Weekly Roundup: October 28th
Featuring Not Enough Space, Amira Elfeky, Nightlight, and more.
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
For the remaining members of post-hardcore powerhouse Planes Mistaken For Stars, their long-awaited fifth studio album will forever be an open wound. Completed in the wake of not one but two founding members passing away—guitarist/vocalist Matt Bellinger (2017) and frontman/guitarist Gared O’Donnell (2021)—Do You Still Love Me? (out November 1st through Deathwish Inc.) is a howling cry of catharsis pitched into the great beyond.
And yet, despite the palpable sense of grief and loss that hangs tenuously over the record’s diverse tracklist, glimmers of hope and communion peak through the darkness with the promise of a brighter tomorrow. Chuck French (guitar) and Mike Ricketts (drums) joined the pod last week to talk about the enormous task of shaping these songs into not just a tribute to their dear friends but also a record worthy of the band’s formidable legacy.
“We ride to fight. Thunder in the night forever.”
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Now, on with the words…
SIDE A:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Not Enough Space – “Primitive”
Here’s some aphoristic wisdom for you: Never underestimate the power of a good thumbnail. I’ve seen Floridian melodic metalcore band Not Enough Space in my feed a bunch (thanks to the aforementioned design choice), and they’ve also recently signed with Thriller Records.
The quintet’s new single showcases what they offer: dual vocals, delicate feminine melodies juxtaposed against enraged banshee shrieks, and thunderous percussive breakdowns. It’s all a big “hell yeah, dawg” from me. Watch the video for “Primitive” below:
Fever Shack – Not Fuckin’ About
The Shack Attack is back, Jack! (Sorry, not sorry, etc.) Frankston’s hardest renaissance fair aficionados, Fever Shack, have returned with another cracking single from what I assume will be a forthcoming EP release (based purely on some consistent album artwork between tracks).
Oh, this one also features a rip-snorting guest feature from F.O.T.S. and affable Terminal Sleep baddie Bec Thorwesten, who rocks a mean goblin-cloak-and-big-fuck-off-sword combo in the music video. It’s ah, how you say, “sick.” Stream the band’s singles here (Spotify).
Slowly Slowly – “Love Letters”
I’m a sucker for a slick, synth-heavy pop number, and thankfully that’s just what Naarm/Melbourne indie rockers Slowly Slowly have delivered on their latest pre-release single for Forgiving Spree, which arrives on January 24th via Nettwerk Music Group. “Love Letters” is billed as:
“[A] tender homage to the timeless tradition of sending and receiving handwritten love letters… a playful and joyous acknowledgment of expressing love through songwriting, capturing the essence of heartfelt communication in the digital age.”
Listen to “Love Letters” here.
Nightlight – NEZUMI!
I didn’t realise this until writing this very paragraph (yes, that’s right, you’re getting real-time realisations for free), but “NEZUMI!” is Japanese for “rat.” This handy tidbit of information makes the blurb for Naarm-Melb-based alt-pop trio nightlight’s new single make much more sense in context.
As the band state on their Instagram:
“Thank you to those of you who heard NEZUMI! at a show (or two or three or more) and begged, pleaded and waited patiently for it to release (u know who u are) your enthusiasm fuels us and it's now yours forever! rat jokes aside, we hope this song gives you some strength to move fiercely and unapologetically through your life !!! you are beautiful !!!!! don't ever let the rats get you down !!!!!!!!!”
Stream the single here (Spotify).
Ways Away – “Despairia” (feat. Eric Egan)
Supergroups seem to be a dime-a-dozen prospect in the alternative music landscape of the 2020s; however, they rarely, if ever, feel like the individual members are genuinely having fun as a unit.
Not so with Californian punk rockers Ways Away, who have collectively split time in esteemed groups like Stick To Your Guns, Samiam, Joyce Manor, and Paint It Black. The quartet’s latest single is a three-chords-and-the-truth sing-a-long fest with a monstrous hook and a cheeky guest spot from Heart Attack Mna’s Eric Egan. What’s not to love? Listen to “Despairia” here.
SIDE B:
More tracks for you. Deep cuts for the real heads. Still cool.
Common Sage – Closer To;
NYC post-hardcore four-piece Common Sage have only recently popped up on my radar, but it does feel like I’m playing catchup. The band’s Nostos | Algos EP featured collaborations with Thursday and Further Seems Forever members.
The group’s upcoming full-length Closer To; (due November 22nd via Equal Vision) was produced by Brett Romnes (The Movielife, I Am The Avalanche) and features collaborations with Stay Inside and Sainthood Reps members. Suffice it to say, I’m paying attention now. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Amira Elfeky – “Will You Love Me When I'm Dead”
Watching new artists pop off on TikTok only to make left-field creative decisions while ostensibly at the behest of major label teams is not something I had on my 2024 bingo card.
While I’m not entirely sold on L.A.-based singer/songwriter Amira Elfeky’s Spiritbox-lite pivot off the back of the recent Gen Z Deftones “nu gaze” resurgence (more nuanced thoughts and analysis on that here, from my friend Eli Enis), I am nonetheless intrigued by her aesthetic choices and vocal talents. There’s a great song and/or release in embryonic form here, and I’m eagerly along the ride. Watch the performance clip for “Will You Love Me When I'm Dead” below:
Weite – Oase
Innate Passage came out in 2022 and is still one of my favourite records of the decade. While I wait patiently for Elder to reconvene for a new LP, I’m pleased to know that Nick DiSalvo and Michael Risberg are keeping busy with Berlin-based progressive rock collective Weite.
Alongside Ben Lubin (Lawns), Ingwer Boysen (delving), and Fabien de Menou (Perilymph), the quintet are gearing up to release their sophomore album, Oase, on November 22nd through Stickman Records. Fans of tie-dye, ten-minute songs, and psychedelics should be stoked. Stream the pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
FEATURE ALBUM(S):
A closer, more in-depth look at new record(s) that tick my boxes.
Fit For An Autopsy - The Nothing That Is &
Better Lovers – Highly Irresponsible
I don’t have any advanced, nuanced takes here, apart from saying that the new Fit For An Autopsy and Better Lovers records are absolutely killer. Groove-laden deathcore with a socio-political lyrical focus? Check. A phenomenal debut record that swings wildly from chaotic metallic hardcore to transcendent alt-rock? Check.
No, this is more of an appreciation post for producer and guitar wunderkind Will Putney. More than simply the unifying thread between both bands and these respective records (not to mention countless others), the man has perhaps single-handedly shaped the sound of contemporary metalcore and deathcore for the last fifteen years—big respect.
Stream The Nothing That Is here: Bandcamp | Spotify
Stream Highly Irresponsible here: Spotify