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.
Avind – “Puslespel”
“Naken,” Avind’s previous single, shifted away from the band’s slick emo sound to incorporate elements of bright indie pop. On “Puslespel,” the Norwegian band returns to their roots, but with the jaunt and confidence of a pop star.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Everyone Asked About You – “Letters Never Sent”
Everyone Asked About You were a late ‘90s midwestern emo / indie pop band from Little Rock, Arkansas, who technically only released a few 7’’ singles in their brief but everlasting years together. More recently, the band reunited to play a few shows for the first time in over 20 years beginning with the 20-year celebration of archival record label Numero Group who have remastered their self-titled EP and a few singles including “Letters Never Sent.” It’s an early emo rendering of duo boy-girl vocal harmonies with arpeggiated melodies and orchestral elements that influenced a number of their peers and artists that followed in their disbandment. Simple and earnest in construction, it feels both timeless and miraculous being able to listen to it today on a streaming platform.
Loan Pham | @senseofexile
Collective Fear – Truly Free at Last?
Truly Free at Last? is dream pop equally informed by the slowcore revivalism of contemporaries like Horse Jumper of Love, the eerie post-punk of late ‘80s The Cure, the jangly emo of the ‘90s, and the heavy shoegaze movement. It’s a perfect melting pot of all the styles that have come to dominate the indie rock world over the past decade or so, and as a document, it’s a great showing from Collective Fear, one that feels like it’ll be a touchstone in its own right in years to come.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Holy Figures – New Superstitions
The North Carolina alternative rock trio Holy Figures released their second EP New Superstitions through New Morality Zine last month and it kicks off with monstrous riffs that oscillate between full sonic submersion and bright soaring moments of rhythmic precision. Featuring two new songs and a deeply satisfying cover of “Savory” from Jawbox, New Superstitions seamlessly combines Holy Figures’ heavy alternative rock and post-hardcore influences to deliver their own modern take on the genre.
Loan Pham | @senseofexile
Bug Moment – The Flying Toad Circus
The internet has the ability to turn any genre of music into a meme. The relatively sonically conservative emo of the ‘90s becomes fifth wave. Pop music, so designed to appeal to the largest number of people, turns into aggressive, chaotic hyperpop. Now it seems to be coming for indie folk. On Bug Moment’s latest record The Flying Toad Circus, they imbue the genre’s traditionally austere palette with ambient beats (“slush,” “face paint”), fuzzy alt rock licks (“lagoon,” “it’s getting dark and you left me at the circus”), glitchy production (“dust mite”), and splashes of thick feedback (“teeth”). It’s like an alternate universe version of Dragon New Warm Mountain aspiring to reach the heights of Wowie Zowie, and it’s excellent.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Modest Director
Modest Director has been doing incredible work lately capturing the Pittsburgh music scene, including shows from Sleeping Witch & Saturn and The Zells–two bands who put out records we loved last year–as well as sick new hardcore act PRINCESS, and a slew of great touring acts like Taking Meds, Soul Glo and Slaughter Beach, Dog. Just last week, he posted concerts from two killer Pittsburgh bands, barroom rockers Rex Tycoon and The Alternative‘s favorite hazy, psychedelic rockers Same, embedded below. Check them out and take a dive into Modest Director’s youtube page, as you’re likely to find gems.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Carb on Carb – “Grounded”
In the five years since Carb on Carb last released a full-length they’ve dropped a couple of standalone singles, but “Grounded” comes with the promise of an LP later this year. It’s also, not for nothing, one of the duo’s best tracks. It’s catchy and sugary without dipping into saccharine territory, it’s driving without getting sloppy. It’s a great taste of LP3, which is sure to be another knockout.
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 post it on Fridays on Twitter 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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