Failure is a critically acclaimed American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1990 by Ken Andrews (vocals, guitar, bass, programming) and Greg Edwards (guitar, bass, keys), often joined by drummer Kellii Scott. Renowned for their space-rock and post-grunge sound, intricate, and meticulous production, the band is often regarded as "your favorite band's favorite band". Their sound is often categorized as alternative rock, space rock, post-grunge, and shoegaze, with a heavy emphasis on textured, layered, and often self-produced soundscapes with big guitar sounds. After a 17-year hiatus, the band reunited in 2014, releasing The Heart Is A Monster (2015), In The Future Your Body Will Be The Furthest Thing From Your Mind (2018), and Wild Type Droid (2021) and will release a new LP "Location Lost" in 2026. RIYL: Hum, Shiner, Catherine Wheel, Jawbox, Quicksand

Nothing is an American shoegaze band formed in 2010 by vocalist-guitarist Domenic "Nicky" Palermo. The band has had a revolving lineup throughout its career, with Palermo being the longest-serving member following the departure of guitarist-vocalist Brandon Setta in 2019. Setta joined in late 2010 and shared songwriting duties with Palermo throughout his tenure.

Nothing self-released several EPs before signing to Relapse Records. They released their debut studio album, Guilty of Everything, in 2014. The follow-up album, Tired of Tomorrow, was released on in 2016. Nothing's third studio album, Dance on the Blacktop, was released in 2018, and their fourth studio album, The Great Dismal, was released in 2020 to positive reception and have announced their 5th LP The Slow Decay of Nothing will be released in February 2026 via Run for Cover Records.

RIYL: My Bloody Valentine, Hum, Cloakroom, Trauma Ray, Glare, Narrow Head, Swervedriver, Whirr, Greet Death

Glimmer, a grungegaze band, consists of Jeff Moore (vocals, guitar), Jaye Moore (drums), Johnny Nicholls (guitar), and Kevin Dobbins (bass). The band, formed in February 2023 by cousins Jeff and Jaye Moore, in Brooklyn / Hudson Valley, NY. Their sound is described as a blend of grungy indie rock and shoegaze, that pairs layers of heavy guitars with dreamy, swirling reverb, and big melodic hooks. Heavily inspired by the sounds of 90s guitar fueled alternative rock, shoegaze and grunge in bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Ride and Swervedriver.

RIYL: Narrow Head, Superheaven, The Smashing Pumpkins, Swervedriver, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

Worlds Worst are a Salt Lake City alternative/indie/slacker rock band who play guitar heavy 90s inspired fuzzed out noise pop. The band is gearing up to release their sophomore LP, American Muscle, which showcases the band continuing to perfect their unique approach to the indie, noisy, slacker rock sound with loud punchy guitars and big hooks.

Rocky Votolato has formed a new band called Suzzallo, revealing their debut album "The Quiet Year" with a release date of May 2nd, 2025. Departing from Votolato's acoustic roots, Suzzallo offers a cathartic blend of fuzzed out alternative rock, exploring themes of grief and healing following a personal tragedy.

Doom Mutual unifies the musical endeavors of Nashville-based musicians Daphne Browdy and Davis Gestiehr, constructing familiar but eccentrically fascinating rock qualities. Doom Mutual is the individuals’ creative styles working in parallel with one another, ultimately generating a solid foundation of brooding lyricism and impressionable delivery.

Formed by multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Sonia Weber in 2015, Alien Boy has steadily evolved from a plucky punk band in the Portland, Oregon, DIY scene into one of the most reliably satisfying rock bands in modern guitar music. The group, whose lineup is rounded out by drummer Derek McNeil along with guitarists Caleb Misclevitz and A.P. Fiedler, solidified their sound on 2021’s acclaimed Don’t Know What I Am, and now on their upcoming third LP "You Wanna Fade?" do May 2025 takes all of the best parts of that pop-rock-by-way-of-shoegaze concoction and amplifies them to their most widescreen version. “I wanted to go as big as possible and I really didn’t want to rush,” Weber says of the album’s sound and four-year gestation. “When I first started the band I was trying to keep the songs as short as possible, but I sort of realized that that’s not actually what I like. I was looking at the records that I turn to the most–Third Eye Blind’s self-titled and Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream–and I really wanted to capture that kind of grandness, the kind of thing that has a lot of dimension and isn’t actually that concise.”

Goldfinger is a Los Angeles-based ska-punk/pop-punk band formed in 1994, known for energetic music and anthemic hooks, fronted by constant member John Feldmann, with breakthrough hits like "Here in Your Bedroom" and "Superman," becoming key figures in the '90s ska-punk scene before evolving their sound, known for intense live shows and a lineup featuring Feldmann, Charlie Paulson, Darrin Pfeiffer, and Simon Williams in their classic era, with Feldmann still leading the band today. The current lineup features John Feldmann (producer/lead vocalist), Charlie Paulson (guitar/Black President), Mike Herrera (bass/MXPX), Nick Gross (drums/girlfriends), and Moon Valjean (guitar/Greek Fire). In their early years, the band was considered a contributor to the movement of third-wave ska, a mid-1990s revitalization in the popularity of ska, evidenced in their first three albums: Goldfinger (1996), Hang-Ups (1997) and Stomping Ground (2000). However, the releases of Open Your Eyes (2002) and Disconnection Notice (2005) saw the band shed most of the ska influence, and they have been more commonly placed in the pop-punk genre in later years. They have since released three more albums: Hello Destiny... (2008), The Knife (2017) and Never Look Back (2020) with their latest album "Nine Lives" coming January 2026.

Initially the solo project of Ryan Nolen, FOOTBALLHEAD showcases the poppier side of 90s radio rock. With big guitars and bubblegum hooks, these nostalgia soaked songs evoke the energy of early Jimmy Eat World, Third Eye Blind, and blink-182 while also incorporating elements of grunge and post-hardcore with bands like Story of the Year, The Used, Basement, and One Step Closer. Nolen has teamed up with Adam Siska (The Academy Is... & Say Anything) to keep the ethos of 90s/2000s alternative pop music fresh and dynamic. The band is currently signed to Tiny Engines and released an LP and EP through them already, and a new LP is set for March 2026.

Soul Blind are a hardcore-adjacent shoegazey/post-grunge band from Hudson Valley, NY channeling elements of 90s grunge, shoegeaze, and post-hardcore, originally signed to Other People Records for their debut LP and singed to Closed Casket Activities for their sophomore LP due out fall 2025.

Nihilistic Easyrider is the brainchild of Narrow Head frontman Jacob Duarte. His debut LP "DELUXE EDITION" is a mixtape of sorts, a collection of songs written at various intervals throughout Duarte’s career. These songs traverse a wide-range of stylistic references, from saccharine Y2K emo and young-dumb-and-full-of pop punk to Soviet fuzz fueled alt and pure Evan Dando-core verse-chorus-verse-chorus-done pop rock. Brought to life by a cast of characters including Narrow Head drummer Carson Wilcox, producer (and former tour-mate) Graham Hunt and features from Momma’s Allegra Weingarten and Ella Friedman, this debut album still provides with masterfully crafted and hook-drenched renditions of Duarte’s signature songwriting aesthetics.

Oversize, an alternative rock band from Salisbury UK, formed in late 2019 blending influences from 90's Indie, Emo, Grunge, Shoegaze, and Britpop. They released their debut EP "In Balance" in 2021 and are set to follow up with the EP "Into the Ceiling" in late 2022.

From Cleveland, OH, Heart Attack Man originally started as a solo recording project for singer/guitarist Eric Egan in 2013. Driven by an ingrained appreciation for addictive melodies and hard hitting alternative rock, the project quickly evolved into a full band. Shortly after the EP Acid Rain was released, the band gained an overwhelmingly positive response and hit the road to tour throughout the US and Canada. In 2015 the band headed to Philadelphia to record their debut full length, The Manson Family, at Headroom Studios with Ian Farmer of Modern Baseball for you You Did This/Triple Crown Records. Subsequently, the band has released 2 additional LPs and an EP, and are gearing up to release their 4th LP in April 2025 via Many Hats Distribution.

Excide is apost-hardcore and metalcore band based in North and South Carolinathat formed in 2020. Their music is characterized by a blend of '90s-inspired post-hardcore, alternative rock, and grunge, often drawing comparisons to influential bands like Quicksand,Snapcase, and Turnstile. 

Rocket is an indie rock band formed in Los Angeles in 2021, known for their 90s-inspired sound with influences from shoegaze and alt-rock. The band consists of Alithea Tuttle (bass, vocals), Baron Rinzler (guitar), Cooper Ladomade (drums), and Desi Scaglione (guitar). They draw inspiration from bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr., The Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo, and Radiohead.

Anamanaguchi is an American chiptune-based pop and rock band from New York City. The band has four members: lead songwriter and guitarist Peter Berkman, bassist James DeVito, guitarist Ary Warnaar and drummer Luke Silas. They combine digital electronic sounds such as those seen in chiptune and bitpop with traditional band instrumentation. As with other chiptune artists and 8-bit music, they have created music using video game hardware and vintage computers from the mid to late 1980s: namely a NES and a Game Boy. The band is currently signed to Polyvinle Records and will release their first lyrically driven rock album "Anyway" in August 2025.

Plight is an alternative grungegaze band from NYC combing elements of power-pop, emo, grunge, and alt-rock with big loud guitars and razor sharp hooks.

Hailing from Fresno, California, Chain is a band rooted in friendship, raw energy, and a love for alternative rock. Chain was created in 2024 by Bart, his friends, and fellow bandmates in Mom Jeans, Just Friends, ane Grad Life, Driven by Bart’s songwriting, blending influences from 90s alternative rock icons like Smashing Pumpkins, their sound is characterized by thunderous guitars, infectious melodies, and an undeniable punk rock spirit. Chain was formed with a simple goal: to have fun with his friends, create music that resonates, and play as many shows as possible. At its core, Chain’s music is about embracing authenticity and breaking through the glass walls of the world to discover yourself. Whether you’re moshing in a packed room or driving with the windows down, Chain delivers a cathartic experience that’s equal parts nostalgic and refreshing.