Pet Symmetry is an American emo band from Chicago, Illinois formed in 2012 by Erik Czaja and Marcus Nuccio (both members of Chicago-based emo band Dowsing) and Evan Thomas Weiss (who performs solo material under the name Into It. Over It.). They are currently signed to Storm Chaser Records and have released a handful of EPs and LPs. The band is gearing up to release their new LP "Big Symmetry" in May 2025.

RIYL: Jimmy Eat World, The Get Up Kids, Motion City Soundtrack, Into it. Over it.

Touch the Clouds are an alternative rock band from Michigan featuring members from emo veterans Few and Far Between. The band write emotionally charged anthemic rock songs that hearken back to the post-hardcore and emo of the late 90s and early 2000s, which big layered guitars and melodies, and explosive hooks. The are gearing up to release their debut self titled LP on Elkion Records/The Orchard.

ASkySoBlack is a post-hardcore band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their music blends 90s alternative rock with elements of nu-metal, shoegaze, and 00s emo, and their lyrics explore themes of love, loss, and heartbreak.

Based out of Antelope Valley CA, BED started out as a self titled solo project making indie rock. Over the years, the project has evolved into a 4 piece band. With influences ranging from indie rock to hardcore, The band today together outputs a high energy sound that could be described within the genres and moods of Dreampunk, Alternative, Shoegaze, or just Rock... The bands high energy sound is matched by high energy performances in concert, with emphasis on creating memorable experiences for their audience. Fans of Basement, Title Fight, Narrow Head, Superheaven and 90s influenced guitar fueled alternative rock.

Phoenix emo punk band Troubled Minds, founded by songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Matt Aldawood, commonly writes emotionally charged angst driven songs with memorable hooks. The songs are melodic and guitar driven similar to bands like The Wonder Years, Arm's Length, Hot Mulligan, and the like.

Keep is an alternative rock band from Richmond, VA that was formed in 2013 and who's sound is heavily rooted in shoegaze, dream pop, 80s new wave, and 90s inspired alternative rock. They are heavily influenced by the likes of The Cure, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Slowdive, but that only scratches the surface. In a review of their second album, Happy In Here, it is stated that “even with these comparisons and any accuracy they could possess, Keep are a band that’s not only cut their own sort of path, but have become quite seasoned at it.” Their music has spanned a number of genres over the years, but most often falls under the banner of shoegaze. Regardless of specific distinctions, Keep sits firmly in the web of alternative rock music. Audiotree aptly described the sound as “grand and majestic”, adding that it is “ensconced in an all consuming mist of heavy noise.” The band is gearing up to release their new LP "Almost Static" in May of 2025.

Formed by multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Sonia Weber in 2015, Alien Boy has steadily evolved from a plucky punk band in the Portland, Oregon, DIY scene into one of the most reliably satisfying rock bands in modern guitar music. The group, whose lineup is rounded out by drummer Derek McNeil along with guitarists Caleb Misclevitz and A.P. Fiedler, solidified their sound on 2021’s acclaimed Don’t Know What I Am, and now on their upcoming third LP "You Wanna Fade?" do May 2025 takes all of the best parts of that pop-rock-by-way-of-shoegaze concoction and amplifies them to their most widescreen version. “I wanted to go as big as possible and I really didn’t want to rush,” Weber says of the album’s sound and four-year gestation. “When I first started the band I was trying to keep the songs as short as possible, but I sort of realized that that’s not actually what I like. I was looking at the records that I turn to the most–Third Eye Blind’s self-titled and Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream–and I really wanted to capture that kind of grandness, the kind of thing that has a lot of dimension and isn’t actually that concise.”

From Cleveland, OH, Heart Attack Man originally started as a solo recording project for singer/guitarist Eric Egan in 2013. Driven by an ingrained appreciation for addictive melodies and hard hitting alternative rock, the project quickly evolved into a full band. Shortly after the EP Acid Rain was released, the band gained an overwhelmingly positive response and hit the road to tour throughout the US and Canada. In 2015 the band headed to Philadelphia to record their debut full length, The Manson Family, at Headroom Studios with Ian Farmer of Modern Baseball for you You Did This/Triple Crown Records. Subsequently, the band has released 2 additional LPs and an EP, and are gearing up to release their 4th LP in April 2025 via Many Hats Distribution.

Bedridden is a sludgy shoegaze band based in Brooklyn led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Jack Riley who draw inspiration from the loud and fuzzed out alternative guitar rock of the 90s. Bedridden began in New Orleans when Riley was in college, where he enlisted bassist Sebastian Duzian and drummer Nicholas Pedroza to form a live band. The initial lineup shared their debut EP, Amateur Heartthrob in 2023, which includes fan-favorite songs like “Clara’s Mouth” and “Soft Soap.” Now a Brooklyn-based project, the trio recently added guitarist Wesley Wolffe to the mix and are gearing up for the release of their debut LP via Julia's War Recordings, for fans of Narrow Head, Hum, Smashing Pumpkins

Slow Joy is a Dallas-based Chicano artist, leading a solo project that delves into loud, fuzzy alternative rock. With a series of singles and EPs, Slow Joy's music resonates well within the Texas nugaze music scene.

Oversize, an alternative rock band from Salisbury UK, formed in late 2019 blending influences from 90's Indie, Emo, Grunge, Shoegaze, and Britpop. They released their debut EP "In Balance" in 2021 and are set to follow up with the EP "Into the Ceiling" in late 2022.

Hailing from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Downward offers an inspiring take on alternative, emo, shoegaze, and post-hardcore influences to create a unique sonic experience with no boundaries. They've released a self-titled debut LP in 2018, followed by a two-track 7" in 2020 and an outstanding EP titled "The Brass Tax" in 2022 and a split EP with Trauma Ray in 2024. Their latest work, a sophomore self-titled album (LP2), showcases the band's evolution and commitment to pushing genre boundaries, with a mix of light and airy elements combined with powerful and emotive sounds, showcasing their place as a standout force in modern alternative music. The band continues to tow the line between what is seemingly light and airy (reminiscent of Radiohead) and at the same time beautifully crushing (akin to modern luminaries Nothing).

RIYL Moving Mountains, Gleemer, Keep, Trauma Ray, Nothing, All Under Heaven.

Arm's Length is an emo-rock band from Quinte, Ontario, drawing influence from early 2000s anthemic emo-punk. They have gained recognition in the underground emo scene with their debut EP "Everything Nice" and debut LP "Never Before Seen, Never Again Found", and are now gearing up for their sophomore LP "There's a Whole World Out There" under Pure Noise Records. Fans of Armor For Sleep, Taking Back Sunday, Hot Mulligan, Knuckle Puck, and Real Friends will definitely be interested in this band.

Momma is an alternative / indie rock band from Calabasas, California based in Brooklyn, New York. The band formed in 2015 by Etta Friedman (songwriter/guitarist/vocalist) and Allegra Weingarten (songwriter, guitarist, vocalist), who have been friends with each other since meeting at Viewpoint School. The band also consists of Aron Kobayashi Ritch (producer/bassist), and Preston Fulks (drummer). The band is currently signed to Polyvinyl Records. Momma released their first album in 2018 through Danger Collective Records, titled Interloper. On February 24, 2020, Momma announced their second album, Two Of Me, alongside a new song, "Double Dare". On April 6, 2020, Momma shared another song from the album, "Biohazard". The album was recorded during summer break while the members were attending college.The album was described as a concept album "about small-town life in an alternate reality". The band went on to release their third album, Household Name, on July 1, 2022 via Polyvinyl and Lucky Number to critical acclaim with a sound reminiscent of 90s inspired guitar rock with big melodies and hooks, similar to bands like Veruca Salt and The Breeders, while also sharing similarities to newer bands like Soccer Mommy and Wishy.

Michael Cera Palin are an emotive indie-punk trio with a cathartically catchy sound and an impassioned live show, forged through a near-decade of teeth-cutting in Atlanta's DIY scene. MCP currently features Elliott Brabant, Jon Williams, and Chad Miller and are gearing up to release their long awaited debut LP for Counter Intuitive Records in March 2025.