The Alt Weekly Roundup (5/16)
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.
Double Gainer – Such Is Life
Such Is Life takes the foundation laid down by Double Gainer’s B-Sides & Rarities EP and trims any of the fat. It’s twenty minutes of driving, nostalgic pop-punk without any of the cliches or baggage.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Fime – “White Collar Gold”
Fime’s “White Collar Gold” starts with an arpeggiated guitar and notably ’90s feel underneath lyrics like “you call the shots steadfast and sober / a patrician point of view / you play the boss and I’m the soldier” before blowing up into an anthemic rocker awash in distorted guitars, bombastic drum fills, and a sci-fi synth that floats above everything. It’s an instantly enjoyable rock tune, and the group’s upcoming record Sweeter Memory should definitely be one to check out.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Gentle Heat – Sheer
I’ve become a little jaded by the recycled, chugging textures of much of current shoegaze, but Gentle Heat’s punchy melodies make me want to listen to the genre again without smoking ungodly amounts of weed first. Their second full-length Sheer feels as indebted to Dinosaur Jr. as The Swirlies, never sacrificing intelligible riffs for atmosphere and vice versa. “It Is,” “A Reprieve,” and “Total Orbit” are my favorite cuts, but the whole album deserves your ears.
Chris Burleson | @chris_b_kreme44
All Get Out – “AA Almanac”
Much of All Get Out’s fourth LP, as previous singles suggest, leans into warm, folk-inflected indie rock. But the band’s latest single, “AA Almanac,” takes the complete opposite tack; it’s the band’s heaviest, most aggressive song since their phenomenal Movement EP in 2015, a six-minute romp through bludgeoning riffs and Nathan Hussey’s throat-rending yelps.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Kotic Couture – “The Makings”
Kotic Couture’s “The Makings” starts out as a shit-talking track with a chill but bouncy beat and lines that keep building off ideas like “bombs over Baltimore / baby we drop missiles.” A marked shift comes about two minutes in and the beat turns more contemplative and the flow a little looser. The whole thing has the feeling of a late night burn ride or solo walk through the city, with lines like “stomach roll like tumbleweeds in these food deserts” that are as impactful as they are clever. “The Makings” is the first single off Couture’s upcoming record Late to the Party.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Slo TV – Incomplete Structures
The debut LP from Philly’s Slo TV carries with it the confidence of a veteran band’s tenth record. Incomplete Structures bounces through Weatherbox-indebted weirdo indie rock (“Keep Up”), jangly dream pop (“Wyncliffe”), tense and heavy post-slowcore (“Hall of Egress,” “Free Hands”), and gleaming post-rock (“red lake”). It’s impressive how much they manage to pack into only half an hour, and it’s even more impressive how well it all comes together.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Ezra Furman – “Forever in Sunset”
Ezra Furman announced her new record All of Us Flames last week with the release of “Forever in Sunset,” a gripping and gorgeous track. The verses are driven by a reserved, pulsating bassline and haunting synth melodies that mark a contrast with the explosive, cinematic choruses. Furman’s voice echoes the alternating musical vibes, sounding delicate and emotional at times, and confidently affirming at others. It’s a tune you’ll wanna listen to over and over again, and seems to suggest that All of Us Flames will be something special.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Corey Mastrangelo – “Diamonds in the Snow”
Corey Mastrangelo’s work in Vasudeva established him as a master of his craft, blending post-rock textures and structures with dance beats and energy. He’s doing the same with his solo work, and his latest single “Diamonds in the Snow” might be his biggest yet, a bouncy, club-ready banger.
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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