Squint

Squint are a five-piece hardcore band from St. Louis, Missouri that formed in 2021. I couldn't close out this year without including two of its finest EP's, both courtesy of this band. They came out swinging, with dual offerings of hard-hitting and cathartic tracks that waste no time pulling their punches, with most songs barely scraping the two-minute mark. They cite their influences as bands including Turning Point and Rites of Spring, which is definitely apparent in their impassion vocals and tightrope-walking of melody and aggression. Add in the huge, fuzzed-out guitars of 90's alt-rock and you've got some of the most thrilling hardcore releases of the year. As loose references, if you're a fan of bands such as Church, One Step Closer, Fiddlehead, and GIVE, then Squint should definitely be on your radar. Enjoy.

Feel It (2022)

1. Squintro

2. Ghost

3. Dealer Wins

4. Homesick

5. Mantra

Wash Away (2022)

1. Pig Pen

2. Seeds

3. Circles

4. Treading Waters

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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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Boys Life

Boys Life were a four-piece emo/indie band from Kansas City, Missouri that formed in 1993 and broke up in 1997. They briefly reunited in 2015 for a tour behind the reissue of their second full-length (and classic album), Departures and Landfalls. Without a doubt, this band is one of the many beloved bands to come out of 90's indie/emo, and fans of bands like Christie Front Drive, Braid, The Promise Ring, Indian Summer, and Shotmaker will immediately see the appeal here. Boys Life were often melodic, but with some technical, off-kilter tendencies that showed some post-hardcore influence in the mix. They put out two full-lengths, both of which are fantastic. They also released a few 7" singles and splits, most of which I unfortunately don't have. If anyone has anything missing from here, please send 'em my way! Enjoy.

Lister / Without Doubt (1993)

1. Lister

2. Without Doubt

Boys Life/Giants Chair (1995)

1. Boys Life - Worn Thin

2. Giants Chair - Ever Present

Boys Life (1995)

1. Golf Hill Drive

2. Tucked In

3. A Quarter's Worth

4. Without Doubt

5. Lister

6. Breaker Breaker

7. Cloudy and 47

8. Temporary

9. Clay Hill

Christie Front Drive/Boys Life (1995)

1. Christie Front Drive - Instant Romance

2. Christie Front Drive - Bowl

3. Christie Front Drive - Valentine

4. Boys Life - Sight Unseen

5. Boys Life - Homecoming

6. Boys Life - Two Wheeled Train

Departures And Landfalls (1996)

1. Fire Engine Red

2. All Of The Negatives

3. Twenty Four Of Twenty Five

4. Radio Towers

5. Sleeping Off Summer

6. Calendar Year

7. Friends For That

8. Painted Smiles

(Don't Forget To) Breathe (1997)

15. Sight Unseen (Live)

Giants Chair

Giants Chair were a three-piece post-hardcore band from Kansas City, Missouri that formed in 1993 and broke up in 1997. They were a part of the burgeoning underground hardcore scene in the mid 90's that would be crucial in developing post-hardcore and emo into what we all know and love today. Though perhaps not as well-known as a band like Drive Like Jehu, or associated with a legendary label such as Gravity, Giants Chair are nonetheless an incredible act who put out two perfect albums. This band plays with such a tight complexity, with songs walking the line between melodic and aggressive. Their musicianship is impressive, and their songwriting ability only furthers the notion that they're one of the best post-hardcore bands of the 90's. I only have their two full-length albums, though they did release a few splits and such. If anyone has them, I'd really appreciate them being sent my way. Thanks "ogg future"!  Enjoy.

Hot Boy (1993)

1. Common Cold

2. Weed Roses

Boys Life/Giants Chair (1995)

1. Boys Life - Worn Thin

2. Giants Chair - Ever Present

Red And Clear (1995)

1. New Orleans

2. Mother Brother Sister Lover

3. Gutshot and the Jogger

4. Mainline

5. Semi

6. Blue 88's

7. Kick The Can

8. Weed Roses

9. Fingerhood

10. Full on Flat White 

Purity And Control 7" (1996)

1. Purity And Control

2. The Callus

Purity And Control (1996)

1. Nondescriptionist Ethic

2. Robbing Peter, Paying Paul

3. Single File Accident

4. Purity and Control

5. 1000 of Anything

6. Work as Fuel

7. The Speech

8. Blind in One Eye

9. The Ballad of Jody Hamilton

10. Muelbach Pigeon

The Get Up Kids

50 bands in 1 month. I figured #50 had to be something special. This band probably doesn't need an introduction, but here's one anyway. The Get Up Kids are a five-piece indie/alternative/emo/pop punk band from Kansas City, Missouri that formed in 1995 and broke up in 2005. They reunited three years later in 2008, and have been active ever since. Without a doubt, The Get Up Kids are one of the most seminal and influential bands to come out of the 90's, particularly on emo and indie in the next decade. From small, underground bands to very, very well-known names such as Pete Wentz and Mark Hoppus, The Get Up Kids have really made an impact on music. This is mostly due to one particular album, 1999's incredible Something To Write Home About, which features 12 insanely catchy pop songs that simply never get old.

Prior to Something To Write Home About, they had released a handful of material, including a great EP titled Woodson and another full-length, Four Minute Mile. This was fairly standard, catchy, 90's pop punk/emo fare, and their punk roots somewhat show. They gained a lot of attention in the following years as their sound grew more and more popular, until they made some huge changes in the early 2000's. On A Wire and Guilt Show found the band exploring new sounds, more in an indie/alternative range, with keyboards and a more mature approach to their music. After their reunion, this sound became even more prominent on their last album, There Are Rules, which is the last recorded material to date. It's all great stuff, so I highly advise checking all of it out, but Something To Write Home About is the clear essential here. Enjoy.

The Get Up Kids/Coalesce (1997)

1. The Get Up Kids - Burned Bridges (Coalesce cover)

2. Coalesce - I'm Giving Up On This One (The Get Up Kids cover)

Woodson (1997)

1. Woodson

2. Second Place

3. Off The Wagon

4. A Newfound Interest In Massachusetts

The Get Up Kids/Braid (1997)

1. The Get Up Kids - I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel

2. Braid - Forever Got Shorter

Four Minute Mile (1997)

1. Coming Clean

2. Don't Hate Me

3. Fall Semester

4. Stay Gold, Ponyboy

5. Lowercase West Thomas

6. Washington Square Park

7. Last Place You Look

8. Better Half

9. No Love

10. Shorty

11. Michelle With One 'L'

Red Letter Day (1999)

1. One Year Later

2. Red Letter Day

3. Forgive And Forget

4. Anne Arbour

5. Mass Pike

Something To Write Home About (1999)

1. Holiday

2. Action & Action

3. Valentine

4. Red Letter Day

5. Out Of Reach

6. Ten Minutes

7. The Company Dime

8. My Apology

9. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel

10. Long Goodnight

11. Close To Home

12. I'll Catch You

Live In Seattle 10/9/99 (1999)

1. One Year Later

2. No Love

3. Holiday

4. Out Of Reach

5. Talking Shit About MxPx

6. Red Letter Day

7. Coming Clean

8. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel

9. Ten Minutes

10. Last Place You Look

11. Pabst Blue Ribbon

12. Action & Action

13. Mass Pike

14. Woodson

15. Company Dime

16. I'll Catch You

17. Don't Hate Me

18. Off The Wagon

19. Shorty

The Get Up Kids/The Anniversary (1999)

1. The Get Up Kids - Central Standard Time

2. The Anniversary - Vasil + Bluey

Action & Action (2000)

1. Action & Action

2. Close To Me

3. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel (Demo)

Eudora (2001)

1. Up On The Roof

2. Suffragette City (David Bowie cover)

3. Central Standard Time

4. Close To Me (The Cure cover)

5. Forgive And Forget

6. Regret (New Order cover)

7. Beer For Breakfast (The Replacements cover)

8. Newfound Mass (2000)

9. Alec Eiffel (Pixies cover)

10. Impossible Outcomes

11. On With The Show (Motley Crue cover)

12. Ten Minutes (Demo)

13. Anne Arbour

14. Burned Bridges (Coalesce cover)

15. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel (Demo)

16. Shorty (Demo)

17. The Breaking Method

On A Wire (2002)

1. Overdue

2. Stay Gone

3. Let The Reigns Go Loose

4. Fall From Grace

5. Grunge Pig

6. High As The Moon

7. All That I Know

8. Walking On A Wire

9. Wish You Were Here

10. Campfire Kansas

11. Worst Idea

12. Hannah Hold On

On A Wire Demos (2002)

1. Overdue

2. Stay Gone

3. Let The Reigns Go Loose

4. Take The Fall

5. Grunge Pig

6. High As The Moon

7. All That I Know

8. Walking On A Wire

9. Wish You Were Here

10. Campfire Kansas

11. The Worst Idea

12. Hannah Hold On

13. All Eyes On The Liar

14. The End Is In Sight

15. My Photographs

16. Wings And Wheels

17. Through The Haze

Black Lodge Sessions (2004)

1. Hannah Hold On (acoustic)

2. Dreaming Underwater

3. How Long Is Too Long (alternate version)

4. Overdue (acoustic)

5. Let The Reigns Go Loose (alternate version)

6. Wish You Were Here (alternate version)

7. Grunge Pig (alternate version)

Guilt Show (2004)

1. Man Of Conviction

2. The One You Want

3. Never Be Alone

4. Wouldn't Believe It

5. Holy Roman

6. Martyr Me

7. How Long Is Too Long

8. Sick In Her Skin

9. In Your Sea

10. Sympathy

11. The Dark Night Of The Soul

12. Is There A Way Out

13. Conversation

Guilt Show Demos (2004)

1. Man of Conviction (Piano Demo)

2. Man of Conviction (Acoustic Demo)

3. The One You Want (Robbie's House Demo)

4. Never Be Alone (Piano Demo)

5. Wouldn't Believe It (Robbie's House Demo)

6. Holy Roman (Acoustic Demo)

7. Holy Roman (Live at the Lodge Demo)

8. Martyr Me (Version #1 Demo)

9. Martyr Me (Version #2 Acoustic Demo)

10. While You Were Sleeping (Demo)

11. Martyr Me (Live at the Lodge Demo)

12. How Long is Too Long (Scott Litt Demo)

13. Sick in Her Skin (Robbie's House Demo)

14. Take The Fall (Demo)

15. In Your Sea (Robbie's Basement Demo Vocal #1)

16. In Your Sea (Robbie's Basement Demo Vocal #2)

17. Sympathy (Solo Acoustic Demo)

18. The Dark Night of the Soul (Piano Demo)

19. Is There a Way Out (Robbie's House Demo)

20. Conversation (Robbie's Basement Demo)

Guilt Show Secret Site (2004)

1. I'll Catch You (Acoustic)

2. Overdue (Ed Rose Mix)

3. Wish You Were Here (Demo)

4. Walking On A Wire (Ed Rose Mix)

5. Lost In The Light

6. Send Us A Saint

iTunes Sessions (2004)

1. The One You Want

2. Sympathy

3. Never Be Alone

4. Holy Roman

5. Action & Action

6. Better Half

Live! @ The Granada Theater (2005)

1. Coming Clean

2. The One You Want

3. Holiday

4. Action & Action

5. Stay Gone

6. Woodson

7. Martyr Me

8. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel

9. Mass Pike

10. Campfire Kansas

11. Red Letter Day

12. Sick In Her Skin

13. No Love

14. Shorty

15. Ten Minutes

16. I'll Catch You

17. Don't Hate Me

18. Is There A Way Out?

Something To Write Home About Demos (2009)

1. Forgive And Forget (Demo)

2. Red Letter Day (Demo)

3. Close To Home (Demo)

4. Central Standard Time (Demo)

5. My Apology (Demo)

6. Holiday (Demo)

7. Valentine (Demo)

Note: Bonus downloads with 10th anniversary edition of the album

Daytrotter Session (2010)

1. Welcome To Daytrotter

2. Sharin' Stone

3. Your Petty Pretty Things

4. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel

5. Overdue

Simple Science (2010)

1. Your Petty Pretty Things

2. Keith Case

3. Tommy Gentle

4. How You're Bound

There Are Rules (2011)

1. Tithe

2. Regent's Court

3. Shatter Your Lungs

4. Automatic

5. Pararelevant

6. Rally 'Round The Fool

7. Better Lie

8. Keith Case

9. The Widow Paris

10. Birmingham

11. When It Dies

12. Rememorable

Kicker (2018)

1. Maybe

2. Better This Way

3. I'm Sorry

4. My Own Reflection

Problems (2019)

1. Satellite

2. The Problem Is Me

3. Salina

4. Now Or Never

5. Lou Barlow

6. Fairweather Friends

7. Common Ground

8. Waking Up Alone

9. The Advocate

10. Symphony Of Silence

11. Brakelines

12. Your Ghost Is Gone

Coalesce

Coalesce are a four-piece hardcore/metalcore/mathcore band from Kansas City, Missouri that formed in 1994, broke up in 1999, reunited in 2005, and have been active ever since. Besides that, I don't even know where to start with these guys. Coalesce are easily one of the most influential bands in metalcore, right up there with Converge and Botch. Not only are they influential, but they've put out some of the heaviest and most boundary-pushing music in hardcore (as a blanket term) history. Sean Ingram's low, guttural vocals are incredibly distinct and a huge part of Coalesce's sound. The band is also very tight, and very technically proficient. They wrote some incredibly complex arrangements, and very tricky fills and riffs, but still could hammer out a straight-forward heavy riff when it fit, and experiment with other sounds as they pleased. They also were affiliated with a ton of other great bands, including The Get Up Kids and The Casket Lottery, both clearly very different from the sound of Coalesce. This is a band of incredible musicians that have put out some of heavy music's best work, and I don't think much more needs to be said other than that. This shit is absolutely essential, so enjoy.

Demo (1994)

1. Aftermath

2. Peace Rape

3. Untitled

Coalesce (1994)

1. On Their Behalf

2. Harvest Of Maturity

002 (1995)

1. 73-C

2. Grain Of Salt

3. Simulcast

In Tongues We Speak (1996)

1. Napalm Death - Food Chains

2. Coalesce - A Safe Place

3. Napalm Death - Upward And Uninterested (Demo Version)

4. Coalesce - Harvest Of Maturity

In These Black Days Vol. 3 (1997)

1. Today Is The Day - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Black Sabbath cover)

2. Coalesce - Supernaut (Black Sabbath cover)

The Get Up Kids/Coalesce (1997)

1. The Get Up Kids - Burned Bridges (Coalesce cover)

2. Coalesce - I'm Giving Up On This One (The Get Up Kids cover)

Among The Dead We Pray For Light (1997)

1. Converge - Love As Arson 

2. Coalesce - Have Patience

Give Them Rope (1997)

1. Have Patience

2. One On The Ground

3. Cut To Length

4. For All You Are

5. Still It Sells

6. Chain Smoking

7. Did It Pay The Rent?

8. Every Reason To

9. I Am Not The First

10. This Is The Last

11. I Took A Year 

Functioning On Impatience (1998)

1. You Can't Kill Us All

2. Reoccuring Ache Of

3. A New Language

4. My Love For Extremes

5. On Being A Bastard

6. Measured In Gray

7. A Disgust For Details

There Is Nothing New Under The Sun (1999)

1. Immigrant Song

2. Heartbreaker

3. Black Dog

4. Out On The Tiles

5. Whole Lotta Love

6. That's The Way

7. Thank You

Note: EP of Led Zeppelin covers, this was remastered and reissued in 2007 with the rest of their cover songs

0:12 Revolutions In Just Listening (1999)

1. What Happens On The Road Always Comes Home

2. Cowards.Com

3. Burn Everything That Bears Our Name

4. While The Jackass Operation Spins Its Wheels

5. Sometimes Selling Out Is Waking Up

6. Where The Hell Is Rick Thorne These Days?

7. Jesus In The Year 2000/Next On The Shit List

8. Counting Murders And Drinking Beer (The $46,000 Escape)

9. They Always Come In Fall

Coalesce/Boysetsfire (2000)

1. Coalesce - Vehicle (Boysetsfire cover)

2. Coalesce - In The Wilderness (Boysetsfire cover)

3. Coalesce - Bob Junior

4. Boysetsfire - 73-C (Coalesce cover)

5. Boysetsfire - Simulcast (Coalesce cover)

6. Boysetsfire - Nailbomb

002 • A Safe Place (2000)

1. 73-C

2. Grain Of Salt

3. Simulcast

4. A Safe Place

5. Blend As Well 

Note: This is a compilation consisting of the three songs from 002 that were re-recorded for this, and two songs from an EP titled A Safe Place, which was released in 1997

Last Call For The Living (2000)

1. Aftermath

2. Peace Rape

3. Untitled

4. On Their Behalf

5. Harvest Of Maturity

6. Simulcast

Note: This was a 10" released at their final show (at the time), it contains their 1994 demo and some other early songs

Punk Goes Acoustic (2003)

17. Blue Collar Lullaby

Salt And Passage (2007)

1. I Am This

2. Son Of Son Of Man

There Is Nothing New Under The Sun (2007)

1. Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover)

2. Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin cover)

3. Black Dog (Led Zeppelin cover)

4. Out On The Tiles (Led Zeppelin cover)

5. Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin cover)

6. That's The Way (Led Zeppelin cover)

7. Thank You (Led Zeppelin cover)

8. I'm Giving Up On This One (The Get Up Kids cover)

9. Vehicle (Boysetsfire cover)

10. In The Wilderness (Boysetsfire cover)

11. Bob Junior

12. Supernaut (Black Sabbath cover)

13. Cutting Away (Undertow cover)

14. That's The Way (Redux)

15. Thank You (Redux)

Note: This is a remastered reissue of their 1999 EP, plus cover tracks from some of their splits

Ox (2009)

1. The Plot Against My Love

2. The Comedian In Question

3. Wild Ox Moan

4. Designed To Break A Man

5. Where Satire Sours

6. The Villian We Won't Deny

7. The Purveyor Of Novelty And Nonsense

8. In My Wake, For My Own

9. New Voids In One's Resolve

10. We Have Lost Our Will

11. Questions To Root Out Fools

12. By What We Refuse

13. Dead is Dead

14. There Is A Word Hidden In The Ground

OXEP (2009)

1. Oxe To Ore

2. The Blind Eye

3. Joyless In Life

4. To My Ruin

5. Absent In Death

6. Through Sparrows I Rest

7. Ore To Earth

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