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.
Private Mind – “In Vain”
Private Mind’s early releases, 2020’s Private Mind EP and last year’s earworm single “Strangers,” situated the band in the proud lineage of Long Island melodic hardcore bands from Silent Majority and The Movielife to contemporaries in Stand Still and Koyo. Their latest single “In Vain,” the first single (and opening track) off their upcoming Triple B debut The Truth You See, finds them gunning for a position in the world of straight-up hardcore. Guttural barks jut up against jagged riffs, and even though the hook is sung cleanly, it’s got a roughness to it that signals this is a new era for Private Mind.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Glazed Eyes – Promo
If there’s any connective tissue between the bands on Sunday Drive Records’ diverse roster, it’s that so many of them are the side projects of hardcore kids. Pensacola’s Glazed Eyes is the latest of these, and their new three-track tape is excellent. They pull from the jangly, powerpop-leaning alt rock of ’90s groups like The Lemonheads (or the less fashionable Goo Goo Dolls and Gin Blossoms), and Promo is wall-to-wall hooks. Their future is as bright as their riffs.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Short Fictions – “Oblivion Will Own Me and Death Alone Will Love Me”
Short Fictions have never been afraid to throw a heavy tune alongside their more melodious moments. Compare the sugary sweet “Wasting” with the brutal quick hit of their new track “Oblivion Will Own Me and Death Alone Will Love Me”—the title being both the entirety of the song’s lyrics and the title of the group’s upcoming record, which might be their most adventurous yet. On “Oblivion Will Own Me and Death Alone Will Love Me” they let a rollicking riff slowly build before dropping the title in with an emphatic thud, leaving you to fill the void yourself.
Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
Knapsack – “Katherine the Grateful”
Knapsack’s one of those ’90s emo bands that was fairly well regarded in their time but has mostly been lost to time. Spartan Records is trying their best to undo that with their recently remastered versions of all three of the band’s LPs, and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their best album This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now, they’ve also released a new video for the band’s most popular track “Katherine the Grateful.” If you’re a fan of the more pop-punk end of emo, and you haven’t listened to Knapsack, do yourself a favor and check them out ASAP.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Common Sage – “Hiraeth” (feat. Jason Gleason)
That Common Sage’s newest single features vocals from Further Seems Forever’s Jason Gleason does two things. First, it grabs my attention immediately; second, it signals that the band is moving past the murky post-hardcore of It Lives and It Breathes and carving out a space in the world of anthemic, powerful emo. “Hiraeth” is immediately as good as anything the band’s ever done—they’ve never been a band to settle on one sound, but they’ve nailed each one.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Denzel Curry – “SKED” (feat. Kenny Mason)
Denzel Curry and Kenny Mason are two of the best rappers around right now, and neither seem to have really gotten their due. Curry’s new single pairs the two iconoclasts together–and it makes perfect sense. “SKED” isn’t the first time the two have linked up, but the track’s aggressive beat suits both equally well.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
The Alternative’s ‘New Music Friday’ playlist
Each week our editor Lindsy Carrasquillo compiles 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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