Remember the 2000s when we were all a little bit too obsessed with Fall Out Boy and Green Day and Panic! At The Disco? We all had our “emo phase” and most of us moved on to other genres like pop, hip-hop, EDM, or maybe even country (why?) but there are also some of us (me) stuck in that emo phase indefinitely.
If you’re still listening to bands like Paramore and Boys Like Girls, I really don’t blame you, especially because Paramore’s newest album is absolutely amazing. Here are some underrated artists on the scene that you may have not even heard of but are definitely in the same lane as all those alternative bands we all know and love. Most of them have been around just as long as the more popular bands we all obsessed over but just didn’t get the traction they deserved.
All Time Low
Now, All Time Low isn’t exactly “underrated” as they’ve seemed to grow a bit bigger over the last few years but they still aren’t taken on the same level as bands like Panic! And Fall Out Boy. ATL released a new album last year, “Young Renegades” and did a summer tour including a stop at House of Blues here in Boston. The band started in 2003 when the boys were all in high school together and they released their first full-length album in 2005, “The Party Scene.” They’ve been pretty non-stop since then and always seem to be on tour or working on new music. Their pop-rock sound is sure to get anyone moving and dancing and they’re amazing live.
Marianas Trench
The Canadian punk band formed in 2001, put together by front-man Josh Ramsey (who has written songs for big-name artists such as Carly Rae Jepsen, Nickelback, and 5 Seconds of Summer). They’ve released four studio albums since 2006, including their last album, “Astoria” which was released in fall of 2015. They released a new single, “Rhythm of Your Heart” late last year with a promise of a new album soon. Marians Trench have a really unique style, in which they tend to produce concept albums that all follow a cohesive theme. They’re music videos within an album also tell stories when you watch them in the right order. The band is very popular in Canada but have never really played to big venues outside the country. They typically stick to House of Blues when they’re in Boston and could always use some more fans, so do check them out.
The Maine
The only thing that really needs saying in order to prove how well these guys fit into that ‘emo’ genre is that they’re on this summer’s Warped Tour lineup. If that doesn’t intrigue you enough here’s a little background info: the band formed in 2007 and have since then released six full-length studio albums including last year’s “Lovely Little Lonely” which I, for one, have had on repeat since it’s release. Their sound is often described as ‘alternative rock’ or ‘emo pop’ and has changed a bit over the ten years they’ve been a band but is still super catchy and fun to listen to.
The Wombats
This British rock band formed in 2003 and was a pretty huge hit in the late 2000s over in England. They’ve released four full-length albums including recently released, “Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life” only last month. The rock band is still fairly popular in England but no one in the US ever seems to know who they are and they don’t play here often. They had a small club tour in the US early this year and will be joining Weezer on some of the shows on their US tour this summer.
There are so many amazing alternative bands out there that have been on the scene since it started back in the early 2000s that could use some extra love. The best way to find new bands is to go through the ones you already know and love’s spotify pages and “related artists” but do check these guys out first because if you’re into bands like Paramore and Panic! At The Disco, these guys are totally your next step.