The Alt Weekly Roundup (11/21)
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.
Squint – Wash Away
Feel It was a colorful introduction to St. Louis’ Squint and their ragged, breathless style of hardcore, but mere months later they’re back with an even stronger offering. Wash Away dips into the catchier end of the melodic hardcore pool, and it’s an absolute blast. These songs operate at high speeds, with saccharine melodies wrapped in pummeling riffs, setting the band up for a big, big 2023.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Scarlet Street – “Dealey Plaza”
Scarlet Street’s “Dealey Plaza” takes its time, growing like a lotus flower from the muddy start of cleverly self-deprecating vocals and a lone guitar, shooting upwards at the turn a minute and a half in, and blossoming at the final explosive line: “I’d even send a postcard / when I drive to Dealey Plaza / and blow my fucking brains out.” The band finds the perfect emo groove here, with the guitar tones sounding great in both the moments of nervous calm and the cascading attacks overtop of the drums going crazy. It’s a song that’s dense and meticulous in the best ways, demanding repeat listens.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Parannoul – “Insomnia”
On “Insomnia,” Parannoul departs from the warm shoegaze of To See the Next Part of the Dream and veers toward a jittery, elastic style of indie rock that feels no less expansive than the fuzzy epics of their previous work.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
FOOTBALLHEAD – “Talking Nonsense”
FOOTBALLHEAD is the project for Chicago indie musician Ryan Gallagher. Since starting the project this year, he’s been releasing a steady amount of singles that have flown under the radar. At times it reminds me of snow ellet, who has produced some FOOTBALLHEAD songs. Basically, they make catchy compact indie pop that anybody can connect to. “Talking Nonsense” is the newest song and only makes me excited for what’s to come for the band.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Rejection Pact – Can We Wait?
Calling back to the glory days of Bridge 9 and mid-2000s Deathwish, Rejection Pact’s Can We Wait? is twenty blistering minutes of straightforward, no-holds-barred hardcore punk. Nearly double the length of their debut full-length, the band doubles down on everything that made them one of the most exciting young hardcore bands around, and it all comes together in a chugging, impassioned condemnation of the owners of America.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Julez and the Rollerz – “Sorry I’m Just a Waste of Time”
The new Julez and the Rollerz track “Sorry I’m Just a Waste of Time” has pretty much everything you’d want out of a garage-rock rager. Lyrics like “the last time I was told to not take things so personally, the instructions were not so clear” jump out at you, and there’s a badass swagger to the instrumentals, with the guitars and synth working together for a sound that’s both raw and gleaming while the rhythm section keeps things lively with drum fills matching the vocal melodies at times. On top of that, Julez and the Rollerz sound like a band that remembers that this type of music should, more than anything, be fun, and “Sorry I’m Just a Waste of Time” is a blast.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Gollylagging – “Hydrangeas”
Last year’s Ain’t That Just the Way! established Boston’s Gollylagging as a premier player in the emo-leaning post-hardcore game, and just over a year later they’ve returned with “Hydrangeas.” Breakneck and biting, it’s a powerful track that showcases everything Gollylagging can do in a tight three minutes.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
triton. – “orchids”
About halfway through “orchids,” triton. sings, “I’m sorry my place is a wreck / I just wanted it to match my head,” capturing the dizzying feel of the track that layers synths on top of workmanlike guitar that chugs along. The tune is never out of control though, and feels like a push to find a quiet calm in the midst of the chaos, especially as instruments start to drop out for the meditative ending.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
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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