pick: Toad’s sound has not changed much and its heartfelt songs still hit you. Glen Phillips’ vocals are as smooth as ever, conveying so much emotion in each lyric. Toad the Wet Sprocket has my favorite song of the week.

Follow writer Rachel Goodman at Twitter.com/xneverwherex and Instagram.com/xneverwherex.