Colossal - Welcome The Problems (2004)

Words can't express how much I love this album. Really, it's hard to write about. I've been rewriting this first paragraph for about 20 minutes trying to find the words to describe this album.

Still, if this is what emo music sounds like in this day and age then it ain't bad. Sounds like a mix between American Football and Don Caballero ie. emo vocals and emo guitars but also math rock drums and math rock guitars. I guess I could also throw some comparisons to Look Mexico, but Colossal have some sort of an edge to them, some grit. It's like they're....damn.

It's hard to find the words. Hopefully you'll dig this, though.

Give it a listen

It's hard to find the words to describe this album but it sure ain't hard to buy it.

Knapsack - This Conversation Is Ending...Starting Right Now (1998)

Emo week isn't over yet. I'm not sure when it will end, but I at least wanted to post something in the same vein as this jewel of an album.

You gotta remember that emo was still a pretty alternative/underground scene in the early 90s. Pretty surprising when you remember that the early 90s music scene was obsessed with this "alternative" ideal. But I guess bands like caP'n Jazz and Sunny Day Real Estate were as big as they got, which doesn't shock me since those are some of the...I don't know, "tamer" bands? They were angsty and loud from time to time, but they could hold a tune, y'know? It seems emo was just a genre that was to be unheard of forever.

But then some kids got together and did something wonderful, something that would certainly inspire the following generation with an influence you can still hear in popular music today. Emo-pop.

Knapsack were one of these bands that appeared during the later half of the 90s recording some emo inspired pop punk. Or was it pop punk inspired emo? Oh, I don't know but the point is they're great. It was bands like this as well as Saves The Day and The Get Up Kids that produced some top quality music that was the best of both worlds. It had the emotional vocals and lyrics of emo, but it had the catchyness of pop-punk.

I'm making it sound terrible, but it isn't. It may scream teenage angst, but it sounds so damn good. Knapsack never made it as big as their contermpories (who didn't really make "it" either) but this album casts a long shadow, and is a worthy last testement to a wonderful band. Check it.

Give it a listen

Emo-pop? All the fun of alternative music but with all the fun of being able to buy a cd pretty easily? Sounds rad to me

Indian Summer - Discography (1994)

If there's one common trend amongst emo bands (apart from playing emocore, being signed to indie labels, playing small venues, singing emotional bullshit and generally just being emo) it's a lack of recorded material. Hell, look at caP'n Jazz, one of the most highly regarded, critically acclaimed, influential emo bands to come out of the 90s midwest emo explosion. They deserve all the praise they get and all, but just think about it. You can get EVERYTHING they ever recorded in one 34 song compilation. And it's the same for a lot of bands.

Another great example of an entire career squished into one amazing album would be this beauty by quiet/loud practioners Indian Summer.

For those who are unfamiliar with this band let me try and explain their sound. I guess you could compare them to Slint but more extreme. That is to say, the quiet parts are really quiet and the loud parts are REALLY FUCKING LOUD. The average song will start of with some beautiful, melodic yet very minamilistic guitar playing and rather soft, gentle drumming. A hushed voice creeps in, whispering over the music. It's all nice and quiet. Ahhh....

SUDDENLY LOUDNESS!

So check it out, see how the quiet/loud dynamic that was so often used by the likes of Pixies, Nirvana and Slint was applied to the emotional hardcore genre that we all know and love so much.

Give it a listen

Goddamn, you wanna buy THIS album? I can't find it ANYWHERE, for srs.

I Hate Myself - Ten Songs (1997)

In November, 1997, a small band from Florida released what would be their only full length album. Titled "10 Songs" it was just that, a collection of 10 of their songs, recorded in the summer months by a group of guys who played some pretty cool music. Really it shouldn't be anything more than that. It should be as simple as it sounds. I shouldn't have to make this post about it, but here I am.

What we have here is one of the finest emo albums ever. I don't really want to go into the story of "emo" or "emocore" too much, because it's a story that is cloudy and mysterious even in the minds of the guys who were in the midst of it. But what I will say is that the genre exploded in the 90s, with fuckloads of bands going in different directions. I Hate Myself went in the "scream like an emotional white kid who doesn't give a fuck about anything whilst the band plays some fucking powerful yet melodic guitar lead music" direction. Oh, and what a wise decision that was.

So give this a listen and see what you make of it. I hope you like it, because the birthday of this album reminded me about how old emo is getting. Fuck, bro, Revolution Summer happened 24 years ago. As a result, I'm going to post some of my favorite post-hardcore, emotive hardcore and screamo releases this week. There'll be forgotten classics and brand new masterpieces. So let's all stick on our skinniest pair of jeans, stick on that dirty tshirt you wore yesterday and listen to some emotional bullshit!

Give it a listen

Y'know what else is pretty emo? Buying music...

Junichi Masuda - Pokemon Blue

Again, with the whole "not updating" thing. Screw you, that's why.

So I'm posting this, one of the greatest video game soundtracks ever, for several reasons. First and foremost, just read the previous sentence again. This is one of the greatest vidya soundtracks, for sure. I'm not just saying that because I love the game and the music brings nothing buy good memories back, I'm saying it because it really does demonstrate some amazing use of the gameboys hardware and it's all so damn catchy. Secondly, yeah, read the previous thing. I fucken loved these games, blue AND red but clearly Blue was the superior game and Squirtle was the superior starter. Do I have a reason for believing these things? Sure. I had the exact same beliefs when I was about 7, so they HAVE to be awesome beliefs. And finally, the last reason why I'm posting it is because I honestly can't be bothered uploading an album right now and I uploaded this a few weeks back.

SO, sit back and enjoy the best music a gameboy can throw at you.

Give it a listen

I'm a terrible person and I do not own a copy of Pokemon Red, Blue or even Yellow

The Progress - Merit (2006)

The Progress were an odd band. Odd in the same way a lot of current emo bands are odd. They had everything you could ever need to be popular, great songs, great lyrics, tight guitar playing, hooks-a-plenty. Heck, they even have the "emo" tag which is so down with the kids. But they're weren't popular back when they were together and they're not popular now. They've been overshadowed by those mediocre pop/punk bands that, somewhere along the lines, have emo influences (or so sources tell me).

But fuck them. Fuck the kids. Fuck what's popular. This is an amazing record, and one that certainly deserves your time. It's not going to change your life, and I doubt it's something you've never heard before but in a decade filled with so much crap it's nice to know that a band exists that can still hit all the right notes.

Check it out if you're into bands like Braid, Look Mexico, The One Up Downstairs and heck I'd say there's even a little bit of Jawbreaker in this record if they're more your thing. You know the score, if you like emotional bullshit you'll like this.

Give it a listen

Downloading music is too mainstream, I only buy music

Seam - Are You Driving Me Crazy? (1995)

A harsh, high pitched bleep wakes you from your sleep, bringing you back into the world. It's the next best thing to pitch black in your room as you sit up in your bed, sleep deprived having stayed up till 5am. A draft of cold air rolls through the room, bounding up your back, sending shivers down your spine. Fuck this. You get up, move the curtains and look out of the window.

It's a typical cold, grey, miserable-as-hell winter morning. It looks like it should be 3am, but it isn't. It's 7:10, and you need to get ready. You try and fight it but you know you have to get washed and dressed, you know you have to face the world.

Fuck this, man.

She broke your heart, she fucking lied to you. Everything was going just fine and dandy and then.....then this.

Fuck this, man.

You pack your things and prepare to venture outside of the house. You're all wrapped up warm, but as soon as you walk out that door it doesn't matter. The wind is the perhaps the cruelest fucker on the planet. He goes straight through you, bringing a freezing sensation to your entire body. Heck, he brings a freezing sensation to parts of your body you didn't even know existed.

You stop for a moment. You look around. Cold, hungry, miserable as fuck. Heck, you're heartbroken. You want nothing more than to curl up in a ball and shun the world. And yet here you are on this miserable day, doing your usual thing like nothing's different.

The winter landscape with its dead trees, pale skies and dimly lit streets seems to reflect your own tormented soul...

It's a cold winter morning, you're tired, you're heartbroken and you've got a long day ahead of you.

FUCK YEAH, TIME TO LISTEN TO SOME SEAM!

Give it a listen

She said we should "just be friends" because I don't buy enough music

Nana Grizol - Love It Love It (2008)

First of all I'd like to apologise for not posting for a long time, my bad, get over it, I am. Now, onto the album eh?

Wow, that's the first thing I should say about this release, just plain "Wow". This is one of those albums that you love from the moment you hear the first track, it's so instantly enjoyable that it's insane. The cover may look like it's going to be a sickly sweet twee-fest, but it isn't (kinda but not really) it's actually a remarkable folk punk album that has some of the quirkiest and most beautiful lyrics you've ever heard.

Their influences are evident; Arcade Fire, Bob Dylan, every Elephant 6 band ever (including NMH) but there's enough there to seperate them from this collective of artists making them their own, unique, band.

This album has so many hooks and lyrics anyone can relate to that it'll surprise me if anyone with a heart doesn't enjoy this in the slightest.

Give it a listen

Folk Punk is the new thing, and so is buying music