The Alt Weekly Roundup (3/14)
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.
Oceanator – “Stuck”
I was lucky enough to catch Oceanator live twice last fall, and they were incredible both times, thriving off the energy of the environment and the tempos that were slightly heightened from studio recordings of Things I Never Said. Built around a fuzzed-out bassline and a heavy, crunchy riff, the group’s latest single “Stuck” brings that same intense energy. It’s capped off with probably the heaviest run we’ve heard from Oceanator yet, and they seemed poised to catch a lot of people’s attention with Nothing’s Ever Fine if the rest of the record is anywhere near as great as the first two tracks out.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Soul Blind – “Misplaced”
“Misplaced,” the second track off Soul Blind’s Third Chain EP last year, just got an appropriately ‘90s-feeling video. Just as the song is steeped in grunge and shoegaze influences, the video is blurry and trippy, not at all unlike something that’d play on MTV.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Terror – “Can’t Help But Hate”
Any new material from the hardcore titan Terror is a cause for celebration. Throughout their two-decade-long career, they’ve been able to still remain interesting without ever becoming solely a legacy act. It’s allowed them to have multiple phases, releasing defining records for several generations of hardcore kids. But for many, the time with Todd Jones (Nails) is looked at the most fondly; it’s where the band solidified the sound, ending with the release of One With The Underdogs. And for the first time in 18 years, Jones has returned to the band, producing their upcoming record and you can tell the difference with “Can’t Help But Hate.” It sees the band playing at its fastest, a full attack of the listener’s senses for 86 seconds. If the rest of the album even comes close to the high of this track, it should be one of the best releases from Terror in a while.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Heart to Gold – “Overwhelmed”
Heart to Gold’s new single is capital R Rock that sounds like it could kick through a brick wall, but the lyrics are full of insecurities, self doubt, and that negative voice we all seem to have in our head. The claymation video for “Overwhelmed” is very well done and proves that music videos are still a viable artistic medium.
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
Sweet Pill – “Blood”
“Blood,” the first single off Sweet Pill’s upcoming debut LP, finds the band at their most confident. Their riffs are tighter, gritter, heavier, and Zayna Youssef’s never sounded better. Where the Heart Is is a great step forward for the promising Philly band, and it all starts with “Blood.”
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Prince Daddy & the Hyena – “A Random Exercise in Impermanence (The Collector)”
After the unexpected and fantastic left turn of “Curly Q,” it’s almost as if Prince Daddy & the Hyena wanted to reassure the punks out there that, yeah, there are rippers on the new record with the release of “A Random Exercise in Impermanence (The Collector).” It’s classic P Daddy, with manic riffs, screamed vocals, and dark lyrics. But it also shows an expanded sound, pushing into new areas for the band, especially in the coda of “sleep until you’re 39 / then have a little kid / just like your daddy did / then let him watch you sick and growing old / breathe until you’re 45 / then have another kid / Just like your daddy did / then let them watch you sick and growing mold.” Their new self-titled record is out next month via Pure Noise Records.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
RETURNERS – RETURNERS I
RETURNERS is hardcore punk at its most fun, reminding me of Chain Whip or even The Chisel at certain points. The songs on their debut EP burst with fun buoyant energy that serves as a counter to the tough guy elements that pervade the genre. I can just imagine bodies bouncing off of each other in a mosh pit every time I listen to this extremely melodic EP.
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Greyhaven – “Ornaments from the Well”
Greyhaven’s “Ornaments from the Well” is the finale of their immense upcoming LP This Bright and Beautiful World, a haunting, borderline-proggy track. It’s one of the softest songs the Louisville band’s ever put out, and, while it’s extremely different from their typical metalcore, “Ornaments from the Well” is just great.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
King of Heck – Kingo Tape ’22
King of Heck’s demo tape Kingo Tape ’22 is an excellent three-song intro to the band and, hopefully, a foreshadowing of more new music on the horizon. At times light and breezy, raucous at others, the tunes show off a few different sides of the band’s infectious lo-fi rock. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but the ’90s slacker vibes and catchy synth line make “Coast” a great song to play on repeat.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
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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