Michael Coates had barely touched a guitar in more than a decade when one of his old ones ended up hanging on the wall of his office. At some point he started taking it down and playing again, without much of a plan. Before long he had new material, and that eventually pulled his longtime friend and collaborator Shawn Bell back into the picture. That is where Shelter & Sound started. The Dayton, Ohio band released their debut single “Frailty” through Sweet Cheetah Records on 11 September.
“Frailty” sits closer to the melodic, cleaner side of mid-2000s post-hardcore and emo. There is plenty of alt-rock in there too: two guitars, big clean vocals, a chorus built to open up, and none of the screaming associated with the heavier end of that period. The roots are easy enough to hear, especially if you grew up around the MySpace era, but the production hits much harder and cleaner than most records from that time ever did.
Lyrically, the song gets into self-preservation, instinct and the messier part of trying to rebuild yourself when those instincts are no longer helping as much as they used to.
Michael had already spent years around this kind of music before leaving it behind. In the mid-2000s he wrote and played guitar in touring band Auburndale, co-founded Substream Magazine and started Thriving Records through ADA / East West Warner Music Group. After his business partner and co-founder Marc Young died suddenly in 2009, Michael stepped away from music. The guitars went into closets, most of the gear was sold, and corporate work took over.
Years later, that guitar in the office gave him a way back in. He started writing again, reconnected with Shawn Bell and began recording with producer and engineer Aaron Carlson. Those early demos eventually reached Sweet Cheetah Records, who picked up the project.
When “Frailty” premiered at Atwood Magazine, Mitch Most described it as “a spellbinding alt-rock eruption” built around “towering vocals,” “hammering drums” and “thrashing guitars,” while pointing to the old friendship at the center of the band and the fact that Michael was making music again on his own terms.
His own route into post-hardcore runs through Hopesfall, Blindside, Further Seems Forever, Poison the Well, Glassjaw, Thrice, Thursday, Alexisonfire, Finch and Underoath. One of those names is part of his own history too. Auburndale toured with Further Seems Forever in 2005, during the period when the late Jon Bunch was fronting the band.
Here are Michael’s ten picks in full.
Hopesfall – The Satellite Years
To me, this album is a sonically cinematic masterpiece. They have this rare ability to tell an entire story purely through instrumental atmosphere and texture. It also boasts one of the absolute best opening tracks across the entire golden era of post-hardcore.
Blindside – About a Burning Fire
I love the sheer freedom they exhibit on this record. Christian’s tenor grit is unmatched, and the entire album is chock-full of masterclass tension and release.
Further Seems Forever – How to Start a Fire
God damn, where do I even start? I had the privilege of touring with FSF back in 2005 when Jon Bunch fronted the band (RIP), but hands down, Jason Gleason was the best vocalist they ever had. Those soaring melodies levitate you, the guitar work is delicately detailed, and the drums, almost never landing squarely on the 4, create this beautiful anticipation and wonder. If there’s one record I truly wish I had written and made myself, it’s it.
Poison the Well – You Come Before You
Not sure if I’ll catch flack for putting this ahead of The Opposite of December, but this record proved what was possible when raw aggression meets world-class songwriting. Production-wise: chef’s kiss. Vocally, it’s dynamic, diverse, and arrived at such a pivotal moment in the scene. It converted so many listeners to the heavier side of post-hardcore seamlessly and effortlessly.
Glassjaw – Worship and Tribute
Glassjaw is the Picasso of post-hardcore. Everything on this record teeters right on the razor’s edge of sanity and madness. Daryl’s vocal performance sits perched on the highest pedestal of the era; completely nonconforming with zero fucks given. Musically chaotic, it’s pure perfection within imperfection.
Thrice – The Illusion of Safety
It’s so tough choosing between this and The Artist in the Ambulance, but from an influence standpoint, this record carries the heavier weight. Dustin’s lyrics are Pulitzer worthy, and the cadence, riffs, and arrangements across every track are nothing short of masterful.
Thursday – Full Collapse
The ground zero blueprint. Geoff sounded like he was hyperventilating his soul directly into the mic, and that unhinged vulnerability became the scene’s holy grail. The jagged, off-kilter guitar leads and shifting dynamics felt like a panic attack in the best of ways. Nobody was writing with that kind of poetic, blood-on-the-mic desperation before this record dropped.
Alexisonfire – Crisis
This record has big dick in the locker room energy. It hits like a brick through the window. The contrasts between Wade’s gritty stabs and Dallas’ grail level succulent voice creates the perfect accoutrements to George’s throat shredding rasp. It’s tight, violent, and relentlessly anthemic.
Finch – What It Is to Burn
One of the most powerful debuts ever. Could not believe how refine, mature and organic it was. Stadium sized hooks, production perfection and vocals that felt so familiar but distinct. This might have been the last record I bought hunting through the cds at hot topic, analyzing the “if you like…” stickers we used as our guiding light. What a feeling you had when they hit. One of those magical moments kids these days will never experience or understand .
Underoath – Define the Great Line
I distinctively remember the first time listening to this. Blew my mind. Ditching the synth-pop-screamo trope, they built an absolute sledgehammer of atmospheric doom, suffocating depths, and pure visceral weight. Aaron’s frantic, unorthodox drum phrasing paired with Spencer’s sharp as whip delivery, completely reimagined what heavy, mainstream adjacent post-hardcore could sound like. A monstrous, flawless record.
