The Alt Weekly Roundup (4/5)
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.
Marquis Lavoie—“Knowing You”
On his new EP Something Like This, But Not This, Marquis Lavoie makes warm, emotionally tender indie-folk in the vein of Saintseneca or Trace Mountains. All seven songs are out now, but its lead single “Knowing You” is a good place to start. “Maybe this romance under different circumstance could last / But we don’t have the time / And well, you don’t want to try / So let it pass,” he croons over autumnal instrumentation that swells like bonfire smoke.
Eli Enis | @eli_enis
New You—New You
Blake Turner is currently best known for his excellent dream pop project Mourning Collective, but that likely won’t be the case much longer. His newest release is called New You, and it’s a tasty slice of power-pop that should appeal to fans of bands like Camp Trash or I Love Your Lifestyle.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Pinkshift—Saccharine
Saccharine, the debut EP from Pinkshift…rips (frankly, there’s no other way to describe it). After slowly rolling out four singles over the course of 2020, the Baltimore group compiled them into this explosive EP including the new single “Mars”. Ashrita Kumar’s vocals are reminiscent of the early 2000’s pop-punk scene, and they deliver lyrics like, “Cherry vodka, sweet red lips/I would sure love a cherry kiss from you” with a handful of snark. Every track has an incredible energy to it and every riff is punchy enough to get stuck in your head. Saccharine is begging to be heard in a pit with the crowd shrieking every word.
Madison Van Houten | @madisonvanhalen
Dim—”Start Over Again”
There’s any number of bands who came out in the post-Circa Survive landscape and decided that was their lane: high-pitched, pretty vocals, proggy riffs, catchy hooks. What distinguishes Dim from all of them is that Dim is incredible. “Start Over Again” does have some clear Circa influence, but the band carves their own path on their debut single, with horns that give the song a unique color and Matt Mulkey’s gorgeous soaring vocals to set them apart.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Marjorine—”Salton Sea”
“Salton Sea” being the first fully-formed track under the moniker Marjorine, Nicholas Comaratta makes a splash into Krautrock. Immersing the listener into the world of hypnotic guitar riffs and a steady rhythm, the psychedelic framework of the single transports anyone to a much hazier reality. The track builds to a satisfyingly executed shoegaze fusion that will have one hanging by its thread long after its over.
Hope Ankney | @hope_ankleknee
Arise, Sir!—It Could Be So Simple
The third EP by Indiana one-man band Arise, Sir! is a real delight. Alex Kessler’s take on pop-punk isn’t as in-your-face or obnoxious as the genre usually connotes; It Could Be So Simple falls closer to the fun subtleties of the earlier Relient K releases than it does to, say, the over-the-top heartbreak of Man Overboard.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Elder Island—Swimming Static
The freshest release from Elder Island comes as the last album teaser for their new record Swimming Static out on May 28th. “Sacred” falls in line with past work from the band, alluringly hypnotic vocals courtesy of lead singer Katy Sargent with a slow but sticky beat that builds to an ethereal climax. The booming synths and wide-open soundscape earns its place as one of the most solid dance-tracks in Elder Island’s discography.
Hope Ankney | @hope_ankleknee
Hailaker / S. Carey—”Wavepool”
Few collaborations make more sense than this one. Hailaker’s music has recently drifted into the electro-folk space Bon Iver carved out on 22 a Million, so finding out that the UK duo had teamed up with S. Carey was like a dream come true. “Wavepool” is as gorgeous as we could expect, a delicate and airy ballad that calls to mind James Vincent McMorrow’s forays into electronics with a smidge more confidence.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Bad Waitress—”Too Many Bad Habits”
If there’s anything to say about punk-rock four piece Bad Waitress’ new single, “Too Many Bad Habits,” it’s that the single embodies rowdy rough fun with a scorching aftertaste. Leaning on the themes of how bad habits can cause body-aching guilt, it feels like a cathartic release of pent-up frustration when one is at their breaking point. As the band says: “It’s screaming into the faces of the devil and angel whispering in your ear.”
Hope Ankney | @hope_ankleknee
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.
