The Alt Weekly Roundup (4/19)
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.
Burial Waves—”Light Heads”
Burial Waves’ proper debut single sounds like a revelation. “Light Heads” feels like a glimpse into what Pianos Become the Teeth might’ve become if they’d kept going in the direction of “Hiding”, or what might’ve happened if vocalist Kyle Durfey had joined Caspian full-time. It’s at once gorgeous, expansive post-rock and punishing post-hardcore as thrilling as any of the members’ main projects.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Downhaul—”Standing Water”
It’s no secret that Before You Fall Asleep was my favorite album of 2019, and it’s early, but I think Downhaul might’ve topped it. Exhibit one is “Standing Water,” the band’s new single and the one most representative of what to expect from Proof. Songs are longer and more restrained, choruses are subtler, and there’s a bit more emphasis on what’s going on behind Gordon Phillips’ voice. But, as always, his lyrics are a selling point here as the song’s final lines are some of his most evocative: “Candescent light trails drift toward the shipyard / and I still hear you talk / captured in every landmark.” This time, though, the music behind him has a new gravity to match the intensity of his words.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Waxflower—We Might Be Alright
The coming summer will bring with it a whiff of normalcy, and if you find yourself driving in the car with your friends with the windows down, celebrating being wild and vaxxed and free, Waxflower’s new EP We Might Be Alright is here to provide you with the perfect soundtrack. The Brisbane quartet takes a cue from bands like Kisschasy and Jimmy Eat World, influences you can hear in their bright, poppy brand of alt rock. Bop to “Not Alone” and scream along to “Fake Frown;” you deserve to be happy.
Michelle Bruton | @MichelleBruton
Sailor Down—“I Get It”
Singer-songwriter and illustrator Chloe Deeley’s debut single “I Get It” off her upcoming EP Skip the Line provides only gentle energy. Deeley is careful with her cadences, like driving at night on a winding road. The verses are packed and stretched in the three-minute song of guitar, timid harmonies, and Deeley’s echoing voice that would fill an empty church. Nothing feels stifled. What’s intentionally sparse proves her songwriting to be as sincere as it can be. And “I Get It” is a humbling prelude for what’s to come.
Jane Lai | @soldtogod3000
Cesca Tores—”Ophelia”
“Ophelia,” Cesca Tores’ debut single, was bouncy and fuzzy. By contrast, “Dandelion” seems particularly understated. Built around a meandering bassline, her latest gives us a glimpse into a reigned-in version of Tores. Taken together, both songs suggest she’ll be someone to watch over the rest of 2021.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
My Own Desert Island—”Poor Paradise”
My Own Desert Island is the solo project of Jake Pachasa of Equipment and Waving, and after hearing “Poor Paradise” I am pretty excited about his upcoming EP. I’m a sucker for strummy acoustic guitar and sun-drenched vocals. It’s the perfect song for laying in the grass and feeling wistful.
Jami Fowler | @audiocurio
Doused—Murmur
It’s hardly a secret that I’ve been bored with a lot of shoegaze that’s come out recently, but Murmur is not one of those albums. The debut LP by Philadelphia’s Doused feels like a clear descendent of Loveless, a thick quilt of an album you feel like you can get wrapped in for days.
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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