Cloud District

Cloud District are a four-piece indie/emo band from New Paltz, New York that formed in 2012. They released a new album earlier this year, Don't Give Up, Skeleton is one of many fantastic emo relases this year that have been really sparking my re-interest in the genre. Trying to nail down its sound is really hard to do, since each song truly offers something different from the last. It's like an amalgamation of every trend in the genre in the past few years, with some upbeat, personal storytelling (like "Hamster Camp"), some acoustic stuff ("Mug Drunk" is a definite highlight), some midwestern twinkly influence, some post-rock flashes (particularly "Necro..."), and my absolute favourite song on this whole thing, "2Sad2Swim". They're fantastic songwriters with a good energy to them, and keep this album very engaging throughout with the numerous sounds they can throw out. I cannot recommend this enough if you're looking for some new emo/indie type stuff. Their previous album Almanacs is also solid front-to-back, so nab that too. Enjoy.

Relaxatives (2014)

1. Cloud District - Natalie Dormer

2. Cloud District - Submerge

3. Mike Pays Heat - Oxygen

4. Mike Pays Heat - Breaking Pencils

Almanacs (2016)

1. Cuddle Puddle

2. Solstice

3. Conviction One

4. The Silence

5. Phil, The Silence

6. Please Consider Using This Song In Your Indie Movie

7. Driveways

8. The Guy from The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die Added Me On Snapchat

Note: This is a remastered version, the only version released in 2014 can be found here

Summer Slam EP (2016)

1. You Are The Answer To My Security Question

2. You Will Never Be A Samurai

3. Natalie Dormer

4. Pillow Fort

5. Rosie

6. Infinite Chaz

City Mouth/Cloud District/Quinn Cicala (2017)

1. Quinn Cicala - In A Diner In Poughkeepsie

2. City Mouth - Body And Blood

3. Cloud District - I Don't Even Play Guitar In This Band

Note: All proceeds go to RAINN

Don't Give Up, Skeleton (2018)

1. Hamster Camp

2. Rise of the Eggplant Bandit

3. 2Sad2Swim

4. Swear I Saw You Rockin' Part I

5. Swear I Saw You Rockin' Part II

6. Mug Drunk

7. 48

8. I Don't Even Play Guitar In This Band

9. Don't Give Up, Skeleton

10. Queso Besos

11. Necronomnomnomicon

12. Swear I Saw You Rockin' Part III

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I, Robot

I, Robot were a five-piece hardcore/screamo band from New Paltz, New York that were around from approx. 1998 to 2002. They played in the highly emotional vein of early hardcore/screamo bands such as Angel Hair and Mohinder, as well as tons of other fantastic bands from the Gravity Records roster. From quiet, melodic sections to intensive build-ups with some piercing shrieks for vocals, I, Robot kill. Their entire discography is compiled on Et Ceterea, which included their self-titled 7", split with The Cable Car Theory, as well as some demos and live tracks. Enjoy.

Et Cetera (2002)

1. The Answer

2. Call Me "Killer"

3. James Earl Jones

4. What If?

5. The Mullet Vs. The Moustaches

6. Frida Rider

7. Exodus

8. Save Me

9. He Who Cares Not Loses In the End

10. 2017

11. Now I Owe You A Favour (Live)

12. Et Cetera (Live)

13. He Can't Swim (Live)

14. The Answer (Live)

15. The Game (Live)

Diet Cig

Diet Cig are a two-piece indie rock/pop punk band from New Paltz, New York that started in 2014. As far as I know, vocalist/guitarist Alex Luciano had never played guitar or been in a band prior to forming Diet Cig, though drummer Noah Bowman had been active in a few bands before. One of which is Earl Boykins I believe, who were posted on this blog way back in its early days. Check 'em out.

Diet Cig play a fun, catchy brand of indie pop that focuses on bright chords and energetic drumming, matched with some quaint songs about the relatively mundane yet somehow dramatic life of a twenty-something. These songs will get stuck in your head no doubt, and fans of bands like P.S. Eliot will find them irresistible. Definitely recommended, enjoy.

Over Easy (2015)

1. Breathless

2. Pool Boyz

3. Scene Sick

4. Cardboard

5. Harvard

Sleep Talk/Dinner Date (2015)

1. Sleep Talk

2. Dinner Date

Swear I'm Good At This (2017)

1. Sixteen

2. Bite Back

3. Link In Bio

4. Maid Of The Mist

5. Leo

6. Apricots

7. Barf Day

8. Bath Bomb

9. Blob Zombie

10. Road Trip

11. I Don't Know Her

12. Tummy Ache

Do You Wonder About Me? (2020)

1. Thriving

2. Who Are You?

3. Night Terrors

4. Priority Mail

5. Broken Body

6, Makeout Interlude

7. Flash Flood

8. Worth The Wait

9. Staring Into The Sun

10. Night Terrors (Reprise)

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