Miss Black America - S/T 12" (2011)

    Miss Black America was a hardcore/screamo band from Vancouver, British Columbia who was active in the early 2010s, they released one full-length album as a 12". Glenn Alderson and Chris Vanderlann and of The Corta Vita and The Day After Tomorrow band, as well as members of Preoccupations, North Of America and D.B.S played on this record. 

    Miss Black America had a tense, chaotic sound full of ear-piercing screams and tension-filled instrumentals. The vocals sound shrill and desperate with a touch of spazzy, sass reminiscent of bands like Terrifying Girls Highschool also of Vancouver. Miss Black America seamlessly incorporated the sound of 90s hardcore and emo and elements of 2010s screamo culminating in an unforgettable sound. 

    Incredibly, the band was only active for a week during which they wrote and recorded their entire album during rehearsals and then played one show at the end of the week before splitting up. Listening to the finesse and talent the band clearly has on their album makes it nearly impossible to believe they recorded those tracks within a week of forming. 

    Years later in 2015, the band Wars, which included Vanderlann of Miss Black America, released an album as a "follow-up" to the self-titled 12". Despite being a very different band, Vanderlann got together a group of people to create an album in the vein of Miss Black America. The album is similar in many ways but drives into the spazziness that Miss Black America played around with. With multiple vocalists/styles ranging from shrill to much lower and growlier and noisy chaotic instrumentals, I would describe this album as a little more artsy and experimental while remaining within that small but distinct screamo sound of the 2010s. 

    Miss Black America remains one of my favourite bands of the 2010s, creating their own alluring sound that keeps them a firm staple of Canadian screamo. 

    Note: If anyone has any additional info on or photos of Miss Black America and related projects please let me know! 

Note 2: Thank you to Chris Vanderlann for giving me some more info on the band and sending their album under the name Wars!

S/T 12"

Facetime: Return To Mushroom Island, We Will Smoke Again (Wars)

Bandcamp

S/T 12" 2011(Boat Dreams From The Hill)