Posted: by The Editor
The Alternative 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.
Durendal – Monument
The latest in a string of great metalcore EPs out on The Coming Strife, Durendal’s debut Monument stands out from the pack thanks to Will McLaughlin’s charisma and versatility as a vocalist. He’s unpredictable, shifting rapidly from anguished shrieks to throaty growls, and his clean vocals are equally as compelling. They’re used sparingly, mostly only in bridges–there are no choruses on Monument, don’t worry–and they give the band a unique angle in the genre’s current wave.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Pure Hex – Spilling
Spilling, the new EP from San Francisco shoegazers Pure Hex, is the first part of a planned double album that was meant to follow the band’s 2022 debut Still Dark. They’ve called this one the lighter half, which tracks–these six songs are brighter and more immediate than anything else they’ve done before, Marta Alvarez’s gossamer voice clearer than ever before. It’ll be exciting to see how they follow this.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Ski Mask the Slump God – “Headrush”
Ski Mask the Slump God, the progenitor of the modern ‘murda’ rap embodied by Ken Carson, has been cooking: in March he dropped “Shibuya” and now there’s “Headrush.” Both harness bass-heavy beats, but “Headrush”’s haranguing guitar threnody supports the song superbly. I’m looking forward to see this new sound materialize on the album level.
Hanson Egerland | @pseudodiscourse
Spring Silver – “Another Perfect Day, Another Perfect Night”
“Another Perfect Day, Another Perfect Night” finds Spring Silver is their sunniest mode, bouncing between towering choruses and hushed verses. It’s an unexpected pivot for the Maryland project, but it suits them well.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Carb on Carb – Take Time
Carb on Carb put out a few singles after their 2018 for ages LP, and that could’ve been it. Thankfully, it wasn’t, and the New Zealand duo is back with the aptly titled Take Time, ten cuts of bright and catchy indie rock with just enough noodling to keep the emo heads happy. They haven’t lost a beat in six years–”Motuihe” is one of their most chaotic tracks to date, and “Home Again 7” might be the hookiest song in their whole catalog.
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 on Twitter 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.
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