Febuary

Febuary are a four-piece screamo/emo band from Las Vegas, Nevada that have been active since 2023, with their debut release dropping in April of this year. This band wasn't on my radar, so thank you to Salem who sent me this, comparing it favourably to Pianos Become The Teeth and Leer. Needless to say that piqued my interest, and I'm glad it did as this is a solid album through and through. It features bright guitars that veer between melancholic chords and mathy noodles. The vocals are dynamic, often making excellent use of gang chants. At the drop of a hat, the quieter moments can pick up into genuinely heavy, frenzied, and searing climaxes that hit hard even on these raw recordings. If you're a fan of bands like Age Sixteen, Merchant Ships, Innards, or fellow Vegas natives Crochet, this is definitely something you should be listening to yesterday. Enjoy.

February (2024)

1. Markiplier Saved My Life!!

2. I'd Rather Burn Than Fall

3. Slow Dance Tune For Abigail

4. IDGAF

5. Brand New Shoes

6. No Way...

7. Bitches Love My White Belt

8. Kill Yourself If You Have Tinder

9. Interlude

10. Just Wait Till I Blow Up!!!

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Crochet

Crochet are a five-piece screamo band from Las Vegas, Nevada that started in 2022. Earlier this year, they released their debut EP, Birth Piece. From the opening fingerpicked arpeggios and softly spoken vocals of "Centennial", its clear this build-up is to draw you into something spectacular, which is what they deliver in the opening blast-beat frenzy of "Unsex Pledge". Right out the gate, the band establishes what sets them apart, with some very trebly guitars incorporating elements of math rock in the mix, and an intense dual vocal delivery. They soften things up in the latter half of the track, with that clean, trebly arpeggio sound they hinted at on their opener. 

The band plows their way through crescendos of intensity and atmospheric noodling absolutely flawless, which hits its peak at the tail end of "Friends Who Just Sit And Breathe", which closes out with a surprisingly crushing riff that that burns away leaving what can only be described as white sax noise. It left a major impression to say the less, so do yourself a favour and check this out. Enjoy.

Birth Piece (2023)

1. Centennial

2. Unisex Pledge

3. Watcher--Heretic

4. Gibusong

5. Ancient Roman Candle

6. Friends Who Just Sit And Breathe

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Curl Up And Die

Curl Are Up And Die Are a four-piece metalcore band from Las Vegas, Nevada that formed in 1998, broke up in 2005, and reunited in 2019. The band went through a number of line-up changes in their early years, and were at one-time a five-piece. As a result, their sound changed and evolved quite a bit. Their early material is a lot scrappier, with sharp shifting riffs and very throaty vocals, if that makes any sense. They signed to Revelation Records in 2001, and released their debut full-length the following year. Sonically, it contained quick, thrashy bursts of dissonance and a more guttural, visceral vocal howl. It wouldn't be a surprise if this band was paying close attention to things like early Converge and Botch. They released a series of two EP's in which they really hit their stride as a band, both of which I highly recommend starting with if you're new to this band. 

Their final album, The One Above All, The End Of All That Is was released in 2005 and is decidely more matured and nuanced in sound. It's got massive riffs, and hits heavier with a slower pace, taking it's time to blend in more melodic elements and build up its tracks. The energy is still there, just used sparingly to really drive home the effect. It's an incredible record and one of metalcore's more underrated, so do yourself a favour and check that out as well. Enjoy.

Demo (1999)

1. Watch Your Face

2. How About I Eat Your Kids

3. Worn

4. Wanted Shit

Demo 2.0 (2000)

1. Hella Vegas Kids Say Hella

2. If I Wanted Shit Out Of You I'd Squeeze Your Neck

3. Kissing You is Like Licking an Ashtray

4. The Only Good Bug Is A Dead Bug

5. How About I Eat Your Kids

6. Bullet (demo)

7. Hardcore Since 10

The Only Good Bug Is A Dead Bug (2000)

1. And Then The Robots Were Killed

2. Absolute Denial Of The Ultimate Nullifier

3. Hella Vegas Kids Say Hella

4. Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Select, Start

5. Proclaimed Bat Hunter

6. Nest Of The Face Hugger

1998 (2001)

1. If I Wanted Shit Out Of You, I'd Squeeze Your Neck

2. Watch Your Face

Unfortunately, We're Not Robots (2002)

1. We

2. Are

3. All

4. Dead

5. 100 M.P.H. Vomit Dedicated to Jon

6. On the Run from Johnny Law Ain't No Trip to Cleveland

7. Ted Nugent Goes AOL

8. Total Pandemonium

9. Doctor Doom, a Man of Science, Doesn't Believe in Jesus, Why the Fuck Do You

10. You'd Be Cuter If I Shot You in the Face

11. Make Like a Computer and Get with the Program

12. Your Idea of Fascism and Global Intervention Makes Me Puke

13. I Lost My Job to a Machine

14. Kissing You Is Like Licking an Ashtray

15. Rich Hall (Runner Up in a Carson Daly Lookalike Contest)

We May Be Through With The Past... (2003)

1. I Hate Almost Every Person I Come in Contact With

2. Damn Girl, That Shit Is Deep Like the Ocean

3. China Part Breakdown

4. .. - ... .- ..-. ..- -.-. -.- .. -. --. - .. -- . -- .- -.-. .... .. -. .

5. Utah: The Whoopie Cushion of America

6. I Don't Give a Shit If I'm in Outer Darkness, I'll Make Friends

But The Past Ain't Through With Us (2003)

1. Nuclear Waste? Bring That Shit. (We Want A State Full Of Radiated Super Heroes)

2. If This Band Thing Doesn't Pan Out We're Joining the Army

3. .. - ... . - ..-. ..- -.-. -. - .. -. --. - .. -- . -- . - -.-. .... ..

4. God Is in His Heaven, All Is Right With the World

The One Above All, The End Of All That Is (2005)

1. An Uncomfortable Routine

2. Antidepressants Are Depressing

3. Ultra Carb Diet Carpooling Stupid Fucking Life

4. The One Above All, The End of All That Is

5. Instrumental

6. Black Out

7. There Ain't No Can't in American

8. Zero MPH Fallover

9. There Is Never Enough Time to Do Nothing

10. I'm Trying To Fly To The Moon

11. Blood Mosh Hips Hair Lips Pills Fuck Death

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Roman Candle

Roman Candle are a four-piece screamo band from Las Vegas, Nevada that formed in early 2022. They released their debut EP, Discount Fireworks in October, and this is some of the best hardcore-influenced screamo you'll hear this year. These five tracks are forlorn and cathartic, with a blend of heavy, technical riffs and lush, melodic instrumentation. This band is a dynamic force, with each song riding multiple waves, with multiple shifts occurring in each 2-3 minute runtime. Not that these are direct comparisons, but if you're a fan of bands including Loma Prieta, Yaphet Kotto, or Mahria, do yourself a favour and check this out. Enjoy.

Discount Fireworks (2022)

1. Oh, Dreamer

2. Mad Girl's Love Song

3. Gaslighting Isn't Real (You're Just Crazy)

4. Survivors Guilt

5. Spit In Their Faces

Bandcamp

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Apple Music

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Caravels

Caravels are a five-piece "emotional hardcore" (or whatever label you want to use) band from Henderson, Nevada. They've been active since 2008 (if not earlier), and are currently signed to Topshelf. I'm not sure how to describe their music exactly. It's like hardcore filtered through a post-rock sound (or vice versa) with a highly emotional sensibility. Or you could just use a blanket term like "post-hardcore" I suppose. FFO: Native, Gifts From Enola, We Were Skeletons, or something.  Regardless of what you want to call them, these guys are an amazing band. They are currently the process of writing a full-length, and then are embarking on a huge tour near the end of this year, I believe. The glorious full-length has graced us.

If you are new to this band, I'd advise checking out the self-titled 7" and Floorboards first.

The Earthling Sessions (2009)

1. Dark Obsession

2. Snake Plissken

3. Flawless Victory

Floorboards (2010)

1. Iceland

2. Greenland

3. Buddy System

4. Sixty Acres

5. Meat Wave

6. Safety Jobs

Self-Titled 7" (2011)

1. Dream Beaver

2. Girth Impression

Well Worn (2012)

1. Caravels - Sagan Genesis

2. Caravels - Beer Pressure

3. Caravels - Bone Voyage

4. Gifts From Enola - Angel Face

5. Gifts From Enola - Water Torture

Lacuna (2013)

1. Lacuna

2. Tangled

3. Having Had & Lost Some Infinite Thing

4. New Zealand

5. Hundred Years

6. Twin

7. Hanging Off

8. Sleep Talk

9. Ordinary Lives

10. Dog Days

Caravels/Octaves (2015)

1. Caravels - Moody Miles

2. Caravels - Slick Rick

3. Octave - Tom Petty Cash

4. Octaves - Air Traffic Control