Let's get emotional with Steve

Hey there happy humans, and welcome to this week's episode of Wednesdays with Andrew...or should I say Wednesdays with Steve? This week we are gonna try something new...guest blogger! I hope to sprinkle in some guest playlists and write-ups here and there, in an effort to diversify and give voice to other genres that we don't typically explore on this blog. This week's a doozie as Steve takes us into the polarizing world of emo/screamo/insert.word.here-core. Although I have never been an ardent fan of a lot of the bands in this scene, I can still hear a lot of similar influences and kindred spirits. Indeed, many of the bands I love and play on this blog, have been cited as influencers or contemporaries of many of the bands below...ranging from Fugazi to Lifetime to AFI to At The Drive-In and beyond.

So without further ado, take it away DJ Steve..



...and the web player link-  https://play.spotify.com/user/1259432429/playlist/24ao7249stoGEDwm08LQdk

Greeley Estates - Angela Lansbury Keeps Guys like You off the Street

We start off this emotional journey with one of the first bands to inspire my music taste in the early 2000’s.  It was my first Warped Tour and my friend and I arrived a bit early.  We wound up at a small stage in the front row to see Greeley Estates perform their set.  All I remember is Ryan Zimmerman’s beautiful sweaty hair drowning his face when he came over, bent down, and screamed right at me.  My life was forever changed.  Greeley Estates released 5 studio albums, ranging from emo to metalcore, but Angela Lansbury will always hold a special place in my heart for kicking off my interest in hardcore emo.

Bayside - Don't Call Me Peanut

Bayside has always been a staple in the emo world, best known for their whirlwind of a song “Devotions and Desires,” with its devastating lyrics and moody melody.  “Don’t Call Me Peanut” is a piece that showcases some of their best qualities.  A song full of quotable one-liner lyrics to decorate high school notebook covers everywhere and soothing vocals that make you almost wish the song was happy.  Bayside is still kicking and recently released their 6th studio album Vacancy.

Saosin - They Perch on Their Stilts

Ah Saosin.  A band with some lineup changes during its early years when Cove Rebel replaced Anthony Green who left to create Circa Survive.  Whether you’re team Cove or Anthony, Saosin stands as a fierce contender for one of the greats after the success of their first EP, Translating the Name.  Myspace exploded with praise for the 5 song EP and Saosin was born into emo fame.  Great breakdown and unique vocals, what more could you ask for as an angsty teen?

The Used - Take it Away

I still swoon over Bert McCracken and wish he would come to my home and sing “Blue and Yellow,” as I drift off to sleep.  The Used became quite popular in the 2000s with hits like “All That I’ve Got” and “I Caught Fire” from their second studio album In Love and Death.  By the mid 2000’s, emo music had grown a solid foundation in the rock/alternative scene, and started to be taken seriously with music videos that frequented MTV and VH1.  The Used was one of the bands that popped up into this success and slowly faded over their next studio album releases along with the fall of emo in mainstream in the 2010s.  The Used is currently on a 15-year anniversary tour, playing both their self-titled debut album and In Love and Death over a two night concert event in each city.

Matchbook Romance - My Eyes Burn

“My Eyes Burn” is your quintessential emo song.  Whiny vocals, thin emotional lyrics, and a basic melody meant to imitate pain.  So of course I loved it.  Listening back I almost winced in embarrassment, but it was a part of my teen years.  Who isn’t embarrassed by at least a thing or two you did when you were 16?

Fear Before the March of Flames - Hey Kid, I'm A Computer. Stop All The Downloading

Fear Before the March of Flames was one of those hardcore screamo bands that you listen to when you just wanted everyone and everything to fall apart.  I distinctly remember a large portion of the emo community would try and one up each other by comparing how hardcore your music was verse someone else.  Basically a musical dick measuring contest.   Despite that, the raw emotion and relentless riffs were great to jam to down the Ohio highway.

Mayday Parade - If You Wanted a Song Written About You

The rise of mainstream emo led to new pop emo bands in the the late 2000’s such as Fall Out Boy, The Academy Is…, and Panic! At the Disco.  Mayday Parade had some of my favorite lyrics that spoke to me the most, and I appreciated their pop influence while also sticking with emo roots.  This song particularly was clever during the second bridge where a relationship is metaphorically veiled as singing a song with a partner.  Of course I cried to this when my love interests fail…and maybe still do to this day.

Senses Fail - NJ Falls into the Atlantic

When lead singer of Senses Fail Buddy Nielson came out as having problems determining his sexual identity, I started to realize why I loved this band so much growing up.  I always felt like the music had a way of expressing exactly how I felt, and Buddy’s voice just emulates pain that I sometimes experienced going through my own journey of coming out.  Senses Fail became more metal as they released more albums, but When it Enfolds You is a classic album with feeling.

Horse the Band - Murder

Nintendocore is hilarious and I love it.  Horse the Band made an entire album about pizza.  Their songs always pulled my nerdy gaming strings and I still end up smiling when I listen to their songs. “Murder” particularly has a great breakdown that feels like a hardcore two step while throwing down on a Nintendo conti.  It’s just great all around.

Brand New - I Am a Nightmare

You can’t talk about emo music without mentioning Brand New.  Their lyrics are unapologetic, and Jesse Lacey knows how to hit hard.  Seventy Times Seven was a staple in my emo years, and I can still write out every lyric from second album Deja Entendu, widely regarded as one of the most important and impactful emo albums of the decade.  Rumor is the band is breaking up in the coming year or so, but they are still releasing tracks like this new song which beckons back to their older music.


Underøath - A Moment Suspended in Time

Underøath is my number one go to when asked to describe 2000s emo or the music I listened to in high school.  Lead singers Aaron Gillespie and Spencer Chamberlain play an awesome game of back and forth throughout songs, with Aaron’s melodic voice softening the blows from Spencer’s heartfelt screams.  Underøath’s fifth album Define the Great Line was leaked months early through bittorrent, and it played beautifully with “A Moment Suspended in Time” being a perfect fit for the second to last song on the album.  Unfortunately, the band reordered the songs from the leaked version to the actual album, and I suspect this was to add differences between the two.  As a result,  “A Moment…” was ordered up second even though it plays like a penultimate tribute to the album.  Therefore, I made it the penultimate track of my playlist.  It’s awesome when an album reads like a book, and this song is a beautiful climax that was ordered wrong most likely because of a leaked version.

Taking Back Sunday - I'll Find a Way to Make it What You Want

We end our journey with a mellow stroll through the final song of Taking Back Sunday’s new album Tidal Wave.  It’s great to know that some of the bands emo kids grew up with are still making incredible music, and TBS is a band that showcases their evolution with each new album released.  Their latest album speaks more hopeful than their first, Tell All Your Friends, but whether I’m rocking out to “You’re So Last Summer” or romancing with “My Blue Heaven,” this band isn’t slowing anytime soon.  Check out the dates for their current tour, and remember… The emo movement lives on!


Alright weepers and whiners, that's a wrap. HUGE SHOUT OUT to my main man Steve for putting together this thoughtful and fun playlist for us to rock out to this week. I think my personal favorite was Murder by Horse the Band, but I got to say I was also very pleasantly surprised by the Brand New and Taking Back Sunday tracks. As always, keep tuning in on Wednesdays, tell your friends (or your enemies), and let's make music great again.

Square pegs stuck in round holes

Happy fucking Wednesday, boys and girls, and thanks for tuning in to this week's episode. We got some choice tracks today spanning across multiple eras of sound, from iconic champions Minor Threat and Bad Brains to brand spankin new acts like Modern Baseball and Curse Words, and everything in between. Open your favorite beverage, give in to your darkest desires and let's get this hootenanny started.




...and of course, the web player link for all you folks who don't have the spotify app: https://play.spotify.com/user/agood1no/playlist/3LOt6FOkAMvq5eAfVqqdcB

Down By Law – Gruesome Gary

We kick off this week with a schoolyard singalong from influential punk band Down by Law. Part of the Epitaph family in a flourishing 90s punk scene, DBL quickly made a name for themselves through thoughtful songwriting, technical prowess and dedication to their live sound and their fans. Founded in 1989 by only original member Dave Smalley (who already made a huge impact through his former bands Dag Nasty, DYS and All), Down by Law is back in business after a long hiatus in the 00s. Gruesome Gary tells the story of the rise and fall of a school bully, and is off DBL’s 4^th full-length, All Scratched Up.

Modern Baseball – Tears over Beers

Tears for Beers comes off Philly outfit Modern Baseball’s debut album, Sports. This 12-track release was recorded and produced in the Free Studios at Drexel University, where the two founding members were attending at the time. Artfully blending diverse stylistic elements, ranging from indie folk to emo to rock, and with an inescapable bittersweet timbre, these guys keep you guessing where they’ll go next. Modern Baseball has made plenty of waves, especially in underground music circles, through their devotion to their fanbase and unwavering commitment to stay unpretentious and rooted in their music.

Minor Threat – In My Eyes

Jesus, I may as well turn this playlist/blog into an Ian MacKaye fan club. Arguably, he has enough groundbreaking material and diversity in his art to still make it interesting each week. In My Eyes is a blistering and unrelenting anthem from iconic DC hardcore act Minor Threat. The kings of DIY, Minor Threat released all of their material through their own Dischord Records label. Crack open a beer and enjoy this tune from the founders of the straight edge movement!

Bad Brains – I and I Survive

Next up is a track from equally important member of the DC hardcore community, the rastacorian (see, it’s easy to make up words) dudes of Bad Brains. I and I Survive is off their 1983 sophomore album Rock for Light, which is a schizophrenic mélange of breakneck-speed hardcore and an off-tempo groovin’ calypso reggae. This particular song embodies the latter style, with meandering guitar and vocal melody lines layered over a rocksteady rhythm section. Although I and I Survive provides the listener a glimpse into the stylistic diversity of lead vocalist H.R., it really doesn’t do him justice. Go check out more Bad Brains songs and you’ll see what I mean.

The Offspring - LAPD

It is my hope that oftentimes as you listen to these playlists, you’ll discover new artists, maybe fall in love with a band you had no idea existed. Well, that certainly is not the case with our next track, from uber-famous The Offspring. LAPD is featured off their 2^nd studio album, Ignition, released in ’92 on the Epitaph label.  Pulling from the sounds and themes of the times, this song contains elements of grunge and punk, with some surf undertones, to create a jarringly jangly reproach of the nation’s third largest police force. Unfortunately, this is quite a propos with everything we’ve been seeing in the news lately…Happytimes fun Wednesday fact – some dicktard skinhead stabbed lead guitarist Noodles at one of the band’s earlier shows in the 80s. Nazis definitely make Orange County way less fun.

The Cure – Fascination Street

Now it’s time to get weird with British gentleman Robert Smith and his omnipresent band, The Cure.  The West Sussex rock group was a cornerstone of the burgeoning new wave and post-punk movements in the UK, famously pushing stylistic boundaries and delving into gloomier and more introspective content. Fascination Street, a single off their 1989 Disintegration release, is notable for its extended bass intro and for further establishing The Cure’s gothic pop sound .

Curse Words – Strange Shapes

Stoner punk goofs and self-described “beer models” Curse Words proves that punk rock is alive and well in our nation’s capital. Drawing from a wide range of influences, from bubblegrunge to forward-thinking pop punk, the dudes of Curse Words have created a unique sound that’s getting a lot of attention. Irreverent to the end, and dedicated to the art of the face-melt, they pack a punch at their live shows. Strange Shapes is off their 2016 EP Better Luck Next Time, recorded at the legendary Inner Ear Studios, and walks us through one of their more chemically-enhanced journeys. If you’re in the DMV, go check these guys out next time they play!

The Bouncing Souls – True Believers

True Believers is a hook-driven tune from Bouncing Soul’s 5^th studio album How I Spent My Summer Vacation. Built around lead man Greg Attonito’s delightfully unique melodies, and complemented by thoughtful bass and guitar parts, True Believers underscores why these boys from New Jersey have built such a strong and committed national (and even global) following. Bouncing Souls have been around since 1989 with only a couple small line-up tweaks, and they show no signs of slowing down, releasing their 10^th studio album to date this past July.

Blondie – X Offender

Up next we have new wave group Blondie, led by the incroyable ex-playboy bunny and punk symbol Debbie Harry. X Offender (originally titled ‘sex offender’ before THE MAN shut that down) is the first single off their eponymous debut album. “You wanted the love of a sex offender”…provocative and sarcastic, X Offender details a lady of the night’s crush on her arresting officer, and her schemes to perpetrate love with him. Hugely popular, both commercially and critically, Blondie has sold over 40 million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

7 Seconds – Busy Little People

We conclude this week’s shitshow with the song Busy Little People, from melodic hardcore legends 7 Seconds. Formed in Reno, NV in 1980 by brothers Kevin Seconds and Steve Youth, 7 Seconds were influenced by, and experimented with, multiple genres, including west coast hardcore, funk, new wave and punk, to create a long-lasting and hard-earned legacy in the biz. This track is from their LP Soulforce Revolution, released through the Restless Records label in El Segundo. 7 Seconds are themselves busy little people – they are still recording and touring today.

Alright Dragoons, that’s it for us this week. Parting ways is always hard but we’ll do it all over again next Wednesday. Keep in touch, feel free to throw out song requests, and if you’re a band or label and want me to play your shit, just let me know. Andrew out.