The Alt Weekly Roundup (8/30)
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.
James Barrett – “The Art of Letting Go”
Fresh off his signing to Refresh Records, James Barrett’s “The Art of Letting Go” lives up to his “stadium-rock M.O” as described by the label. It’s anthemic, filled with trumpet, violin, and cello, yet it still feels deeply personal. It speaks of podcasts sent, ten hour drives, and the heartbreak that comes with saying goodbye to something you’d rather hold on to.
Madison Van Houten | @madisonvanhalen
Chastity – “Dying to Live”
Chastity’s last standalone single “Drain the Bloodbath” was immediately one of their best. “Dying to Live” follows in that mold, a stand-alone single that ranks among their best and really finds the band honing their pop sensibilities. It might seem strange that the band is putting out their most accessible work on the heels of a signing to metal label Deathwish, but perhaps the LP out next year will clear things up.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Jail Socks – “Sick Weather”
Jail Socks continues to deliver ahead of the release of their full-length album, Coming Down. The second single, “Sick Weather,” could have easily been the lead single. It’s a near-perfect pop-punk song, with a chorus that’s simultaneously longing and liberating, full of gang vocal “whoa”s in the background.
Madison Van Houten | @madisonvanhalen
Mono – “Innocence”
Mono is one of the most consistent and impressive bands in the post-rock landscape. “Innocence,” their new single, is no exception, a beautiful testament to the band’s ability, over two decades in, to reinvent themselves and keep pushing the envelope.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Soul Blind – “Third Chain”
Hudson Valley’s Soul Blind are a blend of 1990s grunge and 2010s hardcore. “Third Chain,” their new single off their new EP due out later in September, continues in that style, but elevated: the production is tighter, letting the guitars and drums shine without fuzzing over each other. The best part of the track is at the end – I wish the whining, shredding guitars would go on for a few extra minutes.
Madison Van Houten | @madisonvanhalen
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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