just some great bands I love

The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time signatures, polyrhythms and unconventional drum patterns became a staple of their sound, although later albums incorporated more melody, and influences from a range of genres. The band's lineup shifted numerous times throughout its existence; by the time the group dissolved, Weinman was the only remaining founding member. The last surviving lineup also included longtime members Liam Wilson on bass, Greg Puciato as lead vocalist, and Billy Rymer on the drum kit, alongside then-newcomer Kevin Antreassian as rhythm guitarist.

Isis (sometimes stylized ISIS) was an American post-metal band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1997. The band borrowed from and helped to evolve the post-metal sound pioneered by bands such as Neurosis and Godflesh, characterized by lengthy songs focusing on repetition and evolution of structure. Isis's last studio album, Wavering Radiant, was released on May 5, 2009. Isis disbanded in June 2010, just before the release of a split EP with the Melvins. In 2018, the group reformed as Celestial for a one-off show to pay tribute to Caleb Scofield.

In Boston, several sessions of experimentation led friends Aaron Turner (guitar/vocals; also the owner of Hydra Head Records and its subsidiary, HH Noise Industries), Jeff Caxide (bass guitar), Chris Mereschuk (electronics/vocals) and Aaron Harris (drums) to form Isis in autumn of 1997. As Turner stated, "Isis formed as a result of the dissatisfaction with past bands of the founding members. None of us were happy with what we were doing musically at the time, two of us lived together, we had similar tastes and similar record collections." The band began playing out in the spring of 1998, and recorded a demo at Salad Days Studios shortly thereafter. After an East Coast tour in the summer of 1998 where they were joined by Randy Larsen of Cable on guitar, Mereschuk left the band. In 1999, Michael Gallagher (formerly of Cast Iron Hike) and Jay Randall (now of Agoraphobic Nosebleed) joined the band, working on Red Sea (1999). Jay Randall's time with the band was brief, and Isis recruited guitarist/keyboardist Bryant Clifford Meyer (formerly of The Gersch) to replace him. After releasing their full-length debut entitled Celestial (2000) and its sister EP, SGNL›05 (2001, on Neurot Recordings), Isis gained national underground attention in the metal/hardcore scene through tours with Cave In and Neurosis. Isis remained with this lineup until their dissolution in 2010.

Cursive is an American indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. Stylistically described as emo and post-hardcore, Cursive came to prominence with 2000's Domestica and found commercial and critical success with 2003's The Ugly Organ. The band has released eight studio albums, a compilations album, and a mix of singles and EPs since 1997. They have released recordings on several labels, including 15 Passenger Records, Saddle Creek Records, and Big Scary Monsters (UK).

Cursive's influences include bands such as Fugazi, Shudder to Think, Archers of Loaf and Brainiac.

Cursive formed in the spring of 1995, shortly after Slowdown Virginia broke up. Slowdown Virginia members Tim Kasher (lead vocals, guitar), Matt Maginn (bass), and Steve Pedersen (guitar) had parted ways, along with their drummer, a month prior. The three members decided that they were not ready to give up making music, and wanted to give music a serious try, with Kasher saying, "[we] decided with Cursive we would write the best we could, believe in it, and if everyone ended up hating it – well, we would deal with it." Clint Schnase, who played with Pedersen in a band called Smashmouth, joined as the drummer. Kasher has said that the band's name was inspired by a passage in a book by V. S. Naipaul, in which the British were forcing subjugated Indians to learn how to write English in cursive penmanship, symbolic of a pointless exercise with no value, and Kasher compares this to the band forcing music as a discipline, taking it seriously.

Minus the Bear was an American indie rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2001, and comprising members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound was described as "Pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics with sophisticated time signature composition."

The Sound of Animals Fighting is an American rock supergroup founded by Rich Balling of Rx Bandits. In the band's initial run, they released a trilogy of records between 2004 and 2008, and performed only four live shows, following their second release in 2006. The band's live lineup consisted of 12 different musicians. The band often employed the use of animal masks to conceal their identity. The group was inactive after 2009, with brief spurts of touring in 2014 and 2019, before announcing a new extended play and nationwide US tour in 2022.

The group performed only one small run of shows in Southern California and Las Vegas from August 24 to August 27, 2006. Matt Embree (Rx Bandits), Anthony Green (Circa Survive), Craig Owens (Chiodos), and Technology (Rx Bandits' Chris Tsagakis' side project) were the opening acts. Prior to the shows, it was difficult to envision which members would be performing at the live shows; Rx Bandits members Matt Embree, Steve Choi, Chris Tsagakis, and bassist Joe Troy were a few of the confirmed musicians. The band released a DVD documenting the shows entitled "We Must Become The Change We Want To See."

The Prize Fighter Inferno is an acoustic/electronica solo project of Claudio Sanchez, the lead singer and lead/rhythm guitarist for the band Coheed and Cambria. The first album, called My Brother's Blood Machine was released on October 31, 2006 through indie label Equal Vision Records. According to My Brother's Blood Machine liner notes, Claudio recorded the album over a period of seven years with "...random recording devices...".

Before the album's release, four official songs were available for listening online:

These songs are available on the band's official MySpace page. The first single in the album is "Who Watches The Watchmen?" A 30-second clip of the song "78" was available on various websites advertising the release of the CD.

Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 2000, the band's lineup of Troy Sanders (bass/vocals), Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher and Brann Dailor (drums/vocals) has remained the same since 2001. Mastodon has released eight studio albums, as well as a number of other releases. The band's 2002 debut album, Remission, garnered significant critical acclaim for its unique sound. Mastodon's second full-length release, Leviathan, is a concept album based on the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. Three magazines awarded the record "Album of the Year" in 2004: Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer.

The Cancer Conspiracy was a progressive rock group from Burlington, Vermont featuring guitarist Daryl Rabidoux, drummer/keyboardist/saxophonist Greg Beadle, and bassist Brent Frattini. Rabidoux and Beadle were veterans of the local hardcore scene, and had broken away from their respective bands out of a need to try something new musically. Their initial plans were to find a vocalist and bassist, but after recruiting Frattini, decided to remain an instrumental trio.

Their style draws heavily upon 70s progressive rock, particularly King Crimson and Yes, as well as fusion, hardcore, and math rock. Their first self-titled 3 song EP was released in 2001, consisting of 2 studio tracks and 1 live track. Their 9 song full-length debut The Audio Medium followed in 2002. The album explored a number of sonic landscapes, and revolved around the concept of the corporate music industry's control of the masses; that people are sheep to what music corporations and radio stations tell them to listen to, unaware of the real music that exists out there. As in the medical world, a "cancer conspiracy" that hides the cure for cancer for the purpose of making money from the sick. The album booklet contained a letter from a doctor by the name of Dr. Travis John, who shared similar views and who warned the band of the trouble they were getting themselves into.

Modest Mouse is an American rock band formed in 1992 in Issaquah, Washington, and currently based in Portland, Oregon. The founding members are lead singer/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. Strongly influenced by Pavement, Pixies, XTC, and Talking Heads, they rehearsed, rearranged, and recorded demos for almost two years before finally signing with small-town indie label K Records and releasing numerous singles.

Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, the band's lineup has mostly centered on Brock and Green, undergoing multiple changes. The band achieved mainstream success with their fourth album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004), and its singles "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty". Judy performed on every Modest Mouse album until his departure in 2012. Guitarist Johnny Marr (formerly of the Smiths) joined the band in 2006, shortly following percussionist Joe Plummer (formerly of the Black Heart Procession) and multi-instrumentalist Tom Peloso, to work on the album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (2007). Guitarist Jim Fairchild joined the band in 2009. The band's sixth album, Strangers to Ourselves, was released on March 17, 2015. Their seventh album, The Golden Casket, released on June 25, 2021.

Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and was a major part of the Long Island music scene in the early 2000s. The band has been influential in the progression of the underground music scene in the eastern United States and United Kingdom for the post-hardcore genre, and are known for their intense live shows as well as their frequent line-up changes.

The band formed in the summer of 1993 after Palumbo and Beck met each other at camp. Of the band name, Beck has said: "We had a list of names, and we were just like, let's pick one of these band names which ones the coolest. At the time there were a bunch of bands coming out with two names in one like that, like mouthpiece, curbjaw, stuff like that. We were going down the list, and the first name that I liked was Swiftkick. I'm all like, that's a sick name. But for some reason Glassjaw stuck. There's really no reason behind it; it just sounded cool." The band played their first show in 1994 in Oceanside, New York. In the early days, Beck and Weinstock were also playing with Jewish straight edge metalcore band, Sons of Abraham. Sons of Abraham constitute an important influence on Glassjaw, songs such as "Hurting and Shoving (She Should Have Let Me Sleep)" by Glassjaw drawing particularly on earlier Sons of Abraham releases. Palumbo was in his own straight-edge band called XbustedX. The group's line-up changed constantly in their early years while they played in the local New York hardcore scene. Beck's primary instrument throughout this time was drums, but switched to bass guitar when Ariel Telford left the band in 1998, and then switched to lead guitar when Kris Baldwin left and Manuel Carrero joined the band in 1999. From 1994 to 1999 the band did several demo recordings of some songs that would eventually appear on their official releases, as well as several other compositions that would not see official release. The band recorded the five-song Kiss Kiss Bang Bang EP in 1997. The record was released independently on the label 2 Cents a Pop, and saw a re-release in 2001 without label affiliation. The line-up on this record was Daryl Palumbo, Justin Beck, Todd Weinstock, Kris Baldwin and Ariel Telford. "Star Above My Bed", from the EP, is still in the band's set lists to this day. A significant recording came in 1999 working with Don Fury (Quicksand, Snapcase, Orange 9mm, The Hearing Aides), showcasing songs that appeared on their debut LP Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence.

The Raconteurs is an American rock band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 2005. The band consists of Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler (drums). Lawrence and Keeler were originally members of the Greenhornes, while White and Lawrence went on to become members of the Dead Weather.

Sigur Rós (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈsɪːɣʏrous] (listen)) is an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík, active since 1994. The band comprises singer and guitarist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Holm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, frontman Jónsi's falsetto vocals, and their use of bowed guitar, Sigur Rós incorporate classical and minimal aesthetic elements.

Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson (guitar and vocals), Georg Holm (bass) and Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson (drums) formed the group in Reykjavík in January 1994. The band's name means Victory Rose. They took their name from Jónsi's younger sister Sigurrós, who was born a few days before the band was formed. They soon signed a record deal with the local Sugarcubes-owned record label Bad Taste, because they thought the falsetto vocals would appeal to teenage girls. In 1997, they released Von (pronounced [vɔːn], meaning "hope") and in 1998 a remix collection named Von brigði ([vɔːn ˈprɪɣðɪ]). This name is also Icelandic wordplay: Vonbrigði means "disappointment", but Von brigði means "variations on Von". The band was joined by Kjartan Sveinsson on keyboards in 1998. He is the only member of Sigur Rós with musical training, and has contributed most of the orchestral and string arrangements for their later work.

The Fall of Troy is an American rock band from Mukilteo, Washington. The band is a trio consisting of Thomas Erak, Andrew Forsman and Tim Ward who was later replaced by Frank Ene following his departure from the band in late 2007. Ene would remain in the band until their initial break-up in 2010, but Ward rejoined the band in Ene's place for their reunion in 2013. The trio is known for their technical and dynamic style, unorthodox song structures, energetic stage presence and also for their song "F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X." which was featured in several video games. The group has released six full-length albums, two EPs, and two singles. Prior to The Fall of Troy's formation, when each member was about 17 years old, all three founding members were in another group named The 30 Years War, who released two EPs.

Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite, Barry Burns, Dominic Aitchison, and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwai typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects.

Protest the Hero is a Canadian progressive metal band from Whitby, Ontario. Originally named Happy Go Lucky, the band changed their name to Protest the Hero, then released their debut EP, Search for the Truth, in 2002. In 2005, the band released their first album Kezia on Canadian indie label Underground Operations.

On January 23, 2006, the band signed with Vagrant Records for Kezia's American release on April 4, 2006. Their second album, Fortress was released by Underground Operations in Canada and by Vagrant Records worldwide on January 29, 2008. The band released their third studio album, Scurrilous, on March 22, 2011.

Expressing frustrations with record labels, in January of 2013 the band announced that they would crowdfund their fourth album. The Indiegogo campaign was a runaway success, and the independently-released Volition debuted on October 29, 2013, distributed with the help of Razor & Tie. In October of 2015, the band announced that their fifth release would take the form of a subscription service using Bandcamp entitled Pacific Myth.

At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López, Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (drums) and Keeley Davis.