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.
Wilt – “Dolly’s”
On “Dolly’s,” North Carolina’s Wilt pare down their sound into a condensed slice of post-rock. It feels of a piece with work from projects like Caspian or This Will Destroy You more than the dream pop Impressionism of debut single “Play Dead.” At only four minutes, it’s a song that suggests far more than it shows, and it suggests that Wilt’s got a very bright future.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Punchlove – “Guilt”
“Guilt,” the third single from Punchlove’s forthcoming Channels, begins as a jangly dream-pop number before an avalanche of distorted guitars arrive in the chorus and reshape the track; less than a minute later, though, it’s right back to that soft, washy ballad. For most shoegaze bands, the quiet moments are just biding time until the next drop, but Punchlove manages to make both modes equally compelling.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Bowel – Rotten Fecal Duct
For years, the only way to listen to Bowel was through blogspots and an occasional now-deleted YouTube link. It made Rotten Fecal Duct an object of fascination for those, myself included, who love the Cleveland hardcore sound molded by Integrity, Ringworm, Confront, and countless others. It was an EP so adored that Live It Down covered the intro on a recent promo released last year. Because of that, Bowel’s arrival on streaming feels important, hopefully opening up new listeners to a once-lost piece of Cleveland hardcore.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Babyxsosa – “Jasia”
Babyxsosa’s new single “Jasia” builds on the template of last year’s exceptional self-titled EP. Its sparse, shimmering production is a perfect complement to the cascading vocal effects, and the song is absolutely gorgeous.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Glixen – “foreversoon”
Glixen’s new single “foreversoon” is heavier and more abrasive than anything on their 2023 debut EP She Only Said, but it retains the band’s lilting hooks and honeyed melodies, so it never feels overbearing.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
They Hate Change – Wish You Were Here…
Wish You Were Here…, the new EP from They Hate Change, is the first time they’ve delegated production duties to outside collaborators; as such, some of the beats on the EP are a little less off-the-wall than might be expected from the Tampa, FL, rap duo. But it’s a sliding scale, and there are plenty of wild moments on here: the d’n’b break that interrupts “Biscuits” (while Dre and Vonne never miss a beat), Cherele’s barnburner verse on the handclap-laden party track “So Excited,” the five beat switch-ups on closer “Wallabies & Weejuns.”
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Bleak – “My Body Is Not Where I Belong”
It’s a bold move naming your band Bleak, but this New Mexico quintet is up to the challenge. “My Body Is Not Where I Belong,” the B-side to their new Watching from Behind Dead Eyes single (backing the two-minute instrumental title track), is crushingly heavy to the point of claustrophobia. For six nearly minutes the alt-metal band lay breakdown over breakdown, and sandwiched between is a genuinely beautiful chorus.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
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