The Alt Weekly Roundup (10/9/23)
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.
Sydney Sprague – “overkill”
Sydney Sprague is what you get when you throw blink-182 and Michelle Branch into a blender. Her new album somebody in hell loves you is out now via Rude Records. “overkill,” one of the highlights, shows how she summons the sounds of both ‘90s alt-rock and classic pop at once.
Jazmin Lemus | @_Jazmin
Capra – Errors
On Errors, Capra fine-tunes the chaotic metallic hardcore that comprised their 2021 LP In Transmission. These songs are short, furious, and immediately gratifying; although Errors feels cleaner and more streamlined than their debut, Capra hasn’t missed a beat. They sound at home here, and Errors is a standout in a banner year for hardcore.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Church Girls – Nightmare Nights
The cover of Church Girls’ new EP Nightmare Nights reflects the constant ongoing apocalyptic feeling the group channels into hard-rocking tunes that almost attack you with their intensity. Much of their sound comes from the mix of styles each musician brings to the table, as the guitars, bass, and drums all seem to be geared towards different specific genres but blend perfectly to create the group’s unique and active sound. Cutting palm mutes adorn “Nightmare Nights,” lightning quick riffs are followed by a swelling bridge in “Death Wish,” and radio-ready ripper “I Hate This House” deserves mention among Church Girls’ best tunes.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Aren’t We Amphibians – Emergency, Exit
Emergency, Exit, the second EP by Aren’t We Amphibians, slots nicely next to tour mates Equipment’s earlier releases. The California emo band is bold and brash, math riffs crashing in on each other and scream-to-the-rafters choruses. It’s the best execution of this style in years.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Latewaves – “Italian Smokes”
Latewaves have released their new self-titled album via Open Your Ears Records, and one of my favorite tracks is “Italian Smokes.” The alternative rockers share many stories throughout Latewaves, but this is one many people can relate to–it’s a song about panic attacks. If you’re not familiar with the band, but enjoy the sweet sounds of Jimmy Eat World, The Menzingers, or Microwave, maybe “Italian Smokes” is the song that will suck you in.
Jazmin Lemus | @_Jazmin
Model Home – And Nobody Made a Sound
On “Midnight, Dragon Garden,” the seventh track off Model Home’s debut album And Nobody Made a Sound, the band shouts out a couple artists that shaped them: Thursday, specifically their third LP War All the Time, and City and Colour. Model Home doesn’t sound like either of those bands, but the lyrics place them in a clear lineage. And Nobody Made a Sound is glimmering, vernal indie rock, not unlike the less boisterous moments on your favorite The World Is… album.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Full Blown Meltdown – Mollify
A self-proclaimed 40-minute treatise on “why we’re doomed,” Full Blown Meltdown’s Mollify is a burst of energy pulling from a wide mix of musical ideas. Meticulously crafted and structured, the record runs through high-energy punk, breezy early 2k pop, string-laden interludes, acoustic interjections, theatrical flourishes, bubbling synths, and more.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Mansions – Tuff Luff
The last we heard from Mansions was on 2020’s subdued Big Bad, and on their new LP Tuff Luff they let out all that pent-up rage. The record calls back to the scuzzed-up indie rock of Dig Up the Dead and especially Doom Loop, all roaring riffs and snappy hooks. It’s classic Mansions through and through.
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 post it on Fridays on Twitter and then include it in each edition of the Weekly Roundup to make sure you don’t miss any of the great music we’re recommending.
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