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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
- Death Cab for Cutie – Thank You for Today
- Jain – Souldier
- Erra – Neon
- Granddad – Quitter
- Interpol – Marauder
- Send Request – Perspectives
- The Frights – Hypochondriac
- The Kooks – Let’s Go Sunshine
- IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance.
- Set Before Us – Vitae
- Actor Observer – Pareidolia
- Shy Boys – Bell House
- Plain White T’s – Parallel Universe
- HONNE – Love Me/Love Me Not
- Weathered – Stranger Here
- Blue October – I Hope You’re Happy
- Slaves – Acts of Fear and Love
- The Amity Affliction – Misery
- Alice in Chains – Rainier Fog
- White Denim – Performance
- Passenger – Runaway
- Wild Nothing – Indigo
- Delta Sleep – Ghost City
- Lucero – Among the Ghosts
- Houndmouth – Golden Age

Extended Plays
Click to listen.
- Fall Out Boy – Lake Effect Kid
- Chasing Velvet – Replay
- Exnations – Tiny Sound in the Dark
- Homebound – More to Me Than Misery
- Milk White Throat – House of Fire
- Forest Green – Nothing Is Special
- Crash the Calm & Staleworth Split EP
- Shangrila – Love and Leaving
- Anyone Anyway – All the Kinds of Love You’ll Find
Featured Singles
Click to listen.
- “Coastline” by Leland Blue
- “Think I’m Still In Love With You” by Joyce Manor
- “Fools” by Hey Gigantic
- “Mantra” by Bring Me the Horizon
- “Upside Down” by The Story So Far
- “Cocky” by Tilian
- “Drift” by Young Culture
- “Fear” by CommonWealth
- “Rendezvous” by Saves the Day
- “How I Faked the Moon Landing” by Silent Forum
- “Superposition” by Young the Giant
- “Dark of the Cinema” by Fashion Week
- “Do You Think About Us? (ft. Caroline Polachek)” by The Night Game
- “No Way” by Sylar
- “Back Then” by Light Years
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.)

Lots of great albums were released in July, so here are our favorite records, EPs, and singles of the month! (In no particular order.) Want a Spotify playlist?
Raucous distortion and granular vocal performances characterize the sophomore record from Like Pacific titled In Spite of Me. In Spite of Me spans beyond the typical pop punk timbre, branching out into alt-rock and emo-tinged territories while maintaining charisma and catchiness. Standout tracks include
Composure displays Real Friends at their most refined state yet, as if they’ve gained more … composure. The Chicago pop punk band still delivers their emotional subject matters and hint of youthfulness but in a much more mature, cultivated sense. Standout tracks include
Oh, Weatherly’s debut full-length Lips Like Oxygen will take your breath away with its hard-hitting instrumentals and singalong choruses. Lips Like Oxygen makes it feel like 2005 pop punk never really ended… in the best way possible. Standout tracks include 
Lydia’s latest long-player Liquor amalgamates everything from indie pop to singer/songwriter to indie rock to every experimental mixture in between. With vertiginous guitar refrains and ethereal vocal layering, Liquor will intoxicate you with every spin. Standout tracks include
Hopeless Records signees Trash Boat deliver their sophomore effort titled Crown Shyness. Crown Shyness is filled to the brim with heart-rending lyricism and somber attitude through hard-hitting guitars and harrowing vocal performances. Standout tracks include
Available August 17, Buzzhowl Records’ first compilation Buzzhowl Volume 1 is a delectable collection of exploratory noise rock and alt-rock. With mind-bending melodies and boisterous walls of sound, Buzzhowl Volume 1 is a must-listen for any fan of noise rock. Standout tracks include
MORE GREAT ALBUMS
Hard-hitting rock with powerhouse vocals. Standout tracks include
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Standout tracks include
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