Sophie's Floorboard: 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.