Aviator

Aviator are a five-piece post-hardcore band from Boston, Massachusetts that formed in 2009. They were incredibly prolific for nearly a decade, putting out a ton of releases alongside two fantastic full-lengths, both via No Sleep Records. In recent years they haven't been active, though they haven't officially disbanded. It is a massive failure on my part to have left this band slip through the cracks for so many years now, as their sound is right up this blog's alley, and they were most active in its heyday. This band blends the more technical, rhythmic and melodically meandering aspects of post-hardcore acts with the raw, visceral heart-on-your-sleeve delivery of melodic hardcore. They draw influence from classics such as At The Drive-In, mewithoutYou, Bear vs. Shark and Piebald (made clear in their choice of covers), which adds a wide array of vocal and instrumental dynamics to their hardcore-influenced base. If you're a fan of bands like Touché Amoré, Defeater, La Dispute, Caravels, More Than Life, Goodtime Boys, Octaves, and so many more that were kicking around in the early 2010's, Aviator absolutely has to be on your radar. It's not a direct comparison in terms of sound, but in terms of modern elevation and emotional resonance. Enjoy.

Demo (2010)

1. Second Chances

2. Winter Blues

3. Know More

4. Cutting Ties

5. Grace

My Fictions/Aviator (2010)

1. My Fictions - Kept Myself Awake

2. My Fictions - Dreamt Myself An Architect Built Myself Some Walls

3. Aviator - I'm Sick Of Standing In The Same Place

4. Aviator - The Definition Of A Dead End

I'm Not The Lonely One (2011)

1. Acceptance Is Denial

2. Denial Is Despondency

3. Despondency Is Unhappiness

4. Unhappiness Is Loneliness

5. I'm Not The Lonely One

Aviator/Spirit Fangs (2012)

1. Aviator - A Thousand Monkeys

2. Aviator - A Thousand Typewriters

3. Spirit Fangs - Hand Over Heart

4. Spirit Fangs - Bloodrivers

January MMXIII (2013)

1. Solemn Mountain (Live)

2. A Thousand Typewriters (Live)

3. Forms (Les feuilles mortes) (Live)

4. A Thousand Monkeys (Live)

5. I'm Sick Of Standing In The Same Place (Live)

6. Harvest Words (Live)

Billy Pilgrim Has Come Unstuck In Time (2013)

1. Billy Pilgrim Has Come Unstuck In Time

Covers (2013)

1. Sleepwalk Capsules (At The Drive-In cover)

2. They Don't Understand Us At The Academy (Piebald cover)

3. Entrance Of The Elected (Bear vs. Shark cover)

4. Be Here Now (As Tall As Lions cover)

5. Never As Tired As When I'm Waking Up (LCD Soundsystem cover)

Native Wildlife/Glass Lungs/Killing Thing/Aviator (2014)

1. Native Wildlife - Most Accidents Happen Close To Home

2. Glass Lungs - Tiltawhirl

3. Killing Thing - Weathered

4. Aviator - So I Say To Her, I Say This (I Says)

Head In The Clouds, Hands In The Dirt (2014)

1. Pipe Dreams

2. Weathervane

3. There Was A Light (It Went Out)

4. Dig Your Own Grave And Save

5. Forms (les feuilles mortes)

6. I Hold Myself In Contempt

7. Bipolar Vortex

8. Head Noise

9. ...But I Won't Be There

10. Fever Dreams

[Untitled] (Demo) (2014)

1. [Untitled] (Demo)

High Hopes (2015)

1. High Hopes

Heaven's Gate b/w Death's Door (2017)

1. Heaven's Gate

2. Death's Door

Loneliness Leaves The Light On For Me (2017)

1. I Wanna Make Movies, Heather

2. Nasonov Pheromone

3. Ad Nauseam

4. I Wouldn't Leave Here If You Paid Me

5. Looks Deep Enough From Here

6. End Scene

7. One Year Warranty

8. I Wouldn't Live There If You Paid Me

9. Safety Coffin

10. Does It Make A Sound?

Bummer Summer: Compilation 2018 (2018)

11. Introvertebrate

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Cloud Mouth

Cloud Mouth were a three-piece screamo/post-hardcore band from Chicago, Illinois that were around from 2008 to 2011. Their output was fairly steady in those years, carving out a distinct sound of dark, winding screamo, with unnerving, lead guitar melodies, a rumbling rhythm section, and some biting vocals. If you're a fan of long-form acts such as Funeral Diner or City of Caterpillar that favoured a more technical, atmospheric approach to the genre, then Cloud Mouth should definitely be a band on your radar. To start, I'd suggest either Keep Well or That Ghost Is Always With Me. Enjoy.

Demo (2008)

1. Rats In Their Home

2. Deserted Growth

3. Past Tense

4. Rachel

Freak/Psych/Fuck (2009)

1. Psych!

2. This Place Is Dead Anyways

Cloud Mouth/Cougar Den (2009)

1. Cloud Mouth - Flex Yr. Head

2. Cougar Den - Whatever Happened To The Home Phone?

That Ghost Is Always With Me (2010)

1. Waves

2. Take Me Into The Cold

3. Shark Week

4. The Dream Is Dead

5. Hell Is Real

6. Down Init

Keep Well (2011)

1. Walker

2. Scratches

3. Slow Eyes

4. Quiet

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I Wish I

I Wish I are a four-piece emo/post-hardcore band from San Diego, California that formed in 1995. They took their name from an Embrace song, so it's not too surprising to here a ton of influence from DC bands including Fugazi, Rites of Spring, and Jawbox. Following two full-lengths and a ton of touring, they originally disbanded sometime around 1997. The band reformed in 2012, putting out a brand new full-length on Dim Mak Records back in 2013. Sonically, they definitely maintain their roots, but bring in some more classic rock influence, which is hard to explain but readily apparent when listening to it. Regardless, definitely check this out, especially Drop In Standing if you're a fan of bands like Texas Is The Reason. Enjoy.

Drop In Standing (1996)

1. Summer

2. Overrated

3. Drop In Standing

4. Eight

5. Faster Than dancing

6. Driving The Stake

7. Replay

8. Cardenas

9. Lost

10. Days Past

Backseat Driver / Mourning A Third Day (1997)

1. One Hundred Words For Snow - Backseat Driver

2. I Wish I - Mourning A Third Day

...F° (1997)

1. Social Butterfly

2. Rosemary

3. Let You Know

4. F°

5. Blessed And Delivered

6. Headlong

7. Portrait of Dorian Gray

Convolusions (2013)

1. Sanctified

2. Ideoglossia

3. Ratracer

4. Flower Walls

5. Estrellas

6. Can You Believe

7. My Telepathy

8. Awakening

9. Convolutions

10. Mirror Mirror

11. Hello Sailor (Radio Edit)

12. OREI

13. Hello Sailor

The Fire Theft

The Fire Theft were a three-piece indie rock band from Seattle, Washington that formed in 2001 and have been on indefinite hiatus since 2004. Notably, this band was formed by three-quarters of the quintessential Sunny Day Real Estate line-up, including guitarist/vocalist Jeremy Enigk, bassist Nate Mendel, and drummer William Goldsmith. The Fire Theft was formed immediately after SDRE split for the second time, with Mendel rejoining his former bandmates after having joined the Foo Fighters following SDRE's first split. Under this moniker, they released one full-length in 2003, alongside one single. Since the reformation of SDRE in 2009, it's doubtful this project will be ever picked up again, though no definite word has been given on the matter. 

Sonically, this is a pretty notable departure from the sound we've come to know these guys for. There's plenty of lush, arpeggiated melodic guitars, and Enigk's distinct vocal falsetto but with some added instrumentation coming in to the fold (synths, xylophones, strings, etc.) and some odd time signatures being utilized. There's also multiple atmospheric, ambient interludes throughout the album, breaking up some of the heavier-hitting moments. Bands like Gensis and Yes have been pointed to as influences, as though it's definitely noticeable, it's a little overblown to make any direct comparisons. It's a solid album, though admittedly not one I really check in on, and I would take any SDRE album over this. Having said that, it's still worth sharing and checking out if you're a massive fan of theirs and want to hear what they were up during on of their multiple interims. Enjoy.

Hands On You (2003)

1. Chain

2. Sinatra

3. Hands On You

The Fire Theft (2003)

1. Uncle Mountain

2. Wast Time Segue

3. Oceans Apart

4. Chain

5. Backwards Blues

6. Summertime

7. Houses

8. Waste Time

9. Heaven

10. Rubber Bands

11. It's Over

12. Carry You

13. Sinatra

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Obroa-skai

Obroa-skai are a three-piece screamo band from Edmonton, Alberta that formed in 2019. Thus far, they've released one EP and two splits.This band plays a dark, fast-paced and dissonant brand of screamo, mixed in with looming interludes and elements of self-described "harsh noise", which is honestly the most apt description for it. This band hits hard, and its members were previously in some incredible bands also out of Edmonton, Mahria and Rayleigh. Highly recommended, enjoy.

Obroa-skai (2019)

1. Paradox Of Choice

2. Radical Dreamer

3. Wytai

4. L.F.

5. Quiet Dysphoria

Obroa-skai/YSIDRO (2020)

1. Obroa-skai - Solastagia

2. Obroa-skai - Holocene Extinction

3. YSIDRO - Haight

4. YSIDRO - IAWUIAC

The Cold Promise Of Uncertainty (2020)

1. 소나기 - 070587 (blue ticket)

2. 소나기 - endless waltz

3. Obroa-skai - opportunistic activism

4. Obroa-skai - diminution of environmental policy

5. Indisposed - support

6. Coma Regalia - Reach
7. Coma Regalia - Pause

8. Coma Regalia - Break

Science Progresses One Funeral At A Time (2023)

1. Soft Rains

2. It Must Have Been Beautiful

3. 1928 - 1972

4. Myth Of The Disembodied

5. Another World Is Possible

6. Void

7. One Hundred And Fifty Years

8. Nextdoor

9. Syncope

10. Home

11. Blink

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Ennui

Ennui are a five-piece screamo/hardcore band from Long Island, New York that formed in 2020. Thus far, they've released one demo and one split of hardcore-influenced screamo. The band utilizies heavy, discordant, and angular riffs, brooding rhythms and raw vocals in their crushing delivery. Fans of bands including Yaphet Kotto, Joshua Fit For Battle, Welcome The Plague Year and others from that era should definitely check this out. Enjoy.

Two Songs (2022)

1. Apex Homunculus

2. Burial Gift

Ennui/Apostles Of Eris (2022)

1. Ennui - Beside The Door Of Becoming

2. Ennui - Burning Astronaut

3. Ennui - Rude Goldberg

4. Apostles Of Eris - Anxieties From The Material Realm

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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

Crestfallen

Crestfallen were a five-piece screamo band from Richmond, Virginia that were active from 2000 to 2003. They released a split, LP and EP in that time, which were put out by fantastic labels including Magic Bullet and Robotic Empire. Unsurprising for a Richmond band in the early 2000's, they also shared members with pg.99. Crestfallen were absolutely fantastic and incredibly underrated, crafting violent bursts of grind-influenced emoviolence, with elements of metalcore thrown into some riffs. The vocals are also a major high point, which sound face-melting in a literal sense. Highly recommended, enjoy.

Waifle/Crestfallen (2001)

1. Waifle - Australian For Women

2. Crestfallen - Epileptic Requiem

Streaks Of Terror (2002)

1. Nine To Five RSVP

2. Beyond Recognition

3. Never Say Never!

4. Scouring For Any Signs Of Life

5. Seen And Not Heard...

6. ...Biting Your Tongue Off

7. Pecking Order

8. Disappearing Act

9. Eternal Nightmare

Crestfallen (2003)

1. Backlashed

2. Spread Bald Eagle

3. Rogue Rodeo

4. Sucker Punch Fucks Off

5. Early To Bed Early To Rise Again

6. Silent Track (66.6 Seconds)

7. Minor Threat (Minor Threat cover)

8. Human Fly (The Cramps cover)

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Aussitôt Mort

Aussitôt Mort (translated: As Soon As Dead) are a four-piece screamo band from Caen, France that formed in 2005. Since 2014 they've gone by the name Mort Mort Mort, though Aussitôt Mort is still what they're better known as. They played a technically winding style of screamo, with the guitars riffing with and around each other, bringing in elements of off-kilter post-hardcore and melodic post-rock. The rhythm section laid a solid foundation while also driving each song, making for a chaotically layered sound that somehow came together in sonic perfection. This band also stood out for merging elements of doom metal into their sound, particularly early on with some heavy down-tuned riffs. Fans of French screamo acts such as Amanda Woodward, Sed Non Satiata, Gantz, and Mihai Edrisch absolutely need to check this out if they're not on your radar yet. Enjoy.

Aussitôt Mort (2005)

1. Memoria Grigia

2. Aussitot Dort, Aussitot Mort

3. Une Once De Courage

4. Le Desespoir Des Singes

Balboa/Aussitôt Mort (2006)

1. Balboa - The North

2. Balboa - Clandestine

3. Aussitôt Mort - Dur Comme La Banalité

6 Songs (2007)

1. Memoria Grigia

2. Aussitôt dort, aussitôt mort

3. Une once de courage

4. Le désespoir des singes

5. Dur comme la banalité

6. Percuté

Montuenga (2008)

1. Mort! Mort! Mort!

2. Une heure plus tard

3. Que le veilleur gagne

4. Huit (Part 1)

5. Huit (Part 2)

6. Le kid de la plage

7. On a qu'à se dire que l'on s'en fout

8. Le prophète de malheur

Heaven In Her Arms/Aussitôt Mort (2011)

1. Aussitôt Mort - Une Défaite À La Piaule

2. Aussitôt Mort - Supraliminaire

3. Heaven In Her Arms - Lost Title / Inversion Operation

Aussitôt Mort/The Catalyst (2011)

1. Aussitôt Mort - La bourse ou la vie

2. The Catalyst - Thumbsucker

3. The Catalyst - Our Science is Too Tight

La Ride Du Lion (2011)

1. La ride du lion

2. Sur un radeau, des cannibales

Nagykanizsa (2012)

1. La ride du lion

2. Sur un radeau, des cannibales...

3. Une défaite à la piaule

4. Supraliminaire

5. La bourse ou la vie

Le chant des sirènes (2014)

1. Le chant des sirènes

2. A quatre pages du bonheur

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