Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
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.
Rose Ceremony – iteration ii
Texas screamo band Rose Ceremony made their debut on the four-way split Flint Spark Fire Ashes almost two years ago with maybe the two most intriguing songs on there, and they’ve just made good on that promise with iteration ii. The four-piece’s debut LP is extremely heavy, gesturing towards metalcore at points, but also manages moments of surprising melodicism, like the break in “CAN YOU MAKE OUT LIKE A DEAD POODLE FOR THE SAKE OF CONVERSATION?” or the first half of “SLAUGHTER CREEK.” Rose Ceremony can do it all.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Starflyer 59 – “No Sweat”
“No Sweat” is the longest song on alt rock/ shoegaze band Starflyer 59’s latest album Lust For Gold and it’s a haunting trek through years worth of sorrowful contemplations. The bluesy slow burner builds up and outward, echoing guitars shimmering like heat rising off pavement, and it feels particularly fitting as fire season in the southwest burns the sky into a soft dusty gold filled with smoke, ash, and the final pangs of an endless summer.
Loan Pham | @x_loanp
Allegra Krieger – Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine
Allegra Krieger’s I Keep My Feet on the Fragile Plane stood out last year in part because of Krieger’s ability to approach this kind of folky, generally “indie” type of songwriting from such a unique angle. Even the way she plays guitar has a distinct feel, and you’re as likely to be pulled into one of these songs from a subtle slide into a chord as you from an opening line like “I had a dream the night before the fire / that I killed someone.” Her new record Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine adds a little more accompaniment in a natural way that still keeps the focus on Krieger’s lyrics while giving us some more rocking moments like in the extended jam on the back half of “Where You Want to Go.” The pre-release singles all fall on the first half, but the record is far from front-loaded, as everything after “Interlude for the Undefined” is stunning. It’s a testament to the strength of this record that Krieger was able to hold these tunes back for the release while still putting out some killer tracks as singles. At a time when rock fans are raving about a certain record jammed with sardonic songwriting and guitar solos (that I thought was fine! You all should get on a Grateful Dead kick if you never have), you hope that Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine can draw some of that energy that seems to be in the air lately.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Trace Mountains – “Hard to Accept”
“Hard to Accept” is one of the best songs on Trace Mountains’ upcoming Into the Burning Blue, an all-around exceptional album that might be their best work to date. It takes the foundation of their hazey heartland rock and stretches it to its furthest edges, and “Hard to Accept” is a great example. Dave Benton’s voice carries some Brandon Flowers swagger as he sings of heaven and Coast to Coast AM and in its bridge the song opens up into the biggest earworm Benton’s ever penned, leaving us with a call to make “a wreck of the whole damn thing” as a flute solo plays the song out. If this is Trace Mountains’ idea of a wreck, I’d love to see what they consider a success.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Yvette Young – “Always”
Yvette Young has been releasing music for years, primarily with the instrumental trio Covet, and while she’s known for her jazzy math rock guitar licks, Young has entered a new era in which she is challenging herself to explore different sonic avenues of expression. Her first solo single “Always” takes on an ’80s electropop-inspired sound, pulling away from the stylings of previous releases and tapping into the bright retro warblings of another time. It’s an interesting direction for Young and I can’t wait to see where else she goes with her solo endeavors.
Loan Pham | @x_loanp
Wasted Space – Anyway, Anyway, Anyway…
“I’m not your girl, man / we’re just a punk band,” michaela doorjamb spits out on “Holden Caulfield Syndrome,” the ripping opener to Wasted Space’s Anyway, Anyway, Anyway…. It’s a great introduction to a record that also argues Wasted Space is a pretty damn good punk band. The group wastes no time getting into loud and fast punk, but there’s also a sense that the band’s in no rush here. There are some quick-hit tunes, but the overall tendency is to stretch things out and get a little more creative instrumentally. “I Failed the Turing Test and Now They’re Sending Me Off to Reboot Camp!!” for example feels like it’s going to be a breakneck punk tune all the way until all of a sudden it flips with a bass interlude that leads to one of the record’s many gnarly guitar solos. The lovesick “No Worriez” balances catchy melody with a dose of self-destruction, the hook in “The Free wednesdays Movement, Pt. 2” is positively hammering, and “Sugarfoot” is Wasted Space at their most unleashed, making for a solid run on the first half. It’s the end of the record, though, where Wasted Space really impress, first with the patient “You Forgot Your Floaties” (which has an appropriately underwater feel to the production) and then with the massive “Drumhed,” which uses a lovely little riff as a jumping off point for the record’s closing theatrics.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Welcome Strawberry – Stargel
I was stoked when I saw Welcome Strawberry had a new EP out, and then I was bummed when I saw it was just the previously-released single “Stargel” plus three remixes. But now listening to it I can’t help but get stoked again; TrickyFM, forever☆, and Kai Tak take the bones of dancey, gazey track and each flip it into something completely new. It suggests a variety of possible different directions Welcome Strawberry can take, and they’re all equally exciting.
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.
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