alt-rock
These are the best alt-rock artists featured on Release Wave.

Spoils System
Spoils System is a New York-based band formed in 2021 by Dan Coutant (vocals, guitar, keys), Sean Hansen (guitar, background vocals), David Fateman (bass), and Mark Frankel (drums). They are known for their melodic and often discordant indie rock, drawing on influences from their past work in the emo band Joshua (Doghouse Records). The band is gearing up to release their sophomore LP on Sweet Cheatah Records in summer 2025.

Sunday Morning
Hailing from New Haven, Ct Sunday Morning is an alternative rock / post-hardcore band consisting of Westly Benjunas, Erik Stanzel, Dom Barone, Jason Moriarty, and Mike Verrastro. The band began in 2018, opening for artists such as Microwave, Boston Manor, Can’t Swim, and The Plot in You. Sunday Morning’s refined hardcore infused alternative sound is what sets them apart from their peers, making them one of the most exciting up and coming bands in the scene right now. At their core, Sunday Morning is about connection – writing songs that will resonate with their listeners, playing shows to connect with new fans, and at the end of the day, they’re living the dream, playing music they love as best friends. The band is currently signed to Open Your Ears Records who released their last EP in June 2024, and have just announced their debut LP releasing in October 2025.

Dead History
Dead History is a Minneapolis-based emo/post-hardcore quintet, whose members include stalwarts of the formative emo/hardcore years in various scenes across the Upper Midwest. Their sound unapologetically pays homage to the likes of Quicksand, Texas is the Reason, Hum, Far, Jawbox, Swervedriver and Sparkmarker among others. They released their self titled LP in 2020 and will release their sophomore LP "Departures" in June 2025.

Greet Death
Greet Death, from Flint, Michigan, is a four piece shoegaze band filled with sludge and melancholy. Since 2011, elementary school friends Logan Gaval and Harper Boyhtari have been writing songs full of big ideas and everyday details. Their music, loud and full of melodic sensibility, draws from shoegaze, doomgaze, and a little-bit-of-everything-gaze, creating an emotionally maximalist palette. Writing separately but playing together (think of them as small-town Michigan’s Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus), they’ve been drawing in a devoted crowd ever since their unexpectedly successful debut Dixieland in 2017, followed by their next-level opus New Hell in 2019. You’d be hard-pressed to find albums with such heart: ones flooded both with full-bloom feelings and the dumb stories we tell ourselves in order to get through the day. The band is currently signed to Deathwish Inc. and are gearing up to release their 3rd LP "Die In Love" in June 2025.

Bantom Woods
Bantom Woods are an Alternative Indie Rock band from Austin, Texas who released their debut EP "With All Due Respect" in summer 2023. The band will return with their latest single "Lotteries & Lightning Strikes" taken from their forthcoming album to be released later this year via Shifting Sounds. Although the band is rather new, all of the members are Indie rock royalty in Austin - all playing in multiple bands spanning over 2 decades, including bands like Silver Scooter. They combine Alt Rock, Dream Pop, Post Punk, and early 90's underground College Rock to create their own signature sound that is very unique and ultra catchy. RIYL The Replacements, Sonic Youth, Ride, The Hold Steady

Saturdays At Your Place
Saturdays At Your Place is an emo band from Kalamazoo, MI. Their intimate lyrics pair with heavy hitting instrumental hooks and cleverly placed twinkly guitar parts to create a uniquely personal sound that has come to define the band.

Have Mercy
Have Mercy is a Baltimore-based indie / alt-rock band heavily influenced by post-hardcore and emo music, with heart on your sleeve vocals and driving guitar melodies. They have released multiple albums, with their latest being "Numb" in 2023 and their recently announced 6th LP, "the loneliest place i've ever been," is set to release in August 2025 via Rude Records. Fans of bands like The Dangerous Summer and Jimmy Eat World will enjoy their emotionally charged anthemic alt-rock.

Hotline TNT
Hotline TNT is a New York based noise-pop band that play their own brand of melodic shoegaze and grunge pop combined with elements of dream-pop and loud fuzzed out anthemic alternative rock. Laying out sheets of buzzy guitar sounds over simple, forceful melodies, Hotline TNT take their shoegaze influences and meld them with a pop undertow and personal lyrics about life and relationships. Founded and led by guitarist and songwriter Will Anderson (of former band Weed), the group started as a one-man-band in the studio, with Anderson calling all the shots, and expanding into a quartet or quintet on-stage. Anderson established Hotline TNT's sound and style with the 2021 indie release Nineteen in Love, and made their music sound bigger and bolder on 2023's Cartwheel, their debut for Third Man Records. Now the band is back with "Rasberry Moon" their first album built as a full band and follow up LP to 2023s Cartwheel set for release June of 2025 via Third Man Records.

MS Paint
MS PAINT is an American rock band from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, known for their experimental synth-punk sound. The band consists of Deedee (vocals), Nick Panella (synthesizers), Quinn Mackey (drums), and Randy Riley (bass). They are known for their guitar-less approach and blend of punk, industrial, and electronic elements.

Turnstile
Turnstile, a hardcore punk band from Baltimore, formed in 2010, draws heavy influence from NYHC bands like Madball, Leeway, Judge, Bold, Gorilla Biscuits, and Orange 9MM along with 90s bands like Rage Against the Machine, 311, and Jane’s Addiction. Their music blends elements of hardcore, alternative metal, alternative rock, grunge, soul, R&B, pop punk and art rock, creating a unique groovy sound.

Keep
Keep is an alternative rock band from Richmond, VA that was formed in 2013 and who's sound is heavily rooted in shoegaze, dream pop, 80s new wave, and 90s inspired alternative rock. They are heavily influenced by the likes of The Cure, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Slowdive, but that only scratches the surface. In a review of their second album, Happy In Here, it is stated that “even with these comparisons and any accuracy they could possess, Keep are a band that’s not only cut their own sort of path, but have become quite seasoned at it.” Their music has spanned a number of genres over the years, but most often falls under the banner of shoegaze. Regardless of specific distinctions, Keep sits firmly in the web of alternative rock music. Audiotree aptly described the sound as “grand and majestic”, adding that it is “ensconced in an all consuming mist of heavy noise.” The band is gearing up to release their new LP "Almost Static" in May of 2025.

Bleed
Bleed are an alternative metal/rock band from Dallas, Texas combining elements of 90s and early 2000s alt rock, grunge, metal and shoegaze. The band comprised of former and current members of Narrow Head at the time of their formation. On September 12, 2021 they dropped the 4-track EP Somebody's Closer. The band takes inspiration from Alice in Chains, Helmet, and Deftones as evident by their sound, and fit right in with the new crop of "grungegaze" bands like Soul Blind, Narrow Head, Trauma Ray and many others.
Worlds Worst
Worlds Worst are a Salt Lake City alternative/indie/slacker rock band who play guitar heavy 90s inspired fuzzed out noise pop. The band is gearing up to release their sophomore LP, American Muscle, which showcases the band continuing to perfect their unique approach to the indie, noisy, slacker rock sound with loud punchy guitars and big hooks.

The Casket Lottery
The Casket Lottery is an emo/post-hardcore band from Kansas City, MO formed in 1997. The band released its first three LPs on Second Nature Recordings, a fourth LP on No Sleep Records, and reunited for a 5th LP in 2020 on Wiretap Records. The band are now signed to Iodine Records and will release it's 6th LP titled "Feel The Teeth" in August of 2025.

Somerset Thrower
Hailing from Long Island, NY, Somerset Thrower was founded by four friends who share a love of all things rock and roll. Built on punk and hardcore roots, the four-piece blends raw energy with melody-soaked textures to create something both urgent and timeless. Fans of bands like Seaweed, Jawbreaker, Samiam, Jimmy Eat World and more recent bands like Drug Church, Taking Meds, Praise and the like will enjoy their sound. The band has signed to Smart Punk Records and will release their third album, Take Only What You Need to Survive in July 2025.
