The Alt Weekly Roundup (7/11)
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.
Alex Stanilla – “Swidden”
Alex Stanilla has been steadily putting out intriguing oddball pop songs over the past couple years, and his new track “Swidden” is a pretty killer addition to that catalog. The verse is haunting, while carrying a driving intensity pushed from the bass at the root, and the chorus is explosive with Stanilla’s kitchen sink approach of placing catchy melodies in the midst of chaotic instrumentals that push just far enough without coming off overloaded. It’s one you’re gonna want on repeat to catch all of the layers and ideas Stanilla throws in.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Bedlocked – Bedlocked
A sense of longing permeates every second of Bedlocked. The Texas doomsayers’ new LP plants one foot each in the realms of shoegaze and slowcore, and the result is similar to what Greet Death achieved on the New Low EP. “Pictures,” heavy and drenched in reverb, typifies the band’s approach to shoegaze, while the sparse and haunting “Sleeping Giant” exemplifies Bedlocked’s slower, moodier tendencies. It’s the way the two meld, though, that makes Bedlocked such an impressive record.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
poolblood – “Twinkie”
Toronto-based poolblood recently dropped their newest slice of bedroom pop with their single “Twinkie.” Produced by Shamir (who is also heard playing guitar and drums for the track), the tune is a wistful, dreamy expansion of time and the tenderness it embodies. The music video for “Twinkie” is a lush, visual playground for the eyes, and it only amplifies the stunning, hazy soundscape the single is drenched in.
Hope Ankney | @hope_ankleknee
Like Father – “In My Head”
A mid-tempo run through of inner fears and doubts, Like Father’s “In My Head” finds its strength in the combination of wry lyrics and crunchy guitars. There are a ton of one-liners in the verses, but the singsong delivery of “I’ve got one foot out the door / the other foot in the grave” and repetition of “I can’t feel anything” definitely catch your ear on first lesson.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Time – “In Your Head”
It’s clear that Time is drinking from the same ‘90s alt rock well that inspired groups like Narrow Head and Modern Color. The Philly band’s latest, “In Your Head,” is driving and grungy, a powerful taste of the band’s excellent debut Hydrangea.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Mechanical Canine – “Twitch”
Mechanical Canine’s new single “Twitch” blasts off right out the gates with a high energy bassline and fuzzy guitars strummed at a manic pace. A wild synthesizer is added over the lyrics “there’s just this muscle twitch that I can’t / tell if I created with my mind / if I could flip a switch to change this / I’d punch the currents out of line / So the circuits can’t combine” as the band seems to race through the track, finally coming to a crashing end around two minutes, letting the feedback hum in the wake of the group’s ferocious attack on their instruments.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Stand Still – “Loose Ends”
Stand Still might well be the best band doing that pop-punk / melodic hardcore sound these days. Their first EP, A Practice in Patience, is five tracks of nonstop hooks and heavy riffs, and their upcoming EP, In a Moment’s Notice, keeps up that momentum. Its first single, opener “Loose Ends,” is one of the band’s best, a jolt of energy that should appeal to fans of Title Fight or Lifetime.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Healing Potpourri – “What Do I Do Now?”
In a bit of a clash with the lyrical list of personal problems, Healing Potpourri’s new track “What Do I Do Now?” is built off a playful, bouncy feel, with keys, strings, and horns coming into accent Simi Sohota’s light vocals. With such a lush soundscape, the tune feels like walking through an elaborate garden—a brief moment of calm, even as Sohota delivers the lines “sometimes / I listen to your old voicemails / on my phone / they make me feel right at home / like i’m not all alone.” It’s the second track out off Healing Potpourri’s upcoming record Paradise.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Bliss Fields – Slowly, Forever (Demos)
Bliss Fields’ Slowly, Forever dropped earlier this year and remains one of the most revitalizing shoegaze LPs in recent memory. The collection of demos the band just dropped for the record is just as good as the finals products, a bunch of early takes that are as good as most bands’ best records.
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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