Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts.
Screamo is an aggressive subgenre of emo that emerged in the early 1990s and emphasizes "willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics". San Diego-based bands Heroin and Antioch Arrow pioneered the genre in the early 1990s, and it was developed in the late 1990s mainly by bands from the East Coast of the United States such as Pg. 99, Orchid, Saetia, and I Hate Myself. Screamo is strongly influenced by hardcore punk and characterized by the use of screamed vocals. Lyrical themes usually include emotional pain, death, romance, and human rights. The term "screamo" has frequently been mistaken as referring to any music with screaming.
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are an American rock band formed in 1999 in Washington, D.C. They have released six full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. Though the group's lineup has fluctuated throughout their career, singer/guitarist Ted Leo has remained the band's main songwriter, creative force, and only constant member. The group's music combines elements of punk rock, indie rock, art punk, traditional rock, and occasionally folk music and dub reggae. Their most recent album, The Brutalist Bricks, was released on March 9, 2010.
Theodore Francis Leo is an American singer and musician. He is the frontman and lead guitarist of the rock group Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and in 2013, he and Aimee Mann formed the indie rock duo The Both.
Treble in Trouble is an EP by the Washington, D.C. rock band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, released in 2000 by Ace Fu Records. It was the group's first release as a full band, following a debut album which had essentially been a Ted Leo solo release. Following that album Leo assembled a backing band called The Pharmacists and recorded this EP, which was much less experimental than his solo releases and structured more in punk rock and indie rock. It includes versions of two songs Leo had written with his previous band, the Sin Eaters. It was also the first release Brendan Canty of Fugazi would be producing releases of theirs.
Ida is an American indie rock band from New York City. They are known for their three-part harmonies; sparse, minimal, often quiet arrangements; and their three singer-songwriters. Their music shows strong folk, pop, punk, world, R&B, and American roots music influences, but there are also avant garde and experimental aspects to their sound.
Rorschach is an American hardcore punk band from New Jersey that existed from 1989 to 1993 and again from 2009 to 2012. Their typical blend of hardcore with dissonant metal elements provided an inspiration to many later metalcore and post-hardcore bands.
The Siren Music Festival was an annual summertime outdoors concert held in Brooklyn's Coney Island from 2001-2010. It was run by the free arts/politics/current-events newspaper The Village Voice, and was completely free-of-charge. The event drew fans of the indie and experimental rock that comprised the bulk of Sirenfest's performers, as the concert itself was held in high esteem for its high-quality sound and performances and for being free of charge. Self-titled the "premier outdoor indie rock festival," the 2005 event drew upwards of 100,000 fans.
tej leo(?), Rx / pharmacists is the debut album by the Washington, D.C. rock band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, released in 1999 by Gern Blandsten Records. Though considered the band's first album, it is actually a solo effort by Ted Leo with some contributions by Jodi Buonanno of The Secret Stars. The following year Leo would assemble a backing band including Buonanno, which he named The Pharmacists. The album blends rock music with elements of dub reggae, with many instrumental tracks, samples, and audio experimentation. This is exemplified in the various tracks entitled "(version:)," which are versions and remixes of "Release Form," a song originally written by Buonanno for The Secret Stars. The track "(version: to decline to take a shower)," for example, consists of Leo singing the song while showering. In other instances, Leo samples himself, such as "Walking Through," which contains a sample of "Congressional Dubcision," and "Out of Step '88!," which samples a radio interview that Leo did for campus radio station WFVI at the University of Notre Dame.
The Lapse was an American indie band formed in late 1997.
Chisel is an American punk rock band from the United States. In their original run, the group released two full-length albums and a compilation of early recordings on Gern Blandsten. In 2022, their music began being reissued by The Numero Group. Later that year, they reunited to play the Numero Twenty festival and a series of shows around the US.
Shark Vegas was a Berlin based new wave band, consisting of ex-Factory Records German representative, Mark Reeder (guitar/tapes/keyboards), Alistair Gray (vocals), Leo Walter (drums/percussion) and Helmut Wittler (bass/keyboards). Previously Reeder and Grey were known as "Die Unbekannten" together with their drummer Tommy Wiedler they later used drum machines and sequencers. Die Unbekannten are credited with making the first record with a Roland TR-606.
Garden Variety was an American post-hardcore band active in the 1990s. Their sound drew on a wide variety of established underground acts such as Soul Asylum, Squirrel Bait, and Jawbox.
Weston is a punk rock band hailing from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1990, they took their name from singer Dave Weston's family, since his parents allowed them to practice in their basement. The band never found mainstream success but their energetic and irreverent live shows earned them legendary status amongst their peers as well as their fans. Following their major label debut, the band split up. It was announced on October 17, 2006, that Weston would be reuniting for three shows in late December. This led to even more reunion shows in following years and a live album released December 2009.
Native Nod was an American post-hardcore band formed in the early 1990s and based in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area. During their short stint as a group, they released a handful of songs, spread across a demo, three EPs, and appearances on compilations between 1991 and 1995. Many of these songs would later be collected and released as Today Puberty, Tomorrow The World in 1995.
Rye Coalition is a post-hardcore band based in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. The band has released four albums, three EPs, a split 12-inch with Karp, and several singles.
The Van Pelt is an American indie rock band from New York City that were active from 1993 to 1997, and have reformed several times since.
Ernest Jenning / Ernest Jenning Record Co. is an independent record label established in 2002 in Jersey City, New Jersey. EJRC has been based out of Brooklyn, NY since 2003. The label is run by Pete D'Angelo and Gandhar Savur, and is home to artists including Versus, Built to Spill, O'Death, Wild Yaks, Bomb the Music Industry!, The Rentals, Savak, Takka Takka, Title Tracks, Still Flyin', Nonconnah, The Black Hollies, Dälek, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Chris Mills and many more
(Young) Pioneers was an American folk punk band from Richmond, Virginia, active from 1993 to 1999. Composed of members of Born Against, Avail, and Universal Order of Armageddon, they released two albums and numerous singles on Vermiform and Lookout! Records. An overtly political band, their lyrics ranged from "superfluous nods to radical heroes like George Jackson and Carlos the Jackal" to "describ[ing] the relationship between struggling individuals and the machinery of oppressive politics".
Alap Aman Momin, professionally known as Alap Momin and Oktopus is an American musician, composer and producer. He is a former member of Dälek and MRC Riddims.
