Now that we’ve seen my favorite albums of the year, here’s the EP’s! Just to clarify, some of the artists on this list may consider these full albums and that’s great but to make it simpler this list considers any release with less than 8 songs and more than 1 song an EP. With that out of the way, here we go! Gonna go with a more rapid-fire, one sentence blurb style for these.
1. Ben Quad – Ephemera
Underoath is that you???
Favorite track: Your Face as an Effigy
2. The Low Blow & Topiary Creatures – My Whole Life Happened In One Night
A beautiful collaboration.
Favorite track: Heel
3. Mirar – Mare
Beautiful, and brutal.
Favorite track: Hestehov
4. Bon Iver – SABLE,
A really nice return to his roots.
Favorite track: THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS
5. mary in the junkyard – this old house
Very pretty.
Favorite track: ghost
6. Maruja – Connla’s Well
Really cool jazzy post-rock.
Favorite track: The Invisible Man
7. radical joy – Smokescreens
Infectious pop punk.
Favorite track: Worn Out
8. glaive – a bit of a mad one
Side stepping with a glitchy folk pop EP really paid off.
Favorite track: huh
9. Pizza Academy & Narrator – Greetings From Twin Pine
Extremely charming split.
Favorite track: Granite Eater
10. Buddy Bench – Dibs on First Rips!
Lived up to the hype and beyond.
Favorite track: The Observer
11. House Of Protection – GALORE
Energetic, fresh, heavy.
Favorite track: Pulling Teeth
12. Fighting Sleep – Brookside
An all-killer-no-filler emo EP.
Favorite track: Forrester? I Hardly Know Her!
13. Counterparts – Heaven Let Them Die
HELL YEAH BROTHER!
Favorite track: A Martyr Left Alive
14. blankstate. – LOTUS
A well-crafted sound with fantastic energy.
Favorite tracks: this spider’s thread is mine, who said you could climb it?
15. Career Day – I’ll Always Be This
A super great, punchy EP with relatable songwriting.
Favorite track: One Bad Day
16. no problemo! – Year Of The Frog
It is in fact the year of the frog.
Favorite track: r/Emo Drive
17. Bummer Hill – Far Removed
They actually consider this one an album but like I said, this list includes 7-song releases. Anyways, THIS IS SO GOOD. They do a great job at balancing a diverse set of sounds.
Favorite track: Have A Nice Life
18. 3AM – The Brainwashin EP
3AM just couldn’t miss this year. This EP is so fun and relatable.
Favorite track: Dollar Store
19. red sun – best buds 🙂
Now that’s some kick-ass midwest emo!
Favorite track: faker! what was that?
20. +CAREGIVER+ – …Within A Forest Dark
This is such a killer release! Intense, fresh, and well-crafted.
Favorite track: Handle with Care
21. Savings – How Do You Feel?
Pristine pop punk.
Favorite track: The Summer
22. I Think I Need More Sun – I Think I Need More Sun
Perfect for a good ol’ midwest emo cry sesh.
Favorite track: Green Thumb
23. Melancholy Club – sle-ep
Beautiful instrumentation and quivering, heart-wrenching vocals.
Favorite tack: pets
24. Kerosene Heights – LEAVING
A rockin little EP by a rockin little band.
Favorite track: Michigan Again
25. Fly Over States – Ghosts
A close second to Ephemera when it comes to killer Screamo EP’s this year. This slaps hard.
Favorite track: Horsefly
26. Hopeless Romantic – bosco
I found this band from my Fans Also Liked on Spotify and now I’m a proud owner of the cassette.
Favorite track: cope!
27. Ugly (UK) – Twice Around The Sun
Enchanting art rock with mesmerizing vocal arrangements.
Favorite track: The Wheel
28. Cavetown – little vice
One of the best things Cavetown has ever done.
Favorite track: alone
29. prom – This House Is All I’ve Got
Another killer post-hardcore release.
Favorite track: Fire Fighter
30. Saint Judas & Brown Maple – Songs About Cats… And Starting Over
A fantastic and charming split with endless replayability.
Favorite track: Why Do All My Friends Like Malort?
31. Cheem – Fast Fashion
Masterful genre-bending.
Favorite track: Motorola Razr
32. Red Weather – All We Have Is Time
Really great nostalgic sound and great songwriting.
Favorite track: Start Again
33. yubiori & Acle – under a cloud
More proof that Japanese Emo is goated.
Favorite track: bird cage
34. Those Who Dream – Therapy Machine
Explosive production and a theatrical sound that scratches an itch in my brain.
35. TRSH – Straw Chairs
Covering all the Emo bases in style.
Favorite track: Butterfly Song
36. bonus – was a dog
bonus, was in fact a dog.
Favorite track: Lose
37. Dear Maryanne – and Nothing Bad Happened
This release shows a lot of growth and it’s absolutely great.
Favorite track: Walter Jr. Sr. (Mixture)
38. Stars Hollow – In The Flower Bed
Wowwwww I love Stars Hollow.
Favorite track: Acne Scars
39. animal friendship – halloween
Really fresh alt rock meets indie pop stuff.
Favorite track: ghost
40. Ground Swell – Things That Were Yours
Sick little emo EP.
Favorite track: Sidetracked
41. Full Blown Meltdown, Cyborg9K & The Acid Flashback at Nightmare Beach – For Once In My Life
A wonderful collaboration.
Favorite track: Clinical Trials
42. fruit clinic – year of the fruit
I absolutely adore the vocals.
Favorite track: decisions
43. Student Slasher Film – IF / IF / NOT
A super defined sound for such a new band, I love it.
Favorite track: Setting Something Important On Fire
44. Skiimo – I’m Lonely, But That’s Okay
It sounds just like the artwork looks.
Favorite track: What A Beautiful Day It Is…
45. Pulitzer Priceless – No Bark, No Bite
Such a fun and engaging sound and I am so happy I have this on tape now.
Favorite track: Amelia Carhartt
46. Customer Service – Live More Forever
I was spinning Grad Day literally nonstop for weeks til this thing came out.
Favorite track: Grad Day
47. After Wednesday – Games for the End of the World
A wonderful little alt rock EP.
Favorite track: The Network
48. Analogue Heart – User Pleasure Guaranteed
The gay computer is as creative as ever.
Favorite track: Wise (Unwise)
49. Ghost Fan Club – Ghost Fan Club
A pretty acoustic midwest emo collection that reminds me a lot of Worst Party Ever.
Favorite track: Shoulders
50. Brianna Carmel – Bri Earned the Power of Self-Respect (The EP)
Personal and powerful folk punk.
Favorite track: Bri Earned The Power of Self-Respect
DLC PACK
Here are some last-minute releases or ones I just checked out for the first time that needed to be highlighted.
1. Hamburger – Beat Back The Ghouls
2. red sun & bonus – Unnecessary Riffness
3. phoneswithchords – The Present Is Water
4. Swiss Army Wife & Kerosene Heights – Sisters, Not Twins
5. tenmonthsummer – fate lines
6. Chimney Dream – The Place You Always Wanted to Be
7. Creek – Shortsighted