The Alt Weekly Roundup (1/20)

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.


Frankie Valet—”Engulfed”

Listening to Frankie Valet’s latest single “Engulfed” I’m reminded of a band who never caught on the way they deserved. It’s got the same fuzzy, lazy drawl of a cut off Burden Piece, the final record from Clique, but sped up maybe twice. That’s a compliment of the highest order. 

Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison


Vundabar—”Burned Off”

On 2017’s Smell Smoke, Vundabar swapped much of their Slothrust-esque bounce and Pile-adjacent jerkiness for a brisker, more propulsive variety of indie-rock. On their new single, “Burned Off,” they double-down on that direction for a sleek, dancy groove that recalls both The Killers and Talking Heads with equal measure. This band has long had the spunk and melodic appeal for a festival indie breakthrough, and although I’d usually use that tag derogatorily, I feel like that’s a space Vundabar could occupy without sacrificing their quirky charm.

Eli Enis | @eli_enis


Johnny Manna—”Erase Me”

Hudson Valley songwriter Johnny Manna released a new video for “Erase Me,” a song off his recent EP The Glow. The premise is interesting and relates back to a previous video (that we premiered!), and the videography is a lot of fun to follow.

Luciano Ferrara | @lucianorferrara


Holy Fawn—”Blood Pact”

Holy Fawn’s new three-song, 15-minute EP finds the band really leaning into the metal aspect of post-metal, and its closing track “Blood Pact” might be the best song the band’s ever written. 

Zac Djamoos | @gr8twhitebison


Soccer Mommy—”circle the drain”

Compared to their last album, Soccer Mommy’s newer releases are less knotted and more enveloping. Case in point: “circle the drain”, a song about lethargy. Its sound evokes memories of ‘90s heavyweights like Pavement and Oasis. 

Bineet Kaur | @hellobineet


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.


The Alternative is ad-free and 100% supported by our readers. If you’d like to help us produce more content and promote more great new music, please consider donating to our Patreon page, which also allows you to receive sweet perks like free albums and The Alternative merch.