BUZ BANDS

Duo in residence

It’s a whirlwind month for Devics, the project of L.A. songwriters Dustin O’Halloran and Sara Lov. The band (with bassist Ed Maxwell and drummer Michael Jerome Moore) is in the midst of a Tuesday residency at Tangier -- the perfect setting for their brooding, sensual indie-pop. Devics’ EP “Distant Radio” is just out on Leftwing Recordings, and they are making songs for a new full-length, “Push the Heart,” due later this year on European imprint Bella Union (which put out 2003’s stellar “The Stars at Saint Andrea”).

Meanwhile, O’Halloran, who earlier this year released the instrumental album “Piano Solos,” has been working with music director Brian Reitzell (“Lost in Translation,” among others) on songs for possible placement in the new Sofia Coppola movie about the life of Marie Antoinette. Sabrosa Purr supports Devics next Tuesday, with Great Northern on the bill July 26.

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Back from Blighty

L.A. rocker Kennedy is known for his over-the-top antics -- not to mention a gig schedule that seemed to have him playing in town every other night. But he’s been noticeably absent the last few months, with reason. He and bandmates Yves Leleviere and Lord Buns have been in London recording with producer and ex-New Radicals mastermind Gregg Alexander. “It’s being shopped around there because the music scene seems to be more open to stuff that’s a little left of center,” Kennedy says.

Kennedy’s show Wednesday at King King served to debut the video (by Joel Lava) for the dance number “Who’s Loving Your Mama?” Much of his work in London involved his rock songs.

How did Alexander get involved? Kennedy had given a CD to a musician he was auditioning for a horn section, and she played it at a coffeehouse where she worked. Alexander heard it and got Kennedy’s info. “He called the day that I got laid off and my car broke down and asked if I was free,” Kennedy says. “I said, ‘I guess I am.’ ”

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Fast forward

The “Also I Like to Rock” series kicks off three Thursday nights of music at the Hammer Museum, with tonight’s bill featuring the Tints, Space Mtn and Monsters Are Waiting, as well as video projections by Ryan Junell.... Ex-Translator front man Steve Barton’s quartet celebrates the release of “Charm Offensive” with a show Friday at Spaceland.... The Starvations’ third album, “Gravity’s a Bitch” (just out on local imprint Gold Standard Labs), is all foreboding, and at turns both truculent and droll. The L.A. quintet plays Spaceland on Monday as a supporting act for heavy hitters the BellRays (this month’s residents).... Indie hip-hop trio the Procussions perform tonight at the Temple Bar with Giant Panda, among others.... Singer-songwriter AM performs Monday at Cine-

space after a screening for the video for his song “Mainstay,” which gets the four-remix treatment on his new EP.... Speaking of nifty short discs, the Black Watch marks the release of “The Innercity Garden” EP with a show on Monday at the Echo.