The Alt Weekly Roundup (10/21)

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.


Souvenirs—”When the Bloom Fades”

Souvenirs’ new single “When the Bloom Fades” splits the difference between the straight-up emo of 2014’s You, Fear and Me and the synth-led shoegaze of 2017’s Posture of Apology. It’s a perfect showcase of everything that makes Souvenirs great. 

Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison


talker—”Keep Me Safe”

With salient drum fills and cascading vocals, talker’s “Keep Me Safe” captures the hollowness of a culminated relationship. It manifests into an outpouring of uncertainty in the final minute, with the line, “who’s going to keep me safe when you’re gone,” serving as a catalyst.

Bineet Kaur | @hellobineet


Why Not—”Ding Dong”

Why Not’s latest single “Ding Dong” channels the post-punk of The Money Pit’s underrated self-titled debut, sprinkled with falsetto vocals and a killer pop hook.

Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison


Drag Daze—”Angel Of Boredom”

Angel of Boredom” is a track off Drag Daze’s self-titled debut that came out last week. The passionate song features vocals by Willow Hawks of the Sonder Bombs and explores the complexities of watching someone move on while getting to explore life without them. The instrumentals manage to convey both the vulnerability and intensity of the feelings expressed.

Hannah Hines | @hannah_unlost


Housewarming Party—Baby Teeth

Housewarming Party’s Baby Teeth evokes memories of Modern Baseball’s candor, and there’s also some Joyce Manor influence to be found in its raucousness. Much of the record revolves around how speculating and loneliness can send someone plummeting after a relationship ends.

Bineet Kaur | @hellobineet


Emily Yacina—”Gleaming”

Emily Yacina’s upcoming Remember the Silver is one of the most impressive LPs I’ve heard all year, and “Gleaming” is a wonderful taste. It’s a catchy, dreamy indie jam and, at only 90 seconds, it’s endlessly re-playable. 

Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison


Mover Shaker—”Midwest Amnesiac Blues” / “Service Provider” 

Whoever still thinks rock and roll is dead obviously hasn’t discovered the dazzling way that Mover Shaker pairs intoxicatingly smooth vocals with the staccato twang of a galactic-sounding guitar tone. The endearing  new era for the group, “Midwest Amnesiac Blues” /” Service Provider” carries all of the glam charm of their first LP Michigania, but the spirit of confidence that pours from their sound is much stronger now.

Olivia Keasling | @residentkilljoy


Surf Curse—Heaven Surrounds You

Surf Curse released a bobbing surf rock record that also manages to be fastened and glossy. It’s in the same vein as other peppy acts like The Frights and Hunny. “Disco,” the standout track, is a howling, thrusting ballad that, like its namesake, harkens back to a prior era.

Bineet Kaur | @hellobineet


sports dreams—sports dreams 

This five-song selection of New Zealand dream-pop crosses the celestial emo of It Looks Sad. with the forelorn bedroom crooning of Yohuna, Emily Yacina, Hovvdy, etc. There’s a “lofi beats to study/relax to” vibe to the bare-bones rhythms, but the melodies are sharp and the soundscapes are vivid in a way that genuinely conjures the feeling of a chilly fall afternoon.

Eli Enis | @eli_enis


The Wonder Years—”Losing My Religion” (R.E.M. cover) 

Just in time for their Halloween tour, The Wonder Years released their cover of R.E.M’s Losing My Religion on all streaming platforms. The band is still on their album cycle for Sister Cities (2018), so it’s exciting to have some “new” material from them, even if it’s merely a cover. Dan Campbell’s vocals offer a different take on the classic hit and fill the track with electricity. 

Hannah Hines | @hannah_unlost


Field Medic—”I Want You So Bad It Hurts” 

Field Medic took a salacious sharp turn with “I Want You So Bad it Hurts,” detailing what it feels like when one person overtakes nearly all of your thoughts, and the lapsed chords match that state of being enamored. 

Bineet Kaur | @hellobineet


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