Do You Feel At Home? #08
Told you there'd be a bigger post, and of course there are more to come.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Pittsburgh had so many good bands back in the early 00s, and Io is no exception. Another band on the Hope Records/Hard Travelin' roster, Io was a 4 piece emo-hardcore act that existed from somewhere around 2000 to about 2004. They played plenty of shows with their label-mates, as is sometimes tradition, and toured a good handful of different places across the U.S while they were at it. As far as I've been able to find the shows aren't on Youtube, which sucks. Even so, I'm sure they were amazing, as other Hope bands like Pikadori and HTML put on great performances. EDIT: I guess Youtube just decided I wasn't gonna see them that day, but JD informed me of two performances that are up on Youtube!
Io was an absolutely explosive band, and carried with them some of the many attributes of what makes this era of the genre so amazing. While their run was unfortunately fairly brief, the trail of dead willow trees left an infallible mark, and is one that more people should take a look at. They certainly weren't pioneers, but that doesn't mean they were any less incredible.
As alluded to, their output was fairly sparse, with only three real releases. However, it's about quality, not quantity, and boy are they quality. The music really speaks for itself here, as just about every fan of the genre, new and old will adore these guys. It's a genuine shame there isn't more, as I'd totally kill for it. (Hell, maybe one day we'll get some vinyl reissues, that'd be sweet- I'd love to see their only full-length on a 12"!) In their time they put out; a CDr demo EP, a full length CD album, and a two song 7".
The demo CDr contains 4 previous versions of songs that would later be featured on their first proper full-length. Even though the songs are still in development here, they're already quite fleshed-out, and of course they absolutely rip. For a look at a band in its infancy, it's a strong demo, and certainly was a sign of great things to come. Give it a listen!
Their next outing, titled "The Willow Snag", is undeniably one of the more underappreciated albums in 2000s emo/hardcore/whatever, ever. Released in the spring of 2002, "The Willow Snag" is a great representation of what makes this genre so great, and that's a trait that many incredible records share. It's a dense listen, bursting at the seams with boiling, blood red anger and intense conviction, but always staying quick-witted and never tripping over itself. 10 tracks long, but still relatively short, this disc is one in a forest of many that exemplify some of the many things I love about this genre. If you'd like to give it a listen, you can check it out on Bandcamp! (Though I'm sure it's up on Youtube somewhere).
The Willow Snag
1. Byberry
2. Ghosts
3. Acquainted With The Night
4. Techtonics
5. Dichtomoy
6. Reigned
7. The Branks
8. Catalogue
9. In Late Blue Autumn
10. Whatever You Hold Dear
If you would like to see the 16 page booklet, check this discs release page on Discogs linked here.
Lastly there is their posthumous 7" EP "Charred Timeless". Released about a year and a half after the bands previous/"last" show, this disc is the bands epilogue, as well as a fiery send off. Seeing as it would be the last thing they ever put out, they decided to host a brief reunion/release show, and this thing sold like hot cakes. With that, the disc has become somewhat rare, so sadly I cannot provide scans. That's not the end of the world though, as it's easily accessible and able to be heard, again via Bandcamp! Either way, it's a phenomenal outro for this equally as phenomenal Pittsburgh band.
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| Cover image via Discogs |
Charred Timeless
Side A. Charred Timeless
Side B. This City Is A Wick
Thank you to Q. from Hard Travelin' for being so kind!
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