The Alt Weekly Roundup (1/10/22)
Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
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.
The Arrival Note – The Arrival Note
There seems to be an uptick lately in emo bands who draw less from the noodly sounds of last decade’s revival era than from the rawer second wave of emo in the ‘90s. The latest of these is The Arrival Note, whose excellent self-titled debut fuses Texas Is the Reason’s punk spirit with the arpeggiated soul-searching of Leiah.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Breezy Supreme – Bad Decisions
Black alternative artist Breezy Supreme is known mainly for the alternative rap style showcased on his debut album The Enigma. But his new pop-punk project, Bad Decisions, pierces the gauzy veil between genres. The metalcore breakdown he expertly snuck into pop-punk banger “A Breakdown…to Remember” took Twitter by storm, inarguably delightful whether your top-played Spotify artist is blink-182, Underoath, or Lil Nas X. In December, after Breezy Supreme previewed his new album in a record label meeting, the all-white reps told him he was too “hood” to make pop-punk. They may want to hire some new staff, because as Bartees Strange, Machine Gun Kelly, and Lil Uzi Vert continue to prove, pop-punk and rap are as iconic a duo as ever.
Michelle Bruton | @MichelleBruton
Almighty Watching – Doubtless
Almighty Watching is the latest in a slew of hardcore bands diving into the depths of DC as its main inspiration. But they are able to add their own flairs on their new EP Doubtless to still feel distinctive, sounding like if Rites of Spring were grounded in metal instead of ’80s US hardcore.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Birthday Dad – Death Too
“Nightly Garbage Run” and “Death Too” are a pair of dynamic and melodic piano-led tracks topped with a healthy dose of horns. Apparently the first music released by Birthday Dad, the songs feel both intimate and sprawling, going from quiet moments of one person and a piano to massive showtune turns. There’s a dramatic feel to it all, punctuated by the transition from the sustained saxophone following, “I’ve been thinking about death too much” to the tolling of funeral bells ringing out a death knell that ends “Death Too.”
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Blurgundy – Be Well
Blurgundy’s sanded off the edges on their new Be Well EP. Their previous work dove into post-metal, but, barring the end of “Another Dream,” the cleaner Be Well keeps itself firmly planted in the dream pop realm. It’s still got some bite to it, not unlike recent SOM material, but it’s an overall softer sound for the Lancaster band. And, perhaps surprisingly, it suits Blurgundy far better.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Shapeshifter – Dark Ritual
There’s no other way to describe Shapeshifter except to call it evil. It’s Japanese hardcore at its finest, blending the manic energy of powerviolence and blackened hardcore into one exhilarating whole.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Loathe – “Dimorphous Display”
Loathe’s been one of metal’s most intriguing acts for the past few years, with their 2020 LP I Let It In And It Took Everything falling somewhere between White Pony and I Am King. The band’s latest single takes that a step further, a raw alt-metal track that shares roots with ‘90s grunge.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
GI Bill – “Not in My Backyard”
When he’s not playing bass in Anxious, Sam Allen makes great melodic hardcore under the name of GI Bill. It pulls from very similar sonic territory, fitting somewhere between early Fiddlehead and Floral Green-era Title Fight. “Not in My Backyard” is the latest track and it does not disappoint.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Never Any Ordinary – Stay for Your Own Sake
Never Any Ordinary plays a sort of loud, scrappy, messy emo that’s easy to overdo and nearly impossible to perfect. Their debut LP Stay For Your Own Sake gives it its best shot, though, and the results are honestly stellar; it’s half an hour of pure fun.
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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