Praying, Life Pile, Planet Bike

Oakland sludge-pop trio Praying formed in 2014 as a more doom-aligned duo in Tallahassee before guitarist Jordan Fore and drummer Michael Ippolito shifted west and added Zachary Alexander as the final ingredient on bass. Last month’s self-released I’m No Healer balances blunted riffs and psychedelic flourishes with equal parts dread and delight, capped with a take on Sunny Day Real Estate’s “In Circles.” Orange County slop-pop trio Life Pile and local alterna throwbacks Planet Bike fuzz out first. – Greg Stitt