The Alternative's staff has released its bi-weekly roundup highlighting new music releases, featuring singles and EPs from bands like Snail Mail and Lightning Bolt. The column covers a range of genres from nu-metal to experimental noise. Published on February 2, 2026, it encourages readers to support the site through Patreon or newsletters.
The Alternative's Weekly Roundup, posted on February 2, 2026, by the editing staff, spotlights recent music drops in a concise format, including albums, singles, videos, and live sets. This edition, appearing every other Monday, reviews tracks from the prior week.
New York rockers MKULTRA unleash their nu-metal single “BE HUMAN,” described as a ferocious track with vicious guitars and slamming drums, evoking 1990s heavy metal. Its video incorporates thermal cameras and face prosthetics for an energetic visual.
San Antonio skramz band Arranged in April follows their 2025 debut album and single “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie” with the EP It Always Starts Mid Winter. This release is less messy than prior work, emphasizing spoken word elements.
Snail Mail's Lindsey Jordan shares “Dead End,” the lead single from her upcoming album Ricochet. The track, with its dreamy guitar riff, explores moving on from past relationships. Jordan, who began releasing music at 15, states, “To be loved is to be changed.” It contrasts the melancholy of her 2021 album Valentine by signaling maturity and happiness.
The Sink's Bloom & Rot delivers gritty sounds, with a rougher take on “Puppy Love” from 2024 and the heaviest closer “Voices Like Sirens” in their catalog.
After seven years, Rhode Island's Lightning Bolt returns with “Cloud Core” from the split album The Horizon Spirals / The Horizon Viral alongside Japanese band OOIOO. The single features rigid guitars, sharp sounds, and echoey vocals, maintaining their loud, strange style.
The roundup also promotes The Alternative's 'New Music Friday' playlist for further discoveries. Readers are urged to patronize the reader-supported site starting at $2 monthly.
