The Alt Weekly Roundup (2/20)
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.
Crime Lab – Fall in Love with Every Thing
A bit grimy in the best way possible, Crime Lab’s Fall in Love with Every Thing is an endearing collection of dive bar rock and roll tunes. The group takes their time with these songs, allowing you to get lost in the slacker vibes, and there’s a pleasant balance to the band’s attack here, the guitars refusing to overpower the songs and leaving room for some more adventurous bass lines. Album closer “Mars” is a strong capper to the record, while the contemplative “Fireball” and jangly “Dirtbike” make for a fun pair on the first half of the record.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Sleep Outside – End Up Alone / Stay Away
Cardiff’s Sleep Outside show off two different shades of indie rock on their new two-song single End Up Alone / Stay Away. The a-side is florid, draped in falsetto and horns, and “Stay Away” operates in a more conventional, emo-leaning math rock style. Both allow the band to demonstrate their versatility, and they’re a nice stopgap for an eventual LP.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Dick Stusso – “Garagedump #1”
Rock’n’roll gaucho Dick Stusso has been laying low since releasing his fantastic sophomore album In Heaven in 2018, but he’s finally returning in March with his newest project SP. He’s shared “Garagedump #1” as one of the first singles, an old timey rock’n’roll song so hellbent on making you get up and twirl your partner, there’s an entire brass horn section that will vibrate the dancefloor with its deep and bassy drone.
Nate Cross | @BigNafey
Stolen Jars – “Somewhere Else”
Stolen Jars make the kind of elevated indie pop that I want to drive with the windows down to. Their new single “Somewhere Else” has an anthemic sound that makes me believe just for a second that my car might actually start floating into the sky. It’s high energy, full of synths and soaring vocals, and, for a song written about being trapped during lockdown, it feels like a danceable victory over what keeps us locked up.
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
HOLYFANGS – “This Might Take a While”
L.A. based punk rockers HOLYFANGS have a sound that is familiar yet fresh, a driven, angst-fuelled combination of tasty riffs, crunching grooves, and blood-soaked melodies that bite. Oh, and if there is a familiar sound/face in the band, it’s because bassist Gabe Mayeshiro was also in Spanish Love Songs.
Jazmin Lemus | @_Jazmin
Keep – Happy in Here
Happy in Here is Keep’s best work, a warm quilt of hushed vocals and lush reverb, at once unobtrusive and wholly captivating.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Cory Hanson – “Housefly”
Psychedelic rock band Wand’s own Cory Hanson has announced his third solo album, Western Cum, and has released the lo-fi cowboy anthem “Housefly,” as the first single. The tracks dissonant and continuous electric guitar riff paired with Hanson’s hopeful, high pitched vocal melody makes excellent theme music for riding horseback through the distant plains onto the next herding job, or whatever cowboys do for work.
Nate Cross | @BigNafey
Flycatcher – “Always Selfish”
All I needed to know about Flycatcher was that they are on one of my favorite labels, Memory Music, to know I would dig them. With some early 2000s indie vibes (including the solid color shirts the band wears in the video), their new single “Always Selfish” caught me immediately. The lyrics about trying to be your more authentic self and the anxiety that comes with that made me hit replay.
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
mist double – OUTERSPHERE
A dreamy bit of head-in-the-clouds, eyes-on-the-ground music, mist double’s OUTERSPHERE is an entrancing listen. The songs seem to exist inside of a thick, all-encompassing haze, feeding off the repetition to create a meditative atmosphere. Seven-minute closer “Spacewalk” captures the hypnotic nature of OUTERSPHERE best, even as the guitars cut through with a little more bite than the preceding tunes.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
MSPAINT – “Titan of Hope”
The Hattiesburg, Mississippi, band MSPAINT have been concocting a fusion of experimental synth punk for the last three years and their latest single “Titan of Hope” showcases the band’s sheer power and command. Delivering lyrics that are positively electrifying over the band’s playfully buzzing pulse, the new video sets the visual tone for their upcoming debut album titled Post-American. After the last few years, coming across a song like this with a line that says, “We’re not scared anymore / and that mindset is a titan of hope,” feels like the exact reinforcement we all need as we brace ourselves for whatever lies ahead.
Loan Pham | @senseofexile
Free Range – Practice
The folksy, airy indie rock of Practice feels like the perfect accompaniment to the early spring the east coast has been experiencing. On Sofia Jensen’s first LP as Free Range, they bring together the melancholy introspection of something like Sprained Ankle with the bright melodies of Interventions + Lullabies. It’s a winning combination, and Practice is an exceptional debut.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Wicked Bears – “Hypothetically”
As they get ready to release their upcoming album, Salt Lake City trio Wicked Bears have given us a pop punk gem with their latest single “Hypothetically.” Underwater will be out March 3rd via Wiretap Records.
Jazmin Lemus | @_Jazmin
Mirsy – You’re Alone
Mirsy, the solo project of Marisa Shirar who also sings in the alternative rock outfit Fleshwater, released her first solo album You’re Alone this past week and it is overflowing with dreamy, soulful, and captivating ballads. Shirar possesses one of the most entrancing voices out there today and You’re Alone is a source of warmth that weaves a calming atmosphere around anyone who chooses to listen and remain.
Loan Pham | @senseofexile
Swim Camp – “No”
Swim Camp just dropped 2 new singles from their upcoming album, and I think “No” is my favorite. It’s an atmospheric song starting with just Thomas Morris’ voice and guitar, the hiss of the recording, and the buzz of guitar strings, making my lofi heart happy. By the end, the rising synths that have been slowly gaining ground overtake the song. The last thing we hear is distortion and feedback, making the silence after the last second seem more profound.
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
Spiral XP – It’s Been a While
On It’s Been a While, Washington’s Spiral XP buzz to life in a reverie of feedback. It’s classic American shoegaze through and through, a powerful and driving statement from one of the genre’s freshest faces.
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’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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