The Alt Weekly Roundup (6/21)
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.
Adjy – “Where June Meets July: IV. O Tonight”
Adjy’s return is rather glorious. “Where June Meets July: IV. O Tonight” is an expansive song. It builds the entirety of its five minutes, blossoming into a gang vocal refrain that feels like a homecoming. It’s a great taste of the band’s upcoming The Idyll Opus: I–VI, a sprawling nearly two-hour long record that feels every bit as massive as that description makes it sound.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
American Beauty / Innerlove. – Split
The first taste of American Beauty & Innerlove.’s split 7” dropped this week with two singles, “Stage Fright” and “Murder.” American Beauty’s “Stage Fright” starts with a dreamy introduction that evolves into an upbeat pop-punk jam. While it hits a lot of familiar beats (“all my friends are drunk/and I’m sober as day cause I drink too much on my own/in my room/late at night thinking of you”), it has a great bridge and ends with a guitar absolutely shredding over the track. “Murder” is slower and a bit more introspective, bringing an interesting contrast and storyline to the split. Ryan O’Rourke wails, “I let you get away with murder,” and the angsty longing from the previous song disappears with the realization that maybe what you had wasn’t perfect after all.
Madison Van Houten | @madisonvanhalen
Ailsa Tully – “Greedy”
Welsh songwriter Ailsa Tully creates a lush, layered ecosystem for her words on her new single “Greedy”. Written about the raw feelings of new beginnings, with the line, “I’m not eating anything \ I’m greedy for your hunger” reminding us what it is to be completely consumed by someone. Tully’s playful vocal style is the perfect fit for the jangly, dream-pop-meets-indie-folk scaffolding of the song.
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
Gnawing – “Blue Moon New”
Gnawing’s latest single, “Blue Moon New,” is a breezy, Silver Jews-esque acoustic track that quietly asserts itself amidst the fuzzed-out rockers on the group’s forthcoming album You Freak Me Out. A lap steel floats above the driving beat throughout, and there’s a sense of peace from singer John Russell’s almost offhand delivery of the lines “damnit, if we’re happy / and we should be / I may be worried about everything / but it ain’t you and me” over the last few moments of the track.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Bad Waitress – “Strawberry Milkshake”
The chorus of Bad Waitress’ “Strawberry Milkshake” goes, “Light pink wet dream/god fearing super queen/blonde demon fresh meat.” I have a soft spot for feminine punk rock energy, and this song is chock-full of it. A driving bass line carries the track; the group’s vocals are confident and rage-fueled, really selling their fury. There’s also a zombie music video to match – it’s grungy and gory and weird.
Madison Van Houten | @madisonvanhalen
Skirts – “True”
“True” shows off a new side of Skirts, an even more downtempo one. It’s a soft and shuffling song that recalls the more Americana-influenced moments on The Weakerthans’ Reconstruction Site and Reunion Tour. It eliminates any doubt that might still have existed after “Always” as to whether or not Great Big Oak would be an incredible album.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Hate Club – “Eat More”
Hate Club’s new single “Eat More” Would be perfectly placed on a skating or surfing game soundtrack. It’s a classic slacker rock song about wanting to do all the things that are good for you but not really accomplishing them. Their album comes out August 13, so catch me soaking up the last of summer’s laidback fun roller skating around my neighborhood with the Albany band’s tunes in my portable tape player.
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
Gang of Youths – “The Angel of 8th Ave.“
Gang of Youths is back after nearly four years of silence. “The Angel of 8th Ave.” is a stadium-sized rock and roll song that would’ve fit perfectly between “What Can I Do If the Fire Goes Out” and “Atlas Drowned” on Go Farther in Lightness. The band has indicated that it won’t be on their next studio album, whenever that’s out, and instead act as a sort of endcap to the previous era of the band –– and what an endcap it is. Whatever’s next, there’s no doubt it’ll be worth the wait.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Young Culture – “Hum”
Picture this – it’s a summer Saturday, and you’ve hit the road with a carful of friends in tow, road tripping somewhere warm. Everyone is singing along to a playlist of songs with feel-good lyrics, including “Hum” by Young Culture. It’s breezy and sweet — if it had been released in the early 2000s, it would fit right in — with a drippy, bright video to match. The lyrics aren’t anything complex (hello, references to Britney Spears and sharing headphones) but no complaints here. “Hum” is all about a catchy chorus and good vibes
Madison Van Houten | @madisonvanhalen
Feigning Grace – Christlike
The debut album from Feigning Grace (ex-Fanfare) treads familiar territory, sure––riding the line between plaintive emo and driving pop-punk doesn’t break ground. But what Christlike does it does very, very well. The album’s softer moments harken back to the work of indie rock luminaries like Jets to Brazil, and they really lend it a gravity that other bands in Feigning Grace’s lane tend to lack.
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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