The Alt Weekly Roundup (11/8)
Posted: by The Editor
The Popdosemagazine 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.
The Dangerous Summer – “The Best Part of Letting Go”
The Dangerous Summer’s latest single picks up right where their All That Is Left of the Blue Sky EP left off. A soaring ballad, “The Best Part of Letting Go” perfects the piano-driven sound they cultivated there, resulting in one of the band’s most unique – and maybe even best – tracks to date.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Gospel – “SRO”
In the insular world of screamo, The Moon Is a Dead World is considered legendary. Gospel was able to take the genre in an unforeseen direction, bringing in proggy elements that would often extend into minute-long jam sessions. It’s now sixteen years later and we surprisingly have a followup to their only record with the song “SRO.” Instead of being a retread, “SRO” feels just as novel as anything else they’ve released and expands on their already defined sound, bringing in a saxophone and a synth to fill out their six-minute epic.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Sinking – Petunia b/w Mystery
Sinking’s been one of the best emo bands around for a few years now, and they’ve never gotten the attention they’ve deserved. What makes them so unique is they’re one of the only ones that really feel ripped from the ‘90s, from that same scene that birthed Samiam and Knapsack. Their newest single, “Petunia,” feels like it’s taken from the alternate universe where Mineral followed their punk roots and made a full record out of “Sadder Star.” The B-side, a cover of Wiper’s “Mystery,” is one of the band’s biggest rippers yet.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Summer 2000 – Summer 2000
Summer 2000 originally started as a way for Jacob West to process the orthodox religion he grew up with and his uncoupling from it when he turned 18. On his debut record John Kraszinski, he uses slowcore-tinged indie rock as his canvas, drawing listeners close without ever being totally boring and only occasionally leaning into the recognizable features of fifth wave emo. Instead of continuing to delve into the sounds of the debut, the followup EP is much more indicative of the online scene West is part of. There is more of that lo-fi sound that acts like Civil War In France and Your Arms Are My Cocoon are spearheading, but it’s done in a way that still feels distinctive for Summer 2000, embedding just enough dreamy indie rock to give the songs some variety.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Caracara – “Hyacinth”
Trapped somewhere inside Caracara, buried under layers of jazzy horns and post-rock ambience, there exists a straight-up rock band. We’ve caught glimpses of that version of the group before – the almost post-punk “Burn Me I’m Made of Matches” and “Another Night” off Summer Megalith come to mind, or “Learn Your Love” off the Better EP – but on “Hyacinth” all that energy that’s been simmering under the band’s indie exterior comes to the fore. It’s likely one of the band’s most straightforward tracks, but the trade off with that is that it’s also one of their most immediate.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
MH Chaos – MH Chaos
Chicago’s history with beatdown runs deep, dating back to the early 2000s when bands like The Killer and Harms Way were its main representatives. MH Chaos is well aware of this history and still manages to make an increasingly crowded sub-genre feel fresh on their self-titled debut. The guitar playing is distinctive enough so as to keep the listeners attention, and the vocals in particular have an ineffable charisma that makes me compelled to return to these songs again and again.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Black Country, New Road – “Bread Song”
There’s a decent chance “Bread Song” is the best thing Black Country, New Road has ever put out. Without sacrificing the off-the-wall experimentation that made For the First Time such a unique listen, the latest single from their upcoming Ants from Up There is perhaps the band’s most accessible song yet, a jazzy, horn-driven blend of post-rock, indie rock, freak folk, and whatever else the London seven-piece can fit into the song’s six minutes.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
The Popdosemagazine’s ‘New Music Friday’ playlist
Each week our editor Lindsy Carrasquillo compiles a playlist of songs our staff has been jamming. We’ll post it on Fridays on Twitter and then include it in each edition of the ‘Weekly Roundup’ to make sure you don’t miss all of the great music we’re recommending.
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