I Love Your Lifestyle EP by I Love Your Lifestyle (2013)

Kind of Like: Algernon Cadwallader, foxing, Send Away Stranger

Genres: Indie, Emo, Pop Punk

Preview:

This EP from this Swedish band is pretty fantastic,  I've had the chorus to "Christopher Robin" stuck in my head all day.  It also sounds impeccably polished, and rightfully so because it is yet another product of Joe Reinhart from out of the infamous Head Room in Philadelphia.  Every time I feel like I should be growing tired of this kind of emo/twinkle crap, I always here a band like this that puts their own little tweak to the genre that gets me bopping back along to it.  Plus, these guys seem like they are nice cool guys that actually do lead fun lifestyles.

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worst.summer.ever by Del Paxton (2013)

Kind of Like: Braid, Weatherbox, American Football

Genres: Indie, Emo, Pop Punk

Preview:

These guys have been in a few other bands from upstate New York, but the one that I was familiar with was Month.  Month was a pretty good band, but I am liking these guys more.  Solid harmonies, strong fuzzy tones with some very American Football-esque clean parts, and great mixing/mastering overall to tie it all together.

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Sleep Kit by Sleep Kit (2013)

Kind of Like: Pride and Ego Down, whenskiesaregray, continent.
Genres: Post-hardcore, Emo, Screamo
Preview: 

Holy shit, it's been a minute, right?  I decided I needed to update my music library and I figured I would give this a post as well.  I want to give a proper post for being gone for so long, but my laptop is about to die and my power cord is all the way in the other room, so this is going to be short for now.

These guys are part of what is becoming a very american-friendly screamo/emo movement in Germany.  The first track starts kind of slow and didn't really hook me in right away.  Once you get through the second song, you will probably will want to finish it because it just gets better from there.  There are some pretty fun riffs in this and you would be wise to give it a try.

What a Time to Be Alive by Scout (2013)

Kind of Like: State Lines, The Sidekicks, A Great Big Pile of Leaves
Genres: Indie, Emo
Preview:


I miss the old embedded bandcamp players, where you could pick whatever color you want for the background and font.  Now you only get to pick between like eight generic colors, how boring?

If you are looking for something that will reel you in easily and have you singing along after a few listens, then here is a new-ish New York band for you.  Think of catchy anthems that are similar to that of State Lines.  I swear, I thought of the bands in the "Kind of Like" section before I even saw this event for their album release show (which you should probably go to if you like any of the bands mentioned in this post).

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New Forest Floors by Rookie Town (2013)

Kind of Like: Living with Lions, Free Throw, Tiny Moving Parts

Genres: Pop punk, Emo, Post-hardcore
Buy: Driftwood Records
Preview: 

I have to hand it last.fm's "my mix" station; they know how to string together a great mix of favorites with bands I ought to be listening to.  The song "Valley Lily" popped up while I was studying, and I took a quick break to see what these guys were all about.  This band has a pretty great mix of all the genres listed.  With this being the debut album from these Washingtonians, it will be interesting to see what they come out with next.

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Shirokuma EP by Shirokuma (2013)

Kind of Like: Mahria, Disembarked, No Omega
Genres: Emo, Screamo, Post-hardcore
Preview:

The best part about doing this label and more specifically putting out international samplers now and then, is the fucking amazing talent I would've never heard from all around the world.  These swedes absolutely kill it for me.  This is the kind of emo/screamo that tends to hook me right away with disjunctive, dissonant, math-y riffs, but ones that tend to be more catchy than technical.  Fuck this pretentious jargon.  Just listen.

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At Aulis by Coalspur (2012)

Kind of Like: Mahria, Animal Face, Vowel

Genres: Post-hardcore, Screamo, Emo

Preview:

This three piece from Edmonton has jams that remind me a lot of fellow Edmontonians, Mahria.  The vocalist reminds me a bit of Jacob Bannon where he yells instead of screams (Like in Hanging Moon).  And there ain't nothing wrong with that.

This is their EP from 2012, but they also have live demos of new material that will give you an idea of what their full length is going to have on it.

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Get Even by Odd Dates (2013)

Kind of Like: Charles the Osprey, Giraffes? Giraffes!

Genres: Math rock, Emo, Screamo, Punk

Preview:

This is a pretty new band coming from out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  This guitar/drum duo will remind you of other guitar/drum math rock duos posted on here but with much more screamo/emo influence shining throughout the album.
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Take Your Time by Letters Home (2012)

Kind of Like: Braid, Built To Spill, Superchunk

Genres: Emo, Punk, Post-hardcore

Preview:

This trio is from Tallahassee, Florida and features members from Send Away Stranger, Ex-Breathers, and former member of Look Mexico. If you live in the Florida area and like this EP, be on the look out because they don't play many shows.  So if you see they are playing, you won't want to miss it! Listen Here:

Catholic Guilt by Vulture Smile (2012)

Kind of Like: The Get Up Kids, Waytaker, You'll Live

Genres: Indie, Emo, Screamo

Preview:

A really accessible indie band with hints of emo/screamo influences.  Imagine You'll Live with quite a bit less screaming.  They are from San Jose; too bad about the Sharks (sorry, not sorry; you have demonized the Red Wings in recent years).  Hockey rivalries aside, check these guys out!

Cloud Moving Mind by Pride and Ego Down (2012)

Lookit these silly tourists

Kind of Like: Continents., Raein, Saetia

Genres: Screamo, Post-hardcore, Emo

Buy: Bandcamp

Preview: 

Crap, I wish I posted this before their U.S. tour started instead of now that it is halfway over.  However, you still have plenty of chances to catch this band from Germany, and better late than never.  They are playing a few of those dates with SRVVLST, and apparently both of those bands are going to be crashing at my place tonight.  I hope these germans like shitty american beer because I can't afford a keg of nice stuff right now.  Listen, download, and make it out to see these guys!  They came a long way!

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Illumination Ritual by The Appleseed Cast (2013)

Kind of Like: Moving Mountains, Old Canes, Explosions in the Sky
Genres: Indie, Post-rock, Emo, Experimental
Buy: Graveface 
Preview: Pitchfork

Nowadays, it takes a lot to pull me away from school and label stuff to come visit this humble, little blog.  Appleseed Cast are just plain pioneers, and they have sense of nostalgia attached to them that few bands can emulate because, well, they have been around for awhile!  Mare Vitalis came out over 10 years ago, and there are songs on there that blow plenty of bands out of the water to this day.

I am only a couple songs into this release, but I really like it so far.  Sure, it isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it is fuckin' Appleseed Cast and they still have that sound that sets them apart, but there are hints of maturity along with an experimental vibe that bands tend to get to as they age.  Everyone come out of hibernation, come out from under the rocks and bad news, and greet the spring with this great album.

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Preview new Peace Be Still album!

Get excited!  

Foxing/Send Away Stranger split 7"

Kind of Like: Empire! Empire!, Joie de Vivre, Hunter Gatherer | Nai Harvest
Genres: Emo, Indie, Post-rock, Screamo
Buy: Carucage
Preview:


Both of these bands have been featured on this blog recently.  I have been fortunate enough to have one of the guys in Foxing, Josh, be a frequent visitor to this site, and he has sent me tunes along the way.  Hunter and Gatherer was the first band of his I listened to and it was pretty rad post-rock.  This split has been sitting in my inbox for about a month, and I am just now getting to listening to it.  But holy shit, this is one of the better split 7"s that have come out in the past year.  As with previous efforts (by both bands), just really great thematic development which is what really gets me invested into a band, but these songs are something else.  Pick this one up on powder pink or black vinyl.  I was about to say this weird ambient, tinkling part is really kind of overdone though, but I realized my music player just moved on to Frances the Mute by Mars Volta without me noticing.  Whoops.

Lowball by Nicknames (2013)

Kind of Like: Nai Harvest, Girl Scouts, Bleeding Fractals
Genres: Emo, Math Rock
Preview:


So this just dropped from out of Cape May, New Jersey.  I saw a bunch of posts on it on my news feed, and so I checked it out.  This is my first listen of this band, so I can't compare it to their older stuff (which is also available on their bandcamp).  This is a pretty gritty EP and if you liked Feeling Better by Nai Harvest, you will probably do yourself good to listen to this as well.

Regenerative Landscape by the Cabs (2013)

Kind of Like: Climb the Mind, This Town Needs Guns
Genres: Emo, Screamo, Math Rock, Post-hardcore
Preview:


I know a couple people besides myself that are going to be absolutely stoked about this album.  I had no idea this band was still up to stuff, but I fell hard for their last little EP, Recur Breath (or whatever the proper translation is).  This is their debut LP, so after that little cock tease of an album last year, you are getting your brains fucked out by this one. I know a few people have been requesting a new link for Climb the Mind but I had a really hard time finding all of that so I am not sure when I will get around do that, so for now I think this will tie you over.  I just wish they sang in english, then it would be perfect because I could sing along along...

 This file is locked, so look in the comments before for the code to extract it.

Cool Wild Whatever by Send Away Stranger (2011)

Awesome Denver Nuggets shirt right there.

Kind of Like: Joie De Vivre, Nai Harvest, Dowsing
Genres: Emo, Indie
Preview: 


Really solid EP right here that could have easily slipped through the cracks for me.  I'm glad it didnt because I am only halfway through and I am really enjoying this.  The gradual breakdown/outro in "Not Called a Ghost Boat" is something that that is sticking out for me.  The vocals remind me a lot of Nai Harvest, and before the vocals came in, the music reminded me of Joie De Vivre.  A bonus in this EP is that Steven Gray from Dikembe makes an appearance in a song, and Mitch Soule from Guiseppe is in another.

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13.0.0.0.0 by This Town Needs Guns (2013)

Kind of Like: Pennines, Minus the Bear, American Football

Genres: Math Rock, Emo, Indie

Buy: Sargent House

Preview:

There was a time when I was obsessed with the UK based band, Pennines.  They had limited material out and then seemed to fall off the face of the Earth.  So, it was pretty exciting to hear that their singer/guitarist, Henry Tremain, was joining This Town Needs Guns as their frontman.  Not only did he have a great voice to begin with, but TTNG is arguably a much larger, better known band to hop on board with his talents. Now, I have yet to determine personally if Hank is as good as or better than their original singer Stuart. Stuart was a great fit for TTNG, but if there is anybody worthy to fill his shoes it would have to be someone like Hank Tremain.  Either way, the music/instrumentation is phenomenal which is the norm for TTNG.  But I am curious to see how they pull off some of these parts off live with only one guitarist officially.

Recently they changed their name to TTNG because of personal reasons.

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We're All Better Than This by Joie De Vivre (2012)

Kind of Like: Empire! Empire!, Dowsing, You Blew It!
Genres: Emo, Indie
Buy: Count Your Lucky Stars
Preview:


So, I got a little flack for not including this on the 2012 best of the year list.  Truth is, I just never got around to listening to it.  As luck would have it, I went to a show in with TWIABP and Empire! Empire! a week or two ago and they had a CYLS merch set up with a bunch of vinyl.  I saw this and thought, why not?  The record itself is a deep maroon color that I fell in love with.  After listening to it several times now, I definitely would have included this in my best of 2012 list, it would even probably break the top ten for me.  So, do yourself a favor and don't let this release almost slip by like I did.  Get it on plastic too because it is really sharp.

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Having Lost... by Gillian Carter (2011)

Kind of Like: La Quiete,pg. 99, Prawn

Genres: Screamo, Emo, Post-rock, Post-hardcore

Preview:

Fuck yeah, hockey is back.  Nothing to do with this album, but I just want you all to know that I am super happy this lockout bullshit is over.  Which did you hate more, the lockout or the fiscal cliff?  What load of melodramatic garbage we have been through.

Anyways, these guys put this out a couple years ago, but they are pitching it to labels for a vinyl release which is how I happened upon it.  I have had it in my possession for a month or so now, but I just recently sat down and gave it my undivided attention.  It is really great and I am glad these guys came out of hiatus to make it and that they are back to touring and what have you.

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