a million bright ambassadors of mooooorning
I think everything here has something interesting about it and is basically good, but it either lacks the universal 'wow!' factor of the Worth Your Time list, I haven't listened to it enough to have strong thoughts on it, or it's only really appreciable if you already like its genre and want things that strictly adhere to those conventions. There's also a lot of them.
Click To Filter Albums
Rodia
Swordfish
Midwest Emo | Pop Punk | Indie Rock
A little bit stark, not in an alienating way but there's a noticable silence breathing through this that sharpens the vocals/instrumentals. Deffo more 'pop punk' progressions than 'mathy twinkly technical.' Has horn flourishes for texture instead. Good, but kind of archetypical.
Sample: Social Drinker
New Old Horse
Twine
Indie Rock | Noise Rock | Post-Hardcore
I thought this was, like, a 2003 release? But no it's 2024. Now I feel like I got caught up in hype. It's good, but I don't jive with this sound. And I don't know why. I think it's slightly too slow? Like, it's abrasive, it juxtaposes that with a violin, but somehow the texture just feels like sandpaper. I don't know what I'd really change though. It's fine overall.
Sample: Spine
Following the Holy Moon Goddess
The Summer We Went West
Midwest Emo | Post-Hardcore | Post-Rock
Experimental and fun. Sounds really ahead of its time for 2005. I like the folky atmosphere of this, it feels familiar and intimate but tense underneath. Lost roadtripping with your thoughts kind of music; I can wander in this a little. Some tonal whiplash in the middle, oatmeal cookies, yum yum. Great stuff though. Should be more known.
Sample: Aussie Shampoo Massacre
Lost Days
Cowpers
Post-Hardcore | Emo | Noise Rock
This sounds aggressively American for a Japanese band. It's emo, but it's like, manly. Really distinct 'rebellious concerned punk MAN' energy. I dunno, it has edge, but it's a fuzzy noise rock edge, it's not really cutting me. What's a VIOLIN doing here??? Good-natured album, very sincere. Just nice noisy rock, great at what it is, but not quite my favourite flavour. My favourite flavour is whatever the fuck Stomach Book is.
Sample: Lost
Like Author, Like Daughter
Midwife
Slowcore | Dream Pop | Shoegaze
Again, not my usual thing, but strong aesthetic. Definitely more atmospheric than anything else, and I'd say it does a good job building up that sad, grieving aura. I don't really get emotional easily, though, so this doesn't quite wrench my heartstrings in an actively affecting way. Kind of just fades into some pleasant albeit morose background music for me. But what's there does sit and weigh and linger like a particularly chalky white mold seeping into fabric. Yeah, really solid.
Sample: Reason
Heaven
Softcult
Dream Pop | Shoegaze | Post-Grunge
Not my usual fare, but so aesthetically strong that it interested me. A more mild fuzziness lets the vocals and instrumentals come through, and they're not bad. Not amazing, but not bad. Catchy enough. The lyrics are a little cheesy. Probably at its strongest when it's leaning away from the shoegaze and being hooky. Ethereal and dreamy like dream pop should be, but a little bit muted? It has that grungy edge that pushes against a pure ethereal atmosphere. Slightly punk in its subject matter too, which I like. Fun, absorbing, easy listen overall.
Sample: Spiralling Out
Welt
ohGr
Electro-Industrial | Industrial Rock | Electropop
This is FILTHY. Really nice, heavy atmosphere while still being jammable. This is softer and poppier than most industrial acts, and so more accessible to me, but it still has that droning FILTH of industrial giving it some serious edge. Impressive monotone vocals like a cold wall of concrete against these warm, black, lively electronics. Some parts of this are pretty humourous with their delivery too, but in a good way. Very solid.
Sample: Water
Lavender Town
Dwellings
Swancore | Post-Hardcore | Emo
Very Dance Gavin Dance and Sianvar to a lesser extent. Technically impressive but just doesn't cut higher than its influences. Does this thing where it repeats a line a lot and then builds on it?? I don't know why that bothers me. It's a little frustrating because it's like, good, and very competent, but just doesn't have that wow factor that makes it stand out. Also doesn't have much hard/soft contrast which is a little sad, though the vocals are still pretty good.
Sample: Foreverest
Violent Delights
Galleons
Swancore | Post-Hardcore | Metalcore
Bit of an epic romantic fantastical vibe on this one. Soft vocal style is predominant with the screams more as an accent, which I like. Drums doing a lot of work since it isn't super in-your-face riffy, though, like, the guitar's still there. Pretty melodic for post-hardcore. I don't MIND that it's cheesy relationship music, it just tickles me that it's being put through the melodic post-hardcore filter.
Sample: Violent Delights
Sufferer
Sufferer
Swancore | Post-Hardcore | Metalcore
Dark, discomforting, and leans hard into the metalcore. Maybe too hardcore and screamy for me. Pitch black stuff about mental illness and not dealing with it. I do like some lines in this, but only a few. I think I would've liked this more if it was more delicate, but then it might've come off as whiny. I dunno, the subject matter is really dark and a little difficult to handle, and I'm not sure this handled it right. But maybe that's just the metal influence? But then it does get a little more delicate and it doesn't sound that amazing. Dunno. Eh, good enough musically, but too black for me.
Sample: Sword
Everything Is Going Grey
Wolf & Bear
Swancore | Post-Hardcore | Math Rock
Really gets in your face with those blasts of guitar. Visibly swancore-y and melodic with the soft/hard vocal contrast, voices are alright. A bit edgy in the lyrics, but has some nice vocal melodies. Slight Sianvar vibes on this one, harder and more screamy though. Really black and screamy. Kind of arty poetic boy atmosphere despite that. Really solid, not bad at all, but where's the ZEST?
Sample: Everything Is Going Grey
Cardinal
In Angles
Swancore | Post-Hardcore | Math Rock
Mathy and jammy. The mastering kinda bothers me though. This is just from the mathyness, but the unending riffs are almost overwhelming. It's good though, hardy, once you just ride on the wall of guitars. Voice is fine. Not much hard/soft contrast. Kind of prototypical album of this type, good for people who just love some hardcore technical guitars. Almost like the post-hardcore equivalent of a twinkly midwest emo album. Pretty short and snappy, too.
Sample: Hamilton
In Medias Res
PMtoday
Alternative Rock | Emo Pop | Post Hardcore
Wow, definitely sounds like post-hardcore-influenced emo pop you'd hear in the 2000s, though it's just at the tail end of that era. So you hear TREoS, Cursive, so on influence on its sleeve. Good things to be influenced by though. Straightforward and a little whiny in the lyrics, but damn these are some nice energetic riffs and progressions. Not afraid to jam out. Some nice swancore elements, fun textural variety. Kind of cute and cinematic that it reprises itself? Edges into 3 territory for being a little immature but you know what, I enjoyed it, it gets a 4.
Sample: Progress Is A Lemon
Come Now Sleep
As Cities Burn
Indie Rock | Post-Hardcore | Emo
Damn, pretty dark, raw, definitely emo. The instrumentals are excellent but I struggle a little with the lyrical content, it being an overtly Christian album. When it's doubtful, honest, or critical it works for me, when it's seething in theology it loses me. But overall it's a great album; the superb songwriting and emotional sincerity push it over the 'I'm getting preached at' hump, you know, as long as I turn my brain off and just vibe to the sound through those parts.
Sample: Contact
Dad Punchers
Dad Punchers
Midwest Emo | Slacker Rock | Power Pop
Some nice fuzzy lo-fi emo. Bit of a pop punk edge on this. Very youthful and high energy. Has the obligatory sad relationship stuff but manages not to be too whiny, does range into other topics. Solid, prototypical 'midwest emo' album that's good at being a midwest emo album but doesn't do anything too outstanding.
Sample: Tire Swing
Bad Luck Pearl
Bad Luck Pearl
Art Rock | Chamber Pop | Jazz Rock
Ooh, funky. Quite a sophisticated sound with those strings and saxes, but still with the fun informality of indie rock. A bit of a dark edge in the vocals. Pretty varied, well-written compositions too. Like, it's good. Great even. But for me it might just be too sophisticated, I need my music to reach a certain level of unhinged, yeah?
Sample: Blurs To Red
My Tiny Escalator Goes To Heaven
Wonk
Art Rock | Post-Rock | Chamber Pop
This is pretty fun! Very experimental with the vocals, a little bit Dog Faced Hermans. I like the art rock elements more than the post rock, and some songs go on a little too long because of that, but overall solid with a zany edge. Goes quiet-loud shocking weirdo shout-quiet again a lot, but it works. Nice piano and violin. One trick pony but it's a pretty cool artsy pony.
Sample: The Pedestrians
The Thing With The Feathers
Exploring Birdsong
Art Rock | Progressive Pop | Chamber Pop
This was in my RYM reccomended. Quite nice! Vocals are very clean 'dark fantasy heroine', which isn't bad, but I think the instrumentals are the stronger half. Just complex enough to have some flavour without going crazy, very pleasant piano, definitely reaching for an 'epic' fantastical storybook kind of sound. Lyrics are a little corny. Not fond of the choral interlude. iamthemorning vibes? Solid overall, just very good.
Sample: The River
Raw Data Feel
Everything Everything
Indietronica | Dance | Art Pop
This gets a debuff for being a genre I'm not into: dance. But the beats are hooky and pleasant, and Higg's vocals are as dynamic and engaging as always. Wish it was Get To Heaven 2 with some bombastic progressive craziness, but that's asking a lot. Understated technicality, but sort of minimalist in a safe way... eh, that's fine, though.
Sample: Jennifer
An Ode And Farewell
we'rethecurrency
Emo | Post-Hardcore | Melodic Metalcore
Really nice screamy emo that's hard on the post-hardcore. The contrast with the delicately sung sections is great, a bit swancore-y almost. Short, sweet, really really strong.
Sample: An Ode And Farewell
Yubiori2
Yubiori
Midwest Emo | Math Pop
Oof, not too fond of the vocalist... which is a shame when the vocals are the centrepoint. Some energetic mathy guitars, but I liked this one more when it wasn't being emo and just turned into sad indie rock. Oh god please stop singing. The instrumentals are good at least? They're certainly aspirational, as in aspiring to be something. Then comes the doleful post-rocky horn sections... what do you even want to BE, yubori!?
Sample: super blue
Lux
水中スピカ
Math Rock | Math Pop | Dream Pop
Those are some FRESH guitars. Really pretty, really clean, flows super well. Vocalist is charming and serene. Feels like light shining on water. But much poppier than something like Covet, approachable. Nice drawing music, but not something I would actively focus on.
Sample: iki
These Things Happen
Saturdays At Your Place
Midwest Emo | Emo Pop | Indie Rock
Summery, warm, youthful, and energetic songs about your ex. Leans more to the 'whiny' side of emo, but songs are honey-smooth and easy to listen to, flow into each other well. Not too many twinkly guitars here; more poppy. Makes the twinkle stand out more when it does show up. But a pleasant listen, unpretentious. Another short 'gets to the point' album.
Sample: Waste Away
Bugs Forever
Gumshoes
Chamber Pop | Twee | Piano Rock
I wanted to like this more than I did. It has charm, the idea is cute, but something about the mastering puts me on edge and, though not at all bad, the instrumentals aren't quite enough to elevate the 'okay enough' vocals for me. Unfortunately hokey. Pretty cyncial under the twee sheen too. Very Jens Lekman, so maybe more for people who like Jens more than me.
Sample: Bugs Forever
Tunnel Vision
Beach Bunny
Indie Rock | Power Pop | Emo Pop
Cute and youthful. Fun, summery, and approachable pop rock for depressed/anxious young adults; I quite like her voice. Pretty straightforward, makes no pretentions of being anything more than the basic poppy romp through everyday uncertainties that it is. But what it is is relateable and endearing enough, so that's fine. Short album, too, so gets to the point quickly. Surprisingly personal?
Sample: Tunnel Vision
We Could Be Brave
Michael Cera Palin
Midwest Emo | Post-Hardcore | Pop Punk
Pretty fun emo pop with punk sensibilities, like on Murder Hornet Fursona. Interesting texture on that track. Opening vocals on Gracious are quite nice also. Instruments kind of blend together, and I wish they were more defined. Cheeky, clever lyrics. Overall fun (though serious in subject matter) with lots of vitality, with a long 'epic' closer, but might need more listens to really gel onto.
Sample: Murder Hornet Fursona
Soft Hell
Closure in Moscow
Progressive Rock | Funk Rock | Post-Hardcore
Really fun. Not as zany as Pink Lemonade, but still a lot of quirky, technical, and interesting progressions and vocals. First half is fire, very dynamic. It's lots of fancy window dressing for these sad relationship/breakup songs, but damn is that window dressing nice.
Sample: Primal Sinister
This Won't Be The Last Time
acloudyskye
Indie Rock | Noise Pop | Shoegaze
It's fine. Has some quirks with the shoegaze bent, and at least one surprise on every track, but at its core, pretty typical indie. Something about the mastering rubs me a bit wrong too? Vocals are really flat. Sorta cute, not offensive. But not great or anything either.
Sample: Spill
11100011
Asian Glow
Noise Pop | Emo | Shoegaze
This was fine. More shoegazey than I expected it to be, but also very 'conventional' and poppy—made me think of a poppier Sigur Ros at times. Warm, fuzzy, easy listen, but also kinda felt like it was just 'there'.
Sample: Out Of Time
New Hell
Greet Death
Emo | Shoegaze | Slowcore
This is really nice! Moody and atmospheric without being bleak or dull, chunky walls of guitars. This was a lot more melodic and approachable than I expected, and I like the singer's voice. Really good!
Sample: You're Gonna Hate What You've Done
Gem of the West
SENTRIES
Art Rock | Noise Rock | Post-Punk
Some nice post-punk with standouts in The Cowboy's Carcass and Nails. Has some abrasive moments, with walls of noise, grungy shouting, and dissonant electronics, but overall more melodic than most post-punk I come across. Pretty dark, good at imposing a suffocating atmosphere and loosing it, but the coffee is a little too bitter for me.
Sample: The Cowboy's Carcass
i felt like a sketch
key vs. locket
Midwest Emo | Math Pop
Very clean twinkly emo, maybe bordering on plain. Saying that, though, very competent with some nice understated pianos and noisy guitars in there. Delicate, lush, and warmly melancholic. But lacking a little in that bite that really gets me going.
Sample: symptom
GOODNIGHT HYPNOPOMP
STOMACH BOOK
Indietronica | Dark Cabaret | Emo
PHEWWW, really skirts the line between being endearingly quirky and being annoying. Quite cheesy, definitely unique. Really like My Diorama though, wish the rest was a little more melodic like it. Probably would've been into this a lot when I was younger. Slight Nero's Day at Disneyland energy?
Listened to this more and it grew on me. Yeah, I'm endeared. Good kind of demented.
Sample: My Diorama
Have You Heard Of The High Elves
Lord Snow
Emo | Math Rock
This one was nice! Just some very competent screamy emo with a nice fuzzy wall of sound. I'd need to listen more to pick out particular tracks as standouts, but overall I enjoyed this one.
Sample: Selfish Sleep
Apiary
Gingerbee
Chamber Pop | Art Rock | Emo
Pretty nice! Definitely cute, with its twinkly little piano and whimsical strings and trumpets. For that, though, nothing singularly stands out that grabs my attention, and the vocals don't quite grip me. Screamo elements don't blend super well with the rest of it either. Good drawing background music, though.
Sample: Petal Dance
Racing Mount Pleasant
Racing Mount Pleasant
Chamber Pop | Post-Rock | Slowcore
Highly rated on RYM, so I checked this out. And it's fine. I mean, it's not bad. Really leans on the brass to give it these big crescendos though, with the vocals being pretty subdued and overall progression being muted and slow, and not in a way that can consistently hold my interest like Codeine.
Sample: Racing Mount Pleasant
Frances The Mute
The Mars Volta
Progressive Rock | Art Rock | Post-Hardcore
The Mars Volta have been a longstanding favourite of mine, but I've been getting even more into them recently and decided to branch out from my usual fare of Comatorium into Frances the Mute—an album I 'know' is good but overlooked somewhat. Well, it clicked. The lyrics are nuts, to say nothing of the outrageous experimentalism of the instruments, going all over the place with latin and jazz influences, and the pitch-black concept of the story tickles me too. Just top shelf stuff.
Sample: L'Via L'Viaquez
Doggies
Aaron's Book Club
Indie Rock | Chamber Pop | Emo
Trying to get back into listening to music regularly. Well, here's this offering, with genre tags like they're tailored for me. Has some really nice moments and emo progressions, but then lulls into the quieter stuff a little too much for me—still good though.
Sample: My Friend's Dogs
Young Machetes
The Blood Brothers
Post-Hardcore | Sasscore | Art Punk
Certainly interesting. Not sure if I think it's great or if it's a little too much on the edge. Listen to me, 'too much on the edge'. Yeah, it's dumb, it rocks, it's fun.
Sample: Set Fire to the Face on Fire
Breakfast For Pathetics
Tired Lion
Indie Rock | Pop Punk | Emo
Pretty sure I found this one scrounging for potentials for Trivia. Doesn't fit for her, but it's really good. Like really good. High energy bangers that scratch my 'late 90s edgy teenage girl summer' itch, a bit like That Dog.
Sample: Breakfast For Pathetics
Live At Party In The Park
Bear Cavalry
Math Rock | Dance Punk | Emo
I don't know why I have this or where I got this but it bangs. I think I just like 'midwest emo but British' as a niche, the British have fun when they're emo.
Sample: Roman Summer
Golden Calf
Small Leaks Sink Ships
Indie Rock | Art Rock | Midwest Emo
I tried getting into this band through their debut but it didn't click. This feels more gracefully refined into their fun technical-weirdness and did. weird places though certainly. I like the guy's voice. Might work for Swift even, if it only was cabaret.
Sample: Dancing Devil
Defining Attempts at Structure
Shuriken
Emo | Noise Pop | Shoegaze
another banger from this youtube channel. pretty abrasive, used this as drawing bg music so wasnt paying too much attention but it was good
Sample: Infra-Testuara
Cities
Anberlin
Emo | Alternative Rock | Pop Punk
I am the target audience of this. Bretty good? Yeah, es bretty good. Last track stands out particularly. Leans close-ish to Homesick For Space at some points, which is nice too.
Sample: [*Fin]
For When You Are Or Are Not
Serka
Emo | Math Rock | Indie Rock
takes a minute to get out of everyday noodly midwest territory (does lean more hardcore than twinkly tho which is neat) then the third song hits and it's good
Sample: H + 10 - 110
More Bad Times
Ed's Redeeming Qualities
Anti-Folk | Singer-Songwriter | Twee
10/10 for the Bob song. and the boy i work with
Light Chasers
Cloud Cult
Chamber Pop | Indie Rock | Concept Album
I think I underestimated this as dated/hokey because of the album cover but it's actually super solid and sweet. Might bump this onto the Worth Your Time list if it sticks enough.
Rope and Ladder
Rope and Ladder
Progressive Rock | Post-Hardcore | Rock Opera
Music is nice but plot drives me up the wall. (It's a 'the elites are corrupt, time to raise a revolution and kill them!! wait but uhh then we're the elites and... oops I didn't consider this part?!', though there's more going on which is pretty interesting if they'd just whack their MC with humble pies a bit more). Dear Hunter influence really heavy on its sleeve but I don't mind that obviously.
Get Better
Lemuria
Pop Punk | Emo | Indie Rock
Super solid. Cute and whimsical with a really strong warmth. Does the male/female emo indie pop punk duet thing that I'm apparently weak to.
Love Keeps Kicking
Martha
Indie Rock | Pop Punk | Power Punk
Very spunky. Kind of the lovechild of generic american pop punk and the UK johnny foreigner/los camps scene. Love Keeps Kicking is standout though.
Island Fire
Whale Bones
Indie Rock | Post-Hardcore
Hold on, only first impressions, but this is kind of really good? If you're a filthy Dear Hunter stan like me. Where'd I even find this
Sample: Island Fire
Defeater
Defeater
Emo | Post-Hardcore | Melodic Hardcore
Was only background listening but this was noticeably good. Gotta come back and give it a proper shake.
Sample: Dealer / Debtor
If We Can't Trust The Doctors
Blanche
Alt-Country | Americana | Gothic Country
ok this album is one that just sits in my library and comes on shuffle now and again and I always enjoy it but never have much to say about it, However, Garbage Picker is great, that's a 9/10 song. Might have more on this if I ever listen to it properly.
Sample: Garbage Picker
Ghost
Radical Face
Indie Folk | Folk Pop | Chamber Folk
Post-Arcade-Fire Youtubecore if there ever was any. Really nice energy though, for adjy fans who don't mind the indie woodblocks going clattaclattaclattaclapclap.
Sample: Haunted
Funeral Car
Desert City Soundtrack
Emo | Indie Rock | Piano Rock
Been sitting on this a while but better than I give it credit for. Still not amazing but bretty good.
Sample: Casket
Long Day's Flight 'Till Tomorrow
Kåre & The Cavemen
Neo-Psychedelia | Soft Rock
Really interesting — extremely sweet but drags on a bit. Would be an universal rec if it was a bit shorter. Very warm and chill. Look into associated acts of this one.
Sample: Gallery Oslo
「今夜絶対」
イツエ
J-Rock | Indie Rock | Alt Rock
Really close to being generic J-Rock but generic J-Rock is already pretty good.
Sample: 10番目の月
Pre-Emptive False Rapture
Chrome Hoof
Experimental Rock | Avant-Prog | Noise Rock
Kind of bad but might work for Reyl. Singer has a nice voice, it's just the avant stuff being avant.
Sample: Spokes of Uridium