Rival Schools

 Rival Schools are a four-piece emo/post-hardcore band from New York City, New York that formed in 1999, and have been intermittently active ever since (first disbanding in 2003, then reuniting in 2008 only to disband again in 2013, and finally reforming in 2022). With such an on-and-off history, they've released three albums over two decades. The band includes singer/guitarist Walter Schreifels and drummer Sammy Siegler, both of whom were already well-established major figures in New York hardcore having both been in CIV, Youth Of Today, and Project X together prior while Schreifels is of course best known for Gorilla Biscuits and  Quicksand while Siegler was also in Judge, Bold, Shelter, Side by Side. Basically New York hardcore wouldn't be what it is without these two guys. But Rival Schools if fairly removed from their hardcore origins, at least in terms of sound. Carrying on the post-hardcore groundwork laid by Quicksand into far more melodic territory, Rival Schools plays a shimmering, intricate brand of emo influenced by Braid and Texas Is The Reason while still maintaining that sense of heavy, creative energy that they brought to their previous bands. If you're new to Rival Schools United By Fate is kind of like "the" album by them, but their later output shouldn't be overlooked either. Enjoy.

United By Fate (2001)

1. Travel By Telephone

2. Everything Has Its Point

3. High Acetate

4. Undercovers On

5. Good Things

6. Used For Glue

7. World Invitational

8. The Switch

9. Holding Sand

10. My Echo

11. Favorite Star

12. So Down On

13. Hooligans For Life

Pedals (2011)

1. Wring It Out

2. 69 Guns

3. Eyes Wide Open

4. Choose Your Adventure

5. Racing To Red Lights

6. Shot After Shot

7. A Parts For B Actors

8. Big Waves

9. Small Doses

10. The Ghost Is Out There

Found (2013)

1. Dreamlife Avenger

2. Reaching Out

3. Indisposable Heroes

4. Paranoid Detectives

5. On The Fray

6. The Soft Skin

7. Tell It All To Me

8. Missing Glider

9. Big Waves

10. Sofia Loren

11. Why Can't I Touch It

Some (2022)

1. Green Is Good

2. Take One For The Team

3. Where I'm From

4. Contraire

5. Holding Sand (Acoustic)

Note: Most songs originally released in 2001

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Righteous Jams

Righteous Jams were a straight edge hardcore band from Boston, Massachusetts active from approximately 2003 to 2007. They ripped riff-heavy quick-hits in the vein of Black Flag and Cro-Mags, with positive lyricism and an infectious energy. I don't know how or why it's taken me so long to get this band on here; I haven't heard Rage Of Discipline in years and going back to it now and it holds up impeccably as a solid 13 minutes of lively rhythmic bliss. There's also apparently a four-song demo they released in 2004, so if anyone has that please let me know! Enjoy.

Righteous Jams In 2003 (2003)

1. Righteous Jams

2. Invasion / Scream And Shot

4. Where It's Due

5. Bust It

6. Righteous Dub

Rage Of Discipline (2004)

1. Rage Of Discipline

2. Iron Mind

3. Green Eyes

4. Bust It

5. No Glory

6. Small Fish

7. Invasion

8. Scream And Shout

9. Where It's Due

10. Righteous Jams

Business As Usual (2006)

1. Thought Vacation

2. More Is More

3. Instinct And Music

4. 23

5. Nothing Happens

6. Business As Usual

7. Lizards

8. You Have Issues

9. Adams St.

10. The Price Of Redemption

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Rampage

Rampage were a five-piece hardcore band from Rhode Island, New York that were around between 2004 and 2007 (approximately). They released one EP and one LP in that time of Cro-Mags and Floorpunch-inspired hardcore with a thrash metal edge (especially in the reverb-laden production of Limit Of Destruction, which sounds absolutely ferocious). Members of Rampage also played in Think I Care, Mind Eraser, Cruel Hand, The Rival Mob, and Rained In, which should give you all the indication needed that this is worth your time. Enjoy.

Heads In A Vice! (2004)

1. Cave Bear

2. Make It Right

3. Heads In A Vice!

4. Lean And Mean

5. Buzzkill

6. Get Fuckin' Serious

Limit Of Destruction (2007)

1. Best Enemy

2. Ox Must Plow

3. Goin Ape

4. Unprepared

5. Physical Therapy

6. Geekin Out

7. L.O.D.

8. Homeless

9. Smart Too Slow

10. Lesser Men Would Crumble

11. Bitch Pleaza

Rain

Rain were a three-piece (later four-piece) punk/emo band from Washington, DC that formed in 1986 and dissolved in 1987. They shared members with The Untouchables, Youth Brigade, Gray Matter, Soulside/Lunchmeat - in other words, they were a DC band at the tail end of "Revolution Summer", a time marked by a major shift in the DC hardcore scene towards socially conscious activism and sonically experimental music. It's now best known as the birthplace of "emo" though it is a term vocally rejected by some of its participants) with bands like Rites Of Spring and Embrace infusing personal, poetic lyricism into a more dynamic and melodic version of hardcore's raw, energetic bite. If you're at all familiar with the bands coming out of this era, there's no doubt you're going to love Rain's punchy basslines, angular octave-shredded guitars, and desperate vocal delivery. Between two studio sessions (one as a three-piece, one as a four-piece), Rain's recorded material was all eventually released as La Vache Qui Rit in 1990 as a co-release between Dischord and Peterbilt Records. Enjoy.

La Vache Qui Rit (1990)

1. That Time Of Year

2. End Of My Mind

3. Snakeout

4. Worlds At War

5.Around The Axis

6. Rivers

Dischord

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Pyre

“This is it Joel. It’s going to be gone soon.”

“I know.”
“What do we do?”
“Enjoy it.”

It is the loneliness and most crestfallen day of the year again, and with it brings bad tidings, quotes from a movie that we'll never run out of, and a screamy band capable of matching that inner despondency. Pyre are a five-piece screamo band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that formed in 2022. Following an EP and a split, they released their debut full-length This Is How We Lose Fullness last year, which is when I first heard of them. After reading the lyrics and seeing how delightfully dismal they were, this band was immediately pegged for this very post. Don't let the song titles fool you, they're just a cover for the bleeding heart drudgery behind them, accentuated by an incredible sonic blend of heavy, dissonant chaos and shrieked vocals (in the vein of Jeromes Dream, Portrait, or Loma Prieta) with melodic breaks that trade off screamed and sung vocals reminiscent of fellow V-Day alumni You And I. The drums are flooring, the guitars harshly cathartic, with melancholic lyrics and vocals that all come together as the perfect recipe for this miserable day. If you want to deepen the wound, links to all the previous V-Day entries can also be found below. Don't enjoy.

Happiness Is Hard To Find (2022)

1. Stare

2. Flies

3. I Wrote It In Guitar Pro

4. Daikatana II: John Romero Will Make You His Bitch, Again

Posted Marked Stamps #4 (2023)

1. Pyre - 3416

2. Biliardo - song3

4. Pyre - Dove Takes Flight

4. Biliardo - halt

5. Pyre - Unforgiven 7

6. Biliardo - the day the insects awaken

This Is How We Lose Fullness (2025)

1. Intro

2. Pond Lehocky Tonsil Hockey

3. How 'Bout One Of Them God Songs?

4. Good Bones, Better Teeth

5. STFUmode

6. Men Love Multi-Level Marketing

7. Flash Floods As Predicted By The Wii Forecast Channel

8. Richard Brandon Has A Hot Dog Dick

9. I Showed You To My Youtube Poop, Please Respond

10. Dove Takes Flight Pt. II

11. Beef Strogan, Seth Rogen, Joe Rogan, Hulk Hogan

12. Cowboy Shit

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Previous Installments

 

2013: The Saddest Landscape

2014: iwrotehaikusaboutcannibalisminyouryearbook

2015: You And I

2016: Love Lost But Not Forgotten

2017: In Loving Memory

2018: Kite Flying Society

2019: The Khayembii Communiqué

2020: Harrison Bergeron

2021: The Last Forty Seconds

2022: The Apoplexy Twist Orchestra

2023: Vowel

2024: Toru Okada

Meet Me In St. Louis

Meet Me In St. Louis were a five-piece post-hardcore/emo/math rock band from Guildford, Surrey that were active from 2005 to 2009 before reuniting for a tour in 2023. If you're interested in doing a deep dive on the band's history, they conducted a retrospective interview you can read here. In terms of sound, imagine trebly guitars, syncopated rhythms, odd time signatures, robust bass lines, and impassioned vocals that create this cacophony of sound that's as beautiful as it is blistering, just as melodic as it is technical. Their sole LP Variations On Swing is incredible, but if you're looking for just one release a compilation of all their recorded material was put out by Big Scary Monsters, so that's probably your best bet to start with. Enjoy.

Promise me that we'll never be like them. I don't want to wind up like that. Relax, baby. We're going to wind up like us. (2005)

1. I am Champagne and You are Shit

2. Why Thank You, Suzie

3. Corey Feldman

...And With The Right Kind OF Eyes You Can Almost See The High Water Mark That Place Where The Wave Finally Broke And Rolled Back (2006)

1. We Need To Act Like We Don't Need This Shit, Then you Give Us Shit For Free

2. The Kid Who Had His Ear Slapped By The Druggiest

3. Why Thank You, Suzie

4. What Happened To You Dylan? You Used To Be Someone I Could Trust

5. You Said Your Finger Was A Gun

Variations On Swing (2007)

1. The Torso Was Severed In Mid Thorax

2. Well You Damn Well Should

3. Right This Way, You Maverick Renegade

4. I Am Champagne, You Are Shit

5. I Beat Up The Bathroom, I'm Sorry

6. Ein Zwei Drei Hasslehoff

7. All We Need Is A Little Energon, And A Lot Of Luck

8. Come To New York, There Were Fewer Murders Last Year

9. I've Got Knives In My Eyes I'm Going Home Sick

10. You're Doomed

MMVI - MMIX (2015)

1. The Torso Was Severed In Mid Thorax

2. Well You Damn Well Should

3. Right This Way, You Maverick Renegade

4. I Am Champagne, You Are Shit

5. I Beat Up The Bathroom, I'm Sorry

6. Ein Zwei Drei Hasslehoff

7. All We Need Is A Little Energon, And A Lot Of Luck

8. Come To New York, There Were Fewer Murders Last Year

9. I've Got Knives In My Eyes I'm Going Home Sick

10. You're Doomed

11. I am Champagne and You are Shit

12. Why Thank You, Suzie

13. Corey Feldman

14. 1. We Need To Act Like We Don't Need This Shit, Then you Give Us Shit For Free

15. The Kid Who Had His Ear Slapped By The Druggiest

16. Why Thank You, Suzie

17. What Happened To You Dylan? You Used To Be Someone I Could Trust

18. You Said Your Finger Was A Gun

Note: Compilation including their LP and both EP's

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To The North

To The North Brisbane are a four-piece math rock/post-hardcore band from Brisbane, Australia that formed around 2007. They released a handful of EP's and one LP between 2007 and 2015. Members also play in Apparitions, though To The North is still technically active, continuing to play the occasional shows including a festival appearance this month with Blind Girls. Sonically, this band plays noodling, mathy, and angular riffs with clean (or semi-clean guitars) with midwest emo inflections in the vein of Braid or Minus The Bear, with an intense spoken-shouted vocal delivery that recalls Bear vs Shark. If you're new to this band, I'd suggest either Landscapes for something more emo-y or their full-length Lustre for something a little more unique and tightly refined, but ultimately everything here is solid. Enjoy.

Landscapes (2007)

1. Intro

2. Matinees And Make Believe

3. Nights Like These

4. Behind The Paranoia

5. Drift Away

6. Trapdoors

Ohana/To The North (2008)

1. Ohana - Bleed Ideals

2. To The North - Harms Way

Note: To The North track only

To Work And Not Feed (2009)

1. We Are Not Ashamed

2. Cells

3. If Knowledge Was A Rite Of Passage You Would Be A Fucking Genius

4. Pistol Kids

Indiscretion (2010)

1. Indiscretion

2. No Alibi

3. Lustre

4. This City

5. Pistol Kids (live)

Lustre (2011)

1. Release The Brakes

2. No Alibi

3. Doubt The Shadow, Not The Sun

4. Clear Signal

5. Soft Light Through Plain Glass

6. Rescue And Return

7. Indiscretion

8. Progress Broke The Saddle

9. To Question The Moment

Departure (2015)

1. Departure

2. Escape Artist

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Naiad

 Naiad were a five-piece metalcore band from Kyoto, Japan that were around from 2001 to 2006. The band's output was minimal, with just a demo and their 2003 EP Hardcore Emotion being their most definitive release, which is a severely underrated genre-bending masterpiece, with elements of ambient post-rock, intense, searing vocals and off-kilter metallic riffs a la Shai Hulud or 7 Angels 7 Plagues, and melodic, melancholic emo in the vein of Grade or Christie Front Drive, all packed into an incredible 22-minute runtime. This is an incredible release that I wish I had found sooner, so implore you to give it a listen as well for its sheer uniqueness and visceral impact. Members of this band are also now active in .islea. if you want to check them out too. Enjoy.

Demo (2001)

1. Lost & Noticed

2. ☆☆☆☆☆

Hardcore Emotion (2003)

1. Sensuous Tree

2. Believing Dreams

3. Waves Of Influence Strike Within What Truly Moves You

4. Song Of Nature

5. Hopeless Progress

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The Cardinal Sin

The Cardinal Sin were a four-piece emo/pop punk band from Minneapolis, Minnesota that were around from 2003 to 2006. In that time, they released one full-length, an EP, and a split (which I'm missing), all of which consist of a chunky, driving rhythm section, melodic lead guitar noodling, and catchy, layered vocals. If you're into bands such as Motion City Soundtrack (who they extensively toured with), Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, or Latterman, they're definitely worth your time. Hurry Up And Wait also belongs to an elite club of albums with houses on the cover, so it's got that going for it, on top of being a solidly underrated album. Enjoy.

 

Oil And Water EP (2005)

1. Where We Shine

2. Quarter-Life Crisis

3. Woke Up In Pain

4. A Call For Help

5. Bastards Of Young (The Replacements cover)

6. Oil And Water

Hurry Up And Wait (2006)

1. Eye-Opener

2. Under Your Skin

3. Rough Road

4. Saddest Song

5. Keep You Guessing

6. I'll Confess

7. Light Years Behind

8. White Light! What Light?

9. Good For Nothing

10. He's A Space Case

11. Swarm

12. Hell Of A Saint

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Feels Like Heaven

Feels Like Heaven are a five-piece melodic hardcore band from Stockholm, Sweden that was formed in 2022 by three members of Speedway. Their debut album Within Dreams came out on January 1st, 2026, and it is one hell of a way to kick off a year. The album features these bright, crisp guitars that intertwine between shimmering arpeggios, octave-based riffs, and full major 7th chords, giving them a melodic edge atop pounding drums reminiscent of Title Fight or Basement, hints of More Than Life, while other moments harken back to the angular, confessional intimacy of Embrace or Rites of Spring, with vocals that ride the line between gruff and airy. It's a brisk listen, between 10 songs not one of them hit the full three-minute mark, so it's well worth your time to give this a listen (the run during the first half is especially impeccable). Enjoy.

Extended Play (2022)

1. Runaway Dogs

2. Bright Angel Trail

3. When I Touch The Ground

4. Do You Feel It?

The Rest Of Me / Speed Trials (2022)

1. The Rest Of Me

2. Speed Trials

Within Dreams (2026)

1. World Clock

2. Volvo (On The Road)

3. Box Man

5. Sandra Bullock

6. All That I've Got

7. Heavenly Feeling

8. Around The Bend

9. Video Loss

10. Take The Rain

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