Koyo pick their favorite songs from Long Island bands, past and present
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It’s clear that Koyo have a deep reverence for their roots. The Long Island crew, who are hot off their new album, Would You Miss It?, produce a hard-hitting, anthemic blend of emo, punk, and hardcore that’s informed by the hometown music they grew up listening to. That’s seen across their debut record, as the band recruited prominent members of the scene, from Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw (“Message Like A Bomb”) to Vinnie Caruana of the Movielife (“What’s Left To Say”), to pay respect to the artists who laid the groundwork. Koyo even got photographer Michael Dubin, who captured the scene’s explosion in the early 2000s, to star as a judge, whereas fellow Long Island hardcore outfit Regulate crash the contest, in their video for “You’re On The List (Minus One).”
Read more: Fan poll: 5 best Taking Back Sunday songs of all time
So, we asked Koyo to name their favorite songs from bands around Long Island, past and present. See their picks below.
The Movielife – “Jamestown”
The Movielife is the perfect blend of hardcore, punk, and emo music. Their take on the melodic side of our genre is in large part exactly what our band has tried to emulate these past few years. Full of iconic hooks, “Jamestown” is a song about every touring band's worst nightmare, a van crash. Having recently wrecked our own van, this song has been hitting a little closer to home than it used to. —Stephen Spanos
Skycamefalling – “Laura Palmer”
Skycamefalling are one of my favorite bands to ever come from the island. They cultivated a sound that was the perfect marriage of emotion and intensity. From the riffs to the drums, the visceral vocals and the lyrics, it all just scratches the itch for me. I always find myself soundchecking with the bridge of this track. Listen to their album 10.21. —Sal Argento
Glassjaw – “Midwestern Stylings”
Glassjaw’s “Midwestern Stylings” in Michael Dubin’s Room is a video that we all used to watch and talk about. Whether it be the crazy, energetic song, the slower ballad, or acoustic track, Glassjaw has always made everything work and have cohesion. The different versions of “Midwestern Stylings” are proof of this. If I had to pick one, it would be the full-band version. It’s a perfect example of great musicianship and songwriting working together. “Midwestern Stylings” is my favorite chorus in the discography and showcases some of Daryl’s best melodies and range. We even threw around the idea of covering it at our first show ever and learned all the parts, but it didn’t happen. —TJ Rotolico
Vision Of Disorder – “Through My Eyes”
Vision Of Disorder is a quintessential name in LIHC history and the musical personification of a punch to the gut. They just had this unrelenting energy about them, weaving elements of hardcore, metal, and punk all throughout their music. I think this track best captures them executing this signature style of theirs. Listen to their self-titled record. —Sal Argento
King Nine – “Art of War”
Safe to say King Nine is probably my favorite hardcore band of all time. A band that writes hardcore music exactly as it should be — intense and authentic. There are days I listen to this song on repeat at the gym 'cause nothing else will get me as hype. The entire K9 discography, but particularly this song, is musical smelling salt. —Harold Griffin
Taking Back Sunday – “Timberwolves at New Jersey”
This is one of the first songs I ever learned on guitar. Whenever we soundcheck, there’s a 50/50 I’ll play the intro chords. We got to slip one of those chords into a new Koyo song. You can hear it and probably guess which one. To this day, I still think the verses have one of the most stand-out guitar rhythms and vocal melodies. We recently saw them play in a friend’s backyard and lost our minds. —TJ Rotolico
On the Might of Princes – “If I Knew Numbers (The Stalemate)”
A perfect example of how vast the sounds of LIHC are, the band offered such a distinct blend of screamo, post-hardcore, and punk. Something about their music just always carried this earnest and heartfelt feel to me, as well as this sincerity weaved throughout the composition and lyrics, which resonated with me once I first discovered them. Listen to their album Where You Are and Where You Want To Be. —Sal Argento
Neglect – “Good For Nothing”
“Good for nothing” were the first words I ever got tattooed on me at 18 years old. Legend has it MTV wouldn’t play the full-color video on Headbangers Ball, so they had to cut it in black and white. A band you probably won’t and probably shouldn’t enjoy if you’re not from the island. —Harold Griffin
Cipher – “Reaching Higher States”
I would consider Cipher one of Long Island’s best-kept secrets. Truly a melting pot of so many styles and genres bundled together to create such a unique but primal sound. Intricate guitar work, dynamic rhythms, and introspective lyricism always made them stand out to me and left a lasting impression on me. Listen to their EP Protoculture and LP Children of God’s Fire. —Sal Argento
Brand New – “Logan to Government Center”
I remember seeing the music video for “The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows” in middle school, and it prompted me to look up Brand New. Tracing back to Your Favorite Weapon on our family’s Dell PC Computer, I found “Logan to Government Center” and instantly fell in love. This track always felt anthemic and gave me a feeling of wanting to get in the car and drive or take a walk somewhere. I truly don’t wanna know how many hours I’ve spent listening. —TJ Rotolico
Bottom Out – “Letters From Earth”
Bottom Out played a big role in our collective upbringing in hardcore. It felt like they were the band to see for a while when we first started coming up around 2012-2013. Always playing the coolest shows, always having insane crowds. Vibes were always high during Bottom Out sets. A quintessential hardcore band for Long Island that deserves far more praise than they receive. —Harold Griffin
Jukai – “Result of Death”
Similar to Bottom Out, Jukai was a band that felt omnipresent on the island for a while and played a pivotal role in the northeast HC community as a whole between 2014-2018. How can anyone forget that This Is Hardcore set? “Result of Death” is seriously an incredibly powerful song written in Jesse’s memory that I think most people can relate to. I will always be grateful for all the shows Hangman got to play with Jukai back in the day. Much love to Kyle, Zach, and Steve. —Harold Griffin
