Kite Flying Society

"Please let me keep this memory. Just this one."

Year 6 of this lonely and despaired tradition. Another screamo soundtrack to wallow in. Valentrine's Day 2018, a day of romance and lovers. Not that you'd know anything about that. Thus you are left to scourge every sorrowful moment, every lonely Sunday morning, every pain in your half-burnt heart, and every reminder of when things were better. Might as well listen to some decent tunes while you do it. This year we've got the fantastic Kite Flying Society to do so, and I'll leave links to all previous years in the comments if you want to deepen the wound.

Kite Flying Society were a five-piece screamo band from Orlando, Florida that were around from at least 2000 to 2002 (any more info would be appreciated). They played an impassioned style of screamo akin to bands such as Saetia or You And I. In their chaos and dissonance, there are definite signs of melody here, albeit brief ones. Vocally, they are absolutely scorching, but also made heavy use of spoken word bits, which harken back to Moss Icon in the fragmented delivery atop arpeggiated guitars. Their discography, like many of their contemporaries, is fairly scattered. They released 2 EP's in their lifetime, and recorded a handful of other tracks that were never released. That is, until their full discography was compiled in 2006 by Init Records. Their discography is below, which includes all their EP material, some unreleased/demo tracks, as well as some live stuff. Doesn't get much better than this on days like today. All apologies and smiles, yours truly, ugly Valentine. Enjoy.

A Discography (2006)

1. Art of Conversation

2. Past Life Regression

3. Nothing

4. Art Of Conversation

5. Breathe

6. Blinded

7. Past Life Regression

8. On Stars Our Dreams Are Born

9. A Twisted Path

10. 10,000 Hands

11. This Picture Was My Heart

12. Untitled

13. We Dance At Night

14. Summer Solstice

15. A Twisted Path

16. Rocky IV

17. Hospital Bed

18. Winter Solstice

19. Stuck Like Chuck

20. Concrete Trees

21. End Of Time

22. Metal Mayhem

23. We Dance At Night (Live)

24. Breathe (Live)

25. Nothing (Live)

26. A Twisted Path (Live)

27. Art Of Conversation (Demo)

28. Winter Solstice (Demo)

Bandcamp

Basic White

Basic White are a four-piece band from London, Ontario who play that old time rock n roll. Their debut EP, Long Time Comin', came out in November 2016. This thing is five tracks of killer hooks and riffs, complimented by some slick leads and blues-tinged rhythms. Fans of other great Canadian rock bands such as The Trews or Sam Roberts will definitely see the appeal here. They've got a fantastic kick-back and let loose energy to them, which really translates well in a live setting. Check out their latest video for the song "Glory Years" below. If it suits ya fancy, I definitely recommend picking up the full EP, which is available below and well worth the listen. Enjoy!

Long Time Comin' (2016)

1. Glory Years

2. Something In Between

3. Willing & Able

4. Waiting For Change

5. Way Up

Website

Bandcamp

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Instagram

Foxtails

Foxtails are a three-piece emo/screamo band from Connecticut that have been around since at least 2015. They play a very technical style of emo that borders on math rock, with some dizzying fretboard work on bright guitars, and some very athletic drumming. They've got some very impressive dynamic shifts, going from melodic, quiet passages with softly sung vocals to screamed, bombastic moments. Utilizing off-kilter rhythms, odd song structures and time signatures, as well as never shying away from dissonance to create unease in the calmer moments, Foxtails have showed that they are not only incredible musicians, but have crafted a sound that is truly their own. Their last album, III came out last year on Emo Cat Records, and is unfortunately something I've slept on until now. Highly, highly, recommended. Enjoy.

This Is Not For You (2015)

1. Random Names Always Work

2. Purge

3. Vacant Lottery

4. ccc

5. The Ten Commandments Of Ryan F.

6. Every Window In An Alcatraz Has A View Of San Francisco

7. I Can't Fucking Write Books Because I Only Write Songs Now

8. Well, Well, Well, How The Turntables...

O Tempora! O Mores! (2016)

1. Timeline

2. I'm A Sociopath

3. Pellon Upon Ossa

4. Do You Believe I'm Real, Boy Wonder?

5. De Mal En Peor

6. Welcome To Hawaii

Rare Beasts/Foxtails (2016)

1. Rare Beasts - Grendolyn

2. Rare Beasts - Let Me Tell You About The Time I Punched That Bandicoot (Live)

3. Foxtails - The Punishment Light

4. Foxtails - I Experienced Ego Death On An NDE Thread

III (2017)

1. Princess Carolyn

2. The Chicken From Outer Space

3. c.c.c.r.e.m.i.x.

4. Punishment Light

5. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcba

6. The Revenge Of The Chicken From Outer Space

7. I Experienced Ego Death On And NDE THread

8. Every Window In An Alcatraz Has A View Of San Francisco (II)

Note: Cassette can be found here

Foxtails / Algae Bloom (2018)

1. foxtails - To Kitty, Love Bunny

2. foxtails - Cucaracho

3. algae bloom - How Are You?

4. algae bloom - Life In Brio

5. algae bloom - If I Was To Talk Meaningfully With My Friends

6. algae bloom - Understanding In Negative

querida hija (2019)

1. zzz

2. the chickening

3. prime crier

4. it was the first i remembered a saturday night i forgot about

5. lucky cat sticker pack

6. querida

7. i experienced ego death on a skramcave thread

fawn (2022)

1. ego death

2. star-crossed

3. ataque de nervios

4. gazelle

5. bbq

6. gallons of spiders went flying thru the stratosphere

7. so it goes

8. space orphan

9. life is a death scene, princess

10. catalyst

11. la belle indifférence

12. paper tiger

Bandcamp

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Emo Cat Records

Terry Green

Terry Green are a four-piece screamo/post-hardcore band from Mississauga (Toronto), Ontario that formed in 2014. After an EP and split under their belt, they put out an incredible LP last year that I cannot recommend enough for fans of screamo goodness. They play a very progressive blend of the genre that displays their technical ability in addition to raw catharsis. This includes lengthy instrumental passages with influence culled from every great faction of screamo. If you like a little melody in your chaos, or are a fan of bands like Daitro, Kidcrash or The Reptilian, this is highly recommended. Enjoy.

Visiting Hours (2014)

1. Hi Hater

2. Bye Hater

3. Rich A$ Fuck

4. Yard Sard

5. Yale Sale // Another Sard

Terry Green/Huge Cosmic (2015)

1. Terry Green - What The...

2. Terry Green -  Instant Relief

3. Huge Cosmic - Danny Bombs The Universe

4. Huge Cosmic - Garmonbonzai

Note: You can pick pick up the cassette here

LP (2017)

1. I

2. II

3. III

4. IV

5. V

6. VI

Note: Pick up the 12" here

Provisional Living (2024)

1. Paling

2. Blur

3. Repeats

4. So What

5. Safety

6. Full Lip

7. Paramount

8. Gnawing

9. Easy

Bandcamp

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Zegema Beach Records

awakebutstillinbed

What a hell of a way to kick the year off. awakebutstillinbed are a four-piece emo/indie/punk band from San Jose, California. Their debut album, the TWIABP-esque titled what people call low self-esteem is really just seeing yourself the way that other people see you came out on January 3rd of this year. I'm not even sure where to begin with this. This is an undoubtedly fantastic album, with top notch songwriting and great instrumentation. They play a punk'd-up version of midwest emo, with the bright guitars and sweet melodies of Rainer Maria being a definite influence, and in their most punched-up moments they recall Cap'n Jazz and even teeter on I Hate Myself. But where this band really excels is in the personality they exude in every song. For one, the vocals are very charismatic, conveying personal reflections in every dynamic range imaginable. For such depressing subject matter, they sure do make some fun as hell music. They've got their own voice, and aren't afraid to scream, shout, or whisper to get what they have to say across. If this is the bar set for emo this year, then we are in for the greatest year the genre's seen in a long time. Enjoy.

what people call low self-esteem is really just seeing yourself the way that other people see you (2018)

1. opener

2. life

3. safe

4. stumble

5. fathers

6. interlude

7. saved

8. floor

9. closer

stay who you are (2020)

1. beauty

2. live

3. mirror

Hymns For The Condemned (2022)

1. awakebutstillinbed - fear

2. awakebutstillinbed - ride

3. For Your Health - Disarmament

4. For Your Health - A Word Of Warning For The Pyrrh Of Heart

Chaos Takes The Wheel And I Am A Passenger (2023)

1. Bloodline

2. Road

3. Far

4. Streamline

5. Airport

6. Savior

7. Clearview

8. Enough

9. Redlight

10. Adapt

11. Scramble Suit

12. Passenger

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