Tag: emo-core

Lugsole was a noisy indie rock band from Birmingham AL with hints of post-punk and emo in their sound. Despite a significant number of releases–both independent and label-issued–they remained a fairly obscure act, whose fans were either music critics or diehard independent music aficionados. Recorded output begins in 1995 and ends in 1998, and in those four short years, they managed to release three cassette demos (two EPs and one full-length), a split 7″ with Dear Ephesus, an EP on compact disc via Daddy-O Records (who also released the first Dear Ephesus recordings), and a 3-way split CD with mainstream acts The Paper Chase and E-Class.… Continued →

This was one of those ‘one and done’ bands, meaning they only released one album as Lovelorn. However, they were connected directly and indirectly to a number of other projects. Vocalist Jayson Holmes had been in metalcore band Eso-Charis, and later formed The Handshake Murders (who mostly recorded on secular labels). Corey Putman (Eso-Charis, Norma Jean) and Arthur Green (Eso-Charis, Living Sacrifice) also made appearances on the album. The album is a wonderfully strange concoction of emo-core, hardcore, indie rock and math rock–almost like Roadside Monument meets Coalesce, but with bits of Karate thrown in just because.… Continued →

The best way I can describe Coolidge is as a sort of ‘prequel supergroup.’ All of the members are now well-known for their contributions to indie rock, though none of them were very well-known at the time, and Coolidge remains a fairly obscure blip on the map of alternative music. Formed in 1992, the band featured Damien Jurado on bass and vocals, David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones, Lo Tom) on drums, and Eben Haase (Blenderhead, Don’t Know) on guitar. They played an intense and unique form of emo-core that interweaved lo-fi indie rock into the mix.… Continued →

Embraced was a short-lived hardcore band from Florida, active in the early 2000s. I was able to catch the band live a couple of times at local gigs and mini-festivals, and enjoyed their shows. I always liked their semi-melodic take on hardcore (I mean, they were from Florida, after all!) They were clearly playing HC, but with hints of emo and indie rock at times. Perhaps in a similar vein to Bloodshed, Beloved, and Underoath, but with their own take on it. The band only released one mini-album, the 7-song An Orchestrated Failure, in 2002 for Theory 8 Records (who also an album by The Goodbye Letter and an early split with Copeland and Pacifico, among others).… Continued →

This hardcore band hailed from Colorado Springs. They infused their heavy chugga chugga rhythms with melodic parts without ever getting whiny. This led some fans and writers to dub them post-hardcore, which isn’t fully accurate, but I can see why they said that. What strikes me about this song is the passion behind both the music and the clear-cutting lyrics: Where is the hope? Where is the love? Without these your system will self-destruct While it might seem that the song was aimed at society in general, it is actually pointed at the failures of the Church to stay true to the pure message of the Gospel.… Continued →

The amazing thing about “Martha” from Bloodshed’s 1995 self-titled EP isn’t just how complex it is. Yes, it hits that sweet spot, distinctive of top-notch emo-core where the perfect balance of harsh and soft, noisy and melodic come together. It’s also not how mature the lyrics are. They’re inspired by a poem written by a young girl (the song’s namesake) during World War 2. It’s also not how proficient on the instruments the members were. The track features complex, angular riffing that wasn’t all that common in mid-90s hardcore, a mixture of clean singing and hardcore screaming.… Continued →

Wow, what a great band, with such potential! Sadly, Beloved released only one EP (originally for Vindicated from the Deep Water and later re-issued by Solid State) and one full length. That first EP rocked my world. I got to see the band live 2 or 3 times in this era and they were rapidly becoming my favourite emo-core band. They had a truly unique take on the genre fusing melodic indie rock with emotional emo and brutal hardcore, all in one go! It was really refreshing.… Continued →

Featuring ex-members of Jeremiah’s Grotto and pre-members of Rookie of the Year, emo band Farewell to Fashion disappeared just as quickly as they sprung up. They released one split EP with Inez called The Price of Fame (highly recommended), and then a full-length. Both were on Future Destination Records (Neutral Agreement, Hotshot Freight Train). “Morning Grey” highlights all that was great about third wave emo–raw, melodic, punkish, and at times sloppy, but always full of emotion. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q36TfdhF6UI… Continued →