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.
SAVAK – “Leash Biter”
“Leash Biter,” the lead single from SAVAK’s upcoming sixth LP Flavors of Paradise, is taut post-punk with its head in the clouds even with its eyes focused firmly on its shoes. It’s cleaner and a little looser than a lot of their previous work, which suits the five-piece nicely.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Rejoice – All of Heaven’s Luck
On their debut LP All of Heaven’s Luck, Rejoice tear through eight blackened hardcore tracks in in twenty minutes, and Nathan Snitchler’s lyrics are as vicious as his delivery. He shrieks of “bloodsucking” and of the “corporate cross,” a vision of capitalism as a death cult: “working-class Jesus strung up on a dollar sign.” The music behind him matches the mood; these songs are immense and violent, all jagged metal riffs and punk breakdowns. It’s the first great hardcore release of ’24.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Lemmings – Two Track
Lemmings dropped Two Track on Christmas, and it can only be assumed that this is the band’s gift to the emo community. Few bands are doing this sound right now, this bright, jangly sound that gestures vaguely in the direction of pop-punk but never crosses that line. To any fans of Oso Oso, Macseal, or I’m Glad It’s You–Lemmings is your new favorite band.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Capillary – Capillary
Comprising members of shoegaze group All Under Heaven and hardcore crew Not One Truth, Capillary is a chance to do something distinctly different from either project. They’ve described the band as their attempt to move into the emo realm, citing bands like Title Fight. They channel that sound excellently, and Capillary slides in nicely next to an album like Little Green House.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
ANORAK! – “The Same Gloomy Look”
You know ANORAK! You love ANORAK! Their new single “The Same Gloomy Look” is two minutes of raw noodling emo with enough grit to keep you locked in. All proceeds from the song will go to victims of the recent Noto Peninsula earthquakes.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Siilk – Fall in place
Siilk plays washy, full-throated alternative metal. That’s a popular style these days, but their debut full-length Fall in place manages to stand out. The glitchgaze of brief opener “Wake up” quickly melts into the skyscraping “Inside my head,” and from there Siilk never lets up. Unlike many of the bands tapping similar wells, Siilk isn’t afraid to lean into the griminess of metal, and tracks like “Papaya” and “Freak angel” feature ample screaming. It’s a more faithful, dirtier take on the sound than a lot of their peers have attempted, and fans of anything from Deftones to to cursetheknife can find something to love in the four-minute temper tantrum “Magnesium dreams.”
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Pile of Love – Super Sometimes
All this talk of power pop, and Pile of Love never comes up. Their tags on Bandcamp even include Gin Blossoms and Guided by Voices, for God’s sake. Their Super Sometimes EP makes good on that promise, sugary-sweet riffs and airy hooks that feel absolutely effortless.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
7th Jet Balloon – “Purple”
7th Jet Balloon released an excellent EP last year that received woefully little attention despite its great blend of a bunch of different emo subgenres–mathy without being overly showy, poppy without becoming pop-punk, gruff without being too screamy. Their new single “Purple” continues that trend, a perfect sampler of all 7th Jet Balloon’s abilities in a tight four-minute package.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Loveblaster – The Way Things Work
This weekend was the first snow of the year, and Loveblaster’s debut LP The Way Things Work was a perfect soundtrack to the soft flurries. It’s spare, tender slowcore that makes ample use of space; there are no moments of cathartic fuzz or layers of guitar to be found here. This is a record for quiet and contemplation, and it’s beautiful.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
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