WHAT I'VE BEEN JAMMING: SUMMER 2024

This summer hasn’t been an easy one. My brother passed away in early July, and one of the only things that felt like it was always there for me was music. I spent many hours listening to old favorites, discovering new bands, and giving albums I passed on ages ago another try. I haven’t been able to keep up with the monthly music recommendations like I originally intended, but as compensation, I’m doing a massive Summer special - a dozen songs, no bullshit, no filler just to pad out an article, just the best of the shit I’ve been blasting for the past few months. I hope you enjoy.

Many Eyes - Revelation: When fan-favorite Every Time I Die broke up, and all the dirty drama that came with it, many were devastated. ETID are so widely praised for a reason, as they left behind nearly two and a half decades of raw and refined metalcore. It wasn’t all bad though - two bands formed from their ashes, and while we’ll talk about both today, the first of them to get their turn in the spotlight is Many Eyes. Composed of vocalist Keith Buckley, with support from Charlie and Nick Bellmore from Kingdom of Sorrow (itself a sludgy supergroup featuring members of Hatebreed and Crowbar), expectations were high, and I’m relieved to say that they hit the marks. Their debut album, The Light Age, is a fantastic -core record that both features and expands upon the ETID sound that so many people loved, with heavy riffs and hoarse screams balanced by clean vocal melodies and softer moments that wouldn’t be out of place on Sirius XM Octane. I almost chose “Future Proof” as the rec here, which falls on the latter side, but ended up ultimately preferring “Revelation,” which veers heavily in the opposite direction.

Better Lovers - Future Myopia: And now we have the other band that formed from the ashes of ETID, the mathier Better Lovers. Composed of former ETID members Jordan Buckley, Stephen Micciche, and Goose, alongside the legendary Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan) and Will Putney (Fit For an Autopsy), I was even more excited for this group than I was Many Eyes. With their debut full-length dropping in October, they released an EP last year and dropped two new songs this year, and it’s safe to say that they kill it. This is aggressive hardcore punk at its finest, with elements of TDEP’s complex rhythms and blistering vocal onslaught courtesy of Puciato. I’ve also seen them live once this year (and will be seeing them a second time in November), where they hit even harder than in the studio. It wasn’t easy picking which single to tout here, but I had to choose “Future Myopia”, which has become a staple of my work commutes.

Foxing - Barking: Foxing are a fourth wave emo band that has been on my radar for a while, but I never actually sat down and listened to an album of theirs in full until last week, when their self-titled fourth LP dropped, and I really think I’ve been missing out all these years. It’s one of the best emo revival albums I’ve heard in the past decade, and is determined to defy genre conventions. It’s a blend of atmospheric indie rock, ambient noise, raw screamo, and, of course, their trademark emo sound. It’s little surprise to me that this was a self-produced effort, as it undeniably shows in the heart of these songs. I recommend the entire album start to finish, but “Barking” is an excellent starting point; it’s on the lighter end of their spectrum of sounds, but it’s catchy, vibrant, and atmospheric - everything you could possibly need.

Miss May I - Not Our Tomorrow (feat. Bleeding Through): Does anyone remember Miss May I? I wasn’t even aware they were still putting out music! Their debut album, Apologies for the Weak, dropped in 2009, when the members were still teenagers. It quickly became one of 14-year-old me’s favorite metalcore records, and while it certainly has aged in the 15 years since its release, I can still appreciate all the elements that made me fall in love with it. It’s heavy, it’s melodic, and it has some tasty breakdowns, even if the vocals are a bit grating. Well, to my surprise, Miss May I deemed it appropriate to re-record the entire album for its 15th anniversary, with an all-star selection of guest artists - and I’ve fallen in love with it all over again. This much-needed touchup makes the songs sound heavier and fresher than they’ve ever been. With features from other popular metalcore bands at the time (August Burns Red, The Word Alive) and aggressive deathcore juggernauts (Carnifex, Impending Doom), they’re guaranteed to hit at least some right notes for you, but my personal favorite is unexpectedly Not Our Tomorrow, feat. Bleeding Through.

Skullpresser - Born to Please:I was sold on Skullpresser before I heard a single song, all thanks to its stellar lineup. Featuring Bear from Mannequin Pussy, Jared Birdseye from Burdens, Mike Kennedy from The Wonder Years, and Sam Tropio from One Dead Three Wounded, I knew they were going to something special. And indeed, they are. Their debut E.P., Positions of Power, is only four songs long, but it has me plenty excited for their first full record. Of the lot, Born to Please is the clear standout, a metallic hardcore nuke of a song. The politically charged lyrics and the anti-capitalist rage is a mosher’s paradise, and a nominee for one of my favorite songs of the year.

Laura Jane Grace - Razorblade Blues: Considering she just dropped a new full-length (Hole in My Head) in February, I was surprised to see Laura Jane Grace dropping a whole new EP just half a year later, but to say I’m pleased is an understatement. In fact, I might even prefer this release over it! Called Give An Inch, here we see LJG backed by the Mississippi Medicals to deliver six future folk punk classics full of rambling vocals and bluesy chord progressions. Best of all, you can tell that Laura sounds happy; perhaps the happiest she’s ever been. Which comes as little surprise, considering her recently married wife, Paris Campbell Grace, is part of the Mississippi Medicals. Combined with her getting in touch with former bandmates in Against Me!, I think it’s fair to say that she’s in a good place right now, and this wonderful EP is certainly a product of that; check out “Razorblade Blues” and tell me you can’t see it.

Thotcrime - Behind the Cracks: I’ve recently been on a bit of a cybergrind binge after seeing Omerta and Blind Equation live (more on the former later in this list; you can also read my review of that show here), and I’ve found quite a few bands that have caught my fancy, but none more so than Thotcrime. With members from Illinois, Pennsylvania, and the UK, this band blends hyperpop and grindcore in a way that feels seamless. While they fit right in with other acts in the genre with their long and amusing song titles (“This is My Breakdown, I Get to Pick the Music”, “Are These Pop Rocks or Poppers??, “This is Last Resort by Papa Roach the Band Haha”), their scene kid aesthetic, and focus on mental health and transgender themes, their music stands heads above the rest. Their recent album, Connection Anxiety, is just as easy to dance to as it is to headbang. I recommend you give the entire album a go, but if you need to pick just one track to dip your toes in the water, “Behind the Cracks” is a good starting point.

Hidden Mothers - Defanged: Hidden Mothers haven’t even dropped their debut album yet, but I’m waiting for it on the edge of my seat. First described to me as an atmospheric, progressive post-hardcore band, I was intrigued, and they’re already ranked among the best of the genre for me. I’ve spent a long time trying to find a band that scratches the itch that Deafheaven’s blackgaze masterpiece Sunbather left in me, and this group comes close, even though neither black metal nor shoegaze can really be used as labels for their sound. If you like contemplative post-metal and/or screamo bands like Envy, you’ll find something about their ethereal sound to love. “Defanged” is off their upcoming record, and it has all the hallmarks of a future classic.

Mc Lars and Jesse Dangerously - No Logo: The first song on this list that didn’t drop recently, No Logo is punk-influenced rap that samples the bassline from one of my all-time favorite songs - and one that is absolutely essential if you’re a punk - “Waiting Room” by Fugazi. MC Lars styles himself as a “nerdcore” rapper, which would normally be enough to turn me off completely, and truth be told, anything more modern from him makes me wince and skip the track entirely. However, his early punk-influenced work, like the catchy “Hot Topic is Not Punk Rock”, are worth listening to. I consider this one my favorite, however, and not just because it repurposes one of the best reggae-borrowing basslines ever penned, but because it’s satirical lyrics about a poser thinking he’s an anarchist for his performative stunts that have the complete opposite effect, is timeless. I really shouldn’t like this one as much as I do, but alas.

Canadian Softball - Ohio is for Emo Kids: While we’re on the topic of comedic songs that play on your nostalgia, this medley by Canadian Softball - an imaginary band created by Jarrod Alonge - always gets to me. I didn’t much care for his work with his other fictitious band, the pop punk Sunrise Skater Kids, but Canadian Softball is much more my speed, with this song being the clear standout, even though that’s partially because it’s a remix of over a dozen other emo songs. Opening with the main riff to My Chemical Romance’s “I’m Not Okay”, then swiftly transitioning to the verse from Fall Out Boy’s “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs”, the hits keep coming and they don’t stop coming. There’s the groups you’d expect to see on a song of this like - Hawthorne Heights (obvious, given the song title), Senses Fail, Silverstein, Taking Back Sunday, and The Used - plus a few non-emo songs that are still popular with that crowd, like tracks from Linkin Park and Evanescence. It’s a joy to listen and think “Oh, I recognize that one!”, and the deeply unserious lyrics about Myspace, doing heroin, and Warped Tour, concluding with the narrator confessing he doesn’t even know who the Promise Ring are, are fantastic. If you’re not already a fan of any of those bands, or weren’t deeply immersed in emo culture during the ‘00’s, there might not be much for you here, but for everyone else, this is required listening.

Fear Before the March of Flames - What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas: I have a confession of my own; I was never that big a fan of Fear Before until this summer. I had heard their songs in passing before, and was easily amused by their song titles, but never truly sat down and listened to them with intent. I was missing out, because Odd How People Shake is a top-tier post-hardcore record, with fun rhythms and screamo energy. This track - the final on the album - is my favorite, because of how unexpected it was. The first four minutes are what you would expect - high quality, angsty emo - but it then fades into a long piano solo that’s undeniably beautiful. Sad and wistful, there’s just something about those chords that speaks to a part deep inside of me. Maybe it’s just because I listened to it while alone in the office, trying not to spiral into an anxiety attack, at one of the low points in my mood since my brother passed away, and it almost felt like this song… made everything make sense. An epiphany that was as gone as soon as it appeared. It’s hard to explain, but maybe this will touch your soul too.

The Devil Wears Prada - Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over: Okay, I don’t have anything profound to say about this one at all. It’s just a metalcore throwback, from before The Devil Wears Prada were getting radio play, when they had zany scene kid merch. I recently heard a cover of this live by Omerta back in August, and to say that the pit blew up was an understatement. I’d recognize that meaty guitar riff anywhere. Let’s be real for a moment - this isn’t some highly polished masterpiece. It’s synth-laden metal with crunchy breakdowns and Mike Hranica’s distinctive screams, but damn if it doesn’t make for a good listen. Like “Ohio is for Emo Kids”, this might not appeal to you if you weren’t part of the scene back in the late ‘00’s, but for those who were, it’s a mighty beast of a song that has stood the test of time.