Four Hundred Years

Four Hundred Years were a four-piece hardcore/screamo band originally from Tucson, Arizona (and later moved to screamo capital Richmond, Virginia) that were around from 1996 to 2000. They proved to be incredibly influential, with a solid amount of output in a small amount of years (something fairly unique for a band in this genre). They took the off-kilter and spastic rhythms of post-hardcore acts such as Fugazi and Drive Like Jehu, and blended it with the impassioned aggression of the burgeoning underground hardcore/screamo scene (with definite signs of influence from bands like Portraits of Past and Indian Summer). This aligned 400 Years with other bands of the time including Twelve Hour Turn, Maxmillian Colby, and Sleepytime Trio. They put out three incredible full-lengths (the first probably being my favourite), but had a full discography of solid, essential material. Enjoy.

Four Hundred Years/Sleepytime Trio (1996)

1. Four Hundred Years - Radio Silence

2. Sleepytime Trio - Lancing Organic

Four Hundred Years (1997)

1. Signal

2. Red Tape

3. Lock Up

4. Hoodwinked

The 51 Comp (1997)

7. Six Minutes

Note: Four Hundred Years track only

Suture (1997)

1. Intro

2. Lifesupport

3. Suture

4. Steve'song

5. Level Playing Field

6. Nickel And Dime

7. Thicker Than Water

8. Architect

9. Love Letter To The CIA

Transmit Failure (1998)

1. Power of Speech

2. Penny For Your Thoughts

3. Radio Silence

2. Transmit Failure

5. An Hour Too Late

6. Motion Sickness

7. Throw Spark

8. Sequence

9. Give Us This Day

10. Line Breaker

11. Untitled

The New Imperialism (2000)

1. If You're A Joke I Don't Get It

2. The New Imperialism

3. How About We Both Stop Lying To Each Other

4. They Weren't Hiding It At All

5. Don't Let The Door Hit You On Your Way

6. Philadelphia

7. Who's Driving This Thing Anyway?

8. Sleepwalker

Four Hundred Years/Seein' Red (2001)

1. Four Hundred Years - Burning Down The House

2. Seein' Red - Blinded By The Green

3. Seein' Red - Otherwise

4. Seein' Red - Throw It Back

5. Seein' Red - Focus On Europe

Bandcamp

Sleepytime Trio

Sleepytime Trio were a four-piece post-hardcore/screamo band from Harrisonburg, Virginia that began in 1994 and broke up in 1999. They've played reunion shows in 2007 and 2014 since. They were formed by members of Maximillian Colby (another incredible band) at the end of their tenure. As you can imagine, Sleepytime Trio refined the sound their former band began, bringing a mix of the duel-guitar attack of Drive Like Jehu with a chaotic rhythm section and throat-shredding screaming. The band put out one LP, two 7"'s, a split (with Four Hundred Years), and made a few compilation appearances. Their entire output was included on 2002's Memory-Minus, with the addition of some stellar live material. This discography is an absolute must-listen. Enjoy.

Memory-Minus (2002)

1. Butter Scaryflies

2. Jesus Extract

3. Rock Candy

4. Like My Plain

5. Flake City

6. You're Dead; Lava

7. All Ease

8. Lancing Organic

9. I'm Not A Spy

10. Dear Hands,

11. Onomatopoeia

12. Speak Again Twice

13. 30 Equals

14. Not Without My (Swimmies)

15. All Ease (Live-Germany 1997)

16. Jesus Extract (Live-Germany 1997)

17. Lancing Organic (Live-Germany 1997)

18. Like My Plain (Live-Germany 1997)

19. Rock Candy (Live-Germany 1997)

Bandcamp

Youth Brigade

Youth Brigade were a four-piece hardcore punk band from Washington, DC that were briefly around in 1981. They are not to be confused with the LA band of the same name (who also happened to be around at the same time). They were one of the earliest hardcore bands to come out of DC, and part of the Dischord roster. They had members of other DC bands including The Teen Idles and The Untouchables. If you're familiar with this era of hardcore, you've got a good idea of what they sound like. In typical Dischord fashion, they released only one LP and had a few tracks included on the legendary Flex Your Head compilation. Their demo was also officially released a few years back, that had existed as a bootleg for decades. The band played one reunion show in 2012 and 2013 each. Enjoy.

Possible EP (1981)

1. It's About Time We Had A Change

2. Full Speed Ahead

3. Point Of View

4. Barbed Wire

5. Pay No Attention

6. Wrong Decision

7. No Song

8. No Song II

Flex Your Head (1982)

1. Moral Majority

2. Waste Of Time

3. Last Work

Complete First Demo (2015)

1. I Object

2. Full Speed Ahead

3. Last Word

4. Moral Majority

5. Bouncer

6. Waste Of Time

7. Snow Job

8. Youth Brigade

Bandcamp

Dischord

Dogleg

Dogleg are a four-piece punk band from Detroit, Michigan that began in 2015. They play an with a unique blend of sounds that combines the rousing energy of Against Me!, Cloud Nothings, Crash Of Rhinos, and PUP. Complete with jumpy riffs, gang-chorus shouted vocals, a strong use of dynamics, and enough raw energy to power a small country, Dogleg make music that's meant to be moved to. They recently signed to Triple Crown Records and released the single "Fox", which is everything and more I could ask for out of a track like this. They presumably have a full-length coming next year, which is a sure sign that we're starting the next decade off on a high note. Enjoy.

Dogleg (2015)

1. Moonlight

2. Jetpacks

3. Calling Collect

4. Modern Language

5. 11 AM Drunk

6. Spaceman Stu

Remember Alderaan? (2016)

1. Star 67

2. Crimes

3. Prince Is Little

4. Remember Alderaan?

Fox (2019)

1. Fox

Melee (2020)

1. Kawasaki Backflip

2. Bueno

3. Prom Hell

4. Fox

5. Headfirst

6. Hotlines

7. Wartortle

8. Wrist

9. Cannonball

10. Ender

Worst Party Ever/Dogleg (2020)
1. Worst Party Ever - Star 67 (Dogleg cover)

2. Dogleg - Ganon Main (Worst Party Ever cover)

3. Worst Party Ever - Fos (Dogleg cover)

4. Dogleg - Road Trip (Worst Party Ever cover)

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Anna Flyaway

Way back in 2005, far before the phrase "emo revival" was even a discuss point, Keith Latinen started a solo project that eventually expanded into a full band known as Anna Flyaway. The group recorded an album's worth of material, but split before it ever was released. The album featured gentle, layered guitar arpeggios (clearly influenced by bands like Mineral), Jonsi-esque whisper thin vocals, and song titles too long to read. This might all sound incredibly similar to another little band, Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate). This is because that is the exact band that came out of this project, featuring Keith and Cathy, who were both members of Anna Flyaway that went on to be central in E!E! (IWALE). Unsurprisingly, this album does sound a lot like them, which comes as a very pleasant surprise in 2019, when they've been sorely missed after a seemingly endless stream of new material. It's a fantastic record that's been newly mixed and mastered, and a stark reminder of what made this sound so special and influential on emo in the past decade. Enjoy.

Tomorrow I Will Take A Knife To Your Confidence (2019)

1. Make Me Young, Make Me Young, Make Me Young, Make Me Young

2. Every Time You Breathe In, You Breathe Out (And Then, One Day, You Won't)

3. My Brother Thinks I'm A Ghost

4. The Low Light Before Dawn

5. You Were A Pride Of Lions

6. All Great And Precious Things Are Lonely

7. Her Color Blue

8. Of Course I Was Sad To See You Go

Count Your Lucky Stars

Camping In Alaska

Camping In Alaska are an indie/emo/punk band from Huntsville, Alabama that have been around since 2012. Someone recently pointed out to me that I hadn't posted this band yet, which is absolutely insane and figured I'd get them up here as soon as possible. So, voila. I'm sure a lot of you are already familiar with this band, particularly please be nice which seems to get the most attention, but Bathe and Welcome Home Son are both certainly worth your time. They also might have a new album out soon, so be sure to look out for that. If you haven't heard them, they play a gruff, raw take on twinkly midwestern emo with lyrics meant to be shouted on drunken summer nights. Or something like that. Enjoy.

fuck shit up (2012)

1. burger king (what is this, democracy or uhhh... the other thing)

2. ...and now it's perfect for yoga!

3. lakeshore

4. turnover

5. green

6. why can't i be snowing?

7. frankie thinks she's punk rock but she's just a POSER!!!

8. intro

please be nice (2013)

1. insight

2. why can't i be snowing?

3. there's no "brain" in team

4. justin farmer

5. i just want to kickflip into the sunset and disappear

6. c u in da ballpit

7. dragon ball z budokai tenkaichi 4

Bathe (2014)

1. Bathe

2. Coptalks

3. Homestead

4. Jonathan's Lantern

5. Chinaski

6. Tuesday

7. Wednesday

8. Fourtwenty

9. Yoga

10. Backwards

Welcome Home Son (2016)

1. Bacon

2. Freight Train

3. DIY Karma Kit

4. Black Blood Feeds The Machine

5. Christ Is Resin

6. Roses

7. Horror

8. Wherewolvf

9. Angel

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Good Sleepy

Good Sleepy are a three-piece indie/emo band from Worcester, Massachusetts that have been around since 2018. They play that old-time midwest emo in the heart of twinkle city, with plenty of jangly guitar noodling, shouted vocals, and lyrics struggling to see the bright side of life. Fans of bands such as Marietta, Algernon Cadwallader, American Football, and Grown Ups will dig this. They've put out both an LP, split, and EP this year, all of which I highly suggest checking out. Enjoy.

Rest Easy (2018)

1. Your Maker

2. Piano Hands

3. Peaceful Life

The Clock Shop (2019)

1. Setaside

2. Cheats Out Of Heaven

3. Affection

4. GOD.

5. Dessert Before Dinner

6. Sit Tight

7. Timesink

8. Blindeyed Boy

9. Live Your Life

A Doggone Split (2019)

1. closure. - Olympic Cryathalon

2. Good Sleepy - Be Alike

3. Knope - I'm Not A Punk

4. Knope - Piledriver!

5. Good Sleepy - Covers

6. closure. - Chill Lofi Beats To Study To

Okay With The Way It Is, As Is (2019)

1. My Word

2. Romantics

3. as i see

4. I Think That's It

5. closure

everysinglelittlebit (2021)

1. s'mother

2. suffokate

3. live and breathe

4. it's never quiet enough

5. sun aside

6. make your bed!

7. painting words

8. the dark

9. dihappy

10. childlike

11. for good hope (nursery)

i better start dreaming, Vol. 1 (2022)

1. Losing Light

2. Make Pretend

3. See Through

4. Childlike (Acoustic)

5. Sun Aside (Acoustic)

6. The Dark (Acoustic)

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Armor

Armor are a hardcore punk band from Tallahassee, Florida that began in 2019 (presumably). I don't have much info on them, except that they put out on hell of a 7" this year in the form of Some Kind of War, which is four flawless tracks of exceptional hardcore. It's a blistering release that blends the gruff aggression of Negative Approach with d-beat influence. They've also put out a demo which is worth checking out. Enjoy.

Demo (2019)

1. Intro/Broken

2. NOS

3. Way Of Life

4. Road To Ruin/Age Of Machine

5. Daydreaming

Some Kind of War (2019)

1. Figure

2. Fraud

3. Military Discount

4. Friendly Fire

Bandcamp

Nuvolascura

Nuvolascura are a four-piece hardcore/screamo band from Los Angeles, California that have been around since at least 2015 (though they began under the name Vril). Early this year they released their first LP under the new name. This record is a hard-hitting yet diverse entry into the screamo canon, featuring fantastic production (courtesy of Jack Shirley) and some of the strongest vocals I've heard in a while. The musicianship is absolutely mind-blowing, with insane feats of technical prowess throughout. Listen to the latter half of "Saccharine Trance", the instrumental is all over the place, yet the band makes it work to an intensively chaotic degree. Fans of bands such as Loma Prieta, Lord Snow, Beau Navire, and Mahria will fall head over heels for this. To add awesome to amazing, this record was put out by Zegema Beach Records and Dog Knights Productions, two of the best labels around that can seemingly do no wrong. Enjoy.

Predispositional (2015)

1. 100,000

2. Weeds, Waves

3. In Vines

4. Kaleidoscopes & Perception

5. Thoughts Divide Us

6. Disillusion/Unveil

7. Post Abstraction

8. Sun Gods

No Traditions (2015)

1. General Consensus

2. Sentimental Longing For The Past

3. Grawlixes

4. No Traditions

5. Dispirit

6. Sanpaku

2017 (2017)

1. Final Circle

2. Sacrosant

3. Vemödalen

4. Mirrorshield

Nuvolascura (2019)

1. Death As A Crown

2. ...On Account Of The Posion

3. Flower Offering

4. Saccharine Trance

5. It Comes In Plagues of Consciousness...

6. Vow Of Violence

7. Half Truth

8. Cerulean Wound

9. Zen Depression

10. The Slowest Color Seeping Through (Mask Of Myself)

11. Design For An Altar

Buy the 12" here:

USA

Canada/International

UK

EU/International

As We Suffer From Memory and Imagination (2020)

1. As the Mask Begins to Slip

2. Disguised in Scintillations

3. Victory Position

4. For Their Own Diversions

5. Pixel Vision Anxiety

6. Irreversible Crying Spell

7. Essentially a Vivisection

8. Ceaseless Memories of Seperation

9. In Consequence of Coincidence

10. Who Knows What You Deserve

11. Apyrexy

12. Now It's Clear

13. We'll Never Know the True Extent of Our Loss

Bandcamp

Bigcartel

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Instagram

Fuel

Fuel were a four-piece punk/post-hardcore band from the Bay area that were around from 1989 to 1991. Though short-lived, they've proved to be hugely influential. This is thanks to their sole album, Monuments To Excess, which is an absolute must-listen and includes all their recorded material (after a 1995 reissue). Sonically, they took clear and heavy influence from the DC and Dischord bands that had popped up just before they did. The first two Fugazi EP's were certainly gospel to them, along with other Revolution Summer-era bands such as Rites of Spring, Embrace, Dag Nasty, and Soulside, among others. They were unsurprisingly well-versed with the Dischord roster, and though that influence is very apparent, Fuel took that sound and ran with it, crafting some incredibly dynamic songs and fine-tuning the dual guitar/vocal approach of Fugazi, and that was later carried on by Hot Water Music (a band who have cited Fuel as an influence, and it shows). Enjoy.

Fuel/Angry Son (1991)

1. Fuel - For Lock Of Better Words

2. Angry Son - Thrown Away

3. Angry Son - Suffocation

Monuments To Excess (1995)

1. Disengaged

2. 2:52 (Instrumental)

3. Some Gods

4. Remains To Be Seen

5. Cue To You

6. The Name Is...

7. Why Can't You See

8. Actualized

9. Habit

10. Not Up For Sale

11. Take Effect

12. Untitled (Instrumental)

13. Incomplete

14. Fuel Hymn (Activate)

15. Turn On

16. Why Can't You (Shield Your Eyes)

17. The Name Is...

18. For Lack of Better Words (Shine)

Merel

Merel were a five-piece hardcore/emo band from New Jersey that were around from 1990 to 1993. They were integral in developing the "emo" sound of the underground hardcore scene in the 90's, with desperate vocals, driving bass lines, syncopated stop-and-starts, and dual guitar chaos, blending octave chords and dissonance. They'll fit right in for fans of Heroin, Mohinder, Hoover, and other like-minded bands of the era. Members of Merel went on to form Rye Coalition, while Merel reformed in full for a few shows in 2013.

Merel put out a handful of releases in their brief time together. The most notable was a self-titled LP in 1993, along with a split with Iconoclast in 1992 and a self-titled 7" in 1991. These were all compiled in 1995, on the again self-titled Merel. This is the most essential listening for the band, as it includes all their prime recorded material. However, thanks to Blogged and Quartered, we also have an early live recording, a demo (that includes both recorded and live material), and two tracks that appeared on a compilation put out by Troubleman United. I've included those as well, since the link at the aforementioned blog seems to be down. Enjoy.

Live On WNYU (1990)

1. Daydreamer

2. Fountain Wishing

3. Vigil

4. Under the Gun/Play Dead/Vigil

5. Bring To Pass

6. Wrong Again

7. Troops

8. Unknown

9. The Give And The Take

10. The Weathering

The Castle & Pies Demo (1991)

1. Troops

2. Vigil

3. Under The Gun

4. Bring To Pass

5. The Give And The Take

6. Fountain Wishing

7. The Give And The Take

8. Play Dead

Superpowers (1993)

26. Daydreamer

27. Wrong Again

Note: Merel tracks only

Merel (1995)

1. Lint For Brains

2. So Lovely Breath

3. RustyFishDeadPipes

4. Poolside & Potbellied

5. Waiting For A Fist Fight First

6. Cock Diesel

7. Bile (The Golden Years)

8. Pinatubo Said You Out

9. NewfoundSnideRemark

10. Play. Dead.

11. My Sweet Dull God

12. Shivers Thru A Loophole

13. The Weathering

14. Roadkill

15. The Guest

Note: Tracks 1-8 from the LP

Tracks 9-14 from the EP

Track 15 from the split

Greet Death

Greet Death are a three-piece shoegaze band from Flint, Michigan that began in 2011 under the name Pines. To date they've released an EP and two LP's, the most recent of which was released on Deathwish today. Sonically, they make constant use of ethereal reverb, droning chords, that come together in crushing, distorted climaxes that ascend incredible heights when played past max volume. Their songwriting ability is also noteworthy, with the vocals often taking the forefront in ways slightly unexpected from the genre. Fans of bands like Cloakroom, Nothing, Thunder Dreamer, Ovlov and Hum will take particular interest in here, especially considering some of the slowcore and alternative rock influences thrown into the mix. Their debut LP is a solid outing, with stand-out tracks including "Black Hole Jesus Christ" and "Cumbersome". Their most recent album, New Hell is an incredible outing that shows the band coming into their own with a unique style and interpretation of their influences. Each new song offers up a different idea, with standout track being "Strange Days" (it'll take a few more listens to determine more, but so far it's fantastic from start to end). Enjoy.

In Heaven // Your Lull (2016)

1. In Heaven

2. Your Lull

Dixieland (2017)

1. Sheets of White

2. Bow

3. Valediction

4. The Waste

5. Black Hole Jesus Christ

6. Dragged To Hell

7. Again

8. Cumbersome

9. Dixieland

New Hell (2019)

1. Circles Of Hell

2. Do You Feel Nothing?

3. Let It Die

4. You're Gonna Hate What You've Done

5. Entertainment

6. Strange Days

7. Strain

8. Crush

9. New Hell

New Low (2022)

1. New Low

2. Panic Song

3. Punishment Existence

4. Your Love Is Alcohol

5. I Hate Everything

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