In Rotation, a listicle for music lovers, and seekers of new and different things to listen to. So, if you’re looking for new music, something different, or maybe music to suit your mood this week, here is the place to get a diverse offering each week. Usually, it would be every Friday, but the holidays always have other plans in mind

In Rotation this week, your thanksgiving playlist is still another interesting mixed bag. There’s a few in the punk rock genre, some new wave and Gothabilly, two classic emotive rock groups, a band who does a little bit of everything, and one serving of classical music.

So, let’s dive into varied selection on the table this week.

1)

Band: No Motiv
Album: Winterlong EP.

No Motiv is an uncompromising, emotive/punk rock/alternative band from California, who prior to the release of Winterlong, had a roughly seven-year hiatus. Hailing from the mid-nineties, No Motiv has been around much longer than you have been aware. Though much of their work has always had a poppiness and sort of happy vibe to it, Winterlong taps into the melancholy that many feel throughout the coldest season of the year. This is something they partially tapped into with their ’04 release Daylight Breaking, but maintain some of the older style that they created between …And the Sadness Prevails and Diagram for Healing. Both very good albums as well. If you’re in for a long winter haul this year, you should add their Winterlong EP to your playlist.
2)

Band: Monster Hand
Album: Unreleased EP

Monster Hand is the brainchild of two members of No Motiv, which includes singer Jeremy Palaszewski. It almost cliché to call a band’s music “not classifiable,” but Monster Hand is difficult. The sounds invoke Tribal/Voodoo music, Alternative Rock, Experimental music, Emocore (In the style of Sunny Day Real Estate), and some other things one can’t quite put their finger on. Sadly, this one a minor departure during one of No Motiv’s hiatuses, and was never developed past this little Myspace EP. Still, it is worth trying to add to your collection, as it is quite a remarkable album.
3)

Band: Unwritten Law
Album: Elva

Unwritten, in general, is emotive/pop  punk/punk band from California. However, Elva is unlike much of their body of work. Elva‘s music boasts sounds of old school Hardcore, punk, Pop punk, Emo punk, Reggae, Acoustic, Rap rock, and they may about cover it. If any of these music genres appeal to you, it is worth putting album on your need to listen to list.
4)

Band: The Juliana Theory
Album: Emotion is Dead

Before The Juliana Theory went through hippy phase, and there almost Screamo phase, there was this classic Pop rock, Emo rock, Emocore, and Instrumental album. Sadly, they dropped out of sight one day, and have et to return. They are well worth the listen, and Emotion is Dead is a good place to start.
5)

Band: Dave Vanian & The Phantom Chords
Album: Unreleased album

Dave Vanian and Roman Jugg of The Damned, during their ’80s Goth sound that Jugg more heavily brought into the band, The Phantom Chords formed. Fusing ’80s Goth rock and ’50s rockabilly. Many bands claim to be Gothabilly, but Dave Vanian’s love and admiration for the ’50s rockabilly makes sure that The Phantom Chords put the “billy” in Gothabilly. Along with Brendan Mooney to bring Rockabilly, Roman Jugg to make sure the Goth Rock is dark and gloomy, and a rotating cast of bass and drums. Their second album took on a grittier rockabilly sound, but this first outing kept a gloomy Gothic sound. This recipe made The Phantom Chords a unique sound in and of themselves.

Do yourself a favor, and add this band to your playlist.
6)

Band: The Sound
Album: From the Lion’s Mouth

The Sound is probably one of the most underrated New wave/Post Punk bands of the ’80s. This writer has only scratched the surface of this band’s catalog, as they are a more recent intrigue. From the Lion’s Mouth takes the group from the Punkier and guttural vocal sound of their first album, and gives it a more mellow, new wave sound. Suffice it to say, if this decade and genre appeal to you, why haven’t you already been listening to The Sound?
7)

Band: Taking Back Sunday
Album: Tell All Your Friends

Taking Back Sunday, a name that is synonymous with late ’90s early ’00s Emo rock/Emo core music. Their classic debut album Tell All Your Friends still remains the bands finest effort, save for the follow-up Where you Want to Be and Louder Now. What separates Taking Back Sunday from other bands of the same musical genre is their musicianship and style. Plus, the aggressive, angrier direction their brand of Emotive rock takes the form of versus a more tear and tissue worthy sounds and lyrics of a Dashboard Confessional, as one example. Do yourself a favor, and if you never listen to anything else by TBS, listen to this album.
8)

Band: Armor For Sleep
Album: What Do When Your Dead

Armor for Sleep is another unique offering in the Emo/Screamo category, and one that was actually passed on to this writer from the singer of another unique Emo/Screamo band Vendetta Red. Their brand of Emo adds a dash of Grunge to the mix, and adds a fresh take on a genre that has gotten cliche in the mainstream.  What to do when your Dead is a unique album in Armor For Sleep’s repertoire. If any of this sounds appealing to you, add this album to you playlist.

Requires Further Inquiry:

This is a little irregular, but some parts of this In Rotation,  did not make the typical cut. This is because they were singular tracks, and not full albums. Camille Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre and The Deadly Syndrome’s I Hope I Become a Ghost are fascinating descents into a darker classical composition, as well as a piano/Indie Rock/Pop/ Folk band trying on a darker, more melancholy theme and sound respectively with these two additional solo tracks.

Thank you for taking a short journey into a vast collection of various genres that hopefully will give you something new to listen to this week.

Stay tuned or next week’s In Rotation.

[Images Via Public Domain/Various Artists]