There’s something special about the music that moves us when we’re sixteen. While working on his band Capsize’s second record, vocalist and songwriter Daniel Wand realized that he wanted to tap into the music that made him desperate to start a band in his teens. To celebrate his own particular post-hardcore influences, Wand created this playlist for us. The first five tracks on the playlist were all critical to forming his love of post-hardcore, and the next five are all from current artists who carry on the spirit of that music. So enjoy this post-hardcore educational playlist, and make sure to check out Capsize’s new LP, A Reintroduction: The Essence of All That Surrounds Me, out now via Equal Vision Records.
–Dave Lucas, Marketing Manager
THEN: Personal Influence
From First to Last — “Note to Self”
The day I saw this video is the day that I realized that I really connected with music and visuals with a dark feel. The first time I saw this was on Fuse, and I was shocked I was seeing something so weird on TV. Everything from the energy to soaring vocals completely won me over. From First To Last ended up being my first show ever and this band will always be a pinnacle point in my life of becoming obsessed with post-hardcore and underground music in general.
The Used — “Box Full of Sharp Objects”
This became my favorite song as soon as I saw this video. It was also the first time I saw footage of a band traveling and being young kids that were really getting out there. This concept had obviously been around for ages but to see it in a video for the first time, with a song that I liked so much really got my imagination going.
Armor for Sleep — “Dream to Make Believe”
Seeing this video was how I first found out about the concept of house shows, which later ended up being a big part of my years coming up in music and our first tours as well. I’ve always been a huge fan of Armor For Sleep and they were definitely one of the first couple of Equal Vision Records bands that I found about. I will always appreciate and remain influenced by, the time they were active.
Chiodos — “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last a Minute on the Creek”
This video is so cool. Even though I saw this for the first time nine years ago – I am still extremely artistically influenced by this. I love creating dark content that is almost overly open for interpretation, which I first learned from this video. The song is awesome too and I know it influenced tons of post-hardcore bands that I was growing up around.
Underoath — “Writing on the Walls”
This is the best post-hardcore song and music video there ever was and will be. Although I had already been completely submerged into this sub-culture by the time this came out, when I first saw this it went from being an interest to an obsession. The influence this video has brought on me personally as a singer and musician is unmeasurable. It had everything I ever wanted. It was dark, weird, confusing, melodic, heavy, and beautiful all in one. Those are all elements of art that have stayed super important to me to portray in my own ways via different outlets.
NOW: Cool current post-hardcore
Too Close to Touch — “Nerve Endings”
I learned of this band about a year ago and I’m super stoked to link up with them on Warped Tour this year. I haven’t seen them live yet but when I heard this song I had an instant gut feeling that this band will be one of the top bands in the world of up and coming post-hardcore. This chorus is just too good!
Sleeping With Sirens — “Kick Me”
I honestly heard this song for the first time just a week ago and couldn’t believe how catchy it was. Sleeping With Sirens has made a huge wave in post-hardcore over the last five years or so and it’s cool to see that they are constantly improving their craft and always on top of their game. This song is really stuck in my head at the moment and I’m totally fine with that!
The Body Rampant — “Seabrinx”
I honestly can’t believe these guys are not signed to a major label. Some of the most marketable post-hardcore/rock I’ve ever heard and yet they remain totally undiscovered. Along with that, they are super creative in all other aspects of the band and are just in it for all the right reasons. This band is extremely underrated and I really hope they end up on the industry radar before it’s too late.
Norma Jean — “1,000,000 Watts”
Norma Jean has stuck around this long for a reason. They are always working hard and always improving. A post-hardcore band with a southern rock/trash edge and with their newest effort are pushing boundaries even further into nu-metal Deftones-esque territory. This band is always thinking out of the box and that’s what they have remained relevant for so long.
Being as an Ocean — “Little Richie”
I’ve had the pleasure of watching this band come from just an idea, into a driving force in modern post-hardcore. They represent so much of the good early era of post-hardcore and bring their own original, modern vibe to it perfectly. Their work ethic reflects their tour schedule, which reflects their rapid growth perfectly.
