Marsbro's Emo Journey
For the better part of last year, I've gone through a slew of emo or emo-influenced releases. I never intended to really explore the genre, but I sorta stumbled into it, never really realizing until later on how much I was enjoying it. This here is the culmination of my exploration. Maybe you'll find something new, maybe not, I don't know. It's just another list by the end of the day, but I hope there are those out there that find it interesting. |
| 1 |  | Acres
Acres
[4.0 Tier]
Post-rock/post-hxc with some emo influence on the side
Listen to: |
| 2 |  | Cara Neir
Portals To A Better, Dead World
Hardcore w/emo influence; attacks you from the start and never relents
Listen to: Red Moon Foreboding |
| 3 |  | CityCop
Seasons
Emo/indie mixture
Listen to: Spring |
| 4 |  | City of Caterpillar
City of Caterpillar
No doubt you already heard this; it's a classic in the genre for a reason
Listen to: Maybe They'll Gnaw Right Through |
| 5 |  | Cursive
The Ugly Organ
Post-hxc/emo
Listen to: Butcher the Song |
| 6 |  | Danse Macabre
Synkopenleben, Nein Danke.
Hardcore w/emo influence; short, brutal listening experience
Listen to: Zeitbombe |
| 7 |  | Desaparecidos
Read Music/Speak Spanish
Addicting pos-thxc-esque tunes with some emo thrown in
Listen to: Man and Wife, the Latter |
| 8 |  | Envy
All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead
Another genre classic
Listen to: Farewell to Words |
| 9 |  | Free Throw
Those Days Are Gone
Twinkly emo; sure, it's cheesy, but it's also catchy as hell and done in a wonderful tongue-in-cheek manner
Listen to: Pallet Town |
| 10 |  | Gillian Carter
Lost Ships Sinking With The Sunset
The "little scream band that could"; they aren't the best, but they're a small act that do the genre justice, with a solid discography growing
Listen to: I've Been Forgotten & So Have You |
| 11 |  | Indian Summer
Science 1994
Old-style emo
Listen to: Angry Son |
| 12 |  | Kidcrash
Jokes
Post-hxc and a side of emo
Listen to: The Ground Eats You |
| 13 |  | Knapsack
This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now
The more indie kind of emo; these guys do it better than most
Listen to: Cold Enough to Break |
| 14 |  | Men As Trees
Weltschmerz
The post rock/metal project headed by the same dudes that would go on to form Locktender; a solid release with great usage of emo conventions in the crescendos
Listen to: Germinal |
| 15 |  | More Than Life
Love Let Me Go
Melodic hardcore with emo influence; for fans of Departures
Listen to: The First Night of Autumn |
| 16 |  | Moving Mountains
Pneuma
Indie/emo mix
Listen to: Grow On, Grow Up, Grow Out |
| 17 |  | NAHT
The Spelling of My Solution
Obscure emo album out of Japan; it deviates a bit from the norm and is an interesting listen; incorporates the occasional string instrument as a bonus
Listen to: Inertia |
| 18 |  | Nosferatu D2
We're Gonna Walk Around This City...
Acoustic emo
Listen to: Springsteen |
| 19 |  | Old Gray
Slow Burn
Screamo; fast-paced, relentless
Listen to: everything is in your hands |
| 20 |  | Penfold
Amateurs and Professionals
The masters of the that build-up oriented emo style bands like Mineral performed. These guys outclass anyone at this game
Listen to: I'll Take You Everywhere |
| 21 |  | Pg. 99
Document #8
Another classic you've probably heard
Listen to: The Hollowed Out Chest of a Dead Horse |
| 22 |  | Plunger
Plunger
Another obscure one I found through a recommendation; classic kind of emo
Listen to: Walking to Dawn |
| 23 |  | Pop Unknown
If Arsenic Fails, Try Algebra
Indie/emo mix; fans of Penfold would enjoy
Listen to: Hanging On a Thread |
| 24 |  | Raein
Sulla linea d'orizzonte tra questa mia vita e que
Post-hxc/emo
Listen to: Nirvana |
| 25 |  | Rainmaker
Alienation
Post-rock-tinged emo
Listen to: relinquish your grip on the rope, you won't fall |
| 26 |  | Save Face
Folly
Pop-punk/indie with a side of emo; don't remember this too well admittedly, but it was a release I promoted a bit during 2016, it's worth a shot |
| 27 |  | Outsmarting Simon
Silent, Sober and Sound
Emo with post-rock influence; that good ol' build up style with some expansive songs spread out
Listen to: Taylor Led a Chorus |
| 28 |  | The Fall Of Boss Koala
Reference Points
Post-rock/scream
Listen to: I Love My Dead Gay Son (Parts 1 & 2) |
| 29 |  | The Hope and the Failure
The Lights Are on But This Dance Never Ends
Female-fronted screamo
Listen to: Prozac Hell |
| 30 |  | The Player Piano
Satellite
Primarily instrumental indie rock/emo
Listen to: Sudden Left |
| 31 |  | The World Is a Beautiful Place...
Whenever, If Ever
Indie/emo
Listen to: Getting Sodas |
| 32 |  | Sorority Noise
You're Not As ____ As You Think
Pop-influence indie/emo mix; catchy hooks with a similar sort of presentation to Free Throw |
| 33 |  | The December Drive
Handslikegunsandcrashingsounds
Post-hxc/post-rock emo; sports some longer songs that really pay off well
Listen to: Buffalo Wing Diplomacy |
| 34 |  | A Bunny's Caravan
Draining Puddles, Retrieving Treasures
[4.5 Tier]
Post-rock/emo; wonderful blend of the two genres, mixing the emo songs with elongated post-oriented tracks
Listen to: Cartwheels Into the Abyass |
| 35 |  | An Embrace of Angels
'Ere January Be Unwintered
Post-hxc/post-rock/emo; the opening track is damn essential, trust me
Listen to: long-awaited pleas for audible sound |
| 36 |  | Cap'n Jazz
Shmap'n Shmazz
Punk/emo mix; highly catchy, with memorable refrains and melodies
Listen to: Oh Messy Life |
| 37 |  | Captain, Your Ship is Sinking
Cross Your Fingers For The Epilogue
Post-rock/emo mix; masterful combination of powerful climaxes and raw emotion, coupled with good lyricism
Listen to: No Shit, I'm the Original Partytrasher |
| 38 |  | CSTVT
Summer Fences
Indie/emo/post-rock blend; a fairly unique addition to the genre that meshes instrumental prowess with emo melodies
Listen to: Evil Robots With Swords For Hands |
| 39 |  | Daitro
Laisser Vivre Les Squelettes
Post-hxc/screamo
Listen to: Chaque Seconde |
| 40 |  | Departures
When Losing Everything Is Everything You Wanted
Melodic hardcore with emo influence; slams on the accelerator and never slows down, with intense emotion (ha)
Listen to: Sunday |
| 41 |  | Funeral Diner
The Underdark
Post-rock/screamo; arguably one of the masters of this combo, with a beautiful command over atmosphere
Listen to: We Became Buried |
| 42 |  | Gates
Bloom and Breathe
Indie/post-rock/emo; gorgeous, clean melodies with powerful performances across the board
Listen to: Persist in Delusion |
| 43 |  | Hot Cross
Cryonics
Post-hxc with emo influence
Listen to: Pretty Picture of a Broken Face |
| 44 |  | La Quiete
La fine non รจ la fine
Post-hxc/screamo
Listen to: Super Omega |
| 45 |  | Loma Prieta
Last City
Hardcore/screamo; unrelenting songs that, despite their short lengths, tower in their sheer strength
Listen to: Last City |
| 46 |  | Mesa Verde
The Old Road
.Post-rock/scream blend in the same vein as Funeral Diner; another great atmospheric adventure
Listen to: Post-Youth |
| 47 |  | Mihai Edrisch
L'un Sans L'Autre
Screamo/post-hxc
Listen to: Les memoires |
| 48 |  | Old Gray
An Autobiography
Screamo; more diverse than Slow Burn
Listen to: I Still Remember Who I was Last Summer |
| 49 |  | On The Might of Princes
Where You Are and Where You Want to Be
Post-hxc/emo; should be considered essential, especially the closer
Listen to: For Meg |
| 50 |  | Orchid
Gatefold
You've probably heard this one too soooo
Listen to: We Love Poison |
| 51 |  | Planes Mistaken for Stars
Up In Them Guts
Post-hxc/emo; it's definitely unconventional in its instrumental and vocal delivery, but that makes it all the more entertaining
Listen to: Spring Divorce |
| 52 |  | Portrait
Discography
Screamo; they threw in a viola and it is perfect in its subtlety |
| 53 |  | Portraits Of Past
01010101
Post-hxc/emo; a classic in the merger between the two genres; consider it essential
Listen to: Bang Yer Head |
| 54 |  | Pianos Become the Teeth
The Lack Long After
Post-hxc/screamo; the emotion in this release is explosive, making it gripping from start to finish
Listen to: Such Confidence |
| 55 |  | Saetia
Saetia
Classic screamo, nuff said
Listen to: An Open Letter |
| 56 |  | So Hideous
To Clasp a Fallen Wish With Broken Fingers
Black metal/post-metal/screamo mix; a short listen, but incredibly captivating in its concise songwriting
Listen to: To Clasp a Fallen Wish... |
| 57 |  | Sufferer
Sufferer
Post-hxc w/emo influence
Listen to: Chapter VII |
| 58 |  | The Moirai
Bury Yourself
Remember when I said Penfold mastered the indie/emo build-up genre? They're back at it
Listen to: Empathy For Your Enemy/Hostile to the Helpless |
| 59 |  | The Newfound Interest in Connecticut
Tell Me About the Long Dark Path Home
Post-rock/emo; beautifully composed, emotional atmosphere; a true listening experience
Listen to: I Can Hear Your Footsteps Just Outside Camp - Sah Sah Sah... |
| 60 |  | The Saddest Landscape
You Will Not Survive
Post-hxc/screamo
Listen to: Eternity is Lost on the Dying |
| 61 |  | Trophy Eyes
Chemical Miracle
Pop-punk with emo influence; it's catchy, melodic, and straight from the heart; hard not to love it
Listen to: Suicide Pact |
| 62 |  | ttng
This Town Needs Guns
Twinkly/mathy emo; it's as much fun as it is emotional, as playful as it is sad; top-tier vocal performance
Listen to: Do You Want to Come Back to My Room and Listen to Some Belle and Sebastian? |
| 63 |  | The Alexander
A City in Ruins
Post-rock with emo influence; criminally underrated and heavily based on atmospheric instrumentation; found it by accident pretty much and it's such a treat
Listen to: the whole thing, seriously |
| 64 |  | The Brave Little Abacus
Just Got Back from the Discomfort - It's Alright
Indie/math/alternative/emo/whateven/dontknow; an eclectic blend of styles that is absolutely essential to the genre; very unique
Listen to: Pile! No Pile! Pile! |
| 65 |  | Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket
Den sorgligaste musiken i varlden
Screamo w/post influences; heavy emphasis on melodic presentation
Listen to: Illusionen om oss |
| 66 |  | I Would Set Myself On Fire For You
Believes In Patterns
[5.0 Tier]
Post-rock/indie/emo (ignore the jazz tag, it doesn't make sense); hard for me to express how much I love this to be honest; unique combo of genres, coupled with string instruments and the occasional horn section; songwriting is top-notch and the mood is set perfectly; makes me feel so many emotions, this one
Listen to: Seven |
| 67 |  | Suis La Lune
Quiet, Pull the Strings!
Post-hxc/screamo; they're known for having one of the best and most distinctive guitar tones in the genre for good reason; their blend of melody with emo aggression is essentially unrivaled; every song is memorable
Listen to: Utter Silence is Fragile |
| 68 |  | The Hotelier
Home, Like NoPlace Is There
Don't hate me, I know it's not completely emo. But the influence is there, sue me.
Listen to: In Framing |
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