The Alt Weekly Roundup (2/27)
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.
Public Opinion – Heaven Sent / Dry Clean Only
Many of hardcore’s rising stars are asking the question ‘what if punk drew on classic powerpop?’ Denver’s Public Opinion asks an equally compelling question on their new two-song single: ‘what if hardcore cross-pollinated with early 2000s garage rock?’ By the sounds of Heaven Sent / Dry Clean Only, the results are a rousing success.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Softcult – “Love Song”
The new video from the Canadian twins in Softcult is an ode to love in all of its simple but joyful possibilities and sentimental longings. With lush melodies, luminous chords, and mellow beats, it almost evokes the ethereal element of doo-wop if it were soaked in reverb and romantic daydreams. Building upon their signature style of alternative dream-pop, “Love Song” comes from their upcoming EP see you in the dark available on March 24th.
Loan Pham | @senseofexile
Militarie Gun – “Do It Faster”
“Do It Faster” has everything you’d want in a Militarie Gun song: punchy hooks, raucous riffs, bashing drum beats, a two-minute runtime, Ian Shelton’s signature “OOH OOH” adlib. Fresh off a killer debut album and a remix of “Pressure Cooker” that somehow managed to further invigorate an already-perfect song, Militarie Gun are continuing their hot streak as one of the most exciting acts in hardcore. After a year spent skyrocketing to the top of “Bands to Watch” lists, “Do It Faster” proves that they’ve got no intention of slowing down anytime soon.
Grace Robins-Somerville | @grace_roso
Sunnbrella – Heartworn
David Zbirka describes his music as “beat-driven melancholy,” and he isn’t wrong. On his debut album Heartworn, the brain behind Sunnbrella weaves together breakbeats and reverb-heavy riffs to create a warm, thick quilt of sound. Songs like “Dovetail” and “Ivy League” lean into the dance influence, while “Fever Dream” and the jangly “A Week or So” are indebted to classic shoegaze, and “No More” goes full pop. For as many sounds as Zbirka tries out throughout the record, it keeps a consistent mood and feels like a real immersive experience.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Danvers – “Promise Believer”
There’s a feeling of tradition to Danvers’ new punk rock rambler “Promise Believer” that makes it an instant comfort listen for the type of people who have listened to way too much Lawrence Arms. The drums feel like an assault and the guitars are deceptively busy on the first half until the song turns on a dime, leading into a heavy breakdown that carries through the second half. It’s the fourth track from their upcoming record, which should be a rocker.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Soft Kill – “A Plan to Suffer”
One of two previously unreleased songs from the Savior sessions, Soft Kill’s “A Plan to Suffer” is a quintessential post-punk track. Hypnotic, dark, and driving, it’s the sort of song that although it is rooted in despair, it is a welcoming balm against the darkness of late night winters.
Loan Pham | @senseofexile
Midtown – “Know It All”
It’s surreal hearing a new Midtown song in 2023. Their cover of Lagwagon’s “Know It All” is their first release in nearly 20 years, and it genuinely sounds like it could be a holdover from their early scrappy pop-punk days. From the three-part harmonies to the track’s production, it feels like classic Midtown, and even if it’s a cover, it feels like home.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Julez and the Rollerz – “Be Something New”
Growing out of a slinky bass line and lounge lizard vocals, “Be Something New” by Julez and the Rollerz takes the desire to shed your skin and turns it into one hell of a rocker. Organs float above a smooth guitar solo and the tune is full of clever lyrical turns warranting repeat listens. The group’s upcoming EP should definitely be on the radar of anyone who loves grimy garage rock that remembers to have fun.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Grassface – “Banshee”
Grassface is a reunion of sorts. Over two decades ago, Annie Saunders (This is My Fist) and Jake Levee (Candian Rifle) played together in Ambition Mission and made the kind of scrappy punk that Crimpshrine and The Lawerence Arms fans would enjoy. Grassface is no different, obscuring its inherent pop sensibilities in a layer of grime.
Hugo Reyes @hvreyes5
Wednesday – “Bath County”
“Bath County,” the latest single from Wednesday’s masterful Rat Saw God, zeroes in on one of the band’s greatest strengths: Karly Hartzman’s slice-of-life lyricism. Dotted with images of Planet Fitnesses in strip malls, “piss-colored bright yellow Fanta,” and listening to Drive By Truckers cruising with your best friends, it feels like reliving a memory, set against a backdrop of muscular, nightmarish dream pop.
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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