The Cardinal Sin

The Cardinal Sin were a four-piece emo/pop punk band from Minneapolis, Minnesota that were around from 2003 to 2006. In that time, they released one full-length, an EP, and a split (which I'm missing), all of which consist of a chunky, driving rhythm section, melodic lead guitar noodling, and catchy, layered vocals. If you're into bands such as Motion City Soundtrack (who they extensively toured with), Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, or Latterman, they're definitely worth your time. Hurry Up And Wait also belongs to an elite club of albums with houses on the cover, so it's got that going for it, on top of being a solidly underrated album. Enjoy.

 

Oil And Water EP (2005)

1. Where We Shine

2. Quarter-Life Crisis

3. Woke Up In Pain

4. A Call For Help

5. Bastards Of Young (The Replacements cover)

6. Oil And Water

Hurry Up And Wait (2006)

1. Eye-Opener

2. Under Your Skin

3. Rough Road

4. Saddest Song

5. Keep You Guessing

6. I'll Confess

7. Light Years Behind

8. White Light! What Light?

9. Good For Nothing

10. He's A Space Case

11. Swarm

12. Hell Of A Saint

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Apple Music

First Day Back

First Day Back are a five-piece emo/indie band from Santa Cruz, California who released their debut LP earlier this year, Forward. This is the good stuff right here; harkening back to an era of midwest emo dominated by the likes of Cap'n Jazz, Braid, Penfold, Rainer Maria, and The Jazz June without sounding like an exact replica of any of them. First Day Back favour bright, crisp guitar tones that wallow in melancholic chords and arpeggios over gloriously strained vocals, with the occasional use of a harmonica or violin that adds a truly unique dynamic layer to their already-tight and sundry sound. This album offers nine unique tracks that ebb and flow as one of the year's stand-out emo releases, so naturally I highly, highly recommend giving it a listen. Enjoy.

Forward (2025)

1. Sure, Ok

2. Upstairs (212)

3. Moving Out

4. Us

5. Gone On

6. Lines

7. Wait, Do You Hear That?

8. Paint

9. Twelve Mile Train Tracks

Bandcamp

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Apple Music

Instagram

key vs. locket

I haven't been coming up with new releases this year as much as I'd like to, but this is one of the few that have really stood out to me. key vs. locket is a new solo project created by twikipedia (I don't know her actual name I apologize), who recorded, performed, and released this fantastic new album titled i felt like a sketch. Pulling the mathy, midwest emo guitars into tracks that both punch and shimmer, what really sets this apart is in the indelible songwriting, with fantastic hooks and melodies (some of which are in Portuguese) across its entirety. These tracks are dynamic, with the lo-fi only adding to its scrappy charm. The instrumentation is even varied, with acoustic guitars, pianos, and what sounds like digital percussion/synths, all of which comes together beautifully at the end of "symptom". It's 50 minutes but there's a plethora of variety amongst most of these tracks, with frenetic guitar work and unique hooks, tones, and structures within each that make it the whole album a breezy listen. If you're into Car Seat Headrest, Parannoul, Marietta, or Oso Oso, maybe give this a listen. And if there are any other albums from this year that have stuck with you, please let me know as I need to catch up! Enjoy.

i felt like a sketch (2025)

1. tackle

2. half enough

3. mundo

4. rifle

5. hourglass memory

6. symptom

7. conjoined (interlude)

8. nothing for a moment

9. only human / anywhere at all

10. snowman, snowman

11. a play

12. medicine

13. promise

14. carpe diem avem

Bandcamp

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Apple Music

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Friends Unseen

Friends Unseen were a five-piece emo/indie band from Umeå, Sweden that released a single two-song 7" in 1998 via Subjugation Records. Other than that what's included with this record, there's really no other information out there on them. One of their members was also in Separation and The International (Noise) Conspiracy, but those are far cries from the sound heard here. These two tracks are slightly overdriven, lo-fi and melancholic, with impeccable vocals. You guys are going to love this, that's all I have to say to implore you to give this a listen. Enjoy.

The Usual Dilemma / Drowning Act (1998)

1. The Usual Dilemma

2. Drowning Act

The Cabs

The Cabs were a three-piece emo/math rock band from Saitama, Japan that formed in 2006 and disbanded in 2013. They released two EP's/mini-albums and one album, the three of which is what you primarily see as their discography. Apparently there are some demos and live material out there, so if anyone's got anything more than this, please let me know. Also as a quick note, depending on where you go on the internet, their album and song titles will differ slightly (presumably as a result of varying English translations). Sonically, you guys are going to love this if you're unfamiliar with them. They've got these soaring, ultra-melodic vocals, shimmering, athletic guitars, and bring this raw, near-frenzied cathartic energy to an otherwise very smooth, very clean work. If you need a frame of reference, fans of bands such as TTNG, toe, Maps & Atlases, Owls, or Ghosts And Vodka will certainly fall in love with this. Enjoy.

The First Action [First Incident] (2011)

1. For Charles Bronson

2. Nigastu No Heitai

3. No Future For Us

4. Haiku About Kdyla

5. Nicol Kills Nicolas For Nicola

6. Kugatu Ha sannbikaniyoru

Kaiki Suru Kokyu [Recur Breath] (2011)

1. Kilche No Rasen

2. Camn Aven

3. Gedoku Sareru Jukai

4. Kakko No Suno Ue De

5. skor

6. Dai Hachi Byoto

Saisei No Hukei [Regenerative Landscape] (2013)

1. Leland

2. Hana No Youni

3. Anschluss

4. Our Fail

5. Map

6. Sarasa

7. Smile Lazuro

8. Purusha

9. Your Eyes Have All The Answer

10. All Crying

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Apple Music

Ratboys

Ratboys are a four-piece indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois that formed in 2010. Initially comprised of Julia Steiner and David Sagan, they began in South Bend, Indiana before relocating to Chicago and rounding out their line-up as a full band. They've released five full-length albums, all through Topshelf Records. Before we get to the end-of-year stuff, I thought I should finally include this band, who put out one of my favourite albums of last year, and one I continually returned to throughout this year. 

It's criminal that it took so long to get to, especially since they're a Topshelf band whose name continually came up for years. The Window did not disappoint, with its country-tinged, jangly slacker rock sound, fuzzy lead guitars, and impeccable songwriting with monstrous hooks. From the loose jam of "Black Earth, WI", to the racous garage rock of "Crossed That Line", to the soaring vocals of the title track, this album is incredible. Exploring their back catalogue has also been a joy, as they've been incredibly consistent since the get-go, but I'm still mostly partial to The Window. So if you're like me and have been pushing checking this out off, don't. Enjoy.

Ratboy (2011)

1. The Stanza

2. Down The River

3. Intense Judgement

4. Key

5. A 39 Is Annie The Oldest Cat

6. Have A Heart

AOID (2015)

1. AOID

2. Tixis

3. MCMXIV

4. Charles BErnstein

5. Folk Song For JAzz

6. Postman Song

7. Our Mortician's Daughter

8. Bugs!

9. Pivotal Dates

10. And

Dowsing/Ratboys (2016)

1. Dowsing - Hold

2. Dowsing - Pass

3. Ratboys - Not Again

4. Ratboys - Light Pollution

GN (2017)

1. Molly

2. Elvis Is In The Freezer

3. Westside

4. Control

5. Crying About The Planets

6. Dangerous Visions

7. Wandered

8. GM

9. The Record

10. Peter The Wild Boy

GL (2018)

1. GL

2. You've Changed

3. Figure

4. After School

Printer's Devil (2020)
1. Alien With A Sleep Mask On

2. Look To

3. My Hands Grow

4. A Vision

5. Anj

6. I Go Out At Night

7. Victoriam Slumhouse

8. Clever Hans

9. Listening

10. Printer's Devil

Happy Birthday, Ratboy (2021)

1. The Stanza

2. Down The River

3. Intense Judgment

4. Key

5. At 39 Is Annie The Oldest Cat?

6. Space Blows

7. Collected

8. Cacao To Cacao

9. Have A Heart

10. 88 Fingers Edward

11. Go Outside

The Window (2023)

1. Making Noise For The Ones You Love

2. Morning Zoo

3. Crossed That Line

4. It's Alive!

5. No Way

6. The Window

7. Empty

8. Break

9. Black Earth, WI

10. I Want You (Fall 2010)

11. Bad Reaction

Bandcamp

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Apple Music

Website

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Kittyhawk

Kittyhawk are a four-piece emo/indie band from Chicago, Illinois that were initially active from 2011 to 2016 before reuniting in 2019. This is another band that can be filed under "posts I thought I did years ago". Kittyhawk have released one EP, an LP  and a handful of splits. A few years back, they released a compilation which includes all their recorded material (aside from their LP). Speaking of which, it was released by Count Your Lucky Stars, so if you're a fan of those shimmering clean guitar arpeggios, breathy poppy vocals, and dynamic build-ups, this is likely a band you're already familiar with. If not and you like Joie De Vivre, Dowsing, Dikembe, Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), you're going to love this. I haven't returned to them in a long time and it was a genuine joy to hear this album again. Enjoy.

Kittyhawk EP (2012)

1. The First One

2. Older/Wiser

3. Science Fiction

4. He Travels In A Suit

5. Partial Paradigm

Kittyhawk/Prawn/Droughts/Frameworks (2014)

1. Kittyhawk - Daily Dodger

2. Kittyhawk - Food Fight

3. Prawn - Nerves

4. Prawn - Laki

5. Droughts - Deaf Grin

6. Droughts - Financed Furniture

7. Frameworks - Presomnal

8. Frameworks - Preamble

Hello, Again (2014)

1. Contact

2. The Petravicz Estate

3. Sunny Day Renter's Insurance

4. Vaudeville

5. Jude II

6. Welcome Home

7. Self v. Former Self

8. Hans Christian Andersen

9. Zodiac

10. Seasonal Abjective Disorder

11. Better Homes

12. Better Gardens

13. Tourisme

Sundae Bloody Sundae (2014)

1. The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - Fat Heaven

2. Rozwell Kid - The Weather (Spirit Night)

3. Kittyhawk - Soft Serve

4. Two Knights - Benji's Cool Times Summer Jamz

Mikey's Favorite Songs (2021)

1. The First One

2. Older/Wiser

3. Science Fiction

4. He Travels In A Suit

5. Partial Paradigm

6. Silver Bells

7. The Green

8. The Rot

9. The Red

10. The Daily Dodger

11. Food Fight

12. Soft Serve

13. You Keep Me Hanging On

Bandcamp

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Apple Music

Instagram

Facebook

Edaline

Edaline were a four-piece emo/post-hardcore band from Santa Rosa, California that were around from 1996 to 1999. They released an EP, an LP, and a live album. Sonically, they incorporate dynamic vocals, cathartic climaxes, octave chords/mathy noodling guitars, prominent bass lines, and surprisingly technical drum work. It is what you'd expect out of a vastly underrated 90's emo band, but the tight musicianship and incorporation of almost jazzy elements and varied instrumentation (acoustic guitars, pianos, saxophones) do make them stand out. I hadn't heard of them until recently and they struck me as noteworthy, so give them a try if you've never heard of 'em. Their debut EP is probably your best bet as a starting point, but it's not like there's a ton of material here to work through. Enjoy.

Old City Scenes (1997)

1. Comastar

2. Elevator

3. This Ride

4. Vintage Postcards

5. Spring

6. Broken Ferris Wheel

I Wrote The Last Chapter For You (1999)

1. Andrea Gail

2. Crisis In Silence

3. Stranded

4. This Fabricated Town

5. Southern Pacific

6. Drain It (The End Result)

7. Crescent Moon Eyes

8. Thinking Of View

Live At The Bottom Of The Hill (1999)

1. Elevator

2. Southern Pacific

3. Andrea Gail

4. Stranded

5. Comastar

6. This Fabricated Town

7. Drain It (The End Result)

8. Broken Ferris Wheel

9. Comastar

10. Elevator

11. Spring

12. Vintage Postcards

13. Broken Ferris Wheel

14. The Fly Song

Note: Tracks 1-8 live songs, 9-14 are the Old City Scenes EP

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Flight Mode

Flight Mode are a three-piece emo band from Oslo, Norway that have been around since 2021. They've released a succession of three EP's, all with names derived from times and places. Out the gate this band hits a nostalgic tinge, which is bolstered by the wistful music they make. Clean guitars noodle over these mid-tempo tracks, with an intentional, quivering vocals delivered with palatable vocal deliveries. It's carrying the torch that bands like Death Cab For Cutie and The Appleseed Cast did in the early 2000's, with nods to the midwest emo sound of the late 90's. Recently their three EP's were compiled and released all together by Tiny Engines, which is the essential here as their discography to date has been flawless. Enjoy.

TX, '98 (2021)

1. Sixteen

2. Fossil Fuel

3. Animals

4. Go

Torshov, '05 (2022)

1. Twentyfour

2. Blinks

3. Togerthness

4. Dö Yoü Rëmëmbër

Tøyen, '13 (2024)

1. Thirtysomething

2. Hyperventilate

3. Surprised At All

4. My Brothers & My Sister At The Funeral

The Three Times (2024)

1. Sixteen

2. Fossil Fuel

3. Animals

4. Go

5. Twentyfour

6. Blinks

7. Togerthness

8.  Dö Yoü Rëmëmbër

9. Thirtysomething

10. Hyperventilate

11. Surprised At All

12. My Brothers & My Sister At The Funeral

Bandcamp

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Apple Music

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Hot Rod Circuit

Hot Rod Circuit are a four-piece emo/indie band from Auburn, Alabama that formed in 1997. They initially went by the name Antidote and released one album before changing the name and becoming the iteration of the band we know today. They quickly released two full-lengths in 1999 and 2000 respectively, both via Triple Crown Records. They switched to Vagrant Records for their following full-length, Sorry About Tomorrow. This included some of their most well-known tracks, particularly its opener "The Pharmacist". After another two albusm, the band broke up in 2007 after a solid ten years of activity. They weren't gone for long, as they reformed briefly in 2011, and then came back in semi-full force in 2014. Since then, they have played shows sporadically, with a few coming in January 2024.

I'll fully admit that this is one band I have not given nearly enough time to. They've been requested for years, and sit comfortably amongst the likes of Piebald, Braid, The Anniversary, The Get Up Kids, and Jimmy Eat World. I really haven't delved any deeper than cursory listens beyond If I Knew Now What I Knew Then and Sorry About Tomorrow. Both of those are solid, though didn't quite click the same way some of the aforementioned bands did. I still like and have an immense respect for them, and consider them one of the handful of major emo acts I have yet to cover here. So here they are, in all their glory. Enjoy!

Hot Rod Circuit (1999)

1. Very Best Friend

2. Slacker

3. Blurry 17

4. Hi-Tech Lipgloss

5. Richard Simmons

If I Knew Now What I Knew Then (1999)

1. Weak Warm

2. Irish Car Bomb

3. Slacker

4. Remover

5. Chemistry

6. Medicated Lungs

7. Achy Breaky Hockey Hair

8. Good Intentions

9. Chinese Cuts

10. Low

If It's Cool With You, It's Cool With Me (2000)

1. Radio Song

2. Supersad

3. Two Hand Touch

4. The Power Of The Vitamins

5. Cool With Me

6. Versatility

7. This Is Not The Time Or Place

8. Smithsonian Lover

9. Flight 89 (North American)

10. You Kill Me

11. What's Left Standing

The Anniversary/Hot Rod Circuit (2000)

1. The Anniversary - To Never Die Young

2. Hot Rod Circuit - This One's For Randy

Sorry About Tomorrow (2002)

1. The Pharmacist

2. At Natures Mercy

3. Radiation Suit

4. Safely

5. Now Or Never

6. Cool For One Night

7. Knees

8. Let's Go Home

9. Consumed By Laziness

10. Get What You Get

11. The Night They Blew Up The Moon 

Been There, Smoked That (2002)

1. Very Best Friend

2. Slacker

3. Blurry 17

4. Hi-Tech Lipgloss

5. Richard Simmons

6. Sadie Hawkins

7. Understood

8. Grocery Store

9. The Greatest Disappointment

10. Master Control Program

11. Power Of Vitamins (Live)

12. This One's For Randy (Live)

13. Hi-Tech Lip Gloss (Live)

14. Patty Hearst Machine Gun (Fudge cover)

15. Sin City (AC/DC cover)

Reality's Coming Through (2004)

1. Inhabit

2. Save You

3. Fear The Sound

4. Cheap Trick

5. Failure

6. Tell The Truth

7. Unfaithful

8. The Best You Ever Knew

9. Crossbow

10. Riding The Low

11. Moonlight Sunlight

A Santa Clause: It's A Punk Rock Christmas 2 (2006)

9. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (John Lennon cover)

The Underground Is A Dying Breed (2007)

1. Stateside

2. Vampire

3. Battleship

4. What We Believe In

5. 45's

6. Holding On To Nothing

7. US Royalty

8. Ventricle

9. Spit You Out

10. Cali

11. 6-8

The Underground Is A Dying Breed Acoustic EP (2007)

1. 45's

2. Battleship

3. Camo

4. Stateside

5. U.S. Royalty

Punk Goes Crunk (2008)

13. Gin & Juice (Snoop Dogg cover)

Hot Rod Circuit (2011)

1. Forgive Me

2. Into The Sun

3. Sucked Out

Default Setting (2017)

1. Default Setting

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