Listening Notes: Alternative Rock and Friends

I find myself on the verge of despair, and the effects of social media are now pushing me toward efficiency and instant mode—shortening the processes of thinking, reading, and writing, or forcing me to finish everything quickly. Clearly, that’s not possible, and I end up overwhelmed.

If I were to just write shorter comments and mix everything together again, it would feel messy. So in the end, I still separate things based on genre relationships. This time, I’m presenting rock and alternative, as follows.

Foster & the Grave Dancers – The B-sides (2022)

75%

This female-fronted alternative rock/power pop/pop punk band from Oklahoma can’t be separated from the name Paramore, especially through tracks like “Better,” “Be With You,” and “Burn It Down,” with an added Green Day influence in “Bring It Back.” I think that’s enough to capture the character of Foster & the Grave Dancers this time and need more consideration.

Highlight: Bring It Back

Lowsunday – Low Sunday Ghost Machine White EP (2025)

60%

Unlike their album, which still left an impression through “For a Moment,” Lowsunday’s White EP just drifts by. I’d rather move on quickly, noting that I still can’t quite click with post-punk these days.

That’s about it.

Highlight: –

The Oh Hellos – Notos (2017)

75%

This is what indie folk/pop should sound like. The presence of the banjo is already a clear marker, and the spirit it carries is more pronounced than Beneath the Skin by Of Monsters and Men, even though both share an anthemic style with mixed male-female vocals.

The Oh Hellos are clearly recommended for indie folk/pop fans!

Highlight: Constellations, New River

Radiohead – The King of Limbs (2007)

70%

This is Radiohead’s eighth album, with a simpler feel and structure—not as heavily leaning into electronic elements as its predecessor. However, trying a different pair of earphones resulted in a completely different output. Tracks that should have felt dry instead became atmospheric, because the Nakamichi earphones I used were starting to deteriorate. Still, it was an interesting experience, as the vocals became more minimal and the focus shifted toward an atmospheric flow that not everyone would perceive.

To stay on safe ground, I’ll set that aside and choose “Codex” and “Give Up the Ghost,” two ballad-like tracks that left a positive impression from the start. Including that factor, I think a 70% rating makes sense.

Highlight: Codex, Give Up the Ghost

Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool (2016)

80%

I might as well put this here.

Radiohead finally released their ninth album, and it’s now been a full decade. A Moon Shaped Pool truly feels worthy as a closing statement if the band ever decided to end their career. The atmosphere and emotion are carefully distilled in a vessel I previously didn’t quite trust—chamber pop/post-rock combined with art rock, as usual.

The piano foundation in “Daydreaming” alone is enough to evoke a Sigur Rós-like atmosphere. “Decks Dark” also brings in experimental elements, with synths bubbling up like mud.

Moments like “Glass Eyes,” “Present Tense,” “Tinker Tailor…,” and “True Love Waits,” which eventually circle back to “Daydreaming,” make me confident in giving it a higher appreciation, even if the rest feels somewhat less impactful.

Highlight: Daydreaming, Glass Eyes, Present Tense, Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief, True Love Waits

路傍の石 – My Dear Family (2025)

75%

It’s rare to find Japanese artists on Bandcamp offering Name Your Price releases, especially outside experimental/ambient genres.

路傍の石 (Robō no ishi) in this album presents alternative rock/shoegaze with Vocaloid up front, similar to artists like 中洲ユウ (Nakasu Yuu), who leans more toward math/post-rock. Simply put, this project plays a fairly rough style reminiscent of Parannoul, quite dense in tracks like “Lui” and “Chacha,” with groovy rhythms in “Lena” and “Noah.” The cat-themed concept might also effectively attract certain listeners.

Highlight: Lui, Lena, Noah, Chai, Chacha