We are officially at the halfway point of our 100 Rising Artists You Need To Listen To In 2024! In case you’ve missed any of our previous installments of the first 40 out of 100 artists you need to be listening to in the New Year, you can check them out here. While we’ll always have our tried and true artists and bands that we revisit time and time again—the emo trinity, anyone?—it’s always so exhilarating and rewarding to discover new music and fall in love with a sound that is entirely new to your ears. Besides, we could all… Read more »
Amidst the festive cheer of the holiday season, we march to the beat of our alternative carols—My Chemical Romance‘s punk-infused take of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and Fall Out Boy‘s “Yule Shoot Your Eye Out.” Whether you’re picking out gifts for yourself or curating the perfect presents for your alt besties, here are five independent alternative brands that deserve a spot on your shopping list this holiday season. Unleash your rebellious spirit and celebrate the season with a touch of alternative flair! BlackCraft Cult BlackCraft Cult lives by the ethos of kindness, gratitude, and positivity. They stand… Read more »
Coming off the inevitable high of their eagerly-awaited new collection, The Fear Of Fear, which saw its official release courtesy of Rise Records/Pale Chord on November 2, Spiritbox has extended their creative expression through a series of arrestingly cinematic music videos to coincide with the release. In honor of their latest release, The Fear Of Fear, Spiritbox began with the release of “Ultraviolet” on November 2, swiftly followed by “Angel Eyes” on November 3. And just this past weekend, on November 4, fans were gifted with the awe-inspiring video for “Too Close / Too Late.” Read more: Here’s What All-American… Read more »
What a time to be an emo kid. With nostalgia in vogue, scene kids like ourselves are begging for another chance to live out our Warped Tour fantasies. The days of thick rubber bracelets with “I Love Boobies” imprinted into them, free meet-and-greets at the merch tent, and a day chock-full of heavy-hitting acts in the alternative space. Luckily, When We Were Young Fest is filling this void for the second year in a row with another incredibly stacked lineup. From legacy headliners like Green Day and blink-182 to next-generation acts like Magnolia Park and Games We Play, the second-annual… Read more »
God is real, and her name is Taylor Swift. Whether or not you’re on board with Swiftie mania, it’s impossible to deny that the record-breaking artist is an industry-changing champion. From country to pop and rock to indie, she defies genre and definitely has a streak of emo running through her veins, as she’s noted Pete Wentz as a major songwriting inspiration in the past. After all, her vault tracks from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) include collaborations with Fall Out Boy and Paramore’s Hayley Williams. You also can’t forget “Two Is Better Than One” with Boys Like Girls or… Read more »
Artists in today’s industry have the opportunity to reinvent themselves in an instant. Whether it is due to a genre switch or a change in aesthetic, the ability to shapeshift can feel liberating. Today, singer-songwriter Jaden Hossler is removing the varnish of his alias, jxdn, and releasing “Chrome Hearted” under his real name. Dropping via DTA Records, the track shows a new side of Hossler following his journey to sobriety. This deeply-personal topic is one he is proud to continue exploring in this new era. Combining trap beats with a smooth, pop-infused vocal delivery, Jaden Hossler taps into a sound… Read more »
Young Culture is back with the bop of the fall! Joining forces with their friends and fellow New York natives, Daisy Grenade, the pop-rock band is celebrating the release of their new single, “Jesus,” today. The song tells the story of a toxic relationship that is too addictive to leave. It’s the kind of situation you know is terrible for you, but the push and pull of passion makes you stay. Lyrics like, “Why do I get high when you keep taking me low?” are balanced by the track’s driving guitars that immerse the listener into a full-on house party… Read more »
We all love a powerful frontwoman, and Against The Current’s Chrissy Costanza fits the bill. The band’s new single “silent stranger” introduces fans to their “nightmare era,” which is chock-full of black and white imagery and a dark-pop edge that elevates their classic sound. It’s all about shedding the persona they’ve created for themselves and the challenges of reclaiming their authentic identity. There comes a point when the reflection in the mirror looks like a complete stranger, which Costanza sings in the lyrics, “I know all the lies/I brought to life/Now I don’t know how to be someone real/Hate that… Read more »
As per usual, The Maine has been more than generous to fans, offering amazing collabs, dropping an incredible ninth record, and sharing new acoustic renditions of their singles. After teasing a snippet of the track earlier this week, the group finally shared a stripped-down version of the dance-inducing, pop-laced banger “blame,” resulting in a haunting, heartfelt performance. Frontman John O’Callaghan’s vocals absolutely shine on this somber rendition, departing from the glitzy disco aesthetics and sounds of its original counterpart. Frankly, be prepared to sob. Listen to The Maine’s acoustic reinterpretation of “blame” below. In a recent Instagram clip, listeners can… Read more »
It was never a phase. However, which phase are we talking about exactly? Truth be told, the evolution of the emo style had many, many phases. We know we were never the jocks, the preps, or the bookworms. But we certainly had something going on, and it was developing alongside the bands we loved. Sometimes we were in all black, and surprisingly, sometimes, we were in pink and yellow. Beanies may have been really tiny, and other times very baggy and oversized. Emo fashion means something different for everyone. We thought it would be fun to rank the different ways… Read more »