Twine - Showcase (2023-Present)

    Twine is a four piece emo band from Montréal, Quebec who released their first EP in August of 2023, followed by an album September of 2024. They continue to play frequent shows, mainly in Montréal but have played in a few other places such as Toronto. They also opened for current emo band, Your Arms Are My Cocoon. A member of the band also recently started another emo/screamo band called Eric Spinelli who have one EP out released in January of this year and just recently, a three way split with Twine and We Could Go On Tour. 

Photos by Medina Kalac

    Twine has a haunting, nostalgic tone to their music that hooked me immediately. The mixture of minimal, picked guitar and emotionally driven vocals by Jenna and Connor make for a sound full of texture and feeling. Jenna's soft, beautiful vocals paired with Connor's more abrasive, half-screamed ones make for the perfect balance of emo with a touch of the heavier DIY punk sound. 

    Twine often plays DIY shows held under bridges or at small punk venues or bars and they definitely are a part of a flourishing and vast punk scene in Montréal right now. 

    The band members are also talented in the visual art department, between photography, visual/mixed media art and screen printing, the members have it all covered. Their album art, shot not by a member but a members lovely partner Medina, stands out as some of the most unique and creative I've seen in a long time. The art for their full length album uses an interesting technique of sticking a real, dead cicada to the lens of the camera, the focus on the cicada, but visible in the background two people hold each other, twirling in a green field. 

    Twine is one of my favourite currently active bands and I can't wait to see what else they do and hear more music from them. Everyone check out Twine! They are the coolest. 

Spotify

Bandcamp

Tremors 2023 Cassette/EP

I'm Going to Be A Princess Single 2024

Landing Day Cassette/Album 2024

34 Trawls Single 2025

Twine / Eric Spinelli / We could Go On Tour 3-way split Cassette/CD 2025

Skinner Pilot - Discography (1993-1998)

     Skinner Pilot was a math-rock group formed in Amherst, Massachusetts. The band re-located several times, first to Athens, Georgia, next to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and then to Brooklyn, New York. I first came across Skinner Pilot through their track on the Importance Of Failing compilation CD that housed a ton of great and super underrated 90s math-rock and emo bands (including Hall Of Fame and Jazz Man's Needle who I have already made posts for).

    That track, Once (or "Skin For Canoes" on the full length CD) really stood out to me and I think it's criminal that this band isn't more recognized. In fact they might be the most obscure band i've posted on here, having less than 200 listeners on last.fm. 

    Skinner Pilot has a really unique set of influences that help them create a unique and refreshing sound; they are 1 part math-rock (à la Slint and Rodan) and 1 part emo with purposeful loud quiet dynamics and skillful guitar, bass and drum interplay. The main vocalist (I believe it's the bassist Elizabeth) has some really cool nasally, sardonic and disinterested vocals that add to the whole aesthetic of Skinner Pilot's music. 

    I could compare their general atmosphere to Dis-, another underrated math rock band that channels that bored, edgy and sarcastic mid 20s white dude energy (lol) that somehow makes a lot of slinty/albini-core math rock bands really great. Their 1996 CD is really a treat if you are a fan of this kind of music. If you happen to have full rips of the two Skinner Pilot demos, please send them my way!

Discography 

(I will have the 7"s and CD tricking in over the next few weeks and will update these links with clean FLAC rips sooner than later)

This Parking Lot Is Being Videotaped CD 1996 (Good Sin)

Skinner Pilot 7" 1996 (Good Sin)

Skinner Pilot 7" 1995 (Good Sin)

Elixir Recording Studio Demo Tape 1994

Subroutines E.P. Demo Tape 1993

If It Doesn't Kill You - Discography (1999-2002)

    If It Doesn't Kill You was a screamo band from Greenville, North Carolina. I was first exposed to this band through their track on the Slave Union 2x7" comp, that one song completely blew me away and stood out as the best track on the comp, beating out a lot of very iconic early 00s bands. It took me a while to find the rest of their stuff as they seem to be quite the obscure band, but I think I ended up tracking most of it down on the Thisendlessbreath blog. (A little fun fact: me and Brett are both from Calgary!) Anyways if you are a fan of early 00s, intense, metallic screamo, If It Doesn't Kill You is sure to scratch that itch.

Discography

Hovel Tracks (similar members)

ST CDr

Demo

?

The Microwave Says To The Pacemaker 2x7" Comp 2001 (Slave Union)

Mahria - Discography (2010-2017)

    Mahria was an emo/hardcore band from Edmonton, Alberta, who formed in late 2010. Their first release was a split with Todos Caerán, followed by an album, a split with Watcher, a split with The Sky Above and Earth Below and finally, another album in 2017. Members of the band also played in Watcher and went on to play in Edmonton band Obroa-Skai who just broke up this year. 

    Mahria was one of a handful of bands in Alberta and Canada of this era that aimed to keep the 90s emo sound alive. Channelling bands like Yaphet Kotto, Loma Prieta and In Loving Memory, Mahria left their mark on the Canadian underground music scene. Along with fellow Albertan bands Todos Caerán, Rape Revenge, La Luna/Brain Fever, The Discord Of a Forgotten Sketch, and I Hate Sex, Mahria allowed Alberta's emo scene to thrive for the first time since the early 2000s. 

    Their releases were on various labels, including Bart Records of Calgary, Alberta and their final album, which was released on tapes in 2020, years after the band had broken up, was released by Zegema Beach Records, which gave the band some more exposure. 

Bandcamp

Spotify

Discography

Mahria / Todos Caerán split 10" 2011 (Dog Knight Productions, A Mountain Far)

S/T 12"/Cassette 2011 (Bart Records, Forged In Iron)

Mahria/Watcher split 7" 2012 (Clue #2)

The Sky Above and Earth Below / Mahria - Tour Press Split 2014 (Friends For Life, Don't Live Like Me Records, Black Lake Records)

Analemma Cassette 2017 (Zegema Beach Records, Polar Summer)

Garland Briggs - Album/Demo (2025) - Canadian Wasteland's First Official Release

    Garland Briggs is an emo-violence band from Calgary, AB, fronted by me (Maya), along with guitar by Nick, bass by Jake and drums by Miyaki. We have been a band for around 2 years now but played our first show in August of 2024. On March 4th 2025 we released our first album, through Canadian Wasteland, which was initially going to be a demo but we decided it was long enough to be an album so I guess it's our demo/album?

    After years of wanting to start a band, especially an emo band, this has been such a rewarding experience for me. Finally having something to pour my inspiration and emotion into is so cathartic and I would recommend it to anyone who has any interest in making music. Being someone who spends so much time listening and reading and writing about the emo bands of the 90s and 2000s, being able to use those influences in my music is so satisfying. 

    Being in a band has also meant I've made so many great friendships, mainly with everyone in the band, but overall it has introduced me to so many cool and interesting people that I am grateful to know. 

    With each of us coming from backgrounds of different musical tastes, our sound is a mix of many things including some grindcore elements, but we've all been able to come together and create a sound we're happy with. Some of our main influences are Love Lost But Not Forgotten, Joshua Fit For Battle, Funeral Diner, The Great Redneck Hope, Tears of Avarel and Indian Summer. 

    If there is one thing I can say, it's START A BAND! We need more bands always! Even if you think you aren't good enough or people won't like what you like or whatever it may be holding you back, please just do it and I promise you it will pay off. I had no experience making music and am a relatively shy person who never thought I could have done something like this, but here I am and it was so worth it!

    Lastly, thank you so much to everyone who supports us in any way. Thank you to Ben for all of his support, Marissa for her beautiful photos of us, Meg for her videos of us and incredible visuals at our show, thank you to Neil for recording our album and getting us our first shows, thank you to Thatcher for mixing our album, thank you to NJ for filming our very first show and taking great photos of us and thank you to all of our friends and supporters we love you all so much and couldn't do it without you! 

Bandcamp

Spotify

we were going to make a demo but never mind, here's an album - Cassette/CDr/1/1 12" 2025 (Canadian Wasteland)

Live On Poser Radio CJSW Cassette 2024