Die, Emperor! Die!

Die, Emperor! Die! were a two-piece emo/screamo band from Houston, Texas that were active from approximately 2002 to 2005. In that time, the duo recorded a handful of songs split across a series of releases, most notably incredible splits with Toru Okada and Burned Out Bright, with their swan-song appearing on The Microwave Says To The Pacemaker compilation alongside the likes of Kodan Armada and La Quiete. The band played very melancholic, lo-fi, screamo with the simple pairing of guitar and drums, with visceral, strained vocals and a twangy, almost twinkly-inflected guitar. It's a sound that seems way more popular now than it was than in its blend of screamo and emo with an almost bedroom-sensibility. Their members went on to play in the likes of Punkin Pie and Treetops. Enjoy.

Demo (2002)

1. Mayday

2. December Stars Could Never Match Your Eyes

3. Another City For A Different Life

4. ...And Night's Trees Stood Up

Toru Okada/Die, Emperor! Die! (2003)

1. Toru Okada - Our Great Cities

2. Die, Emperor! Die! - Dear Friend (Never Give Up)

Die, Emperor! Die!/Burned Out Bright (2003)

1. Die, Emperor! Die! - Six Feet Beneath My Heart

2. Burned Out Bright - Gold Metal For Charlie

Acoustic (2003)

1. Another City For A Different Life

2. Julias Wish

3. Telephone Road

4. Long Gone Lonesome Blues

5. For Want Of (Rites of Spring cover)

6. Mayday

7. Filler (Minor Threat cover)

8. Postscript

9. Goodnight Irene (Lead Belly cover)

Live At Burned Out Bright's Last Show [Oct. 25, 2003] (2003)

1. Intro

2. December Stars

3. Interlude 1

4. Rachel, I'm A Wretched Idealist

5. Interlude 2

6. Filler (Minor Threat cover)

7. Postscript

8. Interlude 3

9. Mayday, Misunderstandings and Promises Not Kept

10. Six Feet Beneath My Heart

11. Goodnight Irene, Goodnight (Lead Belly cover)

The Microwave Says To The Pacemaker (2004)

8. Die, Emperor! Die! - The Way She Disappeared into the Vanishing Rows of Street Lights, Headup, Singing to the Night Sky

Burned Out Bright

Burned Out Bright were a three-piece hardcore/emo band from Houston, Texas that were active approximately from 2000 to 2003. They harnessed a handful of styles in their short tenure together, mixing the skippy, noodly elements of emo with the rise-and-fall and syncopated dynamics of post-hardcore, all conveyed through the passionate, raw delivery of screamo with interspersed sung/screamed vocals. Their output was minimal but certainly impactful, with a split, a posthumous EP, their final live set, and a demo. Members of this band went on to form Fire Team Charlie (highly recommended) and The Walls You've Built. Enjoy.

Demo (2003)

1. The Coin Lied

2. In Memory

3. Rise Over Run

4. We Awake Disheartened

Die, Emperor! Die!/Burned Out Bright (2003)

1. Die, Emperor! Die! - Six Feet Beneath My Heart

2. Burned Out Bright - Gold Metal For Charlie

10+25+03 The End. (2003)

1. Rise Over Run

2. Gold Medal For Charlie

3. Untitled

4. The Coin Lied

5. In Memory

6. This Isn't The Tenka-Ichi-Budokai (I Hate Myself cover)

7. We Awake Disheartened

Burned Out Bright (2004)

1. Crossing The Fine Line

2. Unit: 01

3. Finally At Ease

4. Sunrise, And The Day To Come

5. House Of Dust

Sinema

Sinema are a five-piece post-hardcore/screamo/emo band from Denton, Texas that formed in 2023. They've put out one EP, one split, and one album up to this point. I was recommended this band recently by Jack and wanted to thank him for that, because this is some fantastically eclectic stuff. Sonically, they're a seamless blend of influences, with vocals as stylistically disparate as clean, screamed, and growled; their heavy riffs chug out dissonance inflections, while the more melodic moments feature midwest emo arpeggios and even some post-rock elements. It's a throwback to the MySpace sounds of 20 years ago, but assimilated into something distinctly modern. I've find myself listening to this quite a bit lately, and they've quickly become one of the newer bands I'm most excited about, they're working with a unique energy here. Give them a try, After The Flatline is my personal favourite of theirs, as it leans towards the more emocore side of their sound, but the album and split are worth a shot as well. Take this with a grain of salt, but if you're into bands including Alexisonfire, You And I, Thursday, and Saosin, check this out. Enjoy.

After The Flatline (2023)

1. Stutter

2. ...And You Already Forgot

3. Hard To Get By

4. Speak Your Mind

5. I Can't See Through The Mirror

Consider It Your Fault (2024)

1. Sinema - The House Always Wins

2. XheartworksX - Oh, Gone From Me

Fear Of The Fall (2024)

1. 01

2. On A Broken Edge

3. Tears On The Moon

4. 02

5. Weather To Believe

6. Don't Just Stand There

7. I Hold On Twice

8. At Least, Be Human

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herlovebeheadsdaisies

herlovebeheadsdaisies were a three-piece screamo band from San Antonio, Texas that formed in 2022 and disbanded in late 2023. I managed to miss their sole release (up until a recent split), which was their fantastic LP carving initials up until now. This thing is raw, anguished, and genuinely timeless, as it'd be very hard to place a release date on it if you just heard it. The arpeggios are moody and melancholic, with climatic explosions of chaotic fury. They're kind of like a lower-fi and skramz-ier I Hate Myself or The Spirit Of Versailles, though don't read too much into that comparison. It's a solid album for the saddest of hours, enjoy.

carving initials (2023)

1. wisconsin

2. pave today, burn tomorrow

3. Thank You DubNation! (the page will never be long enough)

4. deer man

5. empyrean

6. ophelia

7. the I see fire in her eyes one

8. riverbed

9. broth

Sisters Of The Blessed Sacrament (2024)

1. herlovebeheadsdaisies - It's Like Holding A Ghost's Hand

2. edith pike - all that's left of you (swan song)

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Narrow Head

Narrow Head are a five-piece alternative rock band from Houston, Texas that formed in 2013. They've put out three full-lengths and a slew of other releases, with their most recent stuff all being put out by Run For Cover since joining their roster in 2020. Admittedly I have not done much of a deep dive on this band, even though they've been requested a ton and their latest LP, Moments Of Clarity gained a good amount of traction last year. The band's sound consists of big, heavy, shoegazy guitars and alt rock riffs juxtaposed against very melodic vocals. That's not a very good summation, but I'm sure a lot of you are more familiar with them than I am. If you're a fan of bands such as Superheaven, Daisyhead, or Modern Color and haven't heard them yet, I highly suggest you give them a try. Despite being new to them, everything I'm hearing is incredibly solid. Enjoy.

Demonstration MMXIII (2013)

1. Glass

2. Nervous Habits

Far Removed (2014)

1. Far Removed

2. Make It Hurt

3. In Slow Time

4. Nervous Habits

5. Brain Dead

Fantastic Wow (2016)

1. Hard To Swallow

2. Ash Anywhere

3. Emmadazey

Satisfaction (2016)
1. Necrosis

2. Feels Like Sand

3. Ashtray

4. Cool In Motion

5. Stay

6. Nancy France

7. Paranoid Hands

8. Wallflower

9. It's Whatever To Me

10. Uncover

11. See You Around

The Spring Singles (2017)

1. Stuttering Stanley

2. Nodding Off

3. Snoozy

Coursing Through (2019)

1. Satellite

2. Ash Anywhere

12th House Rock (2020)

1. Yer Song

2. Ponderosa Sun Club

3. Stutterng Stnaley

4. Hard To Swallow

5. Crankcase

6. Nodding Off

7. Night Tryst

8. Emmadazey

9. Wastrel

10. Delano Door

11. Bulma

12. Evangeline Dream

T.W.I.N. (2022)

1. T.W.I.N.

Moments Of Clarity (2023)

1. The Real

2. Moments Of Clarity

3. Sunday

4. Trepanation

5. Breakup Song

6. Fine Day

7. Caroline

8. The World

9. Gearhead

10. Flesh & Solitude

11. The Comedown

12. Soft To Touch

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Toru Okada

"Constantly talking isn't necessarily communicating". Once again, we descend into the depths of despair once a year, same time same place, on February 14th. As everything becomes lonelier, we pick one band to invest our woes in, and this year is a solid one. If you want more sad orchestras, all previously installments are listed at the end.

Toru Okada were a six-piece screamo band from Austin, Texas that were active from 2003 to 2006. They put out a self-titled full-length, two splits and a few demos. These early demos are what compromised 8 Songs, a compilation initially released in 2004 before being re-released in 2019. It was followed by 10 Songs, which contained the same tracks plus the two cuts off the Olive Tree split. I prefer the former version, which to me is their definitive release, so that's what's included here.

The influences often cited along with this band are I Hate Myself, Portrait, The Khayembii Communiqué, and The Spirit Of Versailles, which are apt points of reference, though they truly do stand on their own. They bring in a healthy dose of melodrama to their melancholic, arpeggiated clean guitars, with quick dynamic shifts breaking into cathartic climaxes on the brink of breaking chaos. The dual vocalists provide a whole other dynamic layer, often layering upon each other and varying between scream, sung, and quite often spoken. Lyrically, more often than not they are suited for the introspective melancholy of days like today.

As a fun side note on an unfun day, their guitarist and main songwriter from 2003 to 2004 was Alejandro Rose-Garcia. He's also an actor, appearing in a few episodes of Friday Night Lights (he's the Swede, for those who have seen it). He's ever better known now as the immensely talented one-man band Shakey Graves, which you're undoubtedly familiar with if you've ever perused the "Popular" section of Audiotree's Youtube channel. Nothing ever works out, it only gets worse, don't enjoy as you'll be back here this time next year.

Toru Okada/Die , Emperor, Die! (2003)

1. Toru Okadu - Our Great Cities

2. Die, Emperor, Die! - Dear Friend (Never Give Up)

Toru Okada (2004)

1. ...So He Could Hear His Footsteps

2. Shadowless Nights

3. Saccharine Leaves

4. A Graveled Street

5. Ruined Tongues

6. Kiss Me Through The Computer Screen

7. Lights Out

8. Emonologue

Toru Okada/Olive Tree (2005)

1. Toru Okada - Long Questions

2. Toru Okada - The Second Floor

3. Olive Tree - The Bird's Song

4. Olive Tree - The Lone Islands

8 Songs (2019)

1. Shadowless Nights

2. Fields Burned Golden

3. Ruined Tongues

4. Saccharine Leaves

5. Kiss Me Through The Computer Screen

6. A Graveled Street

7. So He Could Hear His Footsteps

8. Our Great  Cities

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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

2023: Vowel

Silver Scooter

Silver Scooter were an emo/indie band from Austin, Texas that formed in 1995 and disbanded in 2001. For most of their duration they were active a three-piece, but added a second guitarist before their final album. They released three full-lengths, a few EP's, and two splits, one of which was with Cursive. This band brought a strong sense of pop sensibility to the their midwest emo-influenced sound, with clean, melancholic guitars, winding bass lines and loud/quiet dynamics. That vocals especially were very poppy with sticky sweet melodies. Songs like "Pumpkin Eyes" could have even been alt rock radio hits if given a bit more exposure. If you're looking for a place to start with this band, their earlier material leans a little more raw, which includes The Other Palm Springs and the Cursive split, my personal favourite releases by them. By the time you get The Blue Law, they had gravitated away from the distorted emo and leaned into a clean, reverby sound, with acoustic guitars and synths being incorporated in a borderline dream pop soundscape. Enjoy.

Cup And String (1996)

1. Cup And String

2. Whatever Happened To Me

Biting My Nails (1996)

1. Biting My Nails

2. Come Around

3. Returning

1353 (1996)

1. Ball Of Yarn

2. Long Fence

3. Allergic To Love (Eric's Trip cover)

The Other Palm Springs (1997)

1. Tractor Pull

2. Regret Sets In

3. Good Man Down

4. Riverbed

5. Catching Fish

6. Pumpkin Eyes

7. Beating

8. Long Fence

9. Clarkston, WA

10. Solid Glass

11. 10 PM On Saturday Night

12. Pretty When We Land

13. Brain & Heart

14. Intruder Inside

A Tribute To The Phone Calls (1998)

1. Tribute To The Phone Calls

2. In Between Days (The Cure cover)

Silver Scooter/Cursive (1998)

1. Silver Scooter - Sunlight

2. Silver Scooter - Bob's BBQ

3. Silver Scooter - D.

4. Silver Scooter - Holding The Flare

5. Cursive - Returns And Exchange

6. Cursive - Pulse

7. Cursive - Tides Rush In

Tiara/Silver Scooter (1998)

1. Tiara - Swingset

2. Silver Scooter - Morning View

Orleans Parish (1999)

1. Tribute To The Phone Calls

2. Sleight Of Hand

3. Should've Stayed

4. Cancer & Wide-Eyed Looks

5. New Orleans

6. Deliver Me Driver

7. So Long

8. If Nonsense Only Knew

9. Sand Dollar Relief

10. Dinosaurs

11. Cup & String

12. Morning View

Goodbye EP (2000)

1. Goodbye

2. Amateur Actors

3. It's Not Real

4. Run (New Order cover)

The Blue Law (2001)

1. Goodbye

2. Blue Law

3. Albert Hall

4. The Long Way

5. Black Stars

6. Dirty Little Bar

7. Terrorism Lover

8. The Lonely Singer

9. Remembering

10. On The Mark

11. Voice Of Authority

12. Crash

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Party Hats

Party Hats are a three-piece emo/screamo band from Denton, Texas that began in 2021. Since then, they've put out two demos, a split, and an incredible EP released earlier this year. Instrumentally, they take the bright, noodly sound of midwestern emo and mesh it with vocals shrieked at the top of the lungs. Party Hats manage to balance those extremities with dexterous ease, encapsulating both chaos and melody in each song. Fatima makes for an amazing listen, with 8 tracks in 18 minutes, the band wastes no time displaying their full dynamic range, with subdued lone guitars crashing into shriek-laden blasts within seconds of each other. Fans of bands such as Merchant Ships, The Reptilian, and Father Figure will definitely love this, though I'd enourage just about anyone to check it out. This is music done right. Enjoy.

demo (2021)

1. still can't tell up from down

2. litter boxes/changing tires

3. one time i got poison ivy so bad i went blind

insideoutside demo (2021)

1. Indian School Rd

2. I hate buccees

3. So far

4. Squid ink

Party Hats/Leroy Trinket (2021)

1. Party Hats - Maybe

2. Leroy Trinket - ...But It Smelled Like Flowers

Fatima (2022)

1. Tearjerker

2. Boxcutter Pt. 2

3. I Trapped A Fly In The Fridge

4. Baby Bob Ross

5. The Future Ain't What It Used To Be

6. Pinch Hit

7. Moe's Song

8. It's Not The Heat, It's The Humility

Autobiographic Autopsy (2023)

1. New Tricks Off The Table

2. Autobiographic Autopsy

3. My Big Fucking Head

4. Belly Up

5. Fish Hook

Catalyst/Vs Self/Knumears/Party Hats (2024)

1. Catalyst - Yesterday's Apology

2. Knumears - No Count

3. Vs Self - Tide And Swell

4. Party Hats - Today's For Sale

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