Slaves

August 2018 Alt Col Picks – lovelytheband, With Confidence, As It Is, & More

AdminLeave a comment

Plenty of great records were released in August, so here are our favorite albums, EPs, and singles of the month! (In no particular order.)

This month’s list will be heavily abbreviated. I apologize in advance.

  • With Confidence – Love & Loathing

A fabulous pop punk record filled to the brim with energy and emotion. Standout tracks include “That Something,” “Spinning,” “Moving Boxes,” and “Jaded.” Love & Loathing will capture listeners of All Time Low, State Champs, and Broadside. Click here to listen.

  • Trophy Eyes – The American Dream

Quite a stylistic transition from their previous outing, The American Dream offers a brighter, more upbeat display of Trophy Eyes. Standout tracks include “Friday Forever,” “You Can Count On Me,” “Lavender Bay,” and “Autumn.” The American Dream will appeal to fans of Like Pacific, Grayscale, and Homesafe. Click here to listen.

  • As It Is – The Great Depression

Just about a year and a half after their 2017 record, As It Is delivers a refreshingly dark album, a haunting commentary on mental health, interpersonal struggles, and social norms. Standout tracks include “The Wounded World,” “The Truth I’ll Never Tell,” “The Stigma (Boys Don’t Cry),” and “The Fire, the Dark.” The Great Depression is bound to satisfy followers of Oh, Weatherly, Story Untold, and WSTR. Click here to listen.

  • lovelytheband – Finding It Hard to Smile

~~~cool LA vibes, bro~~~ Standout tracks include “Make Believe,” “Maybe, I’m Afraid,” “Stupid Mistakes,” and “Coachella.” Finding It Hard to Smile is sure to attract listeners of Beach Weather, Tilian, Anarbor’s recent material, and joan. Click here to listen.

  • WSTR – Identity Crisis

Another quick album turnout, WSTR recrudesces on Identity Crisis with more exhilarating pop punk anthems. Standout tracks include “Bad to the Bone,” “Silly Me,” “Crisis,” and “Hide Everything Sharp.” Identity Crisis is for fans of ROAM, Seaway, and Neck Deep. Click here to listen.

  • Vinyl Theatre – Starcruiser

After escaping the neglect of Fueled By Ramen, Vinyl Theatre blows everything out of the water with Starcruiser, an album chocked full of experimental sounds and blazing hooks. Standout tracks include “Feel It All,” “We Make the Music,” “Our Song,” and “Done With These Days.” Starcruiser will attract followers of COIN, twenty one pilots, and Night Riots. Click here to listen.

  • Deaf Havana – Rituals

Yet another fast release and stylistic shift. Deaf Havana’s Rituals steps outside their typical rock boundaries to serve a polished, pop rock sound with electronic elements and poppy hooks. Standout tracks include “Sinner,” “Holy,” “Heaven,” and “Hell.” Rituals is sure to satisfy fans of Anarbor, PVRIS, and LANY. Click here to listen.

  • Belmont – Belmont

Belmont’s debut self-titled record is a hard-hitting pop punk project with a bit of a harsher tone than most. Standout tracks include “Hollowed Out,” “BMC,” “Empty,” and “Pushing Daisies.” Belmont will appeal to followers of Trash Boat, WSTR, and Like Pacific. Click here to listen.

MORE GREAT ALBUMS

Click to listen.

Extended Plays

Click to listen.

Featured Singles

Click to listen.

Let us know what you think of August’s releases down in the comments below!

Our Alt Col Picks are curated lists of the best albums and EPs for each month! We keep a schedule of upcoming releases and pick our favorite ones at the end of the month, giving them a spotlight here and on Twitter. To be featured in one of our lists, hit us up on our contact page or Twitter, though nothing is guaranteed. (We rarely make exceptions to include past releases, so if your album came out in June, we might be hesitant to include it in July or August, for instance.)

February 2018 Alt Col Picks

AdminLeave a comment

Plenty of great records were released in February, so here are our favorite albums of the month! (In no particular order.) Want a Spotify playlist? Click here!

  • Senses Fail – If There Is Light, It Will Find You

Senses Fail returns to release their seventh studio album If There Is Light, It Will Find You. If There Is Light straddles the lines between screamo, pop punk, post-hardcore, and traces of emo. The heartfelt lyricism concerning growth, American society, and nostalgia is bound to punch you right in the gut. Standout tracks include “New Jersey Makes, The World Takes,” “Gold Jacket, Green Jacket…,” and “If There Is Light, It Will Find You.” If There Is Light, It Will Find You is sure to satisfy followers of A Day to Remember, The Story So Far, and The Dangerous Summer. Click here to listen.

  • Don Broco – Technology

Don Broco’s slick brand of alternative pop rock has been dialed up to deliver some of their heaviest material to date. Raucous distortion and buoyant rhythms fill Technology to the brim with undeniable energy, bite, and charisma. While the track listing is admittedly a bit bloated, there is plenty to admire on this hard-hitting release. Standout tracks include “Everybody,” “Come Out to LA,” and “Stay Ignorant.” Technology will appeal to fans of Sylar, Issues, and Canterbury. Click here to listen.

  • Franz Ferdinand – Always Ascending

Franz Ferdinand recrudesces on their recent record Always Ascending, offering up some smooth, fresh disco-rock. With funky grooves and danceable melodies, Always Ascending takes the band to tasteful new heights despite the departure of founding member Nick McCarthy. Standout tracks include “Always Ascending,” “Feel the Love Go,” “Lazy Boy,” and “Finally.” Always Ascending is sure to attract followers of Arcade Fire, The Voidz, and Spoon. Click here to listen.

  • MGMT – Little Dark Age

The experimental mixture of pop, funk, psychedelia, synth-pop, and jangle rock defines MGMT’s latest outing titled Little Dark Age. Little Dark Age pulls you in with its kaleidoscopic allure on the opener and holds you in a colorful trance to the last second of the closer. It’s hypnotic and increasingly interesting with every listen. Standout tracks include “Me and Michael,” “She Works Out Too Much,” and “Little Dark Age.” Little Dark Age will capture listeners of Saint Motel, The Aces, and Portugal. The Man. Click here to listen.

  • Story Untold – Waves

After changing their name and signing with Hopeless Records, Story Untold made it clear they meant business. Waves displays the band refining their pop rock sound and proving they’re here to stay between catchy hooks, anthemic choruses, and outstanding guitar work. Standout tracks include “Delete,” “California,” and “All the Same (Once a Liar, Always a Liar).” Waves is sure to interest fans of All Time Low, With Confidence, and Makeout. Click here to listen.

  • Hockey Dad – Blend Inn

The cut-loose indie garage rock of Hockey Dad’s Blend Inn is characterized by crunchy guitars, punchy percussion, and soaring melodies that are insanely delectable and undoubtedly impressive. The tracklist is packed with countless gems – every tune is rapturous. Standout tracks include “Join the Club,“ “I Wanna Be Everybody,” “Disappoint Me,” and “Stalker.” Blend Inn is bound to attract listeners of Surf Curse, Bad//Dreems, and Dumb Punts. Click here to listen.

  • Make Out Monday – Visions of Hollywood

Make Out Monday’s fun-loving style of pop rock is animated and enticing on their debut full-length Visions of Hollywood. Released on Valentine’s Day, Visions is outlined by songs of heartbreak and love but also lively party tunes bound to keep you dancing. Standout tracks include “Bullet For Your Sweetheart,” “Desirae,” and “Shake It Like a Polaroid.” Visions of Hollywood will capture fans of All Time Low, Mayday Parade (ALIR era), and 5 Seconds of Summer. Click here to listen.

  • Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers

Sleepwalkers is the sophomore solo record of The Gaslight Anthem’s frontman Brian Fallon. Fallon’s signature gravelly vocal timbre always adds an underlying sense of soul and earnestness to his already emotional songwriting, and that statement surely extends to his latest material on Sleepwalkers, a hearty and profound listen that is sure to hit you in “the feels.” Standout tracks include “If Your Prayers Don’t Get to Heaven,” “Forget Me Not,” and “See You On the Other Side.” Sleepwalkers will appeal to followers of The Gaslight Anthem, Dave Hause, and The Menzingers. Click here to listen.

MORE GREAT ALBUMS

  • Superchunk – What a Time to Be Alive

Standout tracks include “What a Time to Be Alive,” “Break the Glass,” and “Reagan Youth.” What a Time to Be Alive is for fans of Archers of Loaf, Guided By Voices, and Dismemberment Plan. Click here to listen.

  • Neon Insect – Glitches

Standout tracks include “Thoughtcrimes,” “IDC,” and “To the Moon and Back (feat. Twill Distilled).” Glitches is for fans of Hemmingway, DNPQ, and Newenx. Click here to listen.

  • Dashboard Confessional – Crooked Shadows

Standout tracks include “We Fight,” “Heart Beat Here,” “Open My Eyes (feat. Lindsey Stirling),” and “Catch You.” Crooked Shadows is for fans of The Spill Canvas, Taking Back Sunday, and Straylight Run. Click here to listen.

  • Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy (Face to Face)

Standout tracks include “My Boy (Twin Fantasy),” “Nervous Young Inhumans,” and “Cute Thing.” Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) is for fans of Chastity Belt, Parquet Courts, and Waxahatchee. Click here to listen.

  • AWOLNATION – Here Come the Runts

Standout tracks include “Seven Sticks of Dynamite,” “Handyman,” and “Passion.” Here Come the Runts is for fans of New Politics, Atlas Genius, and Grouplove. Click here to listen.

  • Anna Burch – Quit the Curse

Standout tracks include “2 Cool 2 Care,” “Tea-Soaked Letter,” and “In Your Dreams.” Quit the Curse is for fans of Dream Wife, Alvvays, and Phoebe Bridgers. Click here to listen.

  • The Plot In You – Dispose

Standout tracks include “Feel Nothing,” “Not Just Breathing,” and “Disposable Fix.” Dispose is for fans of Like Moths to Flames, The Color Morale, and Secrets. Click here to listen.

  • The Wombats – Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life

Standout tracks include “Turn,” “I Don’t Know Why I Like You But I Do,“ and “Lemon to a Knife Fight.” Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life is for fans of The Vaccines, The Pigeon Detectives, and The Kooks. Click here to listen.

  • Ought – Room Inside the World

Standout tracks include “Disgraced in America,” “Desire,” and “These 3 Things.” Room Inside the World is for fans of Parquet Courts, Preoccupations, and Iceage. Click here to listen.

  • Pop Evil – Pop Evil

Standout tracks include “Waking Lions,” “A Crime to Remember,” and “Be Legendary.” Pop Evil is for fans of Saving Abel, Royal Bliss, and Art of Dying. Click here to listen.

  • I’m With Her – See You Around

Standout tracks include “Game to Lose,” “See You Around,” and “Ain’t That Fine.” See You Around is for fans of The Stray Birds, Sara Jarosz, and Nickel Creek. Click here to listen.

  • Slaves – Beautiful Death

Standout tracks include “True Colors,” “The Pact,” and “Deadly Conversations.” Beautiful Death is for fans of Issues, Picturesque, and Too Close to Touch. Click here to listen.

  • We Were Sharks – Lost Touch

Standout tracks include “Beyond Repair,” “Ashley,” and “Stay.” Lost Touch is for fans of Forever Came Calling, Carousel Kings, and Seaway. Click here to listen.

  • Caroline Rose – Loner

Standout tracks include “Money,” “More of the Same,” and “Soul No. 5.” Loner is for fans of TORRES, Anna Burch, and Big Thief. Click here to listen.

  • Screaming Females – All At Once

Standout tracks include “Glass House,” “Black Moon,” and “I’ll Make You Sorry.”  All At Once is for fans of Sleater-Kinney, Superchunk, and Jeff Rosenstock. Click here to listen.

  • American Pleasure Club – A Whole F**king Lifetime of This

Standout tracks include “this is heaven & id die for it,” “new years eve,” and “all the lonely nights in your life.” A Whole F**king Lifetime of This is for fans of Spencer Radcliffe & Everyone Else, salvia palth, and Elvis Depressedly. Click here to listen.

 

Extended Plays

  • Off Road Minivan – Spiral Gaze

Standout tracks include “Spiral Gaze“ and “Glow.” Spiral Gaze is for fans of Household, Hearts Like Lions, and LOYALS. Click here to listen.

  • The Oh Hellos – Eurus

Standout tracks include “Eurus” and “O Sleeper.” Eurus is for fans of Twin Forks, Drew Holcomb, and Great Lake Swimmers. Click here to listen.

  • Familiar Things – Fade Into the Scenery

Standout tracks include “October“ and “Meant A Lot.” Fade Into the Scenery is for fans of Chase This City, All Year Round, and Seasonal. Click here to listen.

  • Ride – Tomorrow’s Shore

Standout tracks include “Catch You Dreaming“ and “Pulsar.” Tomorrow’s Shore is for fans of Slowdive, Chapterhouse, and Teenage Fanclub. Click here to listen.

  • Facing Fire – Facing Fire

Standout tracks include “Dying Inside” and “Overcome.” Facing Fire is for fans of Stone Broken, DED, and Sons of Texas. Click here to listen.

  • The Anchor – Make It Last

Standout tracks include “September” and “Make It Last.” Make It Last is for fans of Light the Fire, If I Were You, and Monument of A Memory. Click here to listen.

Let us know what you think of February’s releases down in the comments below!