The Alt Weekly Roundup (11/30)

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.


Danielle Durack—”Eggshells”

Danielle Durack blew me away earlier this year with “Broken Wings,” and “Eggshells” is a beautiful followup single for the Phoenix singer-songwriter. No doubt No Place will be a wonderful folksy album to warm us up this January.

Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison


Teenage Woman—Teenage Woman

This short and sweet EP from Teenage Woman is composed of three bite-sized power-pop rippers written by Grath Madden, the prolific pop-punk artist behind a number of different bands like The Steinways, House Boat, and Robot Bachelor. Opener “I Feel Fine” verges on surf rock with its infectious blissful energy while “Oh Yashica” turns up the fuzz for a booming kind of ballad. The closing “Several Rebeccas Later” sounds like a Beths song compressed into 59 seconds, a quick burst of energy like the jolt of an espresso shot. 

Jordan Walsh | @jordalsh 


KennyHoopla—”Estella”

KennyHoopla’s moved away from his typical post-punk meets new wave meets hip-hop sound on his latest single. Knowing how diverse his discography already is, this shouldn’t be a surprise, but “Estella” is likely the most straightforward song he’s released yet. It’s a two-minute pop-punk romp that feels both fresh and like an old favorite from 2005. 

Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison


Diving Station—June Damp

Diving Station’s EP June Damp is meticulously-made, with the melodies played on a harp making it sound mellow and ornate. With lines like “moisture on soft skin” and “clouds swell with dew,” the songwriting is picturesque. 

Bineet Kaur | @hellobineet


Yr Poetry—Home Movies

It’s been a few years since we’ve heard from Yr Poetry, the energetic rock duo composed of former members of Johnny Foreigner, and having them back feels like a brash kind of relief. Like their previous releases One Night Alive and Lost Boys, Home Movies plays out like a collection of scenes that are humorous, detailed, and breathlessly delivered. The incisively funny “a brief history of emo” is a good indicator of the band’s voice, opening with the line, “she said there’s too many songs about the friend zone / and not enough songs about what it’s like turning down your songwriting friends”, before bursting into a raw, sharp anthem. 

Jordan Walsh | @jordalsh 


Soft Blue Shimmer—Heaven Inches Away

Soft Blue Shimmer are one of the most appropriately named bands in recent memory. All of their music feels like a beautiful wave washing over you. Heaven Inches Away is a lovely debut LP, a gem of dream-pop.

Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison


Murder By Death / Distillers / My Chemical Romance—”Walking On Broken Glass” (Annie Lennox cover)

After a weekend of celebrating all things to be thankful for, let us give thanks to the Two Minutes to Late Night crew for providing exceptional covers on a weekly basis during a time when live shows are a no-go. These covers not only achieve consistent greatness on the actual music front, but are always inclusive, diverse, and simmering in this year’s key ingredient, humor. Their cover of one of the greatest breakup songs ever, Annie Lennox’s “Walking on Broken Glass,” is a national treasure.  

Tyler Holland | @InTyler_WeTrust


Pet Bug—”Delivery” 

It’s a good idea to pay attention to most of the bands that sign to Acrobat Unstable, considering the roll they’ve been on for the last year or so. Pet Bug, composed of former members of the extremely underrated Mineral Girls, is one of the label’s recent additions, and their latest song “Delivery” comes from their upcoming LP Everything is Happening. The guitars on “Delivery” wail and squelch in a tense little rock song that finds conflicting release in a falsetto “woo.” 

Jordan Walsh | @jordalsh 


Audio Karate—”Gypsyqueen”

In honor of the Lady Melody reissue, released sixteen years after the original, Audio Karate has unveiled a new music video for “Gypsyqueen.” The video reminds us of simpler times, compiling nearly 20 years of tour footage into a crowd-heavy, nostalgia-inducing visual medley. The band expertly blend skate-punk and pop-punk with a touch of emo. The infectious “Hey Maria” is proof positive of their expertise in genre fluidity.

Tyler Holland | @InTyler_WeTrust


Indisposed / To Be Gentle—Letters To 

Letters To, the new split 7’’ from Chicago’s Indisposed and Eugene’s To Be Gentle, really makes the most of its brevity. Each band gets two songs, and they all work to make this feel like a substantial piece of work. “Indisposed,” the highlight of the eponymous band’s A-side, is a lofty seven-minute piece that stretches out to great lengths to build tension for an earth-moving finale. Later on, To Be Gentle take a more abrupt and abrasive approach,  as “Aftermath” closes out the split in an eruption of blazing screamo glory. 

Jordan Walsh | @jordalsh 


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.


The Alternative is ad-free and 100% supported by our readers. If you’d like to help us produce more content and promote more great new music, please consider donating to our Patreon page, which also allows you to receive sweet perks like free albums and The Alternative merch.