B̶A̶D̶ ̶N̶E̶W̶S̶ MEDIOCRE NEWS EVERYONE

BAD NEWS MEDIOCRE NEWS

Mediafire locked my account.
This is becoming increasingly difficult as I am plagued at every turn by people who report as DMCA violations works which I have permission from the author to host.

EDIT: So over the next some time period I will be reuploading the majority of these files to different filehosts. Stay tuned.

Also I will continue to do what i do.

Keep Plan-It-X Alive!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/942533263/keep-plan-it-x-records-alive-and-get-cool-stuff

"PIX has been around for almost 20 years and I would like to keep it going, but don't really sell enough records to keep releasing what I want. I think about quitting everyday. But, I don't want to. So I figured that I would give it one last shot. I'm gonna keep putting out records this year and try my best to make it to our 20 year anniversary in 2014... accompanied by a PIX-FEST!!!"

If you read my blog with any regularity you should know I have been a huge Plan-It-X fan for years. They are (or have been in the past) the label for a ton of the best punk/folk-punk bands. Bands like:

Andrew Jackson Jihad
Defiance, Ohio
Erin Tobey
Ghost Mice
One Reason
Paul Baribeau
Punkin Pie
Ramshackle Glory
Rosa
This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb

A ton of my favourite and most influential bands came from Plan-It-X and I'm betting if you cats read my blog you probably like Plan-It-X even if you didn't know it.

So support Plan-It-X and all their awesome bands with this kickstarter! You'll get free stuff and keep the best DIY punk label alive.



http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/942533263/keep-plan-it-x-records-alive-and-get-cool-stuff

Uncle Sinner - Ballads and Mental Breakdowns

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Uncle Sinner is a figment of his own imagination. He holds several degrees in psychological vandalism and enjoys hollering, guitars, banjos, mandolins, and rage.

Amazing 'death-country' from Winnipeg. Chain gang blues/gospel/murder ballads.

http://music.cbc.ca/#/artists/Uncle-Sinner

http://unclesinner.bandcamp.com/album/ballads-and-mental-breakdowns

HṚṢṬA - Stem Stem In Electro

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HṚṢṬA is (was?) a band signed to Constellation Records. Bandleader Mike Moya (also of GY!BE and Esmerine) does his own variation of the aesthetic of Constellation Records. This whole album is really good, Swallow's Tail is EXTRA GOOD!!



http://www.hrsta.org/

Post Teens - The Heat

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Post Teens are a band from Gainesville. They play an awesome catchy, noisy, garage-punk thing. Short, fast songs. In fact, it is six songs in six minutes.



http://www.noidearecords.com/bands/releases/postteens_theheat.php

2nd St. Rag Stompers - Camping On Low Or No Dollars

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The 2nd St. Rag Stompers were a old-timey hobo-ragtime-blues-jug band type of band. They broke up a few years back. This album is neat, it's kind of like an old-timeyer Split Lip Rayfield kind of sound.





http://www.myspace.com/ssragstompers

Elizabeth Anka Vajagic - Stand With The Stillness Of This Day (2004)

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Elizabeth Anka Vajagic is a Montreal-based musician signed to Constellation Records, also known for Godspeed You! Black Emperor and A Silver Mt. Zion. She had this full-length and one EP, both of which came out around 2005. As far as I can tell she hasn't released anything since. This is a really cool record though, She has a really atypical voice, but it works really well with the gothic-folk thing she has going on.



http://cstrecords.com/cst028/

Letters Home - Take Your Time

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Letters Home is a mathy punk band from Tallahassee, Florida. I was sent this album by bandmember David. This album is super cool, it's like a mathy, punkier version of Built to Spill. If you don't know Built to Spill, you should. But that's beside the point. This is a great EP, Letters Home is a really cool band, and i hope to hear more of them.

LISTENS AHOY

Send Away Stranger - Cool Wild Whatever

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So when David of Letters Home contacted me, he also mentioned some other bands that the members of Letters Home have been in. Once i check them all out i may post them. This was the first one I checked out, and it is rad so i am posting it right now. Send Away Stranger is an emo band in the style of Dowsing/Snowing et al. That is to say, it is really goddamn awesome. That style of almost revivalist emo is one of my favourite things going on in music these days.

My Man - Foul Brood

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My Man is a folky-pop-rock band from Toronto, consisting of Rachael, Jacob, Matt, and Lautaro. Rachael sent me this album, and informed me that this 3-song demo is available for free, and that they will be coming out with a 7" some time in the new year. Nice folk-rock like Said the Whale or New Socks. If anything, My Man definitely has more musically interesting songs than a lot of comparable bands. Definitely a winner! Keep an eye on this band.

William Elliott Whitmore - The Jarret Mitchell demos

http://www.mediafire.com/?98j8ty7cdfijfzx

So i had only ever heard of this demo album. It is mentioned on Wikipedia but because nobody i've found in the last 7 years knows anything about it, I was doubting its existence.
Recently I found this on some Russian filesharing site. It was difficult as I cannot read Russian.

It is William Elliott Whitmore's (supposedly) original demo album, from 1999. Some 4 years prior to the release of his first album, Hymns for the Hopeless. My information could be wrong as I am just going off the wikipedia article.

So perhaps someone has been looking for this. Enjoy!
For anyone who doesn't know who William Elliott Whitmore is, he plays awesome gritty folk-country-americana type music.

Brave Bird - Ready or Not (2010)

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Brave Bird is a band from Michigan. This album was released in 2010. Then it seems there was a single track released in 2011. Apparently there will be a full length coming out on Count Your Lucky Stars soon. I look forward to it!
Awesome emo jams.

Voices - No Longer Capable

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Voices was a melodic hardcore band from Calgary. I know some of the dudes who were in it. I think they might be fans of Ruiner. I mean really, everyone should be fans of Ruiner.

VOICES

The Coast - Expatriate (2008)

http://www.mediafire.com/?6opgdidfhg25quk

The Coast was a Canadian band that received a bunch of acclaim and promptly broke up. They're a pretty rad indie band. Catchy, radio friendly. Some folky influence, and i think i detect some Matt Good influence. Maybe a bit like Wintersleep?
I guess I'm saying they're pretty Canadian.
Good album!

JTT - S/T 7"

Download

Okay now it seems like in addition to the bogus mediafire DMCA takedowns, opendrive deleted my account or something. What a pain. Anyway im using the native Bandcamp streaming format for the time being.

Anyway! I was recently talking with my friend Indiana Laub of Quick Attack! / Secret Pennies Records, and she sent me another pack of awesome music from her label! She is the best.
Among those albums was this album, by Oregon band JTT. I have listened to this album several times through already tonight, it is a great EP - sort of a gruff melodic punk thing.

I am consistently amazed at the music Secret Pennies puts out. Check it out, buy some tapes and albums! You won't be disappointed.

DAPHNE - Quilla

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DAPHNE is a band from Houston. This is their latest album, available for free on bandcamp (link below). It is a four song EP, and I am loving it. The first song is slower and acoustic, and it gets more energetic as you get further into the album.

http://daphnemusic.bandcamp.com/album/quilla

Moon Bandits - Straight Thinking Means Plain Speaking

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I received this recommendation via email from bandmember Tommy. Moon Bandits is an awesome folk-punky band with really catchy melodies and some nice banjo-ing. I am really enjoying this. They sound like they might enjoy Ramshackle Glory. Perfect usage of banjo.




http://moonbandits.bandcamp.com/

Bummer - Kids On The Run

http://www.mediafire.com/?ocijcjxt0cdebt3

Bummer is a lo-fi/emo/pop-punky band from Montreal. I was sent this album by the band, so please enjoy! It's a four song EP, and it is very solid.

http://bummermtl.bandcamp.com/

Secret Arms - New Colonies

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Secret Arms is a band from Miami, playing a killer screamo/post-hardcore type of thing. Kind of similar to late 90s screamo like Hot Cross or You And I. I got an email from Tyler of Secret Arms introducing me to the band and seeing if I could post about it and I said HECK YES.

Because it is a really super good record.

http://secretarms.bandcamp.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Secret-Arms/181478301911216?fref=ts

Final Effort - Drowned And Resurfaced

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Another great submission, this time from Germany!
Final Effort is a melodic hardcore punk band from Leisnig, Germany. For fans of bands like Almost Home.

http://finaleffort.bandcamp.com/album/drowned-and-resurfaced
https://www.facebook.com/finaleffort

Mr. Denim - At Least We'll All Be Dead Soon

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Mr. Denim is a band. I know nothing about them except that they are a cool two-piece folk-punk band sort of similar to early (acoustic) Andrew Jackson Jihad. Diggin it, diggin it. Also they are from Chicago.

UPDATE: After i posted this the first time, I got an email from Tyler Crain of Mr. Denim, who was already a reader of my blog! I got a little more info on the band:

"I write to you today, at this ungodly hour, mostly because I flipped shit when I saw that you posted Mr. Denim. I know that band, because I am one half of that band. My good buddy Janusz Gal plays double bass, and I play guitar and yell."

He is a really nice dude and I have been listening to this album a lot since I posted it. It really rules so you should all check it out. Every song is fantastic, perfect folk-punk.

Check it out via the bandcamp link for now because as noted below i got a bogus DMCA claim from some jerkwad who does not own this music. Also check out their other albums on their bandcamp page!

http://mrdenim.bandcamp.com/album/at-least-well-all-be-dead-soon

07-Sept-12 : So amusingly, i got a DMCA takedown notice on this album even though i have the express written consent of the owner/creator of this album. Fighting mediafire on it, hold tight.

Talk Hard - White Flag

Download Discography

So here is another album I have been trying to track down forever. I think i found this one song, Intelligent Design (below) in like 2007 but never managed to track down the album itself until last week. It is way out of print and it's almost impossible to even find anything on the band itself. They were from Boston, and split up ages ago. The End. No pictures, no track names. I have nothing. You can find a couple of their other albums in dark corners of the internet but this one is the best, in my opinion.

Bad Liar - Yours Truly

http://www.mediafire.com/?99qpj3ny4yux0e6

Bad Liar is Jack Brown, from Oakland/Bay Area (is that a correct designation of two places? i don't know). After listening to it a few times in a row I would say a pretty good way to describe it would be having Hot Water Music-y vocals over a sort of loud emo structure with maybe some shoegazeyness to the guitars? I dunno. It rules though, check it out

http://badliar.bandcamp.com/
http://conditionsrecords.bigcartel.com/product/bad-liar-yours-truly-12

Desiderata - Alcohawk

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Desiderata member Blair introduced me to his band via email (as well as his other band, Audio/Rocketry). Desiderata is a jazz-punky post-hardcore band from Edmonton, Alberta. This album is totally fuckin rad, I hope i will get to see them play sometime in the future.

http://desiderata.bandcamp.com/

Sinatra - Thus Far

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Coming from Songs From The Road records, Sinatra hails from Alexandria, VA. They are a rad post-hardcore/screamo-y band. 

http://sinatradc.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SinatraMusic
http://songsfromtheroad.bigcartel.com/product/sinatra-thus-far-cassette

Hooky - You Missed it!

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Hooky was a short-lived band around from summer 2007 to spring 2008 (5 killer shows, 1 crappy demo), featuring Matt Canino (Latterman, RVIVR), and Erica Freas (RVIVR). Sort of a prelude to RVIVR. Similar tone but dirtier. Love it.

http://www.rumbletowne.com/rtr/rtr-releases/RTR-000

Hi Ho Silver / Quick Attack Split

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So about a year ago i got an email, followed by postal mail from Indiana of Quick Attack. This mail contained a bunch of rad stuff. Over this past week this album in particular has been commanding a lot of my time, so i figured hey why not make a post of it.

Some really, really awesome punk rock.

http://skulltularecords.bandcamp.com/album/quick-silver-attack-away

Pity Sex - Dark World

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Pity Sex is a great band from Ann Arbor, MI. Last.fm says, "sad boys and one sad girl".
I say, "the truly delightful musical offspring of Page France and Algernon Cadwallader (and Snowing was there too)". That is to say, a lovely mix of pop-punk, indie, and emo music.

http://pitysex.tumblr.com/
http://pitysex.bandcamp.com/

All We Have - Rain City

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All We Have is (then was, then is again) a melodic hardcore band from Manchester, UK. For fans of Defeater, Ruiner, etc. This EP rules.

This EP is incidentally offered for free at their website
https://www.facebook.com/pages/All-We-Have/49050402233

Continents. - ...and silence anchored our feet in granite (2012)

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I was sent this album by Continents bandmember Flo. Continents is a band from Dresden, Germany that plays a very cool mix of melodic hardcore and chaotic screamo type music. I am quite excited to have been introduced to this because it is really a killer album, through and through. Great vocals, great songs, great instrument-work. If you like The Saddest Landscape you will likely enjoy this!

CH CH CHECK IT OUT!

http://continentsblows.bandcamp.com/album/and-silence-anchored-our-feet-in-granite

Physical copy:

http://pikerecords.bigcartel.com/product/continents-and-silence-anchored-our-feet-in-granite-ep

For The Agenda - On The Negative (2012)

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I posted last year about a band called For The Agenda. Well, he (Anton Kropp) has released a new EP called On The Negative. Now, I loved all the previous For The Agenda recordings, but so far i do think i like this one the best. Anton emailed me to tell me about his new release, so I think everyone should check it out! It is a very unique and interesting album.

Buy it here!

http://fortheagenda.bandcamp.com/album/on-the-negative-ep

Released by: 

http://keepittogetherrecords.com/

The Gunshy - No Man's Blues (2005)

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The Gunshy is a really awesome guy/band that I like. He hasn't made much music lately but the guys voice is just so great I always come back to it.

It is some sad dude music for sure. But very unique sad dude music. I've yet to hear anything quite like it. Even aside from the vocals, the arrangements are quite interesting.

http://www.thegunshy.com/

The Wild - A Collection

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The Wild is an incredibly good band from Atlanta. They play super positive folk-punk similar to Rosa or This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb. There are not too many people making music like this anymore, actually. 

I love this band and this album.

https://www.facebook.com/thewildatl

This Is My Fist - Demo

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This Is My Fist was a Bay Area punk rock band. Musically they fall somewhere between This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb, and Punkin Pie. Super awesome lady punk vocals like Songs For Moms.

http://www.noidearecords.com/bands/thisismyfist.php

Kansas City 4 Way

http://www.mediafire.com/?46i4newi1qinb8i

4 way split from The Ghost Is Clear Records, featuring Texas Instruments, Baitfish, Battle Royale, and Regret, The Informer. The four bands showcase different styles on the spectrum of post-hardcore, hardcore, emo, and punk.

http://theghostisclearrecords.bigcartel.com/

http://theghostisclearrecords.bandcamp.com/

Caseracer - Caseracer (2012)

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Caseracer is from Delaware and parts of New Jersey. Pretty great gruff punk rock band. 

http://caseracer.bandcamp.com/

http://caseracer.org/

EDIT: More links courtesy of my anonymous pal below:

GET THIS ON CASSETTE! http://jeremyrecords.limitedrun.com/products/16548-caseracer-caseracer

GET THIS ON VINYL!
http://startsomethingnj.storenvy.com/products/332051-caseracer-s-t-7

GET THIS ON CD!
http://startsomethingnj.storenvy.com/products/262310-caseracer-s-t-cd

Environmental Youth Crunch - Let's Ride

http://www.mediafire.com/?e1dp3mje8pe1234

Environmental Youth Crunch is (was?) a band from Florida. I learned about them a million years ago from a split they did with Defiance, Ohio. As i mentioned then, i had trouble finding anything else from this band. Well i found it, at No Idea. It is pretty cool, kind of Young Pioneers-y southern-punk-rock.

http://www.myspace.com/environmentalyouthcrunch appears to be their website, although it seems they go by the name 'Vicious Fishes' now?

The Holy Mess - Dismount

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?uimij9rovtrqybf

The Holy Mess is a punk rock band from Philadelphia. Awesome catchy uptempo punk. For fans of The Lawrence Arms, The Loved Ones, etc

http://fucktheholymess.bandcamp.com/album/dismount-2009

Apart - Gray Light

http://www.mediafire.com/?r4ea4mwzh7fhhlo

I got an email from Randall of hardcore band Apart, asking me to check out their new album. Now, as you might know, I am not a very good writer (too brief). There is a very good review here. It's what I would like to say if didn't exhaust my writing capability at 12 lines.

However, I will say that this is an extremely good album, a great mix of older screamo and modern melodic hardcore. Love love the drums on this album. The whole thing is great, been listening to it all night. Get on board now because this band is going to be a big fucking deal.

http://apartsc.bandcamp.com/album/gray-light

http://www.mayflyrecords.net/

Nick Stutsman - Home Now

http://www.mediafire.com/?f62c54r6006ng91

Nick Stutsman from Sturgis, MI is a songwriter also known for being in bands Midwest Pen Pals, Park Jefferson, and Merchant Ships. This is a super cool, sad EP. I've been listening to Park Jefferson a lot this week, so this was an awesome find. Just fantastic songwriting all the way through.



http://nicholasstutsman.bandcamp.com/album/home-now

Back to Odd - Homemade Demos

http://www.mediafire.com/?ge4y4kc7ov3vr3t

I received an email from Carlos, of Brazilian melodic hardcore band Back To Odd, asking me to check out his band. I am glad he did because this album is really pretty cool! Some rough punk rock. I love the sound of this demo.

http://backtoodd.bandcamp.com/

Traveler - Nothing Lasts Long Enough (2012)

http://www.mediafire.com/?ylxjax2jyx0t4kc

I got two emails from members of this band within 5 days of each other! Thanks Justin and Nick.

Traveler is a melodic hardcore band from Cleveland. The music they play is stylistically similar to some of the other melodic hardcore i have posted in the past (Defeater, Ages, Almost Home, Rescuer), which are all great bands. Traveler is no exception to this pattern. This is a great EP, if a little too short. I look forward to future releases from these guys.

I am having some technical difficulties with OpenDrive right now but the songs are available for streaming and free download (and purchase) at Bandcamp below.

http://travelercleveland.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TravelerCle

Park Jefferson - Weekdays (2011)

http://www.mediafire.com/?419w06xr7pmogti

Park Jefferson is a band comprised of former members of Merchant Ships, Midwest Pen Pals, and My Head In Clouds. Five really tremendous songs on this EP.

http://parkjefferson.bandcamp.com/

http://www.parkjefferson.bigcartel.com/

Serious Business

Strand of Oaks - Leave Ruin (2009)

http://www.mediafire.com/?l8j89v8f935ows9

Strand Of Oaks is Tim Showalter. He is from Philadelphia. This is delightful folky alt-country stuff.

http://strandofoaks.bandcamp.com/

Count Your Lucky Stars Free Sampler #3

http://www.mediafire.com/?ocz7gbye54ai7e5

This is a free sampler cd by Count Your Lucky Stars. Available here: http://countyourluckystars.bandcamp.com/album/free-download-count-your-lucky-stars-sampler-3

Several of these bands I have posted about already, which should give you an idea of the tone of the whole album. Varying points over the spectra of mathy indie-y emo-ish music

Featuring:

Into It. Over It.

Mountains for Clouds

The Reptilian

Boyfriends

Football, Etc.

Pswingset

Joie de Vivre

Boris Smile

Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate)

Perfect Future

Castevet

Annabel

Streaming available above at bandcamp. What a great label.

Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned - Charles Mingus' Garbage Pile

http://www.mediafire.com/?4kkbv2s0e6p12je

I remember finding this when i attempted the incredibly daunting task of exploring an entire SXSW torrent. (2010 maybe?). Anyway that was ultimately way too much to digest. But i did find a song from this EP in there and it is a super catchy song.

This band has a sort of folk-jazz (New Orleans-y jazz mixed with Neutral Milk Hotel?) thing going on. It is pretty neat!

http://sgtdunbar.bandcamp.com/

RVIVR - RVIVR

http://www.mediafire.com/?z0u3hiux8x88nnx

I somehow neglected to post about RVIVR in the time i have loved this band. The reason for that is that i have a totally made-up popularity metric which is based mainly off last.fm listening stats. RVIVR has a lot of plays, but not many listeners! So that should tell you a lot about how rad they are if a small amount of people are listening to them all the goddamn time.

RVIVR is a band from Olympia, WA, composed of members of Latterman (i love Latterman), Shorebirds, and some bands from Rumbletowne Records that i just learned about and now will have to explore. 

Anyway this is super awesome pop-punk in the neighbourhood of Latterman, but is ultimately quite a different entity. Really awesome, high-energy pop-punk. This is their only full-length to date, but they have some EP's and a collection album available on the Rumbletowne website

Available for streaming/free download/purchase/donation at http://www.rumbletowne.com/rtr/rtr-releases/RTR-009

Almost Home - Closure (2009)

http://www.mediafire.com/?flcxw58dl35jbvs

Almost Home was a melodic hardcore band from Nottingham, UK. They released one album and split in 2010. For fans of Ruiner, Defeater, etc.

http://www.myspace.com/hcalmosthome/blog

Gillian Carter - The Flood That Came After The Storm

http://www.mediafire.com/?jfs9b18yi1pgsb8

Gillian Carter is a band from Palm Bay, Florida. They have a neat screamo/post-rock thing going on.

http://gilliancarter.bandcamp.com/

Our Stars Are Sneakers - A Series Of Down Endings

http://www.mediafire.com/?ab0arfqld4d3r74

This is a neat band! Our Stars Are Sneakers is a band from Pennsylvania. They sound kind of like... if Bad Seeds-era Nick Cave did vocals for a non-shoegaze version of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. That was a fairly abstract description but try it out. One of the tags on their bandcamp page is "bummerpop" and i find that quite apt.

I really like this album.

http://ourstarsaresneakers.bandcamp.com/

Old Gray - Demo

http://www.mediafire.com/?7mgomuwvxx38eua

Old Gray is an emo/screamo band from New Hampshire started in April 2011. Cam and Raph play guitar and bass while Charlie plays drums. 

http://oldgray.bandcamp.com/

http://oldgray.tumblr.com/

Fifth Hour Hero - Scattered Sentences (2003)

http://www.mediafire.com/?cyf3r3cvkuo22c3

Jawbreaker-esque pop-punk from Montreal. They released two full-length albums and some EP's, and broke up in 2007

http://www.myspace.com/fifthhourhero

http://www.noidearecords.com/bands/releases/fifthhourhero_scattered.php

Knowing We'll Never Grow Up - I Think I Hate Myself (2012)

http://www.mediafire.com/?o2pvor84lf0ntp4

Knowing We'll Never Grow Up is a rad 90's style screamo/emo type of band from Salt Lake City. This album is really super good so you should check it out.

http://www.facebook.com/kwngu

http://nevergrowup.bandcamp.com/

Everyone Asked About You - S/T (1997)

http://www.mediafire.com/?e006a6un3b3c2s8

Everyone Asked About You was a band from Little Rock, AR. I know pretty much nothing else about them. They have a tripod site http://eaay.tripod.com/. I for one did not know that tripod even still existed.

I am pretty sure this band is not around anymore, but they were a cool 90s emo type band.