Posted: by The Editor
The Alternative Weekly Roundup is a column where our staff plugs a variety of new releases in a concise, streamlined format. Albums, singles, videos, and live sets. Check back each Monday to see what we were jamming the week prior.
always other – dead summers, hold you
Richmond-based shoegazer always other’s been releasing singles and EPs all year, but has just now dropped their first LP, dead summers, hold you. The shoegaze scene is a bit oversaturated, to be sure, but dead summers carves out a unique niche; while its debt to classics like Souvlaki is clear, always other’s take on the style is far more upbeat than most of their contemporaries, resulting in a record that embodies all of the genre’s haziest, gaziest, and prettiest tendencies with far more energy than that typically suggests.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Doki Doki – “I Was Killing It Man”
Asian Man Records just signed Doki Doki, and the supergroup of sorts just put out a searing punk ripper called “I Was Killing It Man.” It is loud, chaotic, and gives you a chance to yell along to “FOUGHT AGAINST THE TYRANNY / BANISHED FOR ETERNITY.” What more do you want?
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
Penalty Boxing – And Another Thing
And Another Thing, the debut full-length from Penalty Boxing, blends warm alt-country with muffled beats for an intimate and inviting indie rock sound. It’s a sweet, relaxing listen, and a beast of a first LP.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Franklin Gothic – “Slow Down Bang Bang”
The fun second single from Franklin Gothic, “Slow Down Bang Bang,” is grunge, pop, and something fresh this week. Jay DiBartolo’s instrumentarion is layered as the accompanying music video. We’ll be eagerly awaiting his first LP out next month and trust you will be too.
Anne Hurban | @fyrbrdtransanne
Spite House – “Hope”
Spite House’s style of melodic hardcore is a little more Small Brown Bike than Movielife. The band’s newest track, “Hope,” is catchier than anything off the band’s fuzzed-out promo tape from earlier this year—the band cites Samiam and Jawbreaker as key influences, and that comes through in spades on “Hope,” a shot of gruff punk rock that bodes well for their upcoming LP, due out next month.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Family Medicine – Demonstration II
Family Medicine makes the kind of burly melodic hardcore that calls to mind Drug Church and Anxious before Little Green House. It comes across best on Demonstration II, which packs plenty into a compact eight-minute runtime.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Faux Real – “Full Circle”
I don’t know if Faux Real are real, but I do know they make weirdo art pop/punk/whatever that you can dance to. Their new single “Full Circle” is digital post-punk swagger, with a dark video to match.
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
Birds in Row – Nympheas
The world has certainly changed since Birds in Row’s last LP four years ago, but the French three-piece hasn’t. The band’s newest single, “Nympheas,” is the second off the band’s upcoming Gris Klein. It’s as fiery as anything they’ve ever released, a breathlessly heavy slice of hardcore that proves the band hasn’t missed a beat.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
The Alternative’s ‘New Music Friday’ playlist
Each week our editor Lindsy Carrasquillo compiles a playlist of songs our staff has been jamming. We’ll post it on Fridays on Twitter and then include it in each edition of the ‘Weekly Roundup’ to make sure you don’t miss all of the great music we’re recommending.
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