Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
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The Alternative Weekly Roundup is a column where our staff plugs a variety of new releases in a concise, streamlined format: albums, singles, videos, live sets. Check back every other Monday to see what we were jamming the week prior.
slayr – “Hard Knock”
18-year-old Philly rapper slayr was born out of the internet. With inspirations ranging from the Soundcloud artists of his youth (Lil Uzi Vert and Playboi Carti) to video-game soundtrackers like Crush 40, slayr’s bass-boosted brand of rap-rock is perfect for a younger, more online audience. His technical prowess, however, shines through on “Hard Knock.” His effortless double-time flow skates over an infectious, self-produced synth groove custom-built for the mosh pit. Chock full of flexes and quirky pop culture references, “Hard Knock” is a banger that I’ve kept returning to since Half Blood (BLOODLUXE) dropped.
E.L. Suarez-Thomas | @insomniblvck
Interlay – “Plastic Stars”
Interlay’s last EP, Hunting Jacket, took their sound to darker and dirtier places; new single “Plastic Stars” doubles down, as noisy and crunchy as anything off that EP, but with some of the airiness and melody of their 2020 debut Cicada.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
OHYUNG – “memorial”
Following last year’s explorations of trans identity on the mesmerizing You Are Always on My Mind, singer-composer OHYUNG released the spell-binding ambient record Iowa last week. Across instrumental soundscapes that perfectly capture the expanse and sparseness of the midwest, the twelve-minute closer “memorial” is a touching duet with Iowa City-based artist toyaway. The track, filled with lush string and synth passages, is a tribute to Chris Wiersema, the former programming director of IC’s Mission Creek Festival and a mentor to many up-and-coming Iowan artists. All proceeds of purchases (on Bandcamp and through the Trans Music Archive) go to the Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund.
E.L. Suarez-Thomas | @insomniblvck
Holder – Ruin the Best of Me
Since releasing their self-titled EP in 2024, Massachusetts-based metalcore band Holder has made quite the name for themselves. They fit snuggly into the recent resurgence of early 2000s metalcore in the same conversation with bands like Balmora, Killing Me Softly, and Azshara, and in January they released the long-awaited follow-up to their debut, and it did not disappoint. Something I really enjoyed about their first release is how many of their songs take time to slow down in the middle, from screams to clean vocals with more twinkly guitar sounds and then back to the aggression. Ruin the Best of Me continues that trend masterfully, pulling you in with an explosive start, then giving some room to breathe before punching you in the face with some of the heaviest breakdowns you’ve ever heard. It seems Holder’s only getting better, and I’m already eagerly awaiting their next release.
Daniella Pasquarelli | @lady_0f_shallot
Doused – sckrpnch
Doused has released a few songs here and there since their Murmur, but sckrpnch is their first full release since that LP in 2021 and their first on The Funeral Party. It’s 20 minutes of warbly, starstruck shoegaze in the lineage of MBV; shoegaze groups are a dime a dozen lately and, while Doused isn’t reinventing the genre, they sound refreshing in the current milieu. The final minute of the sparkling “eyelash” is particularly striking, an ambient detour that perfectly sets up the more aggressive “slug.”
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Anjimile – “Waits for Me”
Boston singer-songwriter Anjimile’s new record You’re Free to Go is a gorgeous concoction of theatrical melodic sensibilities and organic indie rock and folk production. Single “Waits for Me” showcases this in spades along with their phenomenal songwriting chops. This song lives in dichotomies: suppression versus freedom (“when I was a little girl I wanted to be free”), dysphoria versus euphoria (“when I was a little boy I wanted to be real”), and “diligence and apathy” versus “memory and empathy.”
E.L. Suarez-Thomas | @insomniblvck
Del Paxton – Dogeared
What an unexpected delight. After Del Paxton blew up their math rock to cosmic proportions on 2023’s expansive Auto Locator they went quiet for a few years. Dogeared, the band’s new EP, dropped on Friday with minimal fanfare, but perhaps they’re feeling modest. Like Auto Locator, these three songs use emo as a jumping-off point to explore a variety of styles and feelings. Opener “Another Heaven” luxuriates in the bouncy math they came up on, while closer “Inside Out” tacks toward the earthier, more spacious style of Auto Locator.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
The Alternative’s ‘New Music Friday’ playlist
Each week we compile a playlist of songs our staff has been jamming. We post it on Fridays and then include it in each edition of the Weekly Roundup to make sure you don’t miss any of the great music we’re recommending.