The New Amsterdams

The people have spoken, and it's clearly this band is what they want. I didn't have much of theirs, so thanks so much to Tim for supplying all of it. The New Amsterdams are a five-piece indie rock band from Lawrence, Kansas that formed in 2000. Originally, they were conceived as a side project by Matt Pryor (best known as the guitarist/vocalist of the legendary Get Up Kids), who wanted to explore more acoustic-based material. Since then The New Amsterdams have evolved into a full band, with Pryor still at the helm. Their early work features collaborations from other members of the Get Up Kids (notably Rob and Ryan Pope), though in recent years The New Amsterdams have solidified a line-up entirely of their own. The band isn't currently active, since The Get Up Kids are back together and Pryor's involvement in his now truly solo career.

There's not too much I comment on sonically, since admittedly I don't listen to this band a whole lot, but if you can imagine The Get Up Kids songwriting (with Pryor's unmistakably distinct voice) in a slowed down, acoustic-oriented atmosphere, this would be it. There's a ton of material to delve into here, and I'm super happy to finally deliver it. Never again will the requests be flooded with "The New Amsterdams". Enjoy.

Never You Mind (2000)

1. Every Double Life

2. Lonely Hearts

3. Proceed With Caution

4. Slow Down

5. McShame

6. Goodbye

7. Idaho

8. Drama Queen

9. Make Me Change My Mind

10. When We Two Parted

11. Never Treat Others

12. I Won't Run Away

Para Toda Vida (2002)

1. My Old Man Had A Pistol

2. Picture In The Paper

3. Son Of A Prophet

4. Stay On The Phone

5. That Side Of Me

6. Four More Years

7. Forever Leaving

8. Adeline, Out Of Tune

9. All Ears

10. Losing You

Worse For The Wear (2003)

1. Vignette

2. The Spoils Of The Spoiled

3. Hover Near Fame

4. From California

5. Hanging On For Hope

6. The Smoking Gun

7. Are You True?

8. Asleep At The Wheel

9. Poison In The Ink

10. All Our Vice

11. Worse For The Wear

12. Slight Return

Story Like A Scar (2006)

1. The Death Of Us

2. Turn Out The Light

3. Bad Liar

4. Past The Pines

5. Your Ghost

6. Intelligent Design

7. Calendar Days

8. Beautiful Mistake

9. A Small Crusade

10. Turn Out The Light (Reprise)

Killed Or Cured (2007)

Disc 1: Killed

1. Wears So Thin

2. Your Red Hand

3. Watch The World Cave In

4. Drinking In The Afternoon

5. Maybe I'm A Fool

6. Heaven Sent

7. Full Thunder Moon

8. Has Anyone Seen My Wings

9. Just So Over You

10. Strangled By The Thought

Disc 2: Cured

1. Wears So Thin

2. Your Red Hand

3. Watch The World Cave In

4. Drinking In The Afternoon

5. Maybe I'm A Fool

6. Heaven Sent

7. Full Thunder Moon

8. Has Anyone Seen My Wings

9. Just So Over You

10. Strangled By The Thought

At The Foot Of My Rival (2007)

1. Revenge

2. Wait

3. Fountain Of Youth

4. This Day is Done

5. Without A Sound (Eleanor)

6. Silverlake

7. Last Long Shot

8. Hughes

9. Beacon In Beige

10. Story Like a Scar

11. Fortunate Fool

12. Lay On The Rails

13. Drunk Or Dead

14. Blood On The Floor

Outroduction (2013)

1. Guitarkansas

2. Dear Lover

3. Ex's And Oh's

4. Too Many Of A Good Thing

5. Stand Here And Bleed

6. Whatever You Say

7. A Mile In Your Shoes

8. Heaven Sent

9. The Ballad Of Mike And Beth

10. Your Look Gave You Away

11. Old Enough To Know Better

12. A Long Event

13. Suit Sacrifice

14. The Connoisseur

Elle

Elle are a four-piece screamo band from Oakland, California that began in 2015. They share members with other Bay Area legends Beau Navire, Loma Prieta, and Yearbooks. With such an incredible lineup, there's bound to be high standards for this new project, and holy shit do they deliver. It's a little difficult from their other projects; most notably they've pulled back on the chaotic, shrieking nature of it and let a little melancholic light in it. They have a bit more in common with bands like Raein or Suis La Lune than their past work. The guitars incorporate a lot of shimmering tones and melodic chords, while the vocals are shouted with a desperate exuberance and emotional exhaustion. Both their self-titled EP and recently released She are absolutely incredible, and definitely recent screamo highlights. Enjoy.

Elle (2016)

1. The Clear

2. Mockingbirds

3. Pulse

4. Parts & Parcels

5. Cold Hands

She (2018)

1. Frame By Frame

2. X

3. Crossed Out

4. Wonder

5. Lost, Not Found

6. Grey Things

7. Floral

8. Crush

9. Colorless

... (2019)

1. Terrene

2. Wound

3. Dust

4. Binding

5. Throes

6. All Bets Are Off

7. Shimmer

8. Daggers

9. Draw The Curtain

Cube (2022)

1. Hawak - Reliving

2. Hawak - Old Wounds

3. Joliette - Segundero

4. Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow - Deforestation Feeds My Family and Fucks Your Future

5. Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow - Banana Republicans

6. Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow - Haven't You Done Well

7. Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow - Ice Kewb (the uncontrol)

8. Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow - The Anthem We Deserve

9. Eyelet - Couldn't Bury Hurt

10. Eyelet - Jocasta As A Verb

11. Elle - Hekate

12. Elle - Thane's Box

13. Burial Etiquette - Promise

14. Burial Etiquette - Sword In Sanctuary

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Carry On

Carry On were a five-piece straight edge hardcore band from Atascadero, California that formed in 1996 and broke up in 2005. They released three EP's (two of which were later included in a single compilation) and one LP, which was one of Bridge 9's earliest releases. A Life Less Plagued is an undisputed classic, and still holds up today as one of the most notable hardcore releases since the turn of the century. They played an incredibly fast and aggressive style of hardcore similar to bands such as contemporaries American Nightmare, No Warning and In My Eyes, with a ton of Youth Crew influence from bands like Floorpunch and Chain Of Strength. Another notable thing about them is one of their guitarists, Todd Jones, who has since been active in a  ton of other incredible bands, particularly Nails, Terror, Betrayed, and Internal Affairs. Their drummer Nick Jett has also been in Terror since they started. Enjoy.

Stabbed In The Face (1998)

1. Stabbed In The Face

2. Girl Song

3. Battlefield

4. Pride

The Line Is Drawn (1999)

1. Reason For Change

2. The Line Is Drawn

3. Problem Solved

4. Pushing Forward

5. Move Along

6. What Once Was

Roll With The Punches (2000)

1. Roll With The Punches

2. Fuck Your Politics

3. It's Over

4. Off My Chest

5. We're Not One

6. Check Yourself

It's All Our Blood (2001)

1. Roll With The Punches

2. Fuck Your Politics

3. It's Over

4. Off My Chest

5. We're Not One

6. Check Yourself

7. Pushing Forward

8. Reason For Change

9. The Line Is Drawn

10. Problem Solved

11. Pushing Forward (Version 1)

12. Move Along

13. What Once Was

14. Set The Pace

A Life Less Plagued (2001)

1. The View

2. Waiting On Forever

3. Killing A Sound

4. Roll With The Punches

5. Mirrors And Needles

6. Is This All There Is?

7. A Life Less Plagued

8. X's Always Win

9. So Much of You

10. Off My Chest

11. Broken Strings

12. Rethinking

Bridge Nine Records

Judiciary

Judiciary are a five-piece hardcore band from Lubbock, Texas that formed in 2014. After making a significant mark in the hardcore scene with a demo, EP, and split, they're finally gearing up for the release of their debut full-length, which is slated for release this year on Closed Casket Activities. Before that dropkicks everyone, check out their material to date if ya haven't yet. They play a two-step friendly style of hardcore, with heavy riffs and a thrash influence comparable to the work of fellow Texans Power Trip. Enjoy.

Demo '14 (2014)

1. Intro

2. Eyes Wide

3. Shackled

4. Since Birth

5. Bite The Bullet

6. No Justice, No Peace

The Axis Of Equality (2016)

1. The Axis Of Equality

2. March Of The Abuser

3. Justice Decays

4. Silent Vice

Mortality Rate/Judiciary (2017)

1. Mortality Rate - Forms Of Fear

2. Mortality Rate - Veins

3. Mortality Rate - Lucid

4. Judiciary - Reign Of Turmoil

5. Judiciary - Pure Fury

6. Judiciary - Overthrone

Surface Noise (2019)

1. Social Crusade

2. Karma's Knife

3. Temple (feat. God's Hate)

4. Stronger Than Thou (feat. Knocked Loose)

5.  Burden Of Truth

6. Pure Fury (feat. Mortality Rate)

7. 7.65mm

8. Zero Hour

9. War (Time Is Nigh)

Flesh + Blood (2023)

1. Flesh

2. Blood

3. Engulfed

4. Paradigm Piercer

5. Knife In The Dirt

6. Stare Into The Sun

7. Cobalt

8. Steel Hand God

9. Obsidian

10. Eschatos Hemera

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Young Mountain

Young Mountain are a five-piece screamo/post-rock band from Gothenburg, Sweden that have been around since 2013. Since then they've been fairly prolific with consistent solid releases. The band takes the base of their sound from the atmospheric, rise and fall post-rock influence of bands like This Will Destroy You (whose debut album Young Mountain presumably get their name from). On top of that they throw in hard-hitting screamed vocals, haunting sung vocals, reverb-washed melodic guitars, and the ability to produce dynamic-shifting tracks of dark, emotional catharsis. Fans of the post-rock/shoegaze and screamo/post-hardcore blend will dig this, since it brings to mind other titans of the genre such as Envy,  Deafheaven, or early Pianos Become The Teeth. Their most recent release, Lost Tree is an absolutely immense record, and probably their best to date. If you're new to this band, I'd suggest starting there, though We're Drowning in Slowmotion is also incredible. Enjoy.

För Alltid Var Bara Något Vi Sa (2013)

1. För Alltid Var Bara Något Vi Sa

Fragile (2014)

1. Jag Begravde Solen

2. Dessa Väggar Viskar

3. Seasons Apart

4. Growing Hands

5. Your Name Means Loved

We're Drowning In Slowmotion (2014)

1. Hildedal

2. Arctic Smile

3. Månen Stal Min Själ

4. .

The Garden Of Biological Machines (2016)

1. The Garden Of Biological Machines

2. HMS Slowmotion

Young Mountain/La Petite Mort/Vivre Sa Vie (2017)

1. Young Mountain - Pilträdsvillan

2. Young Mountain - Bloom

3. Vivre Sa Vie - Ehler-Danlos

4. Vivre Sa Vie - Shield

5. La Petite Mort / A Little Death - Intro

6. La Petite Mort / A Little Death - Windchime

7. La Petite Mort / A Little Death - This Name Rings A Bell

Lost Tree (2018)

1. Asunder, To Eye Each Other

2. The Sun Is Away

3. ///////////////

4. Misery

5. Juni

6. Vacant Eyes

7. Lost Tree

8. I Flew Above Your House Last Night

Note: Order the vinyl from Zegema Beach Records: USA or International & Canada

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The Shyness Clinic

The Shyness Clinic were a four-piece emo/indie band from Boston, Massachusetts that began in 1995 and (presumably) ended in 1999. They were on many incredible bands to come out of the underground emo scene, which means they utilize clean arpeggios and climatic octave chords, and make full use of the loud/soft dynamic. Their sound will definitely appeal to fans of bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, Cross My Heart, The Gloria Record, and so many more. Not to be dismissive of their sound as being similar to many, The Shyness Clinic were masters of their craft, and wrote some incredible songs that hit amazing highs and transitioned into quiet lows flawlessly. Though their output was pretty minimal (as expected from a band in this scene), it was incredibly solid and worth a listen. Plus putting a split with Everyone Asked About You is a thing of legend. Enjoy.

The Boston To Little Rock Connection (1998)

1. The Shyness Clinic - Barcelona To Madrid

2. Everyone Asked About You - I Will Wait

3. Everyone Asked About You - A Better Way To A Broken Heart 

Sea Of Redlights (1998)

1. Ocean

2. Not If I Leave First

3. Living Museum

4. Mapmaker

5. This Is History

6. Further Proof

7. I Used To Be An Actor

8. Barcelona To Madrid

9. Jet-Setting

10. Her Vs. Altitude

11. I Don't Want To Live On The Moon

12. Sea Of Redlights

Insound Tour Support Vol. 5 (1999)

1. Stick To One Thing

2. Rearrange Your Room

3. The Optimist

4. I Am The Light Circling Back To Its Source (Keep Passing Through Open Windows)

5. A Certain Distance

Graduating Life

Graduating Life are an emo/indie/punk band Fresno, California. They consist primarily of Bart Starr (vocals/guitar) and drummer Logan Jensen, along with numerous other collaborators. They're a Counter Inuitive Records band, thus are one of the most notable acts in the modern emo scene, along with other notable bands like Prince Daddy & The Hyena and Mom Jeans. (who Bart is also a part of). If you're familiar with those bands, you might have a slight idea as to how Graduating Life sound. It's upbeat, energetic music, with vocals singing poppy melodies with a gruff voice, and lyrically detailing the abyss of sadness while rocking the fuck out on the surface. I don't know how to describe it, most people are probably familiar with this band anyway (because they get requested to death). If you're new though, both their full-lengths (particularly their most recent one, Grad Life) are solid front-to-back. Enjoy.

Fuck You, I Can Do Cool Stuff Too (2016)

1. R

2. A

3. D

Freakin' Weekin' (2016)

1. Late Bloomer

2. Death & Taxes

3. It's 420 Degrees Outside

4. Lamow, Get Out Of Town

5. Yobart

Bad Acoustic Songs (2016)

1. John gets roasted

2. that's hella real, dude

Mom Jeans/Graduating Life (2017)

1. Graduating Life - Metallica Rules

2. Graduating Life - Mom Jeans Sucks (But Austin Drives A Fast Car Tho)

3. Mom Jeans. - Heck You Bart Pt. II: Electric Boogaloo

4. Mom Jeans. - Shred Cruz

An Introduction To Rock And Roll (2017)

1. An Introduction

2. Check Out That Band Save Face

3. Arkadelphia

4. GOD KILLER

5. World Famous Rock Song

6. Kill Me

7. Cold Raviolis

8. Die! Murder! Die!

9. I Can't Sleep

10. Front Row Seats

11. To The End

Grad Life (2018)

1. There's Only One Way

2. Family Reunion

3. Carry A White Flag

4. It's Second Year

5. Don't Have Kids

6. Watch You Die!!!

7. Stinky Man

8. Victory Song

9. Your Town Is A Time Capsule

10. Finale

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MEIAN / Diva Plavalaguna SPLIT PREMIERE

I'm happy to bring you two of the four new tracks off this new split from two incredible bands, Vancouver, Canada's Diva Plavalaguna and Morioka, Japan's MEIAN. The other half of this split is being premiered over at Open Mind / Saturated Brain. Check out one track from each band below, then head over to OMSB to hear the rest. The split pairs an eclectic, high octane synthcore band with a crisp, Japanese screamo band, which makes for an interesting and rewarding mix. This project has been a long time coming, with one band overcoming personal hardships and the other being birthed from the ashes of a previous project, but both bands are finally here. This entire split will be released digitally and on cassette through the always-fantastic Emo Cat Records tomorrow (Sept 14th), which will be linked below and active tomorrow. Enjoy.



MEIAN's track "Move On Up" opens up the split, and it hits the ground running with all instruments in play. They utilize very bright, glossy guitars that really shine in the mix, but never sound too polished. The guitars play with these incredibly melodic lead lines, and if it hasn't been made obvious, the tone of them is something to die for. It's the rhythm section that contrasts this melodic sheen with aggressive d-beats and tom hits to drive the song, along with some incredibly visceral and emotional screamed vocals. They close out with a unified post-hardcore influenced rhythm, which leaves a lasting impression in this track's wake. Sonic comparisons could be drawn somewhere between the bright, melodic aspects of Suis La Lune and the pummelling, commanding sound of Sans Visage, or something of the sort.



Diva Plavalaguna contains members of Emo Cat alumni Terrifying Girls' High School and Black Knight Satellite. They close out this split with fourth and final track, "Diva Protocol". They utilize triple vocals, pervasive weird synth lines, pounding drums and frenzied guitars that come together in an onslaught of noise. This track hits hard with a frantic yet calculated chaos. The vocals just topple over each other with these yelping screams, while the instrumental speedily rips through the first half of the track. It takes a sudden turn with a clean, tremolo-effect laden guitar, which builds into a full gang vocal chant as the song begins to crescendo. The buzzing synth, warbling bass, and vicious blast beats leave the track off in a sense of torment, with sharp guitars and devilish vocals howling to its end. This band's got a unique sound to say the least, and this track really hits out of left-field (in the best way possible).

On a side note, Diva Plavalaguna have launched a comic series titled "Diva! Digital Desert Duchess" in collaboration with illustrator Breanna McGowan. It follows the band as the protagonists in a post-apocalyptic future, with a storyline running adjacent to their musical releases. You can check that out here, along with Breanna's other work here.

Emo Cat Records

Open Mind / Saturated Brain

Emo Cat Records

Website

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Diva Plavalaguna

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MEIAN

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Counterculture

Counterculture are a four-piece emo/punk band from Kansas City, Missouri that began in 2016. They play a mesh of pop punk and emo, which means energetic instrumentals and steady rhythms, and the occassional noodle-off with the guitars. Their first album (Teenage Relevance) contains mostly slow, morose material, with shimmering Americ anFootball twinkletown guitars all over it. On their most recent EP, I Think You Didn't they get a little punchier, and the results definitely stand out more, but both releases are solid overall. The vocals are fairly sullen and whiny (which I mean as a positive), since they match up perfectly with the lyrics, which tend to touch upon feeling lost and looking back, the cornerstones of a nutritious emo track. Fans of bands like Modern Baseball, Free Throw and You Blew It! probably something they like in this. Counterculture were only recently introduced to me, but I really dig what I'm hearing, and would suggest you try 'em out as well. Enjoy.

Teenage Relevance (2017)

1. yeah, about last night...

2. Dill

3. Wasting Away

4. Better This Way

5. Ballad Of Grandpa Bob

6. Symbols

7. Comic Books

8. Like She'd Care

9. As You

10. Nowhere Forever

I Think You Didn't (2018)

1. All This Time I Am Alone

2. Pop Tart

3. Goin' Hamms

4. Waiting

5. Cliche Love Song

6. Didn't You Think I?

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