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.
Altersense – “Miles Away”
Altersense’s debut single “Miles Away” is an ode to following your dreams, and it’s appropriately bright and peppy, a perfect slice of summery powerpop.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Home Invasion – Enemy
Home Invasion’s new record Enemy is what I want from the more straightforward-punk-inflected version of hardcore. It is fast and with at least one memorable dance part and usually an easy enough singalong to glom onto after a few listens. It’s over in seventeen minutes, and I can play it again and again. I saw the replayability firsthand at their release show when they played the album in full. Locals were slamming into each other for minutes, and I even caught a boot to the head from someone platforming off a dining table. It showed that Home Invasion inspires a reckless reaction that is distinct compared to the more heavy hardcore variety.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Leaving Time – “Wish”
I saw Leaving Time in Philly last night, and I was bowled over by how loud they were, the kind of loudness you can feel rattling around in your chest. “Wish,” their new single, is the first track of theirs that really captures how heavy they can be. On their previous EPs, the guitars swaddled you, but on “Wish” they pummel you, bludgeon you.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Step by Step – EP
If you’re deeply invested in 2000s hardcore, it’s easy to gather what Step by Step is going for. The album art for their demo directly references Look Alive, a somewhat forgotten band during the early days of the Lockin’ Out label. The supposed label that put out Step by Step’s demo is called Iron Mind, which I imagine is referencing the Righteous Jams song. The opening riff on “Illusion” seems pretty similar to “Invasion” by Righteous Jams as well. But even without those pretty obvious references, it is a demo I find charming and drawn to play a few times. The fast sections have a purpose, helping to build towards a section where I can imagine ten bodies dancing as it purposely slows down for twenty seconds.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Candescent – Common Enervation
Common Enervation builds off the foundation Candescent laid down on last year’s Through the Eyes of a Stranger to get even heavier, even more technical, and even weirder. There’s almost a sass flair to the vocals at times, which provides a nice contrast to the bracing breakdowns that come on often.
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 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.
The Alternative is 100% supported by our readers. If you’d like to help us write about more great music and keep our site going, you can become a Patron on Patreon, which also allows you to receive extra content, sweet perks, and The Alternative merch, with levels starting at only $2 per month. Everything helps, and if you can’t afford to donate, consider sharing this article and spreading the word about our site! Either way, thanks for reading!