Lytic

Lytic are a two-piece screamo band from New York, New York that have been around since at least 2016, but only recently released their debut recorded material. They dropped an EP in December 2018, and a split with living legends Shizune this month on Zegema Beach Records. Speaking of legends, Lytic is notable for being the newest project from Jamie Behar, a former member of Saetia and Off Minor. Their debut EP was also produced by fellow Off Minor/Saetia alumni Steve Roche. As expected, this new material is insanely killer. It blends the chaos of emoviolence with the jittery jazz rhythms of Off Minor, all while adding melodic tinges and maintaining a fresh, organic sound. Not sure what else to say except you'll definitely dig this if any of the aforementioned bands appeal to you. Enjoy.

onesidedlp (2018)

1. Bleak

2. The Last Northcore Kid

3. Screens

Shizune/Lytic (2019)

1. Shizune - greg e a roppongi con john macAfee

2. Shizune - occhiaie metafisiche

3. Lytic - Greener Grass

4. Lytic - All Bleeding Stops Eventually

5. Lytic - Lugenpresse

onesidedlp - Bandcamp

Shizune/Lytic - Bandcamp

Shizune/Lytic 7" - USA

Shizune/Lytic 7" - Canada/International

Macseal

Macseal are a five-piece emo/indie/math rock band from Long Island, New York that began in 2014. They play a unique style of emo incorporates the "twinkly" math rock guitar sound with a heavy focus on vocal melodies and lyrics, in the same vein as bands like Oso Oso or Modern Baseball. Thrown in the harmonies of Tigers Jaw and a shade of pop punk influence, and voila, you've got Macseal. They've put out a string of EP's thus far, with the most recent one Map It Out being released today by 6131 Records. Each release thus far has been solid, with a natural evolution in sound. Definitely recommended for fans of the aforementioned bands, or anyone who enjoys the occasional visit to the emo mecca of "twinkletown". Enjoy.

Macseal EP (2015)

1. Cats

2. Going Away

3. Gentle Giant

4. Applications

5. Kathy Bates Motel

6. 5:45 a.m. (Not Fun)

etc. (2016)

1. 5:45 a.m. (acoustic)

2. Applications (acoustic)

3. Kathy Bates Motel (demo)

4. 5:45 a.m. (demo)

5. Attractive Today (Motion City Soundtrack cover)

Yeah, No, I Know (2017)

1. Twilight Funzone

2. Harry

3. Next To You

4. Sandbox

5. These Things Happen

Map It Out (2018)

1. Sure Thing, Shelly

2. Golden Hour

3. Old Halls

4. Sleeping In

Super Enthusiast (2019)

1. Lucky For Some

2. Without A Trace

3. Always Hazy

4. Mystery Inc.

5. Irving

6. Upside Down Again

7. Nothing's A Sure Thing, Baby

8. Graduating Steps

9. Problem Solved

10. Picture Perfect

11. Safe Spot

Bandcamp

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Instagram

YouTube

Trail Of Lies

Trail Of Lies are a five-piece straight edge hardcore band from Syracuse, New York that began in 2011. They've made a name for themselves in hardcore thanks to some unrelentingly heavy, aggressive riffs that still have a groove to them, deep, guttural vocals, and a penchant for mosh-friendly breakdowns. There's definitely a lot of Hatebreed influence here, which is a selling point in and of itself. Both of their recent records, Strength Through Discipline and W.A.R. are worth checking out. I'm also missing most of the Demo (since I could only find the first two tracks). If anyone happens to have the rest, please send them my way! Enjoy.

Demo (2011)

1. Control System

2. Corruptive Mind

3. Soliders Of The Media

4. Aggressor

Note: Only tracks 1 and 2 available

Strength Through Discipline (2016)

1. Strength Through Discipline

2. Rise To Conquer

3. Ultradominance

4. Control System

5. Persistence

6. Aggressor

God Of Rage (Single) (2017)

1. God of Rage

2. Bottom Feeder

W.A.R. (2018)

1. Master Of My Destiny

2. Run

3. Next Generation

4. Ultradominance

5. W.A.R.

6. God Of Rage

7. Black Mirror

8. Fight For Victory

Bandcamp

Website

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Closer

Closer are a three-piece screamo/post-hardcore band from Brooklyn, New York that began in 2016. They released their debut LP in early 2018 via Lauren Records, Conditions Records, and Middle Man Records. All This Will Be is an incredible testament to the band's versatility, carving out a sound that's instrumentally intricate while being emotionally intense. They make an excellent use of dynamics through their heaven-reaching crescendos, offbeat syncopations, and a variety of vocalists and vocal styles (from spoken word to yellfests). The band sounds super tight as musicians, it's crazy to think that this is their first official release, since they sound like seasoned vets. Every song brings a new idea to the table, and shows a wide range of influence from the screamo/emo/hardcore/post-hardcore world. Some bands to loosely compare them to would be Circle Takes The Square, Suis La Lune, Old Gray, Touché Amoré, Mahria, Foxtails, and I Hate Sex, though none of those really nail down the same sound Closer works with.

Another thing I personally love about this album are the numerous vocal chants/mantras (whatever you want to call them) that the band have mastered. Every few songs there's a repeated vocal line that just gets stuck in your head and bound to make you shout along long after the song is over, most notably on songs like "Hardly Art" and "Three Halloweens". This LP "slaps", as the kids are saying these days, and though I mention it a lot, I do truly mean this is highly recommended stuff, and I'm happy to have heard it before the year is out. Enjoy.

All This Will Be (2018)

1. -

2. Gift Shop

3. Hardly Art

4. This Year

5. Dust

6. Birdhouse

7. Three Halloweens

8. Rec Room

9. An Athema

Bandcamp

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Middle Man Records

Conditions Records

Lauren Records

California Cousins

California Cousins are a three-piece emo/post-hardcore/math rock/pop punk band from Rochester, New York that began in 2011. Following two EP's, they released their debut full-length earlier this year, titled Distant Relatives, and it packs A LOT into its 10 tracks. Sonically, the band encapsulates influence from a litany of semi-related genres (such as the aforementioned), and bring in both melodic and screamed vocals with harsh, distorted guitar tones juxtaposed with mathy, noodly lines and off-kilter rhythms. They don't ever get stuck in one sound, which really makes each song truly distinct, and a varied listen in both the individual songs and the album as a whole. It's like they take the rauccous energy of Prince Daddy & The Hyena, with the melodic noodles of You Blew It!, Marietta, or Snowing and the shredding rhythmic dynamics of The Fall Of Troy. Or something like that, California Cousins aren't the easiest band to pin down, but this album is fucking great, and will definitely appeal to fans of most of the shit posted on this here lil blog. Enjoy.

George's Bridge (2015)

1. Soft Earth

2. Let The Cold In

3. Your Backyard

4. Benedict Drive

5. Your Kitchen Floor

Sorry, We Missed You (2015)

1. Benedict Drive

2. Early Graves

Distant Relatives (2018)

1. Aspirin

2. Hold This Coupon

3. 7 Minute Freestyle

4. Redeeming Qualities

5. Brockport 1995

6. Simple Math (#1 Two For Fives)

7. Jeff Gordblum (Jeff Goldblum In The Back Of The Jeep, Jeff Gordon In The Passenger Seat)

8. Extendo Weekend

9. Sand In Pockets

10. Camp Shorts

Bandcamp

Facebook

Oso Oso

Oso Oso is an emo/indie project primarily consisting of Jade Lilitri from Long Beach, New York. The project began in 2014 under the name osoosooso before being shortened to Oso Oso. Prior to beginning this solo endeavor, Lilitri was better known as a member of State Lines. Thus far they've released two stellar full-lengths, and a recent EP out on Triple Crown.

Sonically, this is a pretty tough project to pin down. Without a doubt they are one of the most unique and beloved modern emo bands around, though they don't really sound like a lot of their contemporaries. Instead, they take influence from major bands such as Death Cab For Cutie, Jimmy Eat World, and Built To Spill, and create these incredible songs with pop exteriors and emo interiors. Lilitri is an incredible lyricist, which has been obvious since the first State Lines record, but with Oso Oso he has really stepped up his craft to string together some beautiful lines to cut underneath the catchy melodies.

I can't recall exactly where I first heard this description (probably some online comment), but it was something along the lines of "Oso Oso is the sound of being sad at the beach", which is a pretty accurate description of their duality. This applies in particular to The Yunahon Mixtape, his most celebrated release. There's not much more to rant about here, this band has been requested to death for years upon years, so here ya finally go. Enjoy.

osoosooso (2014)

1. Moving In

2. A Bunch Of Things I Don't Know

3. Neighbors

4. Safe

5. The Expiration Date

6. Para 'effin dise, Baby!

7. Mike Isn't Down With Punctuation

Free Throw/Oso Oso (2014)

1. Free Throw - Grandma Got Runover By A Reindeer

2. Oso Oso - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Real Stories Of True People Who Kind Of Looked Like Monsters (2015)

1. Track One, Side A

2. Wet Grass or Cold Cement

3. Another Night

4. Where You've Been Hiding

5. How It Happened

6. Josephine

7. Interlude

8. Easy Way Out

9. This Must Be A Place

10. This Must Be An Entrance

11. This Must Be My Exit

The Yunahon Mixtape (2017)

1. the cool

2. reindeer games

3. the walk

4. the bearer of the truths

5. get there (when you're there)

6. great big beaches

7. shoes (the sneaker song)

8. the slope

9. the secret spot

10. the plant mouth

11. out of the blue

gb/ol h/nf (2018)

1. gb/ol h/nf

2. subside

basking in the glow (2019)

1. intro

2. the view

3. basking in the glow

4. dig

5. one sick plan

6. a morning song

7. priority change

8. wake up next to god

9. impossible game

10. charlie

Bandcamp

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Nervous Dater

Nervous Dater are a four-piece indie/pop punk band from Brooklyn, New York that have been around since 2015. They play a style of music that features fuzzy chords, melodic lead lines and upbeat tempos juxtaposed with some amazing lyrics that recall personal anecdotes and feelings. It's kind of like a poppy Rainer Maria meeting the lyrical density of Hop Along and raw energy of Say Anything, or something of the sort. That's probably not a very good description, but the music's good. Really good. Top-notch songwriting with a fantastic energy that they can speed up or slow down with ease. Their debut LP Don't Be A Stranger came out last year on Counter Intuitive, and they've been getting bigger ever since. Definitely a band to look out for, with a fantastic debut already out to enjoy. So, enjoy.

Nervous Dater (2014)

1. Kool-Aid

2. Hard Love

3. Queens

4. Chameleon

5. Die Alone

A Hundred Beers (2016)

1. Abba Zabba, You My Only Friend

2. Scabs

3. Kelly Said

4. Dead Space

5. 5th Floor Walkup

Don't Be A Stranger (2017)

1. Bad Spanish

2. Fun Dumpster

3. Don't Be A Stranger

4. Serenity

5. Pigeon Language

6. Vominos

7. Run Home

8. Stockton Syndrome

9. Saratoga

10. Wavelengths

Bandcamp

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Counter Intuitive

Prince Daddy & The Hyena

Prince Daddy & The Hyena are a four-piece emo/punk band from Albany, New York that formed in 2014. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this band on here a few times before, so I figured it's about time I actually get them up here. They've quickly become one of the most noteworthy bands in this current wave of "emo" (or "sparklepunk", whatever the fuck ya want to call it), with some incredible songwriting and unparalleled energy. If you take some downer (but still awesome) lyrics, pair it with some heavy power chords, catchy, hoarse vocals, and some shred-tastic lead work, you've got Prince Daddy & The Hyena. They take some pretty clear influence from bands like The Get Up Kids and Weezer, and exist in the same vein as modern bands like Mom Jeans., Remo Drive, and Rozwell Kid. Their sole LP, I Thought You Didn't Even Like Leaving and three-way split Now That's What I Call Music Vol. 420 are required listening, but pretty much everything is gold. Enjoy.

Adult Summers (2015)

1. Adult Summers (PART 1)

2. Adult Summers (PART 2)

3. I'm A Bum

4. Revenge Of The Spiderbees

5. ***HIDDEN TRACK***

I Thought You Didn't Even Like Leaving (2016)

1. I Thought You Didn't Even Like Leaving

2. I Forgot To Take My Meds Today

3. Clever Girl

4. Nika's Got It Wrong

5. Bromeo // Always Good

6. Pop Song

7. Broc Ched

8. I Wish I Could Ctrl+Alt+Del My Life

9. Hundo Pos

10. Bathtub

11. Really?

Just Friends/Prince Daddy & The Hyena (2016)

1. Just Friends - Sad 2 See

2. Just Friends - The Good Life

3. Prince Daddy & The Hyena - Moo Moo Meadows 

4. Prince Daddy & The Hyena - Devotion

Death Protector Collective Mixtape #1 (2017)

1. Prince Daddy & The Hyena - If I'm Still Broke By Christmas

2. Dikembe - Living In The Walls

3. Expert Timing - Homesick Hearts

4. Henrietta - Big Miss Steak

5. Expert Timing - Make It Better

6. Henrietta - Better Now

7. Dikembe - Nest

8. Prince Daddy & The Hyena - Escape From The City

NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 420 (2017)

1. Prince Daddy & The Hyena - Thrashville 1/3

2. Pictures of Vernon - The Sunshine Bus

3. Mom Jeans. - YIKES (daddy wants wings)

4. Prince Daddy & The Hyena - Thrashville 2/3 (ft. Kississippi)

5. Pictures of Vernon - Camp Games 1.1

6. Mom Jeans. - Vape Nation 2.0

Cosmic Thrill Seekers (2019)

1. I Lost My Life

2. Lauren (Track 2)

3. Fuckin' A

4. Dialogue

5. Cosmic Thrill Seeking Forever

6. Slip

7. The Prototype of the Ultimate Lifeform

8. Breather

9. Ursula Merger

10. Dream Nails

11. C'mon And Smoke me Up

12. Trying Times

13. Klonopin

14. Wacky Misadventures of the Passenger

Bandcamp

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Counter Intuitive Records

Palmkite

Palmkite are a four-piece emo/indie band from Northport, New York that formed in 2009. They're quite an underrated bands to come out of the original "emo revival", and share a lot of sonic similarities with other early bands, such as Joie de Vivre or Hightide Hotel. Palmkite play with clean, noodly guitars and forlorn, Braid-esque vocals, with some awesome lyrics behind them. Thus far the band's releases are 3/3, with even their demo being a standout release. Unfortunately, they haven't put anything out since late 2014, and are currently on an unofficial hiatus. Hopefully we'll get some new material from them sometime in the future, but for now, we have these incredible throwbacks. Enjoy.

Palmkite Demo (2009)

1. We Should Have Done This Yesterday

2. Trust In Time Travel

3. Is Any Of You Guys Mike?

4. No View

5. Your Alma Mater

The Sound of Snowfall (2011)

1. Outlaws With Style, In A Class All Their Own

2. Blyngwie Malmsteen

3. Stay Outta Trouble

4. Thanks For The Dinosaur

2011 (2014)

1. Eye On The Door

2. Didn't We Do This Yesterday?

3. Manufacturer's Delight

4. One Day, You'll Be Cool

5. Got An Extra Hour

Bandcamp

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Outburst

Outburst are a five-piece straight edge hardcore band from New York City that were originally around from 1987 to 1989, but have been playing shows again since 2017. They put out a demo (recorded by Don Fury), a few comp tracks, and one 7" during their initial run together. Since then, Outburst have been incredibly influential (notably on bands like Fury and Soul Search, among others). Their sound is distinctly NYHC, but they don't quite sound like Agnostic Front, or something like that. They've got a uniquely aggressive sound, with blunt lyrics and booming instrumentals. In addition to what's below, you can also grab some live sets from there over at Blogged & Quartered here. Enjoy.

The Demo (1987)

1. Intro

2. Learn To Care

3. Think For Yourself

4. Mission Impossible

5. Mad At The World

6. True

7. Outro

New Breed Tape Compilation

5. The Hardway
6. Thin Ice

7. Controlled

Note: Outburst tracks only

Miles To Go (1989)

1. No Choice

2. When Things Go Wrong

3. Thin Ice

4. Misunderstood

5. Miles To GO

6. S.G.I.

7. Mission Impossible

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Cloud District

Cloud District are a four-piece indie/emo band from New Paltz, New York that formed in 2012. They released a new album earlier this year, Don't Give Up, Skeleton is one of many fantastic emo relases this year that have been really sparking my re-interest in the genre. Trying to nail down its sound is really hard to do, since each song truly offers something different from the last. It's like an amalgamation of every trend in the genre in the past few years, with some upbeat, personal storytelling (like "Hamster Camp"), some acoustic stuff ("Mug Drunk" is a definite highlight), some midwestern twinkly influence, some post-rock flashes (particularly "Necro..."), and my absolute favourite song on this whole thing, "2Sad2Swim". They're fantastic songwriters with a good energy to them, and keep this album very engaging throughout with the numerous sounds they can throw out. I cannot recommend this enough if you're looking for some new emo/indie type stuff. Their previous album Almanacs is also solid front-to-back, so nab that too. Enjoy.

Relaxatives (2014)

1. Cloud District - Natalie Dormer

2. Cloud District - Submerge

3. Mike Pays Heat - Oxygen

4. Mike Pays Heat - Breaking Pencils

Almanacs (2016)

1. Cuddle Puddle

2. Solstice

3. Conviction One

4. The Silence

5. Phil, The Silence

6. Please Consider Using This Song In Your Indie Movie

7. Driveways

8. The Guy from The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die Added Me On Snapchat

Note: This is a remastered version, the only version released in 2014 can be found here

Summer Slam EP (2016)

1. You Are The Answer To My Security Question

2. You Will Never Be A Samurai

3. Natalie Dormer

4. Pillow Fort

5. Rosie

6. Infinite Chaz

City Mouth/Cloud District/Quinn Cicala (2017)

1. Quinn Cicala - In A Diner In Poughkeepsie

2. City Mouth - Body And Blood

3. Cloud District - I Don't Even Play Guitar In This Band

Note: All proceeds go to RAINN

Don't Give Up, Skeleton (2018)

1. Hamster Camp

2. Rise of the Eggplant Bandit

3. 2Sad2Swim

4. Swear I Saw You Rockin' Part I

5. Swear I Saw You Rockin' Part II

6. Mug Drunk

7. 48

8. I Don't Even Play Guitar In This Band

9. Don't Give Up, Skeleton

10. Queso Besos

11. Necronomnomnomicon

12. Swear I Saw You Rockin' Part III

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