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.
Emily Yacina – Trick of the Light w/ Nothing Lasts
Emily Yacina’s new two-song single is her most pop-forward material yet. Co-produced with Rostam Batmanglij, both songs would fit well on modern radio. The A-side, which features drumming from Danielle Haim, is synth-led pop rock par excellence, and “Nothing Lasts” pairs Yacina’s elastic voice with a skittering beat and violins. Trick of the Light w/ Nothing Lasts is a gamble for someone whose previous work was likely most comparable to that of frequent collaborator Alex G, but Yacina absolutely nails this sound.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
We Are Joiners – NORA
We Are Joiners came out with a new EP last month, called NORA, that packs a garage rock punch. My favorite track might be “Antibodies,” a chaotic lo-fi banger that jitters and skitters while still being catchy. Great for fistfighting your demons.
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
Get Well, Kid – It All Goes Away
Somehow Sydney, Australia’s Get Well, Kid has managed to sound more midwest emo than actual midwest emo bands in the U.S. and they pull it off really well. The second album It All Goes Away is a vaguely nostalgic lo-fi indie excursion that veers into twinkly math rock territory and sounds wistful for all the moments slipping away in time while running at full speed in an attempt to hold onto them. It’s an album full of bright crescendos that reaches for seemingly distant glimmers of hope even when it feels nearly impossible.
Loan Pham | @x_loanp
Briston Maroney – “I Told You So”
This Briston Maroney track already sounds like a classic. Halfway through your first listen, when the falsetto fades and the drums pick up, you’ll want to be singing along to the lyrics you couldn’t possibly know yet. Briston Maroney has had a few hits so far, and this one might just be another for the list.
Henderson Cole | @HendoSlice
flowerbomb – Gloom Scroll Vol. 1
It’s a wonder the songs on Gloom Scroll Vol. 1 hadn’t been written yet. The latest EP from flowerbomb is packed wall-to-wall with melodies so intuitive and familiar they nearly feel like standards. The first three tracks are powerful alt rock cuts, but when the band takes things down a notch for closer “I Don’t Wanna Know,” they strike gold; it’s an expansive, windswept track that layers keys and harmonies atop one another until the floor falls out from the weight and vocalist Rachel Kline is left to pick up the pieces.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
The Home Team – “Brag”
As a self proclaimed pop-punk hater, I often feel like a lot of bands in the genre often fall too much in the middle for me – not heavy enough or not poppy enough. The Home Team’s new song “Brag” hits all of those notes. It’s got both the heavy guitars and hooky, boy-band charm. After seeing the music video pop up on my timeline, it’s been an earworm for me all weekend.
Madison Van Houten | @madisonvanhalen
Kairo – After Forever
Kairo’s second EP After Forever is a huge step up from 2022’s Wither. Their latest release sees the alternative rock band embracing chunkier, faster-paced melodies that careen and expand within the tighter rhythmic structures that allows them to retain their heavy grunge / shoegaze blend without sounding too dense or washed out. It’s a stronger effort than their debut and sounds like a bigger, cleaner step towards an eventual solid full length release.
Loan Pham | @x_loanp
bedbug – “halo on the interstate”
bedbug create the kind of lofi bedroom guitar music that instantly hooks me with their confessional lyrics and delightfully off-kilter sound. Their new single “halo on the interstate” shows the band honing their sound, creating space for experimentation, and I am so excited for this album to drop in March. Added bonus: Owen says this song is about “playing Halo: Combat Evolved while you’re driving a car.”
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
Willow Avalon – “Honey Ain’t No Sweeter”
Willow Avalon is a singer songwriter from Georgia who combines the more typical Southern country sound with almost Lana Del Rey smooth melodies. Her new single “Honey Ain’t No Sweeter” is a perfect example of this formula working well.
Henderson Cole | @HendoSlice
fallingwithscissors – the death and birth of an angel
On their new EP, fallingwithscissors take from the best of cybergrind and metalcore to create something that stands independent of either genre. On “Atrophy:Angel,” they sneak genuine earworm hooks in between blisteringly heavy walls of noise, while “tripping > wires” recalls the glitchy metallic hardcore of Vein.fm. Both styles are popular lately, but the death and birth of an angel manages to provide a fresh, compelling take.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Rosie Tucker – “All My Exes Live in Vortexes”
A feverish and swirling nightmare of consumerist guilt that blends intertwining guitars with imagery of piss-filled bottles, Rosie Tucker’s latest “All My Exes Live in Vortexes” is a galvanizing return for the talented songwriter who already has a few incredible and idiosyncratic full-lengths under their belt. The tune is the first off Tucker’s upcoming UTOPIA NOW! which is likely to be a standout record this spring.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Since Torino – “Everything Else”
Since Torino’s latest single strips things back. The band’s brand of placid, dreary folk rock is already pretty pared-down, but “Everything Else” veers towards Codeine territory with its loping beat; flashes of harmonica help lend some rootsy color. It’s a great sound for the young band.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
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