Music Recommendations

2020 has not been a good year. There have been so many dark things going on that its hard to discuss music at all. But in art there's hope for change, or at the very least the pleasant distraction needed to relax and recharge to continue the fight tomorrow. With that in mind, we have listed our favorite releases of the year so far.

Bineet wrote about some of her favorite records of May 2020 and our staff compiled yet another killer playlist full of material.

This past Friday, the OBGMs (short for The oOoh Baby Gimme Mores) a Toronto punk three piece released the mic-throttling,  “Cash,” their first new music in three years, and it begs to be screamed into faces everywhere.

Bineet writes up a few of our favorite releases from April and then we debut our staff's best of April playlist with over 125 excellent new tracks.

It’s hard to overstate how stale the post-hardcore/metalcore scene had gotten by 2010. It was like focus group metalcore, designed to pull the biggest crowds at the Warped Tour that year, all sounding the same, all looking the same, all about the same things, then there was Letlive. Zac discusses why letlive's album 'Fake History' still holds up

The collaboration between musicians Billy Bragg and the band, Wilco on Mermaid Avenue is something to be recognized. Sarah explores her appreciation and love for this record on this edition of It Holds Up.

Bineet writes up a few of our favorite releases from March and then we debut our best of March playlist with over 100 excellent new tracks.

The latest edition of Eli Enis' periodic shoegaze column features new releases from Wednesday, Peel Dream Magazine, Draag and more.

Olivia spent 6 hours with Heart Attack Man. Here is the proof. Check out her behind the scenes footage of their show in Atlanta.

Add some variety to your quarantine routine with 50 of the best emo, indie, punk, and hardcore releases from Asia, September through December 2019.

Music has been badly effected by the spread of coronavirus. Today, Bandcamp is trying to help give artists a little breathing room by waiving its revenue share. Michelle spoke with many artists and labels about how they are using this event to promote sales and stay afloat.

Where You Been? is a monthly column where Michael Brooks highlights his favorite rap and hip hop releases. This month features new music from prolific Detroit rapper Sada Baby, viral sensation 645AR, an interview with artist Corey Purvis, and much more. 

After a nine year hiatus, Bright Eyes have re-emerged to the indie rock spotlight. As resident Conor Oberst stan here at The Alternative headquarters, I have taken it upon myself to create a guide for those who want to catch up on Bright Eyes’ expansive discography.

Guest contributor, Joel Funk, discusses the message of struggle and acceptance of his sexuality that he was able to gain through the music of New Jersey folk punk band The Front Bottoms.

The North Jersey DIY superheroes LKFFCT and John Cozz are launching their own artist focused DIY label. We talked to them about the launch of Pizza Bagel Records and premiered their first live session!