The Alt Weekly Roundup (6/2/25)
Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
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.
illuminati hotties – Nickel on the Fountain Floor
Nickel on the Fountain Floor, the sub-fifteen-minute new EP from illuminati hotties, is the project’s best release in years. From the dream pop lilt of opener “777” to the spacious warbling of “Bright Sun” to the scrappy pop-punk of closer “Skateboard Tattoo,” illuminati hotties covers more ground here than many bands do on their full-lengths, and all of it sounds great.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Spawner – “Diana/Polina”
Earlier this spring, Copenhagen indie pop trio Spawner made their debut with a scuzzy single titled “Can’t Find You” that had me coming back repeatedly. Their second single “Diana/Polina” dives further into their sound and draws on familiar electropop artists like Imogen Heap with magnetic vocals and dreamy melodies that careen between moments of intense euphoria and discomfiture as they explore the confusing dimensions of love.
Loan Pham | @x_loanp
Adjy – “The Festival Grounds”
Adjy adheres to no schedule but their own, and their new single “The Festival Grounds” was released with no prior notice. It comes alive in a similar fashion: after eight seconds of a clean guitar and a plaintive piano melody, the song bursts into color as it picks up speed unexpectedly and gang vocals give each lyric a communal weight. It’s a beautiful, explosive single from one of the most ambitious, exciting bands in the indie rock world, and here’s hoping, as we enter June, there’s more to come from Adjy.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
En Masse – “taketwo”
Post-hardcore band En Masse are quickly becoming one of our favorites here at The Alternative, and their new single “taketwo” explores another side of the band’s dynamic sound. It’s less frenzied than past releases, focusing more heavily on melody and moodier atmospheres. Taking cues from Deftones, it’s one of their most impassioned songs yet, examining the enduring and overcoming of turbulent cycles in romance. Due for release on June 20th through Fever LTD, the singles off their new EP newviolenttrends highlight the charismatic band’s burgeoning identity as they sound more commanding than ever.
Loan Pham | @x_loanp
Wounded Touch – A Vivid Depiction of Collapse
Michigan metalcore crew Wounded Touch take cues from titans of the genre like Every Time I Die, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Converge, on A Vivid Depiction of Collapse, and the result is an unrelenting, frenetic sophomore LP that might one day be discussed the way their influences’ classic records are discussed. The five-piece sounds more confident than ever on A Vivid Depiction of Collapse, tearing through the mathy freakout “Consequence and Broadcast,” the breakneck barrage of “The Damning Variable,” and the sludge of “Vultures Await Them, Son” with equal fervor; they even slow things down a bit on the moody, electronic “And Taketh” without missing a beat. It’s a massive step forward for Wounded Touch, and it’s a standout in a year that’s already seen an embarrassment of riches in the genre.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
The Alternative’s ‘New Music Friday’ playlist
Each week we compile a playlist of songs our staff has been jamming. We post it on Fridays 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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