The Alt Weekly Roundup (11/9)
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.
Arlen Gun Club—Too Easy
Too Easy is the second EP of 2020 for Cincinnati indie punks Arlen Gun Club. The release is four tracks of upbeat punk with sugary sweet hooks from a band that seems to have learned all the right lessons from Kerplunk! “Kickflip” is a good place to start as it shows the ease with which the group can reach into the pop-punk bag of tricks and come up with gold.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
ManDancing—”Wall Spot”
ManDancing have a deft hand at dynamism, building the softest intros into crashing bridges. Their second single, “Wall Spot,” reinforces the first single’s promise of the familiar passion, but with more care and consideration to the composition of emotional moments. I’m really looking forward to this full release.
Luciano Ferrara | @lucianorferrara
Equipment—”Coat Tails”
“Coat Tails” is a significant deviation in sound for Equipment—as the band themselves put it, it’s closer to The National than their usual Weezer. Equipment recorded the forthcoming EP it opens, All You Admire, before their last release but have been waiting for the right time to put these songs out. It’s noodly and bright but steeped in melancholy, a reflection of experiences the band went through during its writing.
Michelle Bruton | @MichelleBruton
Bleach Lab—”Never Be”
Bleach Lab’s “Never Be” is a shimmery, hazy song that dabbles in both slowcore and dream-pop. The vocals are dense but crisp, and they’re the best part of the listening experience.
Bineet Kaur | @hellobineet
Bears in Trees—”Ibuprofen”
“Ibuprofen” comes on the heels of London’s Bears in Trees signing to Counter Intuitive Records stateside, and it’s a great introduction to the band for U.S. listeners. Both introspective and celebratory, the track is an undeniable earworm. It’s accompanied by a video that plays like a loving communal update on Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”
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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