Before you jump to any conclusions, put your black eyeliner back in the drawer and pull out your thick-rimmed glasses and pack of American Spirits. This week, we’re genre-spotlighting our way in to the realm of emo.
Make no mistake; we’re not talking about My Chemical Romance or Black Veil Brides or whatever bands your younger sister might be listening to. Instead, we’re talking about the form of emo that peaked in popularity towards the late 90’s/early 2000’s and has resurfaced in popularity over the past few years.
Stylistically, emo is a genre that’s characterized by twinkly guitar riffs and subtle tempos. The best way to describe it would be to picture it as alternative rock’s wimpier cousin. Emo packs a woe-is-me punch that never really comes across as truly enraged, but presents itself in more of a rainy-day attitude. Everything about emo is bummed out, it’s for those days when your $5 falls out of your pocket or you get a D on your science quiz.
So, whom does emo really appeal to anyways?
That’s a loaded question, because it attracts a whole melting pot of different people.
If you like watching indie films and wearing flannel shirts, emo could be your next big thing. If you’re the type of person who’s afraid to cry or show any of your feelings, you might want to pass over this one unless you can step outside of yourself and realize the true quality of this niche genre.
Bands like You Blew It!, The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die and Dads have been fronting the genre since its revival a couple of years ago, but it’s important to pay attention to old school acts like American Football and Mineral as well. These aren’t names you’ll see on the front of magazines, but the fan base is large and the style of music isn’t abrasive to the point where your parents would disapprove either.
It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but there are plenty of emo albums that radiate quality and any music critic should be able to appreciate that. If you’re having a bad day, put a needle on this genre and turn on your record player because there’s surely an emo band that will be there to catch your salty tears.
Did you know?
Many classic emo bands like Mineral and The Jazz June have reformed in the past couple of years. Some of them have been doing everything from touring to recording new albums and more
Contemporary emo recommendations:
1. The Hotelier – Home, Like No Place Is There (2014)
This is hands down one of the best albums of 2014. It goes from a slow, melodic intro track to the ultra-catchy power song “Life In Drag.” This album is truly a masterpiece and it stands out regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of the genre.
2. The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die and Deer Leap – Are Here to Help (2012)
New-wave emo and elements of post-rock make up this split, and it all comes together to form one cohesive listening experience. While they may be a relatively new band, Deer Leap really steals the show on this one with atmospheric guitar riffs and beautifully arranged vocal melodies.
Classic emo recommendations:
1. American Football – American Football (self titled)
American Football’s self-titled album is a truly essential emo album, and not mentioning it would probably make this spotlight incomplete. Everything you need to know about this genre is sandwiched and packed in to this album, and it’s certainly the best place to start if you want to jump in.
Masen Matthews can be reached at [email protected]