Fauxchella VI Recap

Yours truly, about to have the weekend of his life.

First off, this is going to be much more of a “multimedia” post than this blog is used to. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I haven’t been publishing many things on Swim Into The Sound lately. In fact, I haven’t posted anything since August. Whoops. At first, that was kind of just a lack of inspiration. Then, I moved across the country, and that took a fair amount of brainpower, energy, and attention. After that, my excuse was that I was “settling in” to this new part of the country and enjoying life in my newly-no-longer long-distance relationship. Lately, I’ve been thinking it’s some combination of all those things. My life has shifted around massively, and sometimes things take a while to equalize. 

As I write this, I’m still recovering from Fauxchella VI, which happened smack-dab in the middle of October. If you didn’t read my massive 5,000-word Fauxchella interview/retrospective back in April, I don’t blame you (after all, it was 5,000 words). The gist of it is that Fauxchella VI was a three-day 69-band DIY punk festival that took place in Bowling Green, Ohio. This sixth iteration of this festival kicked off at 2:00 PM on Friday, October 13th, 2023, and played its final notes sometime around midnight on Sunday, October 15th. 

The days were packed with an overwhelming slew of talent, from plucky, fresh-faced newcomers like Saturdays at Your Place to seasoned scene vets like Dikembe. I got to shout along to Equipment, Ben Quad, and Michael Cera Palin. I got to see Carpool fight Summerbruise in a battle set I’ll never forget. I got to shout along to “Pepe Sylvia” and “Fight Milk!” on the same stage on the same weekend. It did my Midwest emo heart good.

The short version is that Fauxchella VI was a three-day all-you-can-eat buffet of riffs and infectious energy, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. There was popcorn, Jell-O shots, and an endless sea of merch nuzzled in the back, and if you’re anything like me, you are not immune to popcorn, Jell-O shots, or cool t-shirts.

The draw in both fans and talent was immense. Some bands traveled from neighboring Ohio towns, while others hopped on planes just for the opportunity to rip a 30 minute set in front of an adoring sold-out crowd. In my case, my girlfriend and I drove up 12 hours from North Carolina the night before just so we could be there all weekend. I’ve spent the last half-decade of my life listening to, loving, and writing about this type of music, and the opportunity to hear so many essential songs played loud-as-fuck and in-the-flesh was nothing short of life-affirming. 

The whole weekend was a constant stream of seeing bands I’ve loved for years, meeting people whose art I’ve written about, and finally putting faces to the names of Twitter avatars I’ve seen the whole pandemic. It was a beautiful, communal moment, all put together by the lovely people over at Summit Shack. Thank you, Conor, Ellie, and the whole crew, for everything you do, everything you’ve done, and everything I know you will put together in the future. You are the best of us, truly. 

I wanted to recap some of my favorite moments that I happened to catch on video because

1. I want to document this weekend while the events are still fresh.

2. I have COVID, so there’s nothing better to do than watch videos on my phone and reminisce.

3. I want to keep this to the blog so I don’t annoy people on Twitter with an endless spool of emo music posting (at least more than I already do).

Also worth noting that this is not comprehensive, just some of my favorite sets as I saw them and captured them on video. Before we get into my little collection of homemade videos, I’d also like to share that I made this Spotify Playlist of (almost) every band’s most recent material in performance order if you’d like to listen along or just need 39.5 hours of emo music to fill your day. Let’s get into it.

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Saturdays At Your Place

Going into Fauxchella, Saturdays At Your Place was one of the bands I was most excited to finally catch live. I’ve had always cloudy on repeat since January, and over the last ten months, it’s emerged as one of the strongest emo EPs of the year. At first, I was drawn in by the undeniable singalong emo anthem that is “Tarot Cards,” but I soon grew to love every track on the 18-minute release just as much. These days, I’m especially drawn to the cresting bombast of “eat me alive,” which was a marvel to scream along to live. If “pourover” is any indication,” the band’s upcoming split with Summerbruise and Shoplifter means we only have more heaters in the future.

NATL PARK SRVC

Only one band dared to cram eight of their own musicians onto the stage, and that was Minneapolis’ NATL PARK SRVC, whose excellent album Magician comes out in just a matter of days. For 30 minutes, the indie rock septet blessed us with hits from their upcoming record, including hit singles “Smiling” and “Dizzy.” Adorned with trumpet, violin, lap steel, and backup vox, these songs sprawled out into exciting, danceable bits of indie rock that sounded like no other band on the weekend’s lineup. The group also doled out CD copies of their album early so attendees could get a sneak peek at the double album before it hit streaming services. 

Thank You, I’m Sorry

Keeping the Minneapolis train going, Thank You, I’m Sorry took the stage at 6 pm for an absolutely triumphant set. Things began with a stripped-down rendition of “how many slugs can we throw against the wall until we question our own mortality,” which mounted into a gazy full-band wall of noise in the back half. After that crowd-pleasing classic, the band mostly played songs off their excellent sophomore album, Growing In Strange Places, which was released only a few weeks prior. There were fun little dance numbers (Chronically Online), fist-balling ragers (Head Climbing), and a solitary closing number where half the band walked into the crowd to spread a bouquet of flowers. A lovely, intimate, and affirming set from a band that just put out their best work yet. 

Funeral Homes

Chalk this up under “band I never thought I’d be lucky enough to see live,” Funeral Homes is my under-the-radar choice for best shoegaze band currently working. Performing as a three-piece, the trio launched through hit after hit off Blue Heaven, their hazy masterpiece from last year. These songs hit like a truck, and bobbing my head along to “Double Vision” is something I have been wanting to do since this time last year. It’s not often you get to hear one of your favorite shoegaze albums of the year played directly in your face for 30 minutes, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Equipment

While their members have moved around a bit in recent years, Equipment may, for all intents and purposes, be a Bowling Green band. With Toledo just a short 20-some-minute drive up the road, it’s fair to say Equipment had home field advantage when they took the stage at Howard's at 7 pm. The fact that they dropped an excellent EP earlier this year and a killer album just weeks ago meant that this might as well have been a hometown album release celebration, and it certainly felt like it. 

Perspective, A Lovely Hand To Hold

After a short pizza dinner break, we got back just in time to catch the career-spanning set of Perspective, A Lovely Hand To Hold, who made Fauxchella one of the stops on their farewell tour before putting the band to rest. The band took listeners through their discography backward, starting with some cuts off last year’s Phantasmagorialand and winding all the way back to crowd-pleasing classics like “Pepe Sylvia.” The band’s final show will take place at Fest 21 later this month, but I’m just glad I was able to see the New Hampshireites one last time before they put the project to bed—Perspective, Forever. 

Carpool vs. Summerbruise

In what I consider my personal “Main Event” of Fauxchella Day 1, we had a battle set between Rochester’s Carpool and Indianapolis’ Summerbruise. If you’ve read this blog even a little, you’ll know I have a storied history with each of these groups and loving their music. Between Erotic Nightmare Summer and The View Never Changes, these two bands have made some of the best collections of emo music this side of 2020, and to see them both on stage together was practically too much for my heart to bear. For an hour straight, the bands took turns ripping through their hits, trading blows, and swapping insults. After raging at each other and with the crowd for nearly an hour, the two bands squashed their beef, joining forces for a group cover of Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff,” which electrified the whole room. Two titans at the height of their power. 

Ben Quad

Ben Quad released the emo album of the year in 2022, and you could really tell as hordes of fans packed in so they could scream every word and note back at them. Pits were opened, fingers were pointed, and guitars were tapped. Performing against a backdrop of Dumb & Dumber clips, the band ripped through the high points of I’m Scared That’s All There Is, as well as their hardcore one-off “You’re Part of It” and songs off their freshly-released two-piece single. If you haven’t been riding the Ben Quad train, this set could have convinced even the most cold-hearted emo hater to jump on board. 

Charmer

I first saw Charmer at Fauxchella III back in 2019, and that set converted me into a lifelong fan. To see the band live again in the same spot four and a half years later only affirmed that they are masters of their domain. We were treated to songs off both their LPs, plus sneak peeks at a couple of upcoming tracks. The cherry on top came when they played “Topanga Lawrence” with live horn accompaniment courtesy of DIY Emo stalwart J-Fudge. A transcendent way to end day 1. 

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Brown Maple

A band that feels primed to be the next Equipment, Brown Maple kicked off day 2 with a rockin’ cover of Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night,” which made me feel like I was living in an unreleased copy of Punk Goes Pop. Despite some grogginess from the day before, the band quickly whipped the crowd up into a frenzy with their tap-happy riffage, pulling mainly from last year’s EP and recent singles. By the end of the set, a group of fans had stormed the stage, commandeering the mic, getting the day off to a great start in the process. 

Kerosene Heights

Kerosene Height’s first official album, Southeast Of Somewhere, has been a mainstay on my weekly charts and regular listening ever since it was first released at the beginning of the summer. I don’t even really have a great video to share because I spent the entire set up front screaming along to every word, and I guess that’s an endorsement enough on its own. 

Smoke Detector vs. Gwuak!

Early on in day 2, we had our second battle set of the festival as the twinkly Smoke Detector went head to head with the tap-happy Gwuak. Each two-piece commanded their half of the stage, bouncing through hits from their recent records, but the room truly came alive when Smoke Detector pulled out the big guns: a cover of Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten.”

Aren’t We Amphibians

Scheduled up next were Aren’t We Amphibians, who were traveling up from San Diego and just dropped a fantastic little EP, which I was excited to see live. On Friday, their van broke down, stranding the group somewhere in Arizona. But fear not! The DIY community is a vast support network. By the next day, the group had met their Go Fund Me goal and were back on the road to kick off a tour with Equipment… but they would sadly miss their Fauxchella set. This was a bummer until the spirit of DIY camaraderie provided a miracle of a fill-in band in the form of…

MooseCreek Park

I wouldn’t have known about MooseCreek Park if it wasn’t for Swim Into The Sound’s very own Brandon Cortez, who reviewed the band’s new album for this site back when it dropped in July. Thanks to Brandon’s glowing review, I felt like I was in early on the frantically-tapping New Jersey weedmo group. I was ready to witness the frantic tapping of “Ok Dylan” and belt out the chorus of “Pieces,” and while I was sad to miss AWA, swapping them with MooseCreek wound up being a more-than-suitable consolation prize. 

Dad Bod

Yet even more Minneapolis representation, let’s talk about Dad Bod. I hope we’re all in agreement that “Rot” is one of the greatest songs of the 2010s because that’s a given to me. Hearing that song live was an absolute revelation; even though I still want to hear the band blow that instrumental at the end into a wandering outro, but I’ll take it. Aside from that, the band’s live presence created a crushing and engaging wall of sound, all backed by School of Rock’s invigorating middle act. 

Brewster

On from the sad stuff to the yee-haw stuff, Brewster brought the country-fried excellence for a twangy alt-country sway that made me miss the sweet tea back in North Carolina. Interestingly enough, the band is based in Jersey, which is funny since the record feels like an easy recommendation for anyone who used to like Pinegrove. If that’s not enough for you, Brewster also manages to drawl things out into a My Morning Jacket or even Drive-by Truckers-esque bramble, which I always appreciate. 

Okay, rapid-speed through the rest of Day 2 because whew…

Riley! 

Incredible to witness live. Their energy and proficiency know no bounds. The new stuff sounds great 👀

Cheem

Felt like I was witnessing history watching this band play these songs live. People packed in to shake their asses to “Smooth Brain,” as they should. 

Newgrounds Death Rugby

One of my biggest surprises of Fauxchella was how incredible NGDR sounds live. The perfect balance of dancing and moshpitting.

Short Fictions

Also having just put out an awesome album, the Short Fictions set was half new, half tried-and-true oldies. 

Oldsoul

Yeah, there was a Macarena in the pit. You read that right. They started with “High On Yourself,” and I belted along with every word.

Michael Cera Palin 

I’ve been waiting about five years to finally see this band live. They have two EPs, a single, a song on a comp, and a goofy cover of “Soak Up The Sun.” Every song is incredible. I know every molecule to these songs, and part of me couldn’t even believe I was taking them in live. They played the obligatory cover, but everyone knows it’s way better to scream along to “GodDAMN, I need a cigarette!” 

Next, I watched Camping in Alaska and Dikembe respectfully, tiredly, and excitedly, from the sidelines. Good, because the next day started early with a last-minute solo acoustic house show at 10 am from…

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Equipment

Celebrating the five-year anniversary of their (loosely) disowned first album, Ruthless Sun, Nick Zander from Equipment led a basement full of about two dozen fans through a full-album playthrough early on Sunday morning. We huddled up with our coffees and sang along with this rudimentary form of Quippy as Zander padded the time between songs with color commentary and easter eggs. A few lyrics were forgotten, and a few other, newer songs were slipped into the mix, but this felt like a beautiful moment of homecoming and celebrating the album that got the band to their new album, which is the culmination of years worth of touring, songwriting, and turn-grinding. A special thing to be a part of. 

Mango Tree

Two of the members of Mango Tree had just gotten married weeks earlier, but they put off their honeymoon just to play a hometown show surrounded by friends, and lemme tell you, it was worth it. The second time I teared up on Sunday alone, this alt-folk punk set was intimate, therapeutic, and love-filled. A brilliant high note to start the day out on.

Hummus Vacuum

AKA Rivers Cuomo

Yes, that’s the name of the band, yes we brought them hummus, yes they have a song about getting your foreskin taken. Any more questions?

See Through Person

I’m not in the business of betting on the success of a band; I just write about shit that rips. However, if I were to be making bets on who’s preparing to have a big 2024, it’s See Through Person. The Florida-Michigan transplants only have six songs released across two EPs, but not only do they all rip, but the kids came out for this set, making for a sweaty 2 pm prelude to the final battle set of the festival…

Ben Quad vs. Arcadia Grey

Going into this, I thought for sure this was going to be a clean sweep. Then I saw how many people packed in for Arcadia Grey’s set the night before, and I wasn’t so sure. The set began with a kidnapping and ended in a kiss. I love happy endings, especially when a Modern Baseball cover comes before the finale. 

Honey Creek

Easycore is back, and we have Honey Creek to thank for that. I definitively fucked up my voice during this set, screaming along to every word of the band’s just-released Self Preservation. Plus, I always respect a band adopting a uniform, and the all-white get-ups were a nice touch that tied everything together. 

Innerlove.

Another country counterpoint to Fauxchella’s typically-emo-leaning lineup, Innerlove brought the twangy goodness as they played hit after hit off their summery Roscoe. A prime example of the Emo To Alt-Country Pipeline, Innerlove specalize in songs about drinking (negative) and bad decisions (also negative). Luckily, the songs are so fun to sing along to live that you almost forget all that. Bonus points for having the hardest, loudest drummer of the whole weekend. 

Excuse Me, Who Are You?

Earlier this year, I spent about 1k words waxing poetic about the awesome four-track EP from Excuse Me, Who Are You?, so if you want to know my specific thoughts on this band, go read that. In what might have been the most hardcore set of day 3, EMWAY ripped the roof off Howard’s as hordes of fans screamed along to every anguished turn of the band’s screamo set. Fists were swung, pits were opened, and minds were blown. 

Swiss Army Wife

Look, I’ve lived in the Midwest, up in the mountains, and down south, but in my heart of hearts, I’ll always be a Pacific Northwest boy from Portland, Oregon. The same goes for Swiss Army Wife, a tall-as-hell emo crew who flew out from my home state just to give the Midwest a taste of their fucked-up dance-punk. 

Palette Knife

I’ve been a fan of Palette Knife since their first album, but their music sounded almost too precise and too acute to be real. I’m happy to report that, when playing live, these guys can bang out every riff you hear on the record and make them sound even more full of life. It probably helped that a few dozen fans crammed up against the side stage to help scream along to every lyric and thrash along to every breakdown, but wow, sometimes seeing is believing. 

Khaki Cuffs

In one of the most novel arrangements of Fauxchella, Khaki Cuffs’ set found bandleader Brody Hamilton behind the kit as a standalone mic allowed the crowd (and a couple guest stars) to take up vocal duties as the guitars and bass played along with Hamilton’s live percussion. This was my first time seeing Khaki Cuffs live, and it was fun to see these songs in such a novel way. 

At this point, I was drained and practically dead on my feet from three straight days of music festing. The breathtaking Jetty Bones played Fauxchella VI out with their confessional brand of indie rock, and the next day, we were all back to our normal lives. In my case, we were waking up early to check out of our Air Bnb and settling in for a 12-plus hour drive back to North Carolina. We were drained physically, emotionally, and financially, but infinitely satiated by three days of meeting friends and taking in incredible set after incredible set. I felt blessed to see so many of these bands in their best form and watch a countless number of my own favorite emo songs played directly into my face. I may have gotten sick as hell and spent the next three days sleeping off COVID, but Fauxchella VI was everything I ever would have wanted and then some. Thanks to everyone involved, every band that played, and every friend that said ‘hi,’ you make this all worth it, and I can’t wait to do it all again someday. 

The Best of May 2021

Easily the most stacked month of 2021 thus far, May saw oodles of emo, heaping helpings of punk, and even a few fantastic folk releases. Of course, we also threw in some blues and metalcore for good measure, plus an actual grunge album to top it all off.

Stars Hollow - I Want to Live My Life

Acrobat Unstable

The Iowa emo trio moves from licking their wounds on Happy Again and arrested development on “Tadpole” to active progress on their debut album. Capturing equal parts self-discovery, self-destruction, and self-improvement, I Want to Live My Life is one person’s journey from passive complacency to active betterment. This story is soundtracked by tappy guitar licks, emotive screams, and killer drum fills. As the listener stitches together the threads connecting each song, putting the pieces together results in one of the most satisfying emo experiences this year. 

Read our full review of I Want to Life My Life here.

NATL PARK SRVC - The Dance

Self-released

The Dance sounds like mid-aughts “classic” indie rock in the best way possible. Seven members deep, complete with a horn section and occasional strings, NATL PARK SRVC sounds like they could have opened for Arcade Fire or Broken Social Scene at the peak of those band’s respective Pitchfork-fueled successes. The Dance feels like a hidden gem you’d stumble across in a record store circa-2003 and would obsess over for years. It sounds like the cassette you’d find in the car of your best friend’s cooler older brother and would have an immediate respect for based on that association alone. This is a high-flying, highly-polished indie rock album that arrives to us fully formed. While the record comes with familiar trappings, it feels like NATL PARK SRVC have already carved out their own corner of the world in just 48 minutes and 7 seconds. 

The Black Keys - Delta Kream

Nonesuch Records

I’ve been a fan of The Black Keys for as long as they’ve been around. In retrospect, picturing myself as a pre-teen listening to Junior Kimbrough covers and songs like “Grown So Ugly” is objectively hilarious but made all the sense in the world as an accompaniment to my rabid White Stripes fandom. Watching the band evolve from sleazy, sloppy garage rock into a poppier and poppier version of themselves has been one of the great displeasures of my music listening career. That said, I don’t begrudge the band for chasing success, even if it means becoming synonymous with car commercial music in the process. 

On Delta Kream, The Black Keys genuinely get back to their roots with 11 covers of blues greats ranging from R. L. Burnside to John Lee Hooker. This record captures my favorite version of the band; it’s the one that I first fell in love with and one that I never thought we’d see again. The guitar tone is muddy, the vocals are mumbled, and the songs feel like they have space to breathe. This album is a direct contrast to 2019’s “Let’s Rock”, which feels like a collection of blues-rock songs that were bitten by a radioactive Subaru Outback. Delta Kream may not get a sold-out tour or million-dollar placements in commercials, but I’m glad it exists, and I know I’m not alone. 

Smol Data - Inconvenience Store

Open Door Records

As explained by the band themselves on Twitter, Inconvenience Store is a collection of songs about the “insane little art community you made the center of your universe as a teenager.” More specifically, the album is about aging out of that community and trying to figure out where the hell you’re supposed to go next. That’s a pretty universal experience every music-adjacent creative feels growing up, and the songs reflect that universality whether it’s through the poppy hums of “Salaried (Bankruptcy Eve)” or the ska-flavored “Bitch Store.” The record stakes out a space that melds the personable, eccentric indie-pop of Illuminati Hotties with the wholistic world-building of Glass Beach, and that is a Venn diagram I can one-hundred percent get behind. 

Just Friends - JF Crew, Vol. 2

Pure Noise Records

Just Friends is serotonin in audio form. Just Friends is pure adrenaline packed with a punch of love, acceptance, and good vibes. Following an excellent three-pack of songs from earlier this year, the band is back with another stack of fun-loving funk-rock tunes. Opening track “Sizzle” is a 100-mile-per-hour banger that sees lead singers Sam Kless and Brianda "Brond" Goyos Leon vivaciously trading bars. As Brond delivers a series of spitfire boasts with Sam as her hypeman, the song eventually breaks down into a stank-face-inducing stoner rock riff. The grooviness doesn’t stop there because this opener gives way to a Lil B remix and a fantastic No Doubt cover in the proceeding tracks. Three songs, no misses. With this EP, Just Friends once again prove that they are a reliable supplier of feel-good ass-shakin’ tunes… as if there was ever any doubt.

The Devil Wears Prada - ZII

Solid State Records

Back in 2010, The Devil Wears Prada were riding high. They had just released (arguably) the best album of their career one year prior, then they dropped a zombie-themed EP at the undeniable height of the early-aughts zombie zeitgeist. Aside from being a collection of six fantastic songs, in retrospect, it’s impressive how well the band was able to strike while the iron was hot. The Walking Dead was just revving up on TV, the video game world was inundated with games like Left 4 Dead and Call Of Duty, and films like Zombieland were doing gangbusters at the box office. Over the next decade, the band became a little shakier. They got heavier and darker with Dead Throne in 2011, they lost a founding member in 2012, and then released the middling 8:18 in 2013. The group seemed to be righting the ship in 2015 with Space EP, a similarly committed concept EP about the dangers lurking in the sci-fi corners of space. One year later, they delivered the massively underrated Transit Blues in 2016, then released the somehow even more underrated The Act in 2019. With ZII, the band is signaling that they’ve finally returned to the heights they achieved over a decade ago. 

The Devil Wears Prada may have undergone lineup changes and indulged in new sounds that didn’t always pay off, but now they are venturing back into the zombie world they began to flesh out back in 2010, and this time it’s not a gimmick. The band is able to pick up right where they left off on the first Zombie EP as if the intervening years happened in the blink of an eye. The band sounds as sharp, and the screams sound as ferocious as they did a decade ago. The lyrics faithfully stick close to the horror theme but still leave room for compelling narratives and bits of songwriting to occur without being overshadowed by a sense of novelty. For those who have been “tuning out” of the metalcore scene for the last few years, this EP is an appeal directly to you. For most fans, it was clear that the band was achieving new artistic heights with their last full-length, but this EP is an affirmation. It’s a signal to grab your old metalcore tee out of the closet and break it out one last time for 2010’s sake. 

Mannequin Pussy - Perfect

Epitaph Records

Mannequin Pussy are masters of the punk craft, and with each release, the band’s skills have only sharpened. The group’s newest EP, Perfect, is a five-song master class in the punk genre. The emotions have become more fierce but also more controlled. The choruses have become catchier but don’t forfeit their deep-rooted rage. Every type of Mannequin Pussy song is represented here. “Control” hones in the poppier chorus-driven side of the band’s spectrum, “Perfect” is the fast, thrashy punk song, and “To Lose You” is the mid-tempo rocker that pulls at your heartstrings ever so slightly. While each track is fantastic in its own right, the two biggest surprises come at the tail end of the release.

“Pigs Is Pigs” sees Missy handing vocal duties over to bassist Colins "Bear" Regisford for a Turnstile-esque track that tackles police brutality. Based on Ellis Parker Butler’s short story of the same name, “Pigs Is Pigs” encapsulates an all-cops-are-bad-narrative by illustrating how bureaucratic, systematic violence by the cops will never truly end by weeding out the “bad apples” and calling it a day. Bear uses this short story as an analogy for the dire need to defund the police as well as the ideology and policy set during the days of slave patrolling which formed the force from the inside out. As policing has become more assertive, expansive, and militaristic, the techniques have become more violent, punitive, and discriminatory, leading to extreme cycles of violence and death. Furthermore, as the rules behind policing become more violent and fascist, the general public has continued to fear the cops and act within privileged safety nets. On this song, Bear reminds the listener that these rules ascribed to us are only disguised as “right” to hide the violence and injustice behind them. This challenges all of us to decide what is actually right. Is the pervasive narrative good for your community and humanity, or are you just listening to what you’re being told? Mannequin Pussy tells us to pick a side: fear or fight. 

Closing track “Darling” is a soft-spoken confessional ballad with an electronic beat, understated guitar, and even delicate bells which carry the release out. Over its 14 minutes, Perfect sees hardened punk perfection slowly unraveling to reveal a tender core. Closing out a rager of an EP with a muted love song follows the sentimental theme found on the closing track of 2019’s Patience, and it is as poignant as it is lovely. 

Fiddlehead - Between the Richness

Run For Cover Records

When Fiddlehead dropped their debut album back in 2018, I went in completely blind. I hadn’t heard the band’s ep from three years prior; I wasn’t even familiar with the member’s other projects, Have Heart or Basement. Nevertheless, I checked the record out solely because Springtime and Blind was being put out on Run For Cover, and that was a label I trusted implicitly. My trust paid off, and that album became my favorite of 2018. 

After a brief pitstop in 2019, Fiddlehead is back with another 25 minutes of careening and grief-ridden post-hardcore. While Springtime and Blind saw lead singer Patrick Flynn reckoning with his father’s death, Between the Richness is a markedly more optimistic record about centering yourself and finding peace in between the ambivalent chaos of life. While Between The Richness may be more uplifting, that doesn’t mean the band has made a complete sonic shift. Luckily, this record bears the same throat-shredding bellows as the group’s previous work. The choruses are sticky and primed for anthemic sing-alongs in a crowd full of sweaty strangers. Richness is life-affirming rock music that comes from a deep and genuine place. Being able to venture into this world for 25 minutes at a time is an absolute miracle. 

Bachelor - Doomin’ Sun

Polyvinyl Records

My first listen of Doomin’ Sun happened in a cabin on a farm tucked far up in the mountains of Colorado. This first listen came at the tail end of a long day spent hiking, taking in the natural world, and feeling appreciative of the love I’m able to share with my partner. It turns out that was the perfect way to first experience the collaborative album from the minds behind Jay Som and Palehound. Doomin’ Sun is an album made for porch beers and long drives through the mountains at sunset with the person that matters most to you. It’s laid-back, easy-going, and emotionally forthright. I look forward to this record soundtracking many more sun-drenched memories over the coming months and years. 

Downhaul - Proof

Refresh Records

Much like the debut album from Stars Hollow, Proof is a record about personal growth as measured through one person. Throughout its ten songs, we watch our narrator work his way from hollow connections to genuine betterment. However, unlike most albums centered around this topic, Proof recognizes that the most challenging part of personal progress isn’t always growth itself, but admitting you need it in the first place. Proof is an album about wrestling with the almost imperceptible seismic shift that happens once you fully own up to the weight of your existence in every form.

Read our full review of Proof here.

The Give & Take - Great Pause

Knifepunch Records

After a five-year hiatus, Expert Timing drummer Gibran Colbert revives The Give & Take to deliver a collection of five excellent songs about uncomfortably growing into the first real adult phase of your life. These songs focus in on physical manifestations of adulthood like a gifted briefcase that has fallen into disuse. They also pan out to address more universal issues like religion, isolation, and mental health. Colbert describes the band as “twinkle country” with inclusive, positive vibes, and the release reflects that, even in its moments of vulnerability. Songs like “Settled” possess an easy-breezy porch swing sway, despite the topic of not quite being where you want to be. The release finds peace in what might make others uncomfortable, all leading up to the last two tracks, which form an emotionally resonant one-two punch that gives this EP the heft of a full-length album. 

Gulfer, Charmer - Split

Topshelf Records, No Sleep Records, Royal Mountain Records

Ever since I heard the first chaotic yelps of Dog Bless, I knew there was something special about Gulfer. They were an emo band that knew how to mix humor and levity with the usual overwrought sentiments of the genre. Their instrumentation was tight, their vocals stuck, and they were on a legendary emo label to boot. Oppositely, Charmer’s self-titled record was a slow-burn that worked its way up from standard emo fare to an album I’d consider “perfect,” even if only within the bounds of the genre. Charmer had choruses for days, and the band’s songs never overstayed their welcome. Sprinkle both of these releases with well-placed instrumentals, short run times, and excellent production, and you have two modern emo classics. 

Last year, both bands released excellent follow-ups to their respective landmark albums that flew (relatively) under the radar in emo circles. Now, they’re back, and they’ve teamed up for a split of two songs that see each band indulging in the best aspects of their respective styles. Gulfer jolts the listener with a jagged instrumental barrage on “Look,” while Charmer croons over guitar tapping on “Diamond (Sprinkler).” This split may only be two tracks, but it’s a team-up that feels tailor-made to me and every other emo out there in need of six minutes and 35 seconds of deep human connection.

Jimmy Montague - Casual Use

Chillwavve Records

While the music world was focused on the middling new 70s-inspired St. Vincent album, Jimmy Montague surprise-released a 70s-indebted record of his own. While it’s easy to listen to Casual Use and hear the classic rock inspiration, it’s something that can sound great on paper but easily fail in execution. So how do I know that Casual Use is the real deal? Well, I sent it to my father, who came of age when this type of music was in its heyday. My dad’s review? “Very good tunes” that will “probably be a regular” on his playlists. That endorsement says more than I ever can. 

Palette Knife - Ponderosa Snake House and the Chamber Of Bullshit

Take This To Heart Records

Ponderosa Snake House and the Chamber Of Bullshit is an album whose DNA is composed of equal parts Studio Ghibli sentimentality and Vine-era internet humor. It’s a collection of 11 caring, cathartic, and catchy songs, all fueled by the satisfying effervescence of LaCroix. Ponderosa Snake is an exceptionally crafted emo release that ticks all the possible boxes that the genre offers. Tappy guitar parts? Check. Immaculate production? Check. Fun choruses punctuated by brutally honest verses? Double fucking check. 

Superbloom - Pollen

Self-released

A grunge album released in 2021? It’s more likely than you think! The first song on Superbloom’s Pollen is titled “1994,” which is either incredibly apt or incredibly on-the-nose, depending on who you ask. Regardless, “1994” serves an important purpose of setting the listener’s expectations before they even click play. Upon entering the album, you’re met with a wall of sludgy guitar tone, and raspy mumbled vocals that sound about as close to Kurt Cobain as that AI-created Nirvana song from earlier this year. Taking all the best lessons from the Stone Temple Pilots and the Soundgarden’s of the world, Superbloom effortlessly blends together a wide swath of 90s sounds into one throwback release that speaks directly to my inner 90s kid. There are hooks worthy of a Nirvana song, guitar tones akin to a Smashing Pumpkins track, and self-loathing only bested by the aforementioned Stone Temple Pilots. Lead singer Dave Hoon has a voice that sits somewhere between Cobain and the nu-metal bands who took up the mantle of grunge in the early 2000s. 

With Totally 90s™ song titles like “Whatever” and others that nod to influential acts of the time like Built to Spill, it can sometimes feel like the band is merely cosplaying this era of music à la Greta Van Fleet. Even if that’s true, the songs end up coming off as more admiration than emulation. Pollen feels like a release from a bunch of 20-somethings who grew up spending hours with their Smashing Pumpkins CDs, and I respect that because, hey, me too. Pollen sounds like an album lost to time and only recently uncovered. It sounds like time traveling back to Portland in the 90s. It sounds like grunge. 

Quick Hits

BUG MOMENT - BUG - The 100 gecs-ification of bedroom rock is here, and I adore it. 

Pearl Jam - Deep - A gargantuan, too-big-for-any-normal human 5504 song collection of bootleg live recordings taken from 186 shows across Pearl Jam’s decade-spanning career. 

Angel Olsen - Song of the Lark and Other Far Memories - Angel Olsen closes out her current era with a collection of her last two records capped off with new songs and remixes.

St. Vincent - Daddy’s Home - After an exhausting album cycle, Annie Clark finally drops her woozy 70s-indebted record that attempts to recapture the grit of New York at its most mystical and drugged-out.

Pet Fox - More Than Anything  - A three-pack of poppy and impeccably put-together shoegaze tracks via Exploding In Sound records.

Fiver - Fiver With the Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition - Spacious indie rock with a country tinge and Fiona Apple-like vocals.

Marble Teeth x Riddle - Split 7” - One of my favorite lyricists in the midwest teams up with a friend from his hometown in this lovely little four-track split. 

Weezer - Van Weezer - Initially intended to be released around the same time as last year’s ill-fated Hella Mega Tour, the newest LP from Weezer sees the band going full over-the-top 80s guitar-shredding in this album-length genre pastiche. 

SeeYouSpaceCowboy x If I Die First - A Sure Disaster - A short split (and fun video) from two of the bands bearing the torch of Rise Records-style Mallcore in 2021.

Skatune Network - Greetings from Ska Shores - The ever-prolific god of upstrokes drops a collection of Animal Crossing songs, all rendered in a sunny ska style.

Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR - If the plodding ballads from Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher traded LA-Brain for the suburbs and then went to go karaoke Lorde songs. 

Good Sleepy - everysinglelittlebit - 30 minutes of cleanly produced, emotionally messy tap-heavy emo. An impressive debut.

Babe Rainbow - Changing Colours  - Sunny vibe-filled music primed for beachside hangouts, midday beers, and watching summer sunsets from the comfort of a lakeborne boat.

Missing Life - DEMO - A shoegazy four-song demo from one of the minds behind Mover Shaker that sits somewhere at the intersection of Slowdive and Snow Patrol.

Boyish - We’re all gonna die, but here’s my contribution - Beautifully emotive and inward bedroom indie that cuts straight to the heart of relationships.

A.G. Cook - Apple vs. 7G - An album from the hyperpop head of PC Music collecting remixed tracks from last year’s fantastic Apple and the seven-disc-long 7G.

Pomegranate Tea - Life Is Getting So _____. - Six emo songs with the potential to come to life in small basements and sweaty bars. 

Beatricks - Razzle Frazzle - A series of compelling bleeps, bloops, screams, and strums that make you feel like you’re about to set the world on fire. 

Hot Mulligan - i won’t reach out to you - Emo stalwarts Hot Mulligan release a short addendum to last year’s fantastic sophomore album you’ll be fine. 

.michael. - Secret Handshake - 100 cute and surprisingly well-crafted songs all written in five minutes or less. 

Green-House - Music for Living Spaces - Relaxing synthy songs designed to “hit that part of the brain that’s affected by the emotional state that you’re in when you perceive something as cute.”

The 2019 Diamond Platters: Swim Into The Sound’s Ancillary End of the Year Awards

Between end of the year awards that start in November and (this year) decade retrospectives that started coming out as early as October, I’m sure you’re as tired of listicle countdowns as I am. That’s why I created The Diamond Platters; the extravagant, opulent, and hyper-exclusive end of the year list designed for people who are sick and tired of end of the year lists.

The Diamond Platters are designed around categories that you won’t see on your average clickbait music review site. You’ll find no “album of the year,” and no high-minded retrospective attempting to weave these songs into some forced narrative of what this year “represented.” No, these are awards designed to highlight music, people, and events that made this year feel special. What follows may not fit into a website’s typical “Best of 2019” list, but still felt important and worth celebrating nonetheless. 

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Best Cover Song

Winner: Skatune Network - Everything
For the last three years, Jeremy Hunter (aka Skatune Network) has been creating some of the best and most consistent covers on the internet. They’re niche in the sense that every cover is ska, but for me, that merely adds an additional layer of charm. The fact that Hunter plays every instrument makes each video a feat of musicality that’s nothing short of wondrous to behold. Whether it’s Billie Eilish, Blink 182, Pokemon, or half of the Counter Intuitive Records roster, Hunter has a knack for making anything and everything sound wonderful and skank-able.

Runner-up: Denzel Curry “Bulls On Parade”
The magic of a cover song is taking something that belongs to someone else and making it feel wholly your own. Rage Against The Machine had a distinct (and hard to copy) sound, but for his cover of “Bulls On Parade,” Denzel Curry took that famous RATM energy and infused it with his own, resulting in a one-of-a-kind performance primed to become a staple of your gym playlist.

Best Album Art of the Year

Winner: Flume - Hi This Is Flume
Album art used to have one job: catch your eye on the shelf of a record store with the hopes of leading to a purchase. Its secondary job was to give potential listeners a visual representation of what the music directly behind it sounded like. Now that every song is one click away, artists have far more flexibility to make album art that fulfills that second bullet point, and this year no one did it better than Flume. The cover to his surprise-released mixtape is not only eye-catching, but it also does a fantastic job of encapsulating the vibrant, violent, and often-clashing elements of his particular version of electronic bombast. Additionally, the way the car was featured in music videos and Spotify visualizers only lent further depth and accuracy to the album cover.

Runner-up: Sleater-Kinney - The Center Won’t Hold
Lineup turmoil and a few mediocre songs aside, the cover to Sleater Kinney’s ninth studio album is a beautiful black-and-white optical illusion, collaging together every member’s face into a mishmash of lips, bangs, and winged eyeliner. It’s an arresting image that also manages to tackle the album’s central theme of being a middle-aged woman in music.

Best Music Video

Winner: FKA Twigs “Cellophane”
When the video for FKA Twigs’ “Cellophane” dropped, you could distinctly feel waves of ‘what the fuck’ reverberating throughout the internet. First off, it’s quite ballsy to release the closing track for your upcoming album nearly six months before its release, but as this video proves, FKA Twigs is a mastermind operating on a level higher than us mere mortals are capable of understanding. Aside from the notable way in which this track rolled out, the video itself is a beautiful and breathtaking meditation split into two main acts. “Cellophane” opens with FKA Twigs embracing her newest passion, pole dancing, in a routine that’s equal parts beautiful and athletic. From there, the video flies into a CGI-fueled acid trip as Twigs ascends into the sky, comes face to face with a robotic version of herself, then comes crashing back to earth in a coat of blood-red paint. This video is unlike anything I’ve ever seen this year, and all we can do is take it in and thank FKA Twigs for being herself. 

Runner-up: The Menzingers “America (You’re Freaking Me Out)”
Much like their music, the lead single off Menzingers’ Hello Exile is at once comedic, self-deprecating, socially-conscious, and pissed-off. Plus, the fact that the music video was filmed in Portland (a fact that I up on based off a strip club in one shot) means that it’s near and dear to my heart. 

Best Album From 2018 That I Missed

Winner: Charmer - Charmer
While I technically listened to Charmer’s self-titled album two times in December of 2018, within the space of a year, Charmer has climbed the charts to become my second most-listened-to album of all time on last.fm. I spent the better part of 2019 listening to the album at least once a day, usually on my way to work, and it single-handedly made my mornings bearable. I’ve seen the group live three times, including a front-to-back playthrough of this very album, and I was there singing along with every word. I can’t quite explain why this record resonates with me so hard, but I imagine it’s a little bit of everything. There’s impeccable emo guitarwork, powerful drumming, and choruses that get stuck in your head faster than you even realize. All of this swirled together into an album that I simply can’t get enough of. I may have arrived at Charmer late, but now I’m glad it’s become a part of my life. 

Runner-up: Guitar Fight From Fooly Cooly - Alpha, Omega, Murphy
Much like Origami Angel, Guitar Fight From Fooly Cooly takes fast-tapping emo and infuse it with nerdom, pop-culture references, and a hearty helping of sincerity. Clocking in at a mere 17 minutes, Alpha, Omega, Murphy is a packed little EP that merely represents the first step of a band riffing their way onto a larger stage as promising up-and-coming members of the 5th wave of emo.

Best Soundtrack of the Year

Winner: Labrinth - Euphoria (Original Score from the HBO Series)
Not only was Euphoria one of the best shows on TV this year, but it also addressed addiction, anxiety, and sexuality with more honesty than anything else on the air. One of the best unsung parts of Euphoria is Labrinth’s excellent Drake-produced score. Whether it was soundtracking a neon-lit high school party or a ten-minute conflict set at the state fair, Labrinth always seemed to know what the mood called for. The result was a soundtrack that perfectly mirrored the emotions poured out on-screen. On top of that, the album is eclectic, containing a range of genres from bumping hip-hop, soaring orchestras, and even some radio-ready pop hits. There’s a little bit of everything in the Euphoria score, and that only ended up elevating what was already one of the best shows of 2019.

Runner-up: Bobby Krlic - Midsommar (Original Score)
Much like Hereditary before it, the soundtrack to Ari Aster’s second feature-length film helps magnify the horror and accentuate the skin-crawling twists. As great at the movie is, it wouldn’t have been half as unsettling without Bobby Krlic’s excellent score lurking menacingly beneath every moment. 

Best Promo

Winner: Prince Daddy & The Hyena “Love Of My Life: Chasing Gold”
Advertising is hard. For bands, it’s a necessary evil to promote their new music. For brands, it’s their bread and butter. Usually any sort of corporate-fueled musical crossover is cheesy as hell, but when Taco Bell asked Prince Daddy & The Hyena to cover a song from their recent biopic-skewering campaign the group jumped at the opportunity (because what emo band doesn’t like Taco Bell?) The result was definitively awesome, true to the band’s style, and hopefully got them a few free Crunchwrap Supremes out of the deal. Really, it’s a win for both parties, with the end result being advertising done right. 

Runner-up: Punk Goes website redesign
The Punk Goes series has always been a stronghold of nostalgia. Sometimes it’s nostalgia for the songs being covered, and sometimes it’s nostalgia for the bands from the listener’s childhood who have resorted to covering an outdated pop song. This year, Punk Goes decided to lean into this aesthetic, completely redesigning their homepage to resemble peak-era MySpace (friends list and all) to promote their third iteration of Punk Goes Acoustic.

Most stank-face inducing song of the year

Winner: Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats “Cold”
The opening track to Rico Nasty’s aptly-named Anger Management is a blistering two-and-a-half-minute takedown of haters and dickriders alike. Backed by a disgustingly-hard Kenny Beats instrumental, the song hits like a ton of bricks. Pair that beat with Rico Nasty’s fast-paced in-your-face rapping, throw in a few screamed ad-libs for good measure, and you got yourself a 100% USDA Certified banger.

Runner-up: Danny Brown “Savage Nomad”
My face every time I hear the opening lines to this song.

What the fuck is this outro????

Winner: 100 gecs “745 Sticky”
I entered 100 gecs’ debut album an innocent man. What I heard when I clicked play on “745 Sticky” was a whir of electronics followed by a barrage of autotuned Lil Aaron-esque raps and Brockhampton-like croons. The chorus hit hard, and the instrumental shook my fragile bluetooth speakers, but the pièce de résistance came at the end where a spike of 8-bit distortion makes way for a hyped-up group chant set to a bubblegum pop beat followed by a dubstep drop punctuated by screams, dog barks, screeching tires, and other stock sound effects. By the time the first song ended I was breathless, shaken, and my speaker had literally rattled off the table that it was sitting on. I felt both confused and seen. Like someone took my Spotify account, highschool music library, and favorite Instagram meme account, then blended them together in GarageBand. Suddenly everything made sense. 

Runner-up: Charli XCX “Click”
Someone on the /r/popheads subreddit said it best: “Had to turn down the volume during Click's outro due to feeling like my eardrums were about to blow up and lose a significant portion of my hearing. 10/10”

Hardest Working Person In DIY

Winner: Lex Atchison of Chatterbot Records
There’s something innately admirable about the DIY hustle. Maybe it’s the fact that no one makes money doing this, and there’s very little clout to be had. That means almost everyone involved in the scene is doing this from a place of love. That means they’re spending all this time and energy for the sole purpose of sharing art they love with the world. In 2019, no one did that better than Lex from Chatterbot Records. This year Lex helped artists release dozens of albums, EPs, and singles. She directed and edited music videos, joined bands on tour, produced dozens of merch items, and launched an ARG album announcement. If that sounds like a fulltime job you’re right. Sometimes DIY takes precedence over a sound sleep schedule.

Runner-up: Alex Martin of Short Fictions, Soft Toss, and You've Got a Friend in Pennsylvania Booking
After helming one of the most slept-upon emo projects of last year, Pittsburg-based Alex Martin showed no signs of slowing down in 2019. This year they booked more than 45 tours for dozens of bands through You've Got a Friend in Pennsylvania Booking, and anyone that’s even so much as touched a tour Google Sheet knows what an undertaking it is. Aside from insane amounts of booking this year, Martin also formed a new band called Soft Toss, and just this month released an absolute heater of an emo album with Short Fictions. The fact that Martin did all of this alongside school and a “real” job seems borderline-impossible to me, but the more I think about it, the odds that they have access to some sort of time travel seems increasingly likely to me. 

2019 Time Capsule

Winner - Lil Nas X “Old Town Road - Remix” Video
The animated music video for the third remix of “Old Town Road” almost has almost too much 2019 in it. Aside from being the biggest song of the year, this video contains Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, Young Thug, The Yodeling Kid, Thanos, Area 51, and Keanu Reeves Naruto running all in under three minutes. This video represents everything 2019 was about, and I love it

Runner-up: SZA, The Weeknd, Travis Scott “Power Is Power”
Unlike the wholesome goofiness contained in the “Old Town Road” music video, “Power is Power” is emblematic of 2019 for all the wrong reasons. Here we have a shallow music video, soulless verses, and lifeless instrumental that ends up feeling like a blatant cash grab in an attempt to pick a Black Panther-esque hit off the bones of a dying TV show. Yuck.

Too Iconic For This World: Most Breathtaking IG Feed

Winner: Sim Morales of Insignificant Other
Some people simply light up your timeline and provide you with an ever-renewing sense of warm fuzzies with each post. Sim Morales of Insignificant Other is one of those people. Aside from putting out one of the best power-pop records of the year, Sim’s Instagram feed is filled to the brim with killer looks and unforgettable fits. They are a DIY Fashion icon, plain and simple.

Runner-up: Aubree Roe of The Weak Days, Get Tuff, Safe Face, and Jetty Bones
Much like Sim, Aubree Roe (better known as RB) is a constant source of glammy makeup pics that make me feel simultaneously impressed and like one of those memes where people are surrounded by heart emojis.

Most Unexpected Celebrity Appearance

Winner: Strange Magic x Gilbert Gottfried
I don’t know what Mr. Gottfried’s going rate is, but the decision to include him throughout Strange Magic’s blistering 14-minute punk album was nothing short of a masterstroke. First introducing the listener to the record, then quickly moving on to heckling the group as the tracks wear on, Gilbert Gottfried’s presence only elevates an already-fantastic release. 

Runner-up: Mr. Moseby x Surely Temple
When you’re a band, getting people to listen to your album is hard. When you’re Mr. Moseby from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and The Suite Life on Deck, getting people to listen to your album is easy. Truly a genius marketing play by Surely Temple. Plus, it helps that their EP is pretty great (seriously, “enough.” is one of the most slept-on emo songs of the year). 

I Hope Someone Fights Me Right Now

Winner: Kublai Khan TX
I’m generally a pretty happy dude, but sometimes you just need to blow off some steam, and Kublai Khan TX has the riffs, lyrics, and attitude to soundtrack your next fight. Shit hits like a steamroller.

Runner-up: Gulch
I feel like this video explains the energy of Gulch pretty well.

Don’t @ Me: Best Social Media Presence

Winner: Eric Egan of Heart Attack Man
If you follow pop-punk twitter at all, then the phrase “Good morning everyone it’s Eric from Heart Attack Man” is probably all-too-familiar. From daily morning selfies with his coffee and Tik-Tok-ready memes to racking up a nearly $100K bid for a beanie on eBay, Eric has proven adept at garnering attention for both himself and his music through consistent and unrelenting shitposting. While most of it is positive (who doesn’t daily coffee-clad selfies from their favorite frontman?), a recent light-hearted beef with Hot Mulligan over the band’s un-verified twitter status brought even more eyes to the group, further solidifying them as the meme-generating centrifuge of pop-punk twitter.

Runner-up: Chris Farren of Chris Farren
Turning yourself into a meme is a risky gambit. However, turning yourself into a promotional tool for your music seems to have worked for Polyvinyl’s Chris Farren. In between writing his own music, designing his own merch, and putting on his own one-man live shows, Farren has been a consistent bright spot on my social media timeline throughout the year.

Best Single of the Year

Winner: Stars Hollow “Tadpole”
Some bands only put out one song this year, and Stars Hollow might have put out the best. As they shitposted on twitter earlier in the year: “Broke: Stars Hollow only released a single this year. Woke: Stars Hollow released a one song album this year.” They may be joking, but “Tadpole” genuinely comes off as a fully-realized entity that stands on its own more than some full-length albums I’ve listened to this year. Almost a postscript to their 2018 EP Happy Again, “Tadpole” is a continuation of the band’s fresh take on midwest emo. In the band’s own words, “It’s about how I want to be young forever and how I’m anxious that people want me to grow up.” It’s tappy, it’s screamy, it’s really fucking good. 

Runner-up: American Spirits “Retrograde”
This year Bowling Green mainstays American Spirits broke up, played a packed farewell show, and put out two of the best songs of their career. “Retrograde” is merely one half of the one-two-punch along with the cleverly-named “Error 404: Band Not Found.” While these may have been the band’s last songs, there’s also something to be said for going out on top. Plus, the newly-formed Soft Toss and half kidding share many of the same members, so hopefully this won’t be the last we’ve heard from these boys.

Most Goosebump-inducing Moment of the Year

Winner: Bring Me The Horizon “Ludens”
Bring Me The Horizon have transitioned from deathcore to metalcore to metal to rock so gradually I almost wouldn’t have noticed… if it weren’t for fans constantly complaining about it. While I don’t mind the musical pivot, it’s always fun when the band dips back into their hardcore roots whether it’s concert medleys or screams ironically directed at those fan criticisms. Needless to say, when I heard the tight-as-shit breakdown on the Death Stranding one-off “Ludens,” I lost my mind. More specifically, I got full-body goosebumps and my eyes began to water. It’s a flash of old school BMTH that made me feel like I was right back in high school again, even if it was just for 45 seconds. 

Runner-up: Summerbruise “Fricked”
“Well I only get this way after a rough day or if I’m drunk… Well, every day is rough and I’m always DRUUUUUUUUUNK.”

Most Unorthodox (But Noteworthy) Album Rollout

Winner: Bon Iver - i,i
Justin Vernon is an enigma. He puts out albums when he feels like it, and this year’s i,i was no different. Preceded by a bizarre trailer, the album released in-full almost a month before it’s announced date, but that’s not even the weird part. Vernon & Co. decided to upload the album to streaming services one song at a time. Releasing one song each hour, it gave the album drop a notably more communal feel. Instead of rushing through the first listen, Bon Iver gave fans something new to talk about each hour before finally piecing the record together as a whole. 

Runner-up: Lucy Dacus - 2019
Coming off releasing one of the best albums of 2018, Lucy Dacus kept busy this year by putting out a song every month or two. First it was a Spanish cover song, then a song for mother’s day, and finally culminating with a Christmas song, and capped off with an absolutely fantastic original track. Then she was kind enough to wrap up all these singles in a nice little EP for fans. Once again, it’s interesting to see an artist eschewing a traditional “album drop” and opting for one-off loosies every now and then. The difference here is that these weren’t just singles because, in the end, they were all collected in one place for easy listening. This kept Lucy Dacus top of mind throughout the year, and I probably ended up revisiting Historian even more because of it. 

Best Concert Video

industry folk: “what’s a band we should check out”

me: “@macsealband”

industry folk: “nah i doubt they can sell any tickets”

macseal: pic.twitter.com/DJrFxiR2ni

— Counter Intuitive🚀🖼 (@CIRecs) June 23, 2019

Winner: Macseal performing “Next To You” live at East Coast Customs
Live music is inherently hard to translate to any other medium. Sure, you can snap a picture or take a video of a band, but rarely do those snippets capture the energy felt in the room as the songs were unfolding live… Yet this video of Macseal is some of the most contagious energy I’ve seen all year. 

Runner-up: Dogleg performing “Calling Collect” live at Fauxchella III
As I mentioned in my profile on them earlier this year, this video was taken during the performance that single-handedly turned me into a Dogleg fan. It was aggressive, thrashy, and lead guitarist Alex Stoitsiadis capped it all off with a goddamn handstand. After making the rounds on DIY twitter, this video has since been a centerpiece in the band’s Pitchfork Best New Track, hopefully converting thousands more to Dogleg fans. 

Best Headline of the year

Winner: Alex G clarifies he is not Beto O'Rourke, did not piss himself.
Midway through the summer at the preliminary height of the democratic debates, some right-wing nutjob posted a picture of who they thought was Texas senator Beto O’Rourke pissing himself (because I guess that’s the best they can do to bring down Democratic candidates). It turns out the blurry photo was not Beto O'Rourke, in fact, it happened to be indie-folk musician (Sandy) Alex G, who had just released his brilliant album House of Sugar not even one week prior. In a bizarre turn of events that only 2019 can string together, all of this came to light within the space of 24 hours and became the talk of indie water coolers the nation over. What a goofy timeline. 

Runner-up: Celine Dion begs Drake NOT to get a tattoo of her face. Offers to go out with him, do a song together, and hang out with his mother in order to avoid him getting a tattoo of her face.
This headline is runner-up only because this was paraphrased via the /r/hiphopheads subreddit, but still worth mentioning here because it’s an emotional rollercoaster of a sentence.

Porch Beer Album of the Year

Winner: The Berries - Berryland
To be a “Porch Beer” album, you need a few things. Number one: jangly guitars. Number two: a laid-back rhythm section. Number three: a relaxed vocal delivery that pairs perfectly with a warm summer night and a cold beer. All of these elements are found on Berryland in spades. It’s simply a pleasant record; laid-back indie with a twinge of country that makes for a perfect listen on warm summer’s night.

Runner-up: (Sandy) Alex G - House of Sugar
More fitting for the time of the night when you stand up six PBRs deep and the porch starts spinning, Alex G’s House of Sugar is a jaunty indie record that’s occasionally glitchy, jazzy, wandering, and wonderous.

Best Sample of the Year

Winner: Knocked Loose “In The Walls”
The Kojima-helmed PT may have died in development hell, but luckily “In The Walls” makes use of one of the game’s eerie world-building radio broadcasts so that we may never forget. 

Runner-up: 2 Chainz “I Said Me”
I guess this is a good a place as any to admit that The Sound of Music is my favorite movie of all time. Needless to say, when I heard 2 Chainz's “I Said Me” sampling Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “My Favorite Things,” I geeked out more than I probably should have while listening to hip-hop about drug dealing and drive-bys. 

Greatest Addition to the Christmas Canon

Winner: Taylor Swift “Christmas Tree Farm”
While she had already made a fabulous contribution to the Christmas Cannon back in 2008, a lot has happened to Taylor Swift in the past eleven years. “Christmas Tree Farm” is a nostalgic original Christmas song that shines with the polish and primp of a 2019 Taylor Swift coming off her sugary-sweet Lover. It swells with a mix of orchestral flourishes, sleigh bells, and harmonized background vocals as Swift waxes poetic about the ideal holiday season that lives in her heart. It’s lovely, cinnamony, and smile-inducing, just like the holidays. 

Runner-up: Phoebe Bridgers “7 O’Clock News / Silent Night”
Now three years deep, it’s officially safe to call Phoebe Bridgers’ Christmas songs a tradition. Following up 2017’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and 2018’s “Christmas Song,” this newest addition to the dour Bridgers Christmas catalog finds her assembling a Mount Rushmore of indie. Enlisting Fiona Apple and The National’s Matt Berninger, the three craft an updated cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “7 O’Clock News / Silent Night,” which Bridgers dedicated to “everyone whose family has been literally or figuratively torn apart by Donald Trump. And to my racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, hypocritical family members, fuck you.” 

Reissue of the Year

Winner: The Beatles - Abbey Road (Super Deluxe Edition)
Abbey Road is my all-time favorite Beatles album, and that makes this year’s reissue even more exciting. Featuring a full-album remix and over 20 tracks of demos and alternate takes, the Super Deluxe Edition of Abbey Road only gives me more reasons to return to one of the greatest classic rock albums of all time. 

Runner-up: The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (Deluxe)
This year I discovered that my favorite Beatles album (Abbey Road) and my favorite Rolling Stones album (Let It Bleed) both came out in the same year. Mind-blowing timelines aside, that means that two of my favorite albums both got 50th-anniversary reissues this year. While the deluxe edition of Let It Bleed came with fewer bonus goodies than Abbey Road, hearing my favorite Stones album remastered was a beautiful experience to behold. 

Most Slept-upon Release of the Year

Winner: Virginity - With Time
I’ll admit I first checked out Virginity only because of their name, but With Time is so great that they don’t even need a gimmick. Clocking in at a whirlwind 25 minutes, With Time is a punchy, clever, and self-deprecating bout of pop-punky emo most reminiscent of Jeff Rosenstock. I don’t care how many streams the album has on Spotify or how many followers the band has on twitter, whatever it is, it’s not enough.

Winner-up: He Was An Artist, She Was A Carpenter - I'll Never Be As Happy As I Was Last Summer
Self-branded as “zoomer emo,” He Was An Artist, She Was A Carpenter is a band that just happens to tick all of my hyper-specific boxes. Clever song titles? Check. Obscure pop-culture samples? Check. Catchy, twinkly, and nostalgic emo? Triple-check. I'll Never Be As Happy As I Was Last Summer is already a fantastic emo album, but it also happens to be the single most promising release I’ve heard all year. Now’s the time to get up on this band before they’re the next big thing in DIY.

That’s Why You Don’t Publish an Album of the Year List in November

Winner: Georgia Maq - Pleaser
Single-handedly proving why it’s a fool’s errand to publish a (supposedly comprehensive) list of the best albums in November, Georgia Maq surprise-dropped her synth-pop debut on Run For Cover this December. Famous for Camp Cope, where she defiantly fronts one of the best pop-emo groups in the southern hemisphere, Pleaser sees Maq swapping her guitar for a synth and shedding her anger to don the persona of a pop artist who’s fallen deeply in love. Still bearing her trademarked Melbourne-accented croon, Pleaser is unexpected not only in that it’s a surprise release but also in that it’s one of the best-constructed pop albums of the year. Should be an easy contender for many last-minute album of the year lists. 

Runner-up: Short Fictions - Fates Worse Than Death
This December also saw the release of one of the best emo albums, Short Fictions’ sophomore record Fates Worse Than Death. Bearing horns, impassioned vocals, and tight choruses, there’s a good reason why Fates has been making the rounds on emo twitter, even this late in the year. 

Best Interpolation

Winner: We Came As Romans “From The First Note” 
We Came As Romans was one of my first real concerts. I use “real” in the sense that it was the first concert I went to with people who were my age and not just my parents. To this day, I distinctly remember We Came As Romans taking the stage and playing the first song “To Plant A Seed.” Midway through the song I’d fought my way through the crowd, braved the moshpit, and made my way to the first few rows of fans before the end of the song. The track concludes with a powerful group chant that found the entire band lining up at the front of the stage harmonizing with the crowd. There’s a snapshot in my mind of that exact moment, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. Kyle Pavone’s passing in 2018 was a loss for both the band and the genre, but I think that he would be happy knowing that memory will live on forever in me. And now, thanks to “From The First Note,” that feeling has been bottled up for the rest of time. In this song, the group sampled their own song ten years later in memory of their fallen frontman, and it’s absolutely chilling. “From The First Note” is simultaneously catharsis for the band and a reward for longtime fans. Nothing will ever replace the loss that Kyle’s friends and family felt in August of 2018, but this song will forever act as a beautiful memorial. 

Runner-up: Summerbruise “Bury Me At Penn Station” 
Imagine this; you’re already 12 minutes into a fantastic emo EP, vibing out to the last song when suddenly the unmistakable words of Drake Bell’s “I Found a Way” shoot through the front of your speakers. No, this isn’t a dream, you’re just listening to Summerburise, and it’s beautiful. 

Live Album of the Year

Winner: Vulfpeck - Live in Madison Square Garden
Simply life-affirming. 

Runner-up: IDLES - A Beautiful Thing: IDLES Live at Le Bataclan
Gripping, dynamic, and explosive. Exactly what live music should be.

Nastiest Bass

Winner: Russian Circles - “Arluck”
With a bassline that can only be described as “evil,” Russian Circles came out strong in the first half of the year when they released “Arluck” as the lead single to Blood Year. Much like the band’s previous work “309,” “Arluck” features a demonic bassline that thumps through your speakers, rattles the fillings out of your head, and makes you want to set everything around you on fire. 

Runner-up: Varials “Romance”
In what’s essentially a two-minute interlude from a brutal onslaught of metalcore, Varials gave their audience a breather with this Nine-Inch-Nails-interpolating track that allows for some of the most chunky and destructive bass lines of the entire record. 

Biggest Come Up

Winner: Lil Nas X
I think it’s safe to say that no one in the entire world had a better 2019 than Lil Nas X. If his story is to be believed, this time last year he was living on his sister’s couch with less than zero dollars to his name. He bought a $30 beat online and then posted it on Tik-Tok until it became a meme. From there, the story of “Old Town Road” is mostly public knowledge. The song transformed from meme into social cause when Billboard said the song did not “merit inclusion” on the Country charts only for Billy Ray Cyrus to come to the song’s rescue, giving Nas the assist (and legitimacy) to push forward to the top of the charts. Now “Old Town Road” has become the longest-charting song of all time, spending a grand total of 19 weeks at #1. Lil Nas X came out as gay at the height of the song’s popularity and has gone on to chart with songs like “Panini” and “Rodeo.” Now the world waits to see what the 20-year-old wunderkind will do after making the single most defining song of the year. 

Runner-up: Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish was a known entity long before 2019; however, this year marked the release of her debut album, her first #1 song, and countless sold-out shows on a year-long worldwide tour. Not only that, Billie managed to release a legitimately-great album that crossed boundaries and proved pop music doesn’t need to be traditional, sexy, or “normal” to be commercially successful. She’s the face of a new generation, and this year solidified it. 

Cozy Album of the Year

Winner: Great Expectations - Figures of Speech
Sometimes an album just feels cozy. As if it’s made for the express purpose of staying in, wrapping yourself in a blanket, and sipping on a hot cup of tea as you listen to it. Great Expectations' Figures of Speech is one of those albums. Filled with lush folky instrumentation, subdued Owen-esque arrangements, and softly-whispered vocals, it feels like the musical equivalent of sitting by a warm fireplace and looking out the window as the snow comes down in blankets outside.

Runner-up: Jack M. Senff - Good To Know You
I guess Michigan bands just know how to make cozy albums because ex-emo frontman Jack M. Senff’s debut solo album is a wholesome and comforting record seemingly designed for easy-morning Sunday listening.

Best Remaster

Winner: Dance Gavin Dance - Acceptance Speech 2.0
Post-hardcore mainstays Dance Gavin Dance have spent a better part of this year releasing instrumentals versions of their entire catalog. That instrumental avalanche (alongside one-off singles, acoustic tracks, and side projects) has kept fans more than satisfied. Not only that, but this year the group also revisited their 2014 album, and my personal favorite, Acceptance Speech for a “2.0 version” that makes the mix less muddy, the instrumentals more full, and the vocals even sharper. Acceptance Speech 2.0 gives fans a welcome reason to revisit the humble beginnings of the band’s current era.

Runner-up: August Burns Red - Constellations (Remixed)
Following up last year’s remaster of their best album, August Burns Red continued forward, touching up 2009’s excellent Constellations to sound much more clean and modern. 

Best Song Title

Winner: closure. “Alien vs. Predator vs. Brown vs. the Board of Education”
Filed under both “songs names I wish I’d come up with” and “joke that would have popped off on twitter,” the discography of closure. tends to lean into ridiculous over-the-top song titles, but “Alien vs. Predator vs. Brown vs. the Board of Education” takes the cake.

Runner-up: Proper. “A$AP Rocky Type Beat”
In a brilliant and culturally-aware meme-worthy move, Proper. turned a search term into a song title. Not only that, this song title fits into the group’s ethos calling into question the space between “emo-ness” and blackness. I can only hope that this song got the band got some runoff streams from confused hip-hop fans.

Split of the Year

Winner: Portrayal of Guilt / Soft Kill
There’s an art to a split. Bands have to find another group that they get along with well enough to coordinate an entire release (even if it’s less substantial than a full-length). Generally speaking, your music would line up stylistically, but that’s not the case with Portrayal of Guilt and Soft Kill’s split from this summer. Instead, we have a brutally-fast deathcore track followed by a synthy 80’s throwback jam making for one of the weirdest, most whiplash-inducing one-two punches of the year.

Runner-up: Niiice / Gully Boys
Here we see two massively-underrated Minnesota artists team up to help the world realize that they should be overlooked no longer. From the emo horns and dreamlike breakdown of Niiice’s “Caffeine” to the post-punky goodness of Gully Boys’ “Little Brother,” this split offers an excellent entry point into both of these band’s already-fantastic catalogs. 

Song of the Year

Winner: The National “Light Years”
I can only describe “Light Years” as achingly beautiful. Written at the same time as “Carin at the Liquor Store” off of 2017’s Sleep Well Beast (probably my favorite song of that year), “Light Years” is a song that adapts itself to whatever emotion you bring into it. Grief? Longing? Heartbreak? “Light Years” is malleable and applies to each and every one of them. Centered around a heavenly piano line and Matt Berninger’s remorseful delivery, the song hits like a ton of bricks and captures raw emotion in a way that very few songs seem to. 

Within the space of three and a half minutes, the song builds from those two core components and slowly starts building a near-imperceptible emotional weight. Gradually new elements begin to emerge as the song wears on. A background singer joins in for the first chorus. A subtle string section accentuates the song’s second verse. By the song’s second chorus, kaleidoscopic swirls of ambient noise in the background subsume the listener, lifting them up into the air. The track ends with a meditative instrumental outro where the piano, strings, and hushed vocalizations give you the sensation of floating off into space as you sink deeper and deeper into your emotional state. It’s nothing short of masterful. 

Runner-up: Slaughter Beach, Dog “Anything”
Closing tracks are hard, but Slaughter Beach, Dog seems to have a knack for them. Whether it’s the breathless one-two punch of their debut album, the wholesome love found on 2017’s Birdie, or the raw humanity seen on the band’s newest record. 

“Anything” takes an entire lifetime and compresses it down into a four-minute song. Jake Ewald jostles the timeline around like a Tarantino movie and then presents this journey to us as a wondrous and awe-inspiring tale. The song begins capturing minor frustrations like car troubles and running out of smokes, then moves on to more substantial looming discomforts like drifting away from friends and loved ones as Ewald flashes forward from ages five, ten, nineteen, and eighty-four. After a short instrumental interlude, the vocals return as Ewald pleads with the listener to swim out to him, finally ending with a message that beams with hope and optimism “Anything you want to know, you can find out / Any place you want to see / I can promise I will be a friend to you / If you will be a friend to me.”

Most Anticipated Release of 2020

Winner: Charmer - LP2
There’s a lot to be excited about in 2020. Long-awaited follow-up albums from indie darlings like Phoebe Bridgers and Japanese Breakfast. Debut albums from promising up-and-comers like Beach Bunny, and Dogleg. Big moves from personal faves like Retirement Party and Just Friends, and The Wonder Years. And of course, big-name releases from people like Fleet Foxes and Tame Impala.  Yet with all of that new music coming at us within the next calendar year, the album I’m most excited to hear is Charmer’s sophomore effort. As mentioned above, within the space of one year, the band’s debut became my second-most played album of the last ten years, so it’s safe to say I’m a fan. I’m both excited to see what the band comes up with next and anxious to see if it connects with me in the same way that Charmer did. Perhaps that collection of songs was just lightning in a bottle, but I’m holding out hope that the group’s new album will surpass it.

Runner-up: Stars Hollow - Debut Album
This year I had an unabashed love affair with Stars Hollow. I fell in love with the group’s 2018 EP, I saw the band live three times, and I even interviewed Tyler earlier this year because I had that many questions about his music. The group is comprised of some of the sweetest and most talented people I’ve ever met in the music scene, and I sincerely believe they will go far. As I (also) talked about above, if “Tadpole” is anything to go off of, the group has a long and fruitful future of goosebump-inducing emo that somehow has a direct line to my emotional core. The prospect of a full album from these guys already has me excited for the next year to start.