The Alt Weekly Roundup (2/8)
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.
Joe Vann—Found in the Smoke
Joe Vannuchi is known for his work as the frontman of indie collective From Indian Lakes, but he’s making a name for himself on his own now. Found in the Smoke is his first LP as Joe Vann, and it takes the delicate breathy indie rock of his main project and melds it with the folk he grew up on. He’s got a few more tricks up his sleeve, too, like swaggering electronic flourishes. At times, like on “Houseplants,” Found in the Flood feels like playing every Bon Iver record at once.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
The Living Strange—“High”
Loaded with synths, the driving beat behind The Living Strange’s “High” is an immediate earworm. Part new wave, part power-pop, the track’s dynamic breakdown at the bridge is meant to pulse through your headphones.
Madison Van Houten | @madisonvanhalen
Arm’s Length—”Garamond”
“Garamond,” the first single from the upcoming Arm’s Length EP Everything Nice, is nearly everything I like about emo music in one song. It’s no wonder, I guess, I’ve been seeing this band hyped up by all the genre’s big names.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Sloping—Completed Songs
Sloping’s upcoming debut LP Completed Songs is quietly stunning, a gorgeous collection of songs that show songwriter JJ Posway’s gift for crafting a heavy mood using very few tools. The latest song from the project “Fitting Room” coats Posway’s vocals in a thin layer of manipulation that makes this track sound a little like a Bellows song brought down to its smallest, quietest form. It’s a great place to start to get Collected Songs, out February 26, on your radar.
Jordan Walsh | @jordalsh
Skullcrusher—”Song for Nick Drake”
Skullcrusher’s new single is appropriately titled. “Song for Nick Drake” is a soft and pretty singer-songwriter type tune that’d make the British folk singer proud.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Future Teens—”Guest Room”
“If I’m gonna be somebody deliberately alive / how can I do it right?” asks Amy Hoffman on “Guest Room”, the powerful and punchy lead single off of Future Teens’ forthcoming EP. I wish the answer was easier. Though 2020 is behind us, I know that myself and many others spent the year fighting their way out of a dark place. If you’re feeling equally unsure of where to go next and spending hours FaceTiming your therapist to ask, give this a listen.
Madison Van Houten | @madisonvanhalen
The Luka State—Fall In Fall Out
Listening to Fall In Fall Out is an odd experience because sort of post-punk that The Luka State makes is rare these days. It’s a bit of a throwback to the days of Interpol and Franz Ferdinand, but a song like “Girl” absolutely doesn’t feel dated.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Pardoner—Came Down Different
Pardoner’s scuzzy indie rock is always worthwhile listening and their last LP Playin’ on a Cloud was one of the most under appreciated records of 2019. The band returned this week with “Donna Said” and an announcement that they’ve signed to Bar/None Records, which both make me hopeful that Pardoner will finally get the recognition they deserve. “Donna Said” falls in line with their earlier sound but feels bigger, a heavy punk riff giving way to a noodling deadpan hook.
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.
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