Artists like Rival Schools

Sparta is an American rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band currently consists of Jim Ward, Matt Miller (bass), and drummer Neil Hennessy. Founding members Ward, Paul Hinojos, and Tony Hajjar were members of post-hardcore group At the Drive-In, forming Sparta in 2001 after the break-up of their former band. The band went on hiatus in 2008 for Ward to focus on his solo career and side projects, reuniting from 2011 to 2013 for a series of shows and permanently reuniting in 2017. The band has released six studio albums to date; their fourth, Trust the River, was released in 2020 after a 14-year break between releases. Their most recent album, Cut a Silhouette, was released in May 2026.

Jawbox was an American post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C., formed in 1989. The original lineup consisted of J. Robbins (vocals/guitar), Kim Coletta (bass), and Adam Wade (drums). Jawbox released their first two full-lengths Grippe (1991) and Novelty (1992) on the local independent label Dischord Records, eventually becoming the third best-selling band on the label, behind Minor Threat and Fugazi. Bill Barbot joined the band as an additional guitarist and vocalist after the release of Grippe, and Zach Barocas replaced Wade on drums after the release of Novelty.

Braid is an American emo band from Champaign, Illinois, formed in 1993.

No Knife was a band from San Diego, California. They played an innovative form of rock that combined aspects of post-punk, post-hardcore, indie rock, and many other genres, influenced by a wide variety of acts, including Pixies, the Cure, Erik Satie, Steel Pulse, and Édith Piaf. No Knife once won the San Diego Music Award for "Best Punk Rock Band," and are cited as an influence by Thrice.

Braid is an American emo band from Champaign, Illinois, formed in 1993.

The Appleseed Cast is an American emo band from Lawrence, Kansas. It was founded in the early days of emo by singer-guitarist Christopher Crisci and drummer Louie Ruiz. The band has steadily evolved over the release of eight full-length albums, with Crisci serving as the main songwriter. It has a frequently rotating lineup, with Crisci being the only consistent member since the band's conception. Currently, the lineup includes Christopher Crisci, Ben Kimball, Nick Fredrickson and Sean Bergman.

Knapsack is an American rock band formed in 1993 by Blair Shehan (vocals/guitar) and Colby Mancasola (drums). Shehan and Mancasola were two high school friends studying at the University of California, Davis. Guitarist Jason Bokros and bass guitarist Rod Meyer completed the line-up.

Reuben was an English rock band from Camberley. Their music is a fusion of alternative rock and heavy metal, as their songs cover a variety of styles, ranging from heavy and upbeat, such as their 2005 single "Blamethrower" to slower, more melodic songs such as their 2004 single "Moving to Blackwater". The former style of song often featured vocalist Jamie Lenman switching between shouting and whispering, a technique often used in heavy metal and post-hardcore music. The band performed in the UK underground music scene. Although they attracted a significant fanbase, Reuben never achieved mainstream success, but did chart four songs in the UK Singles Chart. Their highest charting single was 2004's "Freddy Kreuger", that reached UK No. 53.

Jets to Brazil was an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, US. They formed in 1997 and were active until 2003.

Champaign, IL space-rockers — heavy chords, huge distances.

Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Over its initial eight-year run the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their first three studio albums. Original singer Chris Carrabba recorded The Moon Is Down (2001) with the group before leaving to focus on Dashboard Confessional. He was replaced by Jason Gleason, who performed on How to Start a Fire (2003) but left the band the following year. Former Sense Field vocalist Jon Bunch joined Further Seems Forever for Hide Nothing (2004). The band broke up in 2006 but reunited four years later with Carrabba on vocals. Their fourth studio album, Penny Black, was released in 2012.