Helen Stellar, Kav, Square on Square, and Nightmare Air December 2, 2009

Buzz Bands LA invites you to a night of sweeping guitar rock on Dec. 2 at the Echo, featuring Helen Stellar, KAV, Square on Square and Nightmare Air. Tickets are $8 at the door, $5 if you RSVP to buzzbands(at)gmail(dot)com. Here’s a rundown on the lineup — more on all four of these bands in upcoming days:

Helen Stellar: This trio, long one of L.A.’s under-recognized bands, will play its first proper show in more than a year. They’ve been working on a follow-up to 2006’s “A Prayer to Myself,” which collected their three EPs and was released on Vinyl Films, the imprint of Andy Fischer and Cameron Crowe (The Helen Stellar tune “io (This Time Around)” appeared on the soundtrack to Crowe’s movie “Elizabethtown.”).

KAV: The latest project of Kav Sandhu — former guitarist and songwriter in the legendary Happy Mondays — KAV spent substantial time in L.A. this year recording an album and playing (and DJing) clubs. In March, KAV will release its latest batch of dirty, dancy psychedelia, the “Mr. Nice” EP, titled after the autobiography of Howard Marks and featuring Marks himself.His first U.S. release, “The Shake It Like You Hate It” EP, will also be out in early 2010.

Square on Square: The newest musical venture of songwriter Evan Slamka, SOS has made a big impression in the band’s early club outings with its soaring, anthemic rock songs. Slamka, of course, fronted Marjorie Faire, who made one excellent album for Capitol Records (2005’s “Self Help Serenade”) before the band became a victim of major-label shrinkage.

Nightmare Air: This new trio and its agitated (but somehow melodic) noise-rock is the brainchild of two members of Film School, guitarist Dave Dupuis and drummer James Smith. The band’s first EP is due Dec. 1.

As with past Buzz Bands LA outings, there will be some surprises; stay tuned to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and this very Web portal for info.

Official Website: http://buzzbands.la/2009/11/16/buzz-bands-la-invites-you-to-go-decembering/