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.

Paris-based band Mascara, born from a blend of tension and liberation, delivers a captivating, well crafted and smart sonic fusion of shoegaze, heavy alternative rock, and post-hardcore. Formed in 2019, their discography showcases a progression of introspective and explosive sounds, culminating in their first full-length album, 'Going Postal,' set for release on March 13th, 2026 through Fever Ltd, home to amazing bands like Heavenward, Fly Over States and Muted Colors. Drawing from influences like Deftones, Alice in Chains, Silverchair, Nothing, Chevelle, Hum and the like, Mascara's music delves into themes of generational trauma, memory, and the perpetual struggle for personal and global resilience, fueled by heavy guitar tones, pummeling drums, thick grooves, and dreamy vocals. Fans of heavy 90s grunge, alt-rock and dreamy shoegaze done tastefully and interesting are sure to love Mascara.

RIYL Deftones, Alice in Chains, Trauma Ray, Keep, Glare, Soul Blind, Split Chain

ASkySoBlack is a post-hardcore band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their music blends 90s alternative rock with elements of nu-metal, shoegaze, and 00s emo, and their lyrics explore themes of love, loss, and heartbreak.

Hailing from Philadelphia, Varials is a powerhouse in the metal scene, known for their hardcore ferocity and nu-metal groove. Consisting of Skyler Conder (vocals), Shane Lyons (guitar), Mike Foley (bass), and Sean Rauchut (drums), the band is set to drop their fourth album, 'Where The Light Leaves', on February 27, 2026, via Fearless Records. Drawing influences from bands like Knocked Loose and Code Orange, Varials' lead single 'The Hurt Chamber' showcases their ability to blend heavy aggression with melodic hooks, promising a captivating musical journey for fans of intense and memorable music.

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. 

UK alt-metal band Love Is Noise began its journey in 2021 as a collaboration between Humphrey and guitarist Tom Mellon balancing the ethereal and intense. While sonic signposts include modern day shoegaze as well as the likes of Glassjaw and Deftones, the band’s 2022 EP, Euphoria, Where Were You? (released on Fever 333 frontman Jason Aalon Butler’s 333 Wreckords) pointed towards a soul-crushing sonic heartache all their own. A string of singles led to the band inking with Century Media and beginning on their debut album which will release in 2025. Combining elements of metal, post-hardcore, shoegaze, alternative rock/pop and adjacent genres, Love is Noise should appeal to a wide fanbase of heavy and melodic music, for fans of Loathe, Glassjaw, Deftones, Moodring, and Blanket.

Trxy!, a 19-year-old artist hailing from Southern Virginia, blends hazy dreamgaze textures with a sharp nu-metal edge on his debut album "Drowning In Bliss" set for release on February 27,, 2026. Influenced by the likes of Deftones and the new wave of digital-age shoegaze, his music explores themes of depression and emotional isolation through a modern lens, creating immersive soundscapes produced and mixed by Grammy winner Lawrence Rothman. With a rapidly growing fanbase and a unique DIY ethos, Trxy! is poised to shape shoegaze's evolution in the digital age.

Bleed are an alternative metal/rock band from Dallas, Texas combining elements of 90s and early 2000s alt rock, grunge, metal and shoegaze. The band comprised of former and current members of Narrow Head at the time of their formation. On September 12, 2021 they dropped the 4-track EP Somebody's Closer. The band takes inspiration from Alice in Chains, Helmet, and Deftones as evident by their sound, and fit right in with the new crop of "grungegaze" bands like Soul Blind, Narrow Head, Trauma Ray and many others.