Ambassador 990

Ambassador 990 (sometimes written as Ambassador 9 Ninety) were a three-piece emo/hardcore band from Columbus, Ohio that were active around 1997 and 1998. They released an EP, split, and one LP in their short time together. Sonically, they played a dark, desperate offshoot of hardcore that incorporated frenzied octave chords, dissonance, and anxious rhythms, with wounded, howling vocals. They most likely took influences from bands such as Drive Like Jehu or Unwound, so if you're into that or bands like Shroomunion and Merel, this is a project that will definitely appeal to you. Enjoy.

Ambassador 990 7" (1997)

1. Serpentor

2. Marifold

3. Static

4. Frequency

Ambassador 990/The Makeshift Conquest (1997)

1. Ambassador 990 - Contour

2. Ambassador 990 - Foundry

3. The Makeshift Conquest - Take Over

Ambassador 990 (1998)

1. Dress Like Your Favorite Rockstar

2. Nothing in Return

3. Inner Circle And Circus

4. This Years Dedicated Sucker

5. The Artist Formerly Known As... "Good"

6. Pagan Love Song

7. Survey Says, You're A Dickhead

8. Ryan Stole My Girlfriend

9. Brainwashed At Birth

10. This Is The End

Vowel

"I can't see anything that I don't like about you." Another Valentine's Day, another excuse to revel in your sadness. This tradition has being going on for 10 years now; at this rate we're going to have the entire script of this movie written out. You know the drill with the longing, and the sorrow, and that cold abscence felt beside you in bed every night. It all coalesces in your self-imposed melodrama felt on this day, as it has 10 years before and will continue to 10 years after. If you want to sink lower, there's links for past installments at the bottom of this post for you to drown in.

Vowel are a five-piece screamo/post-hardcore band from Columbus, Ohio that formed in 2011. From the looks of things, they never officially disbanded, but haven't been active since 2015. They came right out the gate with the aptly-titled all the sad songs, their sole album. This band brings a ton to the table, with a variety of vocal stylings including desperately sung and painfully screamed, all with some fantastic confessional lyrics that really hit home. The guitars mesh midwest emo stylings into a bright but melancholic sound, with some pounding energy coming from the drums. One of the things that set this band apart is their use of a violin, whichbrings a somber, forlorn element to the catharsis and chaos surrounding it. This album is fantastic, as is their material after, particularly the Coma Regalia split and what may end up being their swan song, "we will melt the sun". Stay desperate, stay lonely, and stay waiting, find solace in the familiarity of the void. Till next year, don't enjoy.

all the sad songs (2012)

1. iciles

2. if wishes were coin

3. poppy seed

4. cowards

5. everyone needs to feel pretty sometimes

6. the eastern block

7. she was an air traffic controller

8. there's nothing for you here

vowel presents: zombie (2012)

1. Zombie (The Cranberries cover)

Coma Regalia/Vowel (2012)

1. Vowel - These Hands

2. Vowel - And Before You Know It, I'm Invisible

3. Coma Regalia - Blanket Observation Bingo

4. Coma Regalia - And Wake From The Dream Still Knowing

Things Fall Apart/Light Black/Vowel/City Of Ifa (2013)

1. Things Fall Apart - Pigeon Torge, TN

2. Things Fall Apart - All Your Friends Used To Be My Friends 

3. Light Black - Robot House

4. Light Black - Beeekman

5. Vowel - Big Buildings

6. Vowel - Small Trenches

7. City Of Ifa - Indian Bred

8. City Of Ifa - Philia

i'll tell you when i'm done (2014)

1. i'll tell you when i'm done

we will melt the sun (2015)

1. we will melt the sun

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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

For Your Health

For Your Health are a four-piece screamo/hardcore band from Columbus, Ohio that began in 2018 and includes members of Arrows In Her. They blend the visceral shrieks and spasms of screamo with the noise and dissonance of bands like Some Girls and Blood Brothers, making for one hell of a destructive release. The chaos is really only broken up by a healthy use of film samples, as well as hints of unique, melodic sounds, particularly on standouts like "hell. maybe further" and "second aid kit". Not much else to say, this release absolutely rips, and is one of the most unique new bands to pop up this year. Enjoy.

Nosebleeds (2019)

1. my bedroom has been crushed by a fallen plane engine

2. birds ate my face

3. FUCK ICE

4. hell. maybe further.

5. haiku in blue

6. second aid kit

7. exit flesh

Death of Spring (2019)

1. For Your Health - charlie brown’s gotta be damn near public domain by now

2. For Your Health - keres

3. For Your Health - come in, i've hanged myself!

4. For Your Health - hey did you know that the drummer from saetia was in interpol?

5. For Your Health - enter flesh

6. Shin Guard - Grief Instilled

7. Shin Guard - Both Stricken

8. Shin Guard - Perfect Boy

9. Shin Guard - Apropos Mortality

In Spite Of (2021)

1. Birthday Candles In The Effigy

2. I Slept With Wes Eisold And All I Got Was An Out Of Court Settlement

3. Push The Fucking Rock, Sisy

4. Abscess Makes The Heart Grow

5. The Day Of Black Sun

6. Save Your Breath, You're Gonna Need It To Blow My Head Off

7. If Anybody Asks, We're Already Fucked

8. You're So United Ninety-Three, We're So Flight One Eighty

9. Like A Thirteenth Floor Elevator

10. Everyday At 13:12

11. Thank You For The Venmo

12. This City Will Crumble And Many People Will Die

Hymns For The Condemned (2022)

1. awakebutstillinbed - fear

2. awakebutstillinbed - ride

3. For Your Health - Disarmament

4. For Your Health - A Word Of Warning For The Pyrrh Of Heart

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The Sidekicks

The Sidekicks are a four-piece indie/punk band from Ohio that formed in 2007. Since then they've evolved quite a bit, though always put out consistently good tunes. Their earliest material features chunky guitars and gruff vocals singing some of punk's catchiest melodies. They could draw comparisons to bands like Latterman or The Lawrence Arms. This stuff is great of course, but like any good band should, they progressed over the years. By the time Awkward Breeds was released, the band was already branching off into indie rock territory, particularly that of 90's greats such as Built To Spill. They fully transitioned into an indie rock band on their last album, Runners In The Nerved World, which is more Band Of Horses than it is Against Me!. Over the band's near-decade of existence, they've put out a slew of great music, all of which can be found below. Enjoy.

So Long, Soggy Dog (2007)

1. Panic! San Francisco

2. Wife Swap > Sled Riding

3. Team Volcano

4. Eye To Eye, Oh My!

5. "Chips Bring A Party Down"

6. Necktie

7. Slight Sting

8. Don't Open The Door, You Might Let In The Gusto

9. Go! Go! Go! Green! Green! Green!

10. Tomboioi

11. Steve Smith, Coal Miner Jr.

Sam (2008)

1. Hop On A Sea Cow And Manatee Up

2. I Burned The Crops

3. Bryant Gregst (Gets Nervous)

4. The Island

Weight Of Air (2009)

1. Let It Breathe

2. Looking

3. A Healthy Time

4. Almost The Same

5. Day-Staring

6. Small

7. Static Mouth

8. Plans

9. Like The Tides

10. Shading

11. Learn To Live Without

12. Weight Of Air

The Sidekicks/Tigers Jaw (2011)

1. The Sidekicks - Little James

2. The Sidekicks - (Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes

3. Tigers Jaw - Jimmy Piersall

4. Tigers Jaw - Boots 'n Hanks  

Awkward Breeds (2012)

1. DMT

2. Grace

3. Peacock

4. Incandescent Days

5. 1940's Fighter Jet

6. Diamond Eyes

7. The Whale And Joan

8. The 9th Piece

9. Looker

10. Baby, Baby

11. Daisy

Grace (2012)

1. Grace

2. The Wallflowers

3. The 9th Piece (Alternate Version)

4. Stay

Runners In The Nerved World (2015)

1. Hell Is Warm

2. Everything In Twos

3. Jesus Christ Supermalls

4. The Kid Who Broke His Wrist

5. Pet

6. Blissfield, MI

7. Deer

8. Summer Brings You Closer To Satan

9. Century Schoolbook Grown-Ups

10. Satellite Words And Me

11. Spinning Seat

12. All Things Run

Happiness Hours (2018)

1. Other People's Pets

2. Mix For Rainy Day

3. Twin's Test

4. Win Affection

5. A Short Dance

6. Don't Feel Like Dancing

7. Weed Tent

8. Summer And The Magic Trick

9. Serpent In A Sun Drought

10. Elegy For Tim

11. Medium In The Middle

12. Happiness Hours

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