Funeral Diner

Funeral Diner was a screamo band that encompassed punk, melodic hardcore and emo music to create a legendary sound that has influenced a good number of your favorite bands. They were from the general San Francisco area and were active from '98 to '08. In their ten years as screamo royalty they put out like 20 releases and toured Japan, Europe and The United States. Amongst other bands, the dudes in Funeral Diner played/play in ...Who Calls So Loud, Takaru, Portraits of Past, and Nexus Six. Below is everything that they put out except for an album called "Three Sides Dead", which is a compilation of their songs on their splits with Staircase, The Shivering, and Nexus Six, as well as a compilation called "Inspiration From Forest". They also have a song on The Emo Apocolypse. Heres a live video of "My Fists Smell Like Graveyards".



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Split with Ampere


Split with Staircase


Split with The Shivering


Split with Zann


4-Way Split with End on End, Under a Dying Sun, and Endzweck


Split with The Saddest Landscape


Split with Dead City


Split with Evylock



Split with Raein


Split with Welcome The Plague Year


Doors Open


3" Tour Demo


The Swept Under


The Wicked


The Underdark


...Is Dead


Difference of Potential


The World Of The Forms


I just Want to Feel This Way Forever

Remainder

Remainder (formally C'est La Guerre) is a young screamo band from Boston and Providence who are creating quite a buss for themselves. Their music is heavily influenced by bands like Daitro and Raein (when I saw them in Cambridge they covered "Tigersuit"). Overall their songs are pretty good; its nothing flashy or off the wall, but its some good solid music. They just put out their first full length, which is available below, as well as their demo. They are also going to be putting out a split with Alessa and will be featured on a huge tape compilation called "The World is Vast". They are playing a shit ton of shows with some really good bands, so go check that out, and be sure to pick up a copy of "Set Aside Your Fears".

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Set Aside Your Fears


Demo

The Usual & Migrations

The Usual and Migrations are both from our hometown and they recently put together a sweet split. I think its really tight that they worked together because they are the only two bands that I can think of that are from Hagerstown that aren't Christian Metalcore, and they are really cool dudes. Oh, and both of these acts share a drummer.


The Usual is a nice change of pace in the screamo scene. All three of these little babies are still in high school and they have grown into a very respectable group. They have five songs on the split, ranging from a minute to about three and a half. The recording quality of their songs are very lo fi; it sounds like its all live. This is what We Were Skeletons would sound like if they were all seniors in high school in 2010.


Migrations is a post rock band that does the final song on the disc, coming in at just under 13 minutes. The song is epic and dynamic as well as rhythmical. Its nice to hear a hear a post rock band with really long songs that doesn't rely on a shit ton of effects to bridge the gaps between the parts with the entire group.

Like I said before, I've known all these kids for years and have played numerous shows with them and they really are two great bands. They are going on tour this summer and I encourage anyone who lives within 5 hours of Maryland to try to help them with a show. Both those bands are the shit live.

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The Usual/Migrations Split

Grown Ups

So Grown Ups just put out a full length called "More Songs" on Big Scary Monsters. I just found this and figured I should throw it up here. I'm about halfway through the tracks and so far its been pretty tight.

In case you are completely in the dark about Grown Ups, they are a midwest emo band that sounds like a more pop-punk version of Snowing or Native.

1:53-2:05 of "Six More Weeks of Winter" straight up sound like Brand New. No lie.

GO BUY THIS RECORD HERE

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More Songs

Pg. 99

IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHO PG. 99 IS THAN I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU. EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE WITH A PG. 99 TATTOO. I heard they took at least one prostitute on tour with them once. Their music and merch can still be bought by all of their various labels (like Robotic Empire or Magic Bullet).

Members went on to play in a shit ton of bands including the following:
Pygmy Lush
Tideland
Darkest Hour
Ghastly City Sleep


Below is a video from their set in Berkeley, CA in 2001 and all 14 documents.


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Document 1 Demo Tape


Document 2 Split with Enemy Soil


Document 3 Split with Reactor no. 7


Document 4 Tour 6"


Document 5 LP


Document 6 Split with Process is Dead


Document 7 LP


Document 8 LP


Document 9 "A Split Personality" Split with City of Caterpillar


Document 10 "Do You Need a Place to Stay?" Live Split with Waifle


Document 11 Reissue of Doc. 3 & 4


Document 12 Split with Majority Rule


Document 13 "Pyramids in Cloth" Split with Circles Takes The Square


Document 14 The Singles

Army of Kashyyyk

ARRRMMMYYYYYY OF KAAASSSSHHHYYYYYYYYYYKK is an emoviolence band from Baltimore. Over past year they have broken up and gotten back together more times than most of us have gotten laid, but as of right now they are together. Their next show is at Barclay House on the first of June, so make sure you check that out if you're in the neighborhood.

Army's sound is a solid mix of driving thrash and emotional hardcore breaks. They are part of the vast Dawn Treader family, sharing members with dudes from Pansori, Let's, Osceola, and a few others I'm sure. We have both seen these guys numerous times and no matter where it is everyone goes ape shit. My favorite memory of Army of Kashyyyk is by far an Outclassed show at Bearacougar's Pleasure Island when I had to stand on a washing machine in order to avoid being trampled to death.

Anyways, Army of Kashyyk rule, and they are really cool dudes, so you should give them a listen. Also, I think you can buy stuff from them, so make sure to do that. Heres a video and all their stuff I could find.

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Split with Lovers & Killers



Split with Osceola



Winter Tour EP



Summer/Spring 2008 Demo (pretty sure they had the same exact songs on them)

Live at Barclay House December 8th, 2009

Age Sixteen & Wren Lloyd Split

I just snagged this shit from Stoking The Roots. This split is from two of Baltimore's most popular acts, although Age Sixteen recently decided to call it quits. In case you have never heard of either of these bands, Age Sixteen was an Emo/Screamo band who had song structure similar to the European screamo bands that are becoming more popular, two of which being Suis La Lune and La Quiete, while Wren Lloyd (formally known as Odepius) is a grindcore outfit who play dirty music and put on extravagant live performances (wear a dress, get dick naked, that kinda thing). I have no idea what the track names are, except that the last song is a cover of Sunny Day Real Estate's "Seven". Overall the album is pretty cool: I like the Wren Lloyd songs more than the songs on their previous releases, but even though Age Sixteen's songs clearly show musical growth and is a testament to their song writing abilities, this is not my favorite release of theirs(not being a dick, but you can't really beat the demo, sorry). I'm sure you can pick up a copy from either of the bands' websites, and I hope that you do so. And for the record, no need to cry too hard over Age Sixteen's demise, there is a post A16 band in the works. Below is their split.

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Age Sixteen Wren Lloyd Split

EDIT:
Heres is the track list:

1. Ergotism- Wren Lloyd
2. Radical Edward's Dream- Wren Lloyd
3. Purple Skeleton- Wren Lloyd
4. Clump Spirit- Wren Lloyd
5. Why Relive A Closed Chapter...- Age Sixteen
6. The Emperor- Age Sixteen
7. From The Top of My Heart- Age Sixteen
8. Seven (Sunny Day Real Estate cover- Age Sixteen

Carissa's Wierd

Here's Carissa's Wierd.

Featuring future members of the much-hyped Band Of Horses (who I have to admit I've never heard), and Jen Ghetto's solo project S, the band's sound was a blend of symphonic arrangements, delicately strummed guitars, and nearly whispered, fragile vocals that sets them apart from other bands in the Seattle scene that was awash in a tide of Mudhoney and Nirvana clones during an era of record industry exploitation of the area due to it's status as a musical hotbed.

Bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, early in the decade, and the Tacoma Area's Botch in the late 90's/early '00's blazed trails in the "emo"/hardcore genres, yet somehow seemed to become associated with a stereotyped image, which all too often happens when a band gets bumped from "cult" to "granddaddy shit" status. SDRE's rhythm section eventually would help form Foo Fighters with ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, and Botch went on to seriously influence bands like Norma Jean. That's kind of the how the scene seems to go. Carissa's Wierd's relative obscurity is a gift in a way. They carry no reputation and thus no baggage - the music seems to speak for itself. Unlike musicians like Elliott Smith, (who's rainy day lo-fi sound is somewhat akin to Carissa's Wierd aesthetic), who have biographies available in any major book store about them, which creates an almost overpowering individual aura that overpowers the music sometimes. Carissa's Wierd's music survives as a sole testament to their power of artists. Their power as musician's somehow seems to lie in their virtual anonymity - when you hear a Carissa's Wierd song for the first time you have no preconception about what the singer might be saying - you have no previous reference to go on except maybe the lyrics to another song. It somehow makes the recording seem just as intimate, if not more, as listening to a famous artist sing a famous song about a situation that is understood, because of their celebrity status, between the artist and the audience. The fact that you are somehow out of the loop about the true circumstance for the song being penned at all makes it seem all the more soul-bearing as an offering in this band's case.

Their delicate, tight approach results in lilting yet jarring melodies, and intimate recordings. Often referred to as things like "Sadcore", or "Slowcore", they truly sound as their fan-run Myspace heralds them as: "Punk kids grown up and gone sad." The male/female vocal is unique and well-played. Their two true full lengths show the fullest extent of their strength as songwriters; the guitar hook and complimentary melody in "Ignorant Piece of Shit" (2003's Songs About Leaving) is one of the most compelling riffs I've ever heard. Their use of orchestral instruments really gives the music a great atmospheric vibe, while remaining completely manic depressive - their prowess lies in their ability to absolutely mesmerize you with stunning instrumentation while at the same time singing, well, some of the most depressing lyrics I've ever heard. The aptly titled "Die" (2004's I Before E) is a perfect example with lines like:

I see you way out there
You’re standing on a lonely road
(suppose I had said that I had lied, just when you said that you were)
Die right now
I never asked to be here

A bit melodramatic at time, but it somehow never manages to seem cheesy. Their entire catalog is worth the download, and their Scrapbook b-side collection features some great covers that point you in the right direction if you're wondering about influences - a gentle acoustic version of "Asleep" by the Smiths as well as version of Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel" that features Sam Beam of Iron & Wine fame circa the time he was releasing his breakthrough album Our Endless Numbered Days, that would propel him to indie star status. The album also features some great demo and alternate versions of LP songs, as does I Before E, which also features the excellent aforementioned "Die".

And now, a shout out from Mike Teunis for shits and giggles:
"...woah... deep."



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Ugly But Honest: 1996-1999 (1999)



You Should Be at Home Here (2001)



Songs About Leaving (2002)



Scrapbook (2003)

Live in Denton, TX July 13, 2003



I Before E (2004)