Sophie's Floorboard: 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