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

Please Inform The Captain This Is A Hijack

Please Inform The Captain This Is A Hijack were a six-piece post-hardcore band from California that were active from 2000 to 2003 (approximately, there's very little info on this band out there). They released a self-titled EP during their time together and posthumous LP a few years later. The most notable member of this band was Sarah Kirsch, who was active in a ton of other bands throughout the 90's including Fuel, Navio Forge, John Henry West, Bread And Circuits,  Pinhead Gunpowder, Torches To Rome, and many more. Though this project does take a lot of its cues from Dischord acts as the aforementioned also do, Please Inform The Captain This Is A Hijack really stands on its own. It's overtly political in its lyricism, and instrumentally its angular, aggressive, melodic, and experimental. The LP in particular makes heavy use of samples from various sources, making for this expansive, almost outlandish listen, not unlike The Shape Of Punk To Come. Going off that, I also wouldn't be surprised if this band also took heavy influence from Nation Of Ulysses. Highly recommended (particularly the EP), enjoy.

Please Inform The Captain This Is A Hijack (2003)

1. Your Good Thing Is About To End

2. Apocalypse Theme Park

3. Postcards From The Future

4. Robot Rampage In Luxury World

5. Ice Monkey

6. Transnational Vampire Killers

Defeat Or Humiliate The United States Of America (2006)

1. We Train These Robots

2. The Ants Will Eat Rome

3. The Molotov Cocktail Hour

4. Angry Sleepers (pt. 1)

5. Sooner Than You Think

6. Karma Collection Day

7. Waiting For The Snow

8. Defeat The Humiliate The United States Of America

9. In The Service Of The Capital

10. The Days Move Along With The Regularity

11. The Asymmetric Enemy

12. A Completely New Weapon

13. Party While You Can M.F.er

14. Who Are These Guys?

Norfair

Norfair are a four-piece screamo band from Grand Rapids, Michigan that formed in 2021 and put out their debut self-titled EP earlier this year,. It was primarily released as four tracks, but a deluxe/bonus track whatever the hell version you want to call it does exist with three additional songs I surmise were recorded prior to this EP. I have to say, this is the good shit right here. The Spirit Of Versailles and Jeromes Dream inspiration citations is evident right out the gate with the chaotic discordance and rumbling octave riffs. Adding to that are some of the most tormented and agonizing vocals I've heard in a while, particularly the howls on the back half of "Rowan Warber Was Killed By Big Pharma". 

The band takes a breather on the nervously tender clean guitar arpeggios of "Lying In A Stream Of Dead Light", which harken back to Indian Summer. They close out the EP with "Woosah!", the culmination of everything previously built up to it. The band also makes use of film samples on a number of cuts, notably Gummo and Donnie Darko (I'm not sure what the others are, but fucking fantastic choices on those two). I'm really digging this, it takes familiar sounds and delivers them with feverish execution. Obviously this is highly recommended, enjoy.

carter has a baggie full of drugs (2021)

1. carter has a baggie full of drugs

I Open My Card, and in it? A Death Threat (2022)

1. I Open My Card, and in it? A Death Threat

Norfair (2023)

1. Asan Song

2. Rowan Warber Was Killed By Big Pharma

3. Lying in a Stream of Dead Light

4. Woosah

Norfair (Bonus Tracks) (2023)

1. Asan Song

2. Rowan Warber Was Killed By Big Pharma

3. Lying in a Stream of Dead Light

4. Woosah

5. Carter Has A Baggie Full Of Drugs

6. Jenken

7. Put Your Dick Away, Walter 

Spotify

Apple Music

Bandcamp

Saturdays At Your Place

Saturdays At Your Place are a three-piece emo/indie band from Kalamazoo, Michigan that got started in 2021. They released their debut full-length that same year, which was followed up earlier this year with an EP released via No Sleep Records. Always Cloudy is a collection of bangers from start to finish, and liking it this much was a genuine pleasant surprise for me. They bring an energy to each well-crafted track, utilizing poppy melodies and vocal harmonies, alongside some really fun guitar interplay that bounces between a twinkly styling and big, distorted chords. These aren't direct comparisons, but if you're into bands including Free Throw, Hot Mulligan, Arm's Length, Charmer, or Ben Quad, you will absolutely love this. Even if you're not familiar with those, I'd implore anyone interested in the poppier side of emo to give this a shot. Enjoy.

Something Worth Celebrating (2021)

1. First Of All

2. Mood Swings

3. Existential Shred

4. Coffee Cups

5. One Track Mind

6. Never Sweater

7. Desk Van

8. To The Moon

9. Getting Better

For Tortus (My Cat)

1. For Tortus (My Cat)

Always Cloudy (2023)

1. Future

2. Fetch

3. Tarot Cards

4. Hospital Bed

5. It's Always Cloud In Kalamazoo

6. Eat Me Alive

These Things Happen (2025)

1. Welcome

2. Cross My Heart

3. Waste Away

4. What Am I Supposed To Do?

5. forest bubbles

6. i'd rather be in michigan

7. strawberry

8. stay

9. loon mobile pt 3

10. i give in

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Rika

Rika are a four-piece emo/indie band from Vienna, Austria that formed in 2009, debuting with a split with Everton. Since then, they put out a fantastic split with Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), an LP, and single, the latter three all through Count Your Lucky Stars. There were mentions of new material coming back in 2019, but unfortunately nothing has surfaced as of yet. It's honestly a travesty that it took so long to get to this band, as this some really solid stuff from the "revival" era or whatever of emo. Early on they show their roots in the usual suspects (Mineral, etc.) with bright guitars, slow-paced tracks, heartfelt lyrics, and winding song structures that often build into cathartic crescendos. By the time that their LP rolled out, they had extrpolated that sound to incorporate pianos, organs, and a healthy dose of reverb, adding a whole other layer to their still-melancholic sound. Enjoy.

Rika/Everton (2009)

1. Rika - Harbor

2. Rika - Cardboard City

3. Rika - Rosehip

4. Everton - Geneva

5. Everton - Bluebird

6. Everton - H'Punch

Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate)/Rika (2012)

1. Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) - We Were Not Small Or Great or Grown

2. Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) - It's A Fate We Can't Escape. Someday We Will All Pass Away.

3. Rika - Skutner

How To Draw A River, Step By Step (2013)

1. Restless

2. Port Dover

3. Mute

4. See-Through

5. Safety Points

6. Ultramarine Blue

7. October

8. Retrospect

9. Treasure

10. Departure

Tired Hands/Solace (2015)

1. Tired Hands

2. Solace

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Facebook

Twitter

The Stella Brass

The Stella Brass were a four-piece emo/indie band from Utah that were active from 1995 to 1997 (approximately). Like many of their contemporaries, their entire recorded output exists solely in obscure 7"'s that should be lost to time, but have thankfully continued to exist thanks to the internet. Their output was actually very varied, albeit minimal. For starters, they do actually make occassional use of brass instrumentation, and throw in the odd jazz-inspired rhythm on a handful of tracks. However, the predominant influence you'll hear is the slow, somber, and clean arpeggiated guitars akin to bands like Mineral or Christie Front Drive. They still find a way to break away from that mold on more energetic cuts like "Click". Enjoy.

Demo (1995)

1. Today's Date

2. Goldenjection

3. Pistolfinger

4. All Kites Fly Away

Sketches Of Places We've Slept (1996)

1. Cower

2. Collect

Simplicity In Motion (1997)

1. Click

2. Rut

3. Nucleus

Figure Eights and Heart Shapes (1997)

1. Fine Day For The Lake

2. Learning To Swim

Jacques Rocque

Jacques Rocques were a three-piece emo/screamo band from Rochester, Michigan that formed in 2011 and have been inactive since 2013. They only put out two EP's, at least as far as I'm aware of. Their input is minimal, limited to only 6 songs of noisy, jittery math rock-esque screamo with fairly lo-fi recording quality. If you're into bands like Merchant Ships and William Bonney, this will be up your alley. Enjoy.

Jacques Rocque EP (2011)

1. Dire, Dire Docks

2. Calluses And Celandars

3. The Void of Space

Mamihlapinatapai (2012)

1. Bayesian Network

2. An Abstraction Of Feeling

3. Numerals

Bandcamp

Spotify

Facebook

Modern Color

Modern Color are a four-piece hardcore/alternative band from Redondo Beach, California that formed in 2014. Since then, they've released three full-lengths and a handful of EP's. Sonically, the band has evolved quite a bit over the years, though they've always been rooted in a distinct cross-section between hardcore and shoegaze/alternative rock, bringing the fury and energy of the former and fusing it with the thick reverb and melodic depth of the latter. 

Early on, they learn heavily to the hardcore side of the spectrum, with aggressive vocals and pummelling delivery. Their more recent material has leaned into the more melodic aspects of their sound, incorporating mostly clean vocals and a Hum/Dinosaur Jr.-inspired sound that would appeal to fans of bands like Basement, Superheaven, and Turnover. Personally, I lean towards the Chromesthesia side of things (not to mention, the band and album name seem so fitting for this project), though I think From The Leaves Of Your Garden has more widespread appeal. Enjoy.

Somewhere Else (2016)

1. Skipping Stones

2. Pale

Chromesthesia (2016)

1. New Motion

2. Chromesthesia

3. Shade

4. Habitual Pain

5. Low

6. Vibrating Body

7. I'm Not A Part Of It

8. Indigo Vision

Time Slips Behind Us (2017)

1. Constant

2. Wool

3. Keepsake

4. Time Slips Behind Us

5. Not Here

6. No Praise

7. In Passing

8. Life Without Peace

9. Proxy Dream

10. Spring Again

11. Open Wound

Portuguese Bend (2018)

1. Jacaranda

2. Head Change

From The Leaves Of Your Garden (2020)

1. Lavender

2. Invisible Ink

3. On & Off

4. Alone

5. X51

6. Jacaranda

7. Empty Rooms

8. Head Change

9. Smiling Face

10. Out Of Reach

11. Sage

12. Pale

Now, Life Is Living You (2021)

1. Dread

2. Now Life Is Living You

3. Opiate

4. Day Star

Greener Grass (2022)

1. Greener Grass

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Store

Maths

Maths are a three-piece screamo band from Norwich, England that began in 2006 and ended in 2018. They released one full-length, two EP's, a split and two compilations across over a decade of existence, which is a major accomplishment in itself for a screamo band to achieve. Maths take on dissonant, agile arpeggiated riffs that bounce between clean rhymthic sections and distorted chaos, all with a noticeable technical prowess. It perfectly balances with the raw, passionate delivery they bring to the table, with some incrediblely searing and cathartic vocals and dynamic song structures. If you're into the GOATs of screamo (i.e. Funeral Diner, City Of Caterpillar, Jeromes Dream, Orchid, etc.) you'll love this, don't need to say much more else there really. If you're looking for a place to start, their sole LP Descent is the obvious candidate, though I'd also encourage checking out The Fires Courting The Sea. There's some definite evolution from their early days, and they keep it real brief on what ended up being their swan song release. Enjoy.

MMVII (2008)

1. 2356

2. II

3. IV

4. This Is Forever (Demo)

5. A Well Documented Case Of Severe Autism (Jeromes Dream cover)

6. And We Have Killed

7. How Shall We Comfort Ourselves

8. Murderers Of All Murderers

9. Of All The World Has Yet Owned

10. What Sacred Games Shall We Have To Invent

11. Must We Ourselves Not Become Gods Simply To Appear Worthy Of It

12. And We Have Killed (Acoustic)

13. Breathe As If It Were A Story (Ambient Version)

14. Live Show 9/11/07 (Recorded Queen Charlotte, Norwich)

Maths/Throats (2008)

1. Maths - Heavy Heart

2. Maths - Statue Of Her

3. Maths - Vacant

4. Maths - Breathe As If It Were A Story

5. Maths - Solace

6. Throats - Headclouds

7. Throats - Locked Blue

8. Throats - Reign Of Low

9. Throats - Comedown

10. Throats - Deathnaps

Descent (2009)

1. Belief In Sorrow

2. Culpa

3. Wilderness

4. Guarded

5. From Her Journals

6. Boundless

7. Sleep Deep

8. To Be Frozen

9. ...And Left To Die

10. This Is Forever

11. Branches

12. Belief In Hope

Ascent (2011)

1. Gnarled

2. Consecrated Earth

3. Unending Bloom

4. The Wind Swept Away

My Porthole Sees No Ocean (2014)

1. The Ocean Swept Away

2. Child Wondering Along The Thames (Demo)

3. Spring Tides And Thaw

4. ...And The Flowers Are Left To Grow, Alone

5. The Wind Swept Away (Demo)

6. Breathe

7. Culpa (Demo)

8. Guarded (Demo)

9. Boundless (Demo)
10. To Be Frozen (Acoustic Demo)

11. Change (Cover)

12. IV Loop

13. This Is Forever (Acoustic Demo)

The Fires Courting The Sea (2015)

1. Child Wandering Along The Thames

2. The Fires Courting The Sea

3. Last Night Silhouette

4. The Water Is The Colour Of The Sky

5. Laughter Stirs The Canyon

6. Outside The Window

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Facebook

Lumber Lung

Lumber Lung were a four-piece emo/hardcore band from Santa Barbara, California that were active from 2009 to 2012, though you would never guess it from listening to them. Their sound harkens back to the burgeoning underground emo scene in the early 90's, so much so that they could be mistakened for a band from 1994. They sound like contemporaries to their influences, which was most likely bands such as Still Life, Evergreen, Portraits Of Past, Julia, and Merel. If you think discordant, angular guitars pioneered by DC post-hardcore acts, melancholic melancholic chord washes, and a desperate mix of sung and screamed vocals, you have a loose idea of what this band sounds like. 

I know that sounds dismissive, as this is a tried and true sound, but their self-titled album is legitimately fanatastic. Not only is the production on it a little cleaner than you may be used to, but the songs themselves are unique in their catharsis and delivery, and I really do highly suggest anyone even remotely interested in this sound to check it out. Members of this band later played in Jade Dust, Apparition, and Become. Enjoy.

Demo 2010 "The Exuberance of a Robust People" (2010)

1. Watershed

2. Time Bandits

3. Vomit A Little In Your Mouth

4. Contrails

5. Best To Keep Moving

Lumber Lung (2011)

1. Seward Park

2. Watershed

3. Best To Keep Moving

4. Receiver

5. Warm Arms

6. Trajectory

7. Contrails

8. Time Bandits

9. Vomit A Little In Your Mouth

2012 (2012)
1.output

2. mineral

3. miles

4. born 2b wild

5. puddle of mud

6. no breakfast

7. shelter

8. lace up

Bandcamp

Facebook