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What is emo?

chris4001asat

chris4001asat

Reverend Guitars Production Manager
Commercial User
Dec 16, 2002
1,012
300
57
Toledo, Ohio
www.polkafloyd.com
Disclosures
Warehouse Manager : Reverend Guitars
#1
I've heard the term for awhile now. Even though I hate labels, what exactly is emo? I was reading a glowing review for the new Jimmy Eat World recording in an older issue of Blender. (Finally catching up on my piles of magazines) and they said that they've been known as "the best emo band for awhile, but maybe it's time to take out the E word". I bought the CD, and it sounds like pop/punk/ rock to me. I liked it, but what makes what emo? By the way, if you haven't heard it, "drugs or me" is an AMAZING song.
 
#4
Emo has already come and gone, IMO. The scene is full of hipsters and johnny-come-latelys who are more worried about who they're seen with at what show, what kind of name-dropping they can get away with, and how their hair looks, as opposed to enjoying the music.

As for the music, the crap that is labeled as "emo" today isn't fit to carry Sunny Day Real Estate's dirty laundry. RIP emo.
 
#5
When I think emo, I immediately think of these bands: Hawthorne Heights, Taking Back Sunday, and The Used. All of which deserve to die horrible deaths for the mutilation they have caused to ear drums and to the minds of dyed-black, eye-length hair, baby-clothes (but with more anarchy! Woo!) teenagers that already sucked at life to begin with.

But I like Jimmy Eat World.
 
#7
well, it's emotional metal. aka emo. but its not as gay as it sounds, imo, bands like sunny day real estate, giants chair, burning jazz, stuff like that are emo. and then there are the really ******** bands that try to be emo like good charlotte, yellowcard, and stuff like that.
 
#8
roguebass said:
and then there are the really ******** bands that try to be emo like good charlotte, yellowcard, and stuff like that.
Click to expand...

that's what most people think of when the word "emo" is dropped.

standard formula for how emo lyrics are written:

--Run-o-the-mill middle class (not poor) guy has a steady girlfriend
--Girl dumps guy
--guy decides: "THIS IS THE WORST THING THAT CAN EVER HAPPEN!!! THE WORLD IS FALLING APART!!!"
--Guy grows his hair out to about his nose
--guy starts wearing tight sweatshirts and baggy pants that have obscure logos on them
-- Guy writes lyrics roughly following the above capitalized proclomation
-- guy makes a bunch of money
-- guy writes even more lyrics saying how bad he has it, even though he's now living the high life, has girls falling all over him, and has actually gotten over his being dumped, and now has chicks falling all over him.


and on and on... :rollno:
 
#13
Everyone defines emo differently and i think its kinda funny. According to a guy on urban dict., at the drive-in is emo. If tahts the case, i like some emo music, but i never considred them emo. OR emocore, hardcore, screamo post melodramatic rennasisance transient rock or w/we categories theyre using nowadays.
 
#14
DaftCat said:
From the Urban Dictionary:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=emo&r=f
Click to expand...

"Punk music on estrogen."

That's the funniest thing I've heard in a while! Emo drives me crazy, it's all the kids around here want to listen to. When we do a show, nobody really gets into it because they all come for the Emo and we're just there basically because they couldn't find another Emo band to fill in.
 
#15
Hurley000 said:
Exactly. There are a lot of crap bands out there, more concerned with the scene than the music, but it's unfair to just dismiss the style of music as being lame.
Click to expand...

I was just listening to Mineral the other day and it's striking just how far emo has fallen during its time in the spotlight. All the stereotypical parts of modern-day emo songs are their:
-soft-loud-soft dynamics,
-nasal singing,
-'dueling' guitar lines,
-mid-tempo wall of bass and drums for the guitars to noodle off repetitve solos crescending into another chorus.

But it was actually very well done. The lyrics were self-effacing and lamenting as opposed straight-up mysoginistic. The guitars were musically competent and capable and not trying to pull off some half-assed radio-ready rock riff. It's kind of sad how all the johnny-come-lately jock kids have turned emotional venting and expression into melodrama, being self-absorbed and women-hating.

Sonorous said:
The only "screamo" type band I like is Cursive.
Click to expand...

That's weird, when people I know talk about screamo they talk about City of Caterpillar, Antioch Arrow and Angel Hair....Guess it doesn't matter, but does show how convoluted this whole thing has gotten.
 
#17
I never thought of Cursive as Screamo...

I also really enjoyed the band "Cave-In" songs like "Youth Over-rided" and "Devil's head pinata"

but in general, emo is latest trend for crappy bands to pass their music off onto

sure, not all of it is bad *cough* but it has all been done before and it's really tiresome

Emo/Hardcore(WORST)/Screamo have become the new 'garage band' entities

I honestly think that next to 'gangsta rap,' 'Hardcore' is the worst thing to happen to music
 

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