Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
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.
Wishy – “Just Like Sunday”
On Wishy’s new single “Just Like Sunday,” they’re in full-on ‘90s pop rock mode. Over smudges of midtempo fuzz, Nina Pitchkites’ voice never rises above a lazy murmur but that’s all they need for that hook–“I’ll see you on a Sunday / don’t waste your money on me”–to start to lodge its way into your brain. It’s more restrained than some previous singles, but it’s just as good.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
J.U.S. & Squadda B – 3rd Shift
J.U.S. was quiet for a couple of years following since 2021 masterpieces God Goku Jay-Z and GoFundMe Corvette, but he’s had a busy ‘24. April saw the release of Lord of the Streams Part 1, and now he’s just dropped 3rd Shift. Produced entirely by Squadda B, the 14-track album finds J.U.S. looser and more laid back than in the past, partnering with Bruiser Brigade comrades Fat Ray, Zelooperz, and Quentin Ahmad DaGod, among others, over a collection of eclectic, breezy beats.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Sixth Grade Softball – “Damaged Goods”
Sixth Grade Softball’s debut single “Damaged Goods” sounds like a 2012 emo song (complimentary). It’s rough and shouty with just enough polish to sing along to; if you missed out on tickets to the You Blew It! reunion shows later this year, give Sixth Grade Softball a listen and maybe it’ll ease the sting.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Daturas Embrace – Demo
Ephyra has been gaining a lot of steam lately as the metalcore label de jour, but fans of their catalog should be paying equal attention to Force of Reckoning and The Coming Strife for 2000s revival. Those two labels just teamed up for a co-release of the debut from Daturas Embrace, a messy, chaotic three-track EP; the first song alone has three different voices clamoring for space over a ferocious tremolo lead, and other two mix a bit more melody in. Whatever comes next will be a knockout.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Discern – Referee
The two songs on Discern’s new Referee single won’t even take up four minutes of your time, which means you have no excuse. They’re the sort of summery, bouncy emo songs that have made groups like Camp Trash and Oso Oso favorites around these parts, and they’re essential listening.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Everyone Asked About You – Never Leave
If you told the members of Everyone Asked About You that they’d be playing reunion shows twenty-five years later, they wouldn’t have believed you–imagine what they’d say if they knew they’d be putting out a new EP, too, of some of their very best work. Never Leave includes four songs newly written and recorded, and you’d be forgiven for thinking these were long-lost holdovers from their original late ’90s run. Few bands are able to come back two decades later and capture the same spark they had in their youth, but a song like “Toby” proves that, whatever they might say, Everyone Asked About You are not losing it.
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.
The Alternative is 100% supported by our readers. If you’d like to help us write about more great music and keep our site going, you can become a Patron on Patreon, which also allows you to receive extra content, sweet perks, and The Alternative merch, with levels starting at only $2 per month. Everything helps, and if you can’t afford to donate, consider sharing this article and spreading the word about our site! Either way, thanks for reading!