Well, here it is. Texas is the Reason’s catalog, their debut 7”, several split 7“s and sole Lp with the same title as this collection, gets the reissue treatment alongside some never before heard tracks (most notably 2 brand new tracks recorded last year with original Lp producer extraordinaire J Robbins). More than 15 years after their initial breakup, this stands up alongside its contemporaries (in fact, often better) and is a nice reminder of why they remain so beloved in this genre.

Though their earlier work (including their side of a split 7” with the aforementioned Texas is the Reason) is probably more evocative of this era and generally remembered better, I think they peaked with this great 1999 album, much of it just straight-up power-pop that had more in common with early Green Day or a speedy version of The Cars than their knottier early work. I still play it regularly.

Like Very Emergency, I regard this 2000 effort (their swan song) as one of my favorite albums of the last 15 years. And like Very Emergency, it is far from their best-loved album but is clearly their best work. While their 1993 debut Diary is the shot that launched a thousand basement post-hardcore bands (I won’t use the ‘e’ word here) and far more influential, they would really come into their own on their last two albums, particularly this one.

Though I loved 2000’s mellower, more alt-country (and on occasion, piano-inflected) Four Cornered Night, which I still regard as underrated and great, the Jets to Brazil album I reach for most often is still their great 1998 debut.

Though a flop at the time as Jimmy Eat World were perhaps the only band from this genre/scene to make every album of theirs on a major label and as such, its commercial failure got them dropped (though they’d not only revive their career but become more popular than ever by signing to Dreamworks for 2001’s platinum-selling Bleed American, thus setting the template for the rest of their career), this album has proved to be enormously influential. While Bleed American is my favorite album of theirs, this is both far more prescient to the type of music I’m describing on this list and perhaps a more influential album overall. They threw every studio trick they had into making this one, culminating with the 16-minute “Goodbye Sky Harbor” and poppier moments like “Lucky Denver Mint” remain memorable as ever.

Not the mid ’00s UK band, but rather a little-known outfit from Virginia that, as far as I know, only put out this EP back in 2000. I’d honestly never even heard of them until my friend Anders Uhl turned me on to this EP a few days ago, so if anyone has more information about them, let me know! Anyhow, this is female-fronted, melodic post-hardcore not far removed from what current bands like Swearin’ (whose Lp I played right before it when I first listened to this EP and the transition was seamless!) are doing now. I can only hope that this band recorded more songs!

I’ve liked Samiam since the early ’90s, but am generally only familiar with their work from that time period. That was, at least, until the other night when my friend Greg Polard turned me on to this great 2000 effort. Sonically, this is more similar to Hot Water Music‘s Division (released the year before) or even the mighty Leatherface than most of the other music on this list, but yet it somehow fits. In other words, this is melodic, yet rough-hewn punk rock with just the right combination of each element.

Though Junction had broken up by the time of their “Mouth as a Gun” 7” (released in 1994), this CD (released in 1995) consists of their entire discography and somehow fits in with much of the rest of the music on this list. The haunting, ethereal, yet powerful, vocals of Vanessa Downing matched up with the occasional backing screams of a pre-Delta 72 Gregg Foreman (who wrote the songs here) and a pounding rhythm section to create a band that I regard as one of the best bands in the ’90s post-hardcore genre. If you see this CD, pick it up but the incredible Swing Set 12” (included here) is by far their best work.

Not to be outdone by some of the notable bands he produced during this time period (i.e. Texas is the Reason, The Promise Ring, etc.), J Robbins (who has never made a bad record in a career going back to his late ’80s stint as Government Issue‘s bassist in their best lineup) kept up his winning streak with this short-lived (only 2 Lps) band. This is their 1998 debut and basically continued where Jawbox left off with their self-titled 1996 swan song.

Not a ’90s band, but a relatively recent outfit from Kingston, PA, they recently released their second full-length album late last year. A mix of aggressive hardcore punk with tunes that wouldn’t have been out of places on ’90s albums by Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr or even My Bloody Valentine, this promising young band was a great choice to open for Texas is the Reason last night.