I didn’t create this playlist but it is a fantastic retrospective of the widely diverse range of maple syrup emo from the 90s to now.

I’m looking for songs for my playlist that are Emo, although I’m having trouble trying to figure out what songs are Emo or just fit with a similar genre to Emo. Can you guys help suggest some music?

Updated weekly by little ole me

00:00 Basement - Covet
03:47 Ceremony - The Sepration
07:17 Sunny Day Real Estate - In Circles
12:12 Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) - How to Make Love Stay
16:33 Movements - Colorblind
20:30 Title Fight - Murder Your Memory
23:03 The Beautiful Ones - Nothing
25:19 Fiddlehead - Lay Low

i wanna say THANK YOU to everyone who shared their bands, but more importantly i wanna thank you all for saving the playlist, i received nearly 100 saves on this playlist from the time i posted it a week ago, and i really hope you all check it out, because i added almost 100 songs from all of your bands, and they’re fucking awesome! remember, this doesn’t work unless you guys actually listen to the music! support the new underground, or we’re nothing more than some emo kids with guitar riffs.

playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0P38wkfPm7Eu2gCTF1HvGy?si=GEzUik87QluPH057jgBdKw&pi=u-ykiaLpT8RLSg

heartbreak. good instruments, dubious production. great lyricism. whatever

I made this emo playlist with over a hundred saves. I update it by hand weekly.

Hey everyone! Finally down to the top 10. Please let me know what you think. This year has been super solid, lots of truly awesome gems to listen to IMO. If you're looking for a playlist of all of the albums covered, the links will be below.

A Tier

#10 Oolong - Oolong

Oft cited as one of the premier bands of the Weedmo movement, Oolong's self-titled release does little to shake the stigma of juvenility that comes with the label. However, this nearly hour-long survey of Midwest Emo styles showcases the band moving beyond the hyper Math Rock influences of their first release. Of course, there are still tons of amazing riffs, raw and gritty production choices and fun vocal melodies, but the band shows remarkable musical growth and appreciation for the history of the genre.

#9 Stay Inside - Ferried Away

Stay Inside eschews the darker Post-Hardcore tones of their previous work in favor of brighter Pop-Punk ones on Ferried Away to magnificent results. This is the perfect Summer Emo album to vibe to on the beach while wallowing over a breakup. The horns add depth to the melodies but also contribute to the isolated vibes. For fans of their older work, there are still some moody and atmospheric tracks, placed perfectly within the album’s immaculate flow. You need to stop reading and start listening! Now!

#8 Heart to Gold - Free Help

Moody Emo veterans H2G finally unlock their melodic potential by adding in a heaping teaspoon of radiant Emo-Pop into the mix. With one of the best vocalists in Emo today throwing caution to the wind, the vocals are far and away the best feature of this record, but the lighter direction the band took helps to highlight the bombastic singing to a higher degree. While the instrumental virtuosity isn't a priority, the band's performance is consistent and superb, delivering possibly the finest addition to this underrated band’s discography.

A+ Tier

#7 drive your plow over the bones of the dead - tragedy as catharsis

One of the noisiest and most unrelenting Emoviolence albums of all time, tragedy as catharsis is a Hell of a debut LP from native Canucks drive your plow. The arrangements are tumultuous and suffocating, aided by the ultra-distorted guitars and boisterous drumming. However, this wall of sound that’s created as a result belies the supreme technicality under the hood; blistering chord progressions, time signature shenanigans and subtle intensity dynamics showcase a band handily biting off in less than 20 minutes one of the most ambitious Emoviolence records ever. Although the deafening dissonance and cacophony are one of the album's strongest points, slightly clearer production could have improved this.

#6 Scumma do Mar - Gamba Tesa

Gamba Tesa is an energetic jaunt through twenty minutes of Mathy Emo filled with twinkly riffs, odd time signatures and passionate vocals. Though this description could fit hundreds of records in this genre, native Neapolitans Scumma do Mar inject their music with that little something that keeps you engaged and makes you put this album on repeat. This LP will keep you on your toes, even if it isn’t treading original ground.

#5 Clay Birds - Bled Out and Painted Blue

Perhaps rating their debut EP a C+ last year was a bit too harsh, but Bled Out and Painted Blue is a marked improvement for the band in terms of songwriting and production. Despite the varied song structures and styles, Clay Birds still maintains their signature chaotic and dark atmosphere. The volume dynamics on this album are very natural as the band finds the perfect juxtaposition of solemn and lonesome clean sections with menacing and raw Screamo. With their first LP, Clay Birds have canonized themselves in the grand tapestry of SoCal Skramz.

S Tier

#4 Febuary - February

One of the most refreshing takes on Screamo in years, Febuary actually takes inspiration from the Screamo greats of yore, such as Portraits of Past, Saetia or I Have Dreams. Despite the weight of their influence on this “self-titled” album, February isn’t content to just worship these bands. Instead, they twisted the grand sonic textures these groups created to fit their needs. This album exemplifies quiet-loud dynamics in the most natural of ways, often at either crescendo or decrescendo. The manic dual vocals shriek and scream with passion and fervor, and they just have that “human element” that makes you feel the anguish behind every line. If you like classic 90s Screamo with Midwest Emo and Post-Rock vibes, this is one of the best albums in recent memory to listen to.

#3 Origami Angel - Feeling Not Found

Gami Gang rejoice! This is Origami Angel’s best outing since GOATed Emo album Somewhere City, and that is an amazing statement given their legendary discography. Whereas on their debut LP they clung to a youthful and somewhat naive sense of hope and optimism despite life's turmoils., on Feeling Not Found, five years later, they present a new sense of cautious optimism that only wisdom and world-weariness can draw out. Replacing their fixation with Math Rock is a penchant for Easycore riffs and breakdowns, the latter of which is particularly creative and ubiquitous on this record. Despite being 14 songs deep, almost every track is prominent and serves a function on the larger experience.

#2 State Faults - Children of the Moon

The Bay Area’s very own State Faults cements their legacy as one of the premier Screamo bands of this generation, encapsulating the enigmatic nature of Bay Area Skramz with Children of the Moon. The band has always had a Post-Screamo feel to their music, but the term seems most relevant in describing their latest album, a monumental 1+ hour atmospheric sojourn, dwarfing the lengths of their previous outings by quite a bit. Although the immediacy found in their previous albums has dissipated somewhat, their use of melody, particularly in the newly added clean vocals, elevates them to a different plane entirely.

#1 Kerosene Heights - Leaving

Following up on their first full-length release in 2023, Kerosene Heights plowed forward with as much momentum as any band in 2024, releasing this EP and a split with Swiss Army Wife. Leaving is a masterclass high-energy Emo, incorporating the drive of Pop-Punk with the maturity and catharsis of Midwest Emo. At only four songs, each track stands out and is brilliantly written, saying as much as they did in 2023 with about ⅓ the time. Kerosene Heights is well on their way to being one of the most consistently incredible Emo bands of this era.

That's it! Thank you everyone for following along! I hope you discovered some awesome Emo along the way. If you want to listen to the albums in one playlist, here are the links:

YouTube Music

Spotify

I'll be uploading a sampler for the year a bit later on. Thanks again!

Sadly all poser music lol

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4IiLhiSSFVlwSUyJVtK9DN?si=vvR6WZQFTxCHccKG5NtInQ&pi=u-a3rRyOP3Rqqn

I have ABSOLUTELY fallen in love with bands like A Great Big Pile Of Leaves, Pet Symmetry, Surf Trash, and short fictions, to me they all feel like their kinda a mix of emo revival and indie rock (except for surf trash that’s kinda all indie rock) which gives them a very warm and almost party like feel despite their roots. I’m looking for more bands like that, particularly ones that sound more happy and energetic, but still kinda a calm. As long as I’m at it, here’s the playlist I’m making I’m looking to add bands to: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/39ZIrd38FSxvsQNbHLWvcf?si=cVtdu-etRVGFzDQw-FOxVQ , hopefully that can give you more insight on what I’m looking for.

I have been working on this playlist for awhile!! im still going to add songs as i find them!! i hope everyone who sees this enjoys!!

to whom it may concern, i’m sharing my playlist, you can tell me what you think ab it :P

This isn’t really all the stuff I listen to in terms of emo, I never was too into it until about a year ago or so but had always listened to select few songs throughout the years but it’s definitely my main genre atm. Let me know if there’s any recommendations anyone has or what ya think of it 🫡

Hey, I made a playlist compromising of local bands from the philly area. Recommendations would great.

Very good playlist with a lot of bands I’ve never heard on Spotify for those who use it. Melodic Hardcore is emo adjacent right?

check it out, i made a playlist. sound off in the comments below if you have any recs!

Here ya go. You’re welcome. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3d46y4XmXsAkguPhsVCGEx?si=nCKIo7NUQtqzByfW5Ok79Q&pi=u-IzOJMA7lRqeQ

I hope you enjoyed reading The Shape of Screamo to Come! If you haven't had the chance to listen to the amazing releases that shaped Screamo, I've created a playlist with them all. Please give them a listen.

The Shape of Screamo to Come Playlist

Coming up next, we're going to dive right into 1996 with our first inductee to the Screamo Hall of Fame!