The Alt Weekly Roundup (2/14)
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.
Foreign Hands – “Separation Souvenir”
Listening through Foreign Hands’ Bleed the Dream feels a lot like listening to a Victory Records sampler in 1999. That doesn’t mean that it’s derivative or dated, though – only that it captures that sort of raw heart that made bands like Deadguy or Integrity metalcore legends. Foreign Hands isn’t reinventing metalcore, but they’re giving it their all, and “Separation Souvenir” is a perfect showcase of that.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Riverby – “Baseless”
Riverby’s last EP, Smart Mouth, was a killer blast of TRL-era pop-punk and emo, but their new track, “Baseless” is noticeably heavier, with August Greenberg’s vocals spurred by a righteous anger matched by the intensity of the guitars and active bassline. The lyrics deal with sexual assault with vivid and blunt details in the verse paired with a chorus of “baseless, baseless / it’s all just baseless / you’re not that kind of guy / keep on praying to Jesus / you can take it up with God.” There’s a kick-down-the-fucking-door feeling to the track that makes it a great pick as the first single for the group’s upcoming Absolution — a record we’re pretty psyched for at The Alt.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
The Insides – “In My Way”
“In My Way” is a catchy track from Philadelphia’s The Insides, with an satisfying intro/outro that frames the song nicely.
Madison Van Houten | @madisonvanhalen
Ozzga / Polar Lows – Split
The best kind of split tape is one with a sense of cohesion, where each band, although distinct enough to stand out, has enough in common for the split to feel like a single unified album. The recent split between Ozzga and Polar Lows is one such, where each band pulls as much from the heavier shoegaze trend as they do from the more ethereal, MBV-inspired stuff, leading to a singularly impressive split. Ozzga tends more towards the ambient, spacier end of the spectrum while Polar Lows’ half is darker, but both combine in a great way.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Star Party – “Push You Aside”
Star Party’s new single is a static filled, fuzzed out garage banger. “Push You Aside” sounds like it was left out in the Seattle rain, and the video is a creepy but intriguing trip animated by Casey Hanson. I’m excited to hear more from this band when their debut album Meadow Flower come out March 11th.
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
Xingfoo&Roy – So What Now
Ever since I discovered Xingfoo&Roy on a compilation in 2020 I’ve been obsessed. It’s some of the best emo Singapore has to offer, rivaling any of the more traditional emo fare coming out in the states right now. Late to the Party, their 2018 release, is a high note for the band, compacting everything I love about them into six songs. There would be times when I would just loop the first few tracks on repeat for an entire week until I got tired of them. Now, almost four years later, we have a follow-up, a three-song EP called So What Now. It doesn’t necessarily do anything new, but it still fulfills my need for more material from the band. Sometimes sticking to a formula is more than enough, especially when it’s executed as well as it is by Xingfoo&Roy.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Sadurn – “snake”
Sadurn announced their signing to Run For Cover Records with “snake,” a lilting and lovely indie folk track that shuffles along under vocalist Genevieve DeGroot’s narrative lyrical turns. The repetition-with-slight-variation at the start of each verse creates a nice through line for the song, and lyrics like, “maybe it was wrong to meet you out in State College / as if we were still together, like I was your only option / but I’m not – and you know that I’m not as true as I thought / but I’d still drive for several hours on a dime if you dropped it” are able to evoke universal emotions even in their specificity. The track is a great intro to the band, and their debut full-length Radiator should be one to look out for this spring.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Palm Friends – “Hidden Perks”
Palm Friends’ newest single “Hidden Perks” has all those hallmarks of a great 2010s indie rock song: subtle fuzz, a placid and unstated hook, a neat sub-three-minute runtime. It’s got the crisp energy of an early Slow Pulp or Alvvays song, and it’s not even the best on their upcoming The Delivery.
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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