BUZZ BANDS

Sounds takes its time in studio

If the sophomore album from the Swedish quintet the Sounds displays a bit more range and dynamic than its debut, credit hard work. After all, 2003’s “Living in America,” which has sold 80,000 copies, “was recorded in 10 days,” keyboardist Jesper Anderberg says. “For the new album we had two months -- and it turned out to take three.”

“Dying to Say This to You,” the band’s second, stronger dose of Blondie-esque punkst, isn’t out until March 21. But L.A. fans have their sneak previews; the Sounds played a secret show Tuesday at the Key Club as a warmup for a performance Saturday at the new Hollywood club Element (1642 N. Las Palmas Ave.). The set is a mix of old material and new -- the latter songs having been written in the Swedish studio the band built last winter. “Sometimes we even slept there,” Anderberg says. “We all got pretty sick.”

This summer in Oakland, however, Anderberg and bandmates Maja Ivarsson, Johan Bengtsson, Felix Rodriguez and Fredrik Nilsson convened in the studio with producer Jeff Saltzman (the Killers). Additional touches were applied later by ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger. “It was kind of stressful,” Anderberg says. “We don’t necessarily know how things work in the studio -- the producers have their ideas, we have our ideas.”

A hint of good things to come

The hip-hop on the “The Phantom Syndrome,” the debut EP by Long Beach duo Coaxial, is downright haunting stuff, with the scratching and programming by David K creating a foreboding soundscape for Beegs Alchemy’s elliptical raps. Mars Volta bandmates Ikey Owens and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez make appearances on the disc too, but Coaxial hasn’t gotten out much in support of the release.

“We’re working toward that, but we’ve been doing so much recording it’s been tough,” says Alchemy, born Chris McKinnon. Any hint of what the full-length, targeted for a summer release on local imprint Gold Standard Labs, will sound like? “It might even be a little darker,” McKinnon says.

The duo makes a rare live appearance Friday, performing at a benefit for Hurricane Katrina victims at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 855 Elm Ave., Long Beach.

Fast

forward

So you might have heard this story line before: Lap-pop genius meets Ben Gibbard, and they collaborate, with the Death Cab for Cutie frontman singing over electronic beats. No, it isn’t the Postal Service -- it’s Styrofoam, the nom de laptop of Belgium’s Arne van Petegem, who is performing with a full band Sunday at the Knitting Factory. Styrofoam’s album, “Nothing’s Lost,” also features contributions from indie rapper Alias, American Analog Set’s Andrew Kenny and the Notwist’s Markus Archer, among others. And Sunday’s show will feature a DJ set by Dntel, aka Jimmy Tamborello, the L.A. half of the Postal Service duo.... Veteran indie rockers Piebald, performing tonight at the Troubadour, are touring in a van that has been converted to run on vegetable oil. No kidding. Adds a whole new meaning to “getting gas at a roadside restaurant.” Heavily sideburned Australian quartet the Lovetones, fronted by sometimes Brian Jonestown Massacre collaborator Matt Tow, celebrated the release of their sophomore album, “Meditations” (Tee Pee Records) on Monday at Spaceland with a wide-ranging set of psychedelia.

*

Kevin Bronson

*

Recommended downloads

* To sample songs from Styrofoam’s “Nothing’s Lost,” visit www.morrmusic.com and click on “releases.”

* Stream the Lovetones’ “Mantra” at www.teepeerecords.com/bands/lovetones

* Download Coaxial’s “Brain Sluts” at www.goldstandardlabs.com (contains potentially objectionable language)