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.
body / negative – “everett”
Los Angeles based multi-instrumentalist Andy Schiaffino, who also performs under their solo project body / negative, just released the second single off their upcoming sophomore album everett, due on December 8th through Track Number Records. Written in collaboration with Midwife’s Madeline Johnston (who produced three songs on the album), the title song “everett” is profoundly moving as it hazily closes the album with notes of longing and grief in dedication to Schiaffino’s late parents.
Loan Pham | @x_loanp
Momma / Narrow Head – Sunday / Medicine
With their third LP, Moments Of Clarity, Narrow Head gave us some of this year’s sharpest shredders, and last year Momma put their own self-aware spin on ‘90s slacker rock with Household Name. Recently, the two up-and-coming indie rock powerhouses teamed up for a covers split. Momma’s take on Moments Of Clarity highlight “Sunday” is sweet, hazy bliss, while Narrow Head’s matches their energy, bringing the brightness out of the infectious and insatiable “Medicine.” It’s incredible to see two bands that are masters in their own right come together to honor each other’s work, and it’s a delightful surprise to see them to add up to even more than the sum of their parts.
Sunday / Medicine by Momma, Narrow Head
Grace Robins-Somerville | @grace_roso
Wayside – “Lean Into It”
Wayside’s latest single “Lean Into It” balances soft post-grunge with delicate melodies in its fast then slow song structure that rises up into an alluring crescendo and shows that they have a stronger understanding of their particular style of ethereal nu-metal on their upcoming second album What Does Your Soul Look Like than they did on their debut album. Produced, mixed, and engineered by Will Yip, their album officially arrives on Friday and would appeal to fans of Softcult, Heavenward, or Soul Blind.
Loan Pham | @x_loanp
Mali Velasquez – I’m Green
The opening track of Mail Velasquez’s debut LP I’m Green, “Bobby,” is something of a red herring. The song is jaunty, almost playful, and Velasquez’s voice glides effortlessly into its unexpectedly brawny hook. Her voice has that same sort of quavery edge to it as Adrienne Lenker’s, and for the rest of I’m Green she operates in a mode much closer to Lenker’s band’s loping, folk-tinted indie rock. It makes for a perfect record to spin while you lay in the clovers in your favorite cardigan.
Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
Stress Positions – “White Leech”
Stress Positions sit between a couple of different pockets of aggressive music. There are the familiar d-beat rhythms that you hear immediately on “White Leech,” which bang up against the screeching vocals that fit relatively well. But there are still parts that feel ripped from hardcore, adding a two-step part for good measure. It makes it so someone who loves the catalog of Iron Lung, Convulse Records, or a more metal-leaning label could find something to love out of Stress Positions.
Harsh Reality by Stress Positions
Hugo Reyes | @hvreyes5
Stay Inside – “Sweet Stripe!”
Brooklyn emo/post-hardcore band Stay Inside released two new songs “A Backyard” and “An Invitation” earlier in the year that departed from their darker and moodier tones, opting for a more vibrant and pop-oriented atmosphere. Their newest single “Sweet Stripe!” may be the catchiest one yet, but lyrically it touches on a feeling of loss as the video whirls through footage of the band moving through the haunted landscape of Coney Island. The band’s second album Ferried Away is due February 24, 2024, and is a concept album based on the historical Steeplechase Park that burned down and figuratively serves as a haunting ground dedicated to loved ones they’ve lost touch with over the years.
Loan Pham | @x_loanp
Foreign Hands – “Conditioned for a Head-On Collision”
Foreign Hands’ new single “Conditioned for a Head-On Collision” is the Delaware metalcore band at their catchiest, continuing the trend from last year’s two-song Lucid Noise EP. It’s a collaboration with Olli Appleyard of Static Dress, and he makes for a natural fit on the track.
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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