Explanation please

[PopDaisy]

Confession: I am old enough to be some of you people's... erm.. aunt...yeah, that's it.

Although I am an extremely COOL aunt. My regular listening includes Green Day, Franz Ferdinand, Killers, Interpol, and Arcade Fire, in addition to our boys.

So cut me some slack as I am forced to ask the following:

Emo. Please give me a definition and point me towards bands that are representative of the genre.

Your Auntie PopDaisy thanks you.

 

[barlowdog]

Confession: I am old enough to be some of you people's... erm.. aunt...yeah, that's it.

Although I am an extremely COOL aunt. My regular listening includes Green Day, Franz Ferdinand, Killers, Interpol, and Arcade Fire, in addition to our boys.

So cut me some slack as I am forced to ask the following:

Emo. Please give me a definition and point me towards bands that are representative of the genre.

Your Auntie PopDaisy thanks you.

I believe "Emo" was originally intended as shorthand for emotional hardcore. Rites of Spring, a DC area hardcore band, is recognized by some as the progenitor of this movement back in the 80's. The term seems to now be used by the record industry (and magazines) to sell pain and misery to kids. It seems to be a meaningless term at this point. At least that's my opinion. Dashboard Confessional, who's opening some fall dates for U2, is currently representative of this genre.

Having said that, I do enjoy a number of bands considered, at least in part, to be linked to the 90's and current incarnation of this genre including Mineral, Jealous Sound and Death Cab for Cutie.

 

[typhoon]

It's a term like "grunge" in that it's used to encapsulate a number of fairly diverse groups and that everyone who obviously fits the term (broadly defined as it is) is too cool for the word so totally denies it.

So, basically, emo is whiny, kill-yourself-because-your-high-school-girlfriend-left-you music, but any whiny, kill-yourself-because-your-high-school-girlfriend-left-you music you actually come across isn't emo, even though it obviously is, and if you call it that, you'll probably get called names.

 

[indra]

Check out allmusic.com and look up emo or one of the groups mentioned. It's as good a definition as any.

 

[Palace_Hero]

Definition of emo: rubbish. Steer clear.

 

[lazarus]

If you want to hear a very good emo album, and one of the fairly early ones, I'd check out Jimmy Eat World's Clarity. It's not a very hard album, and a pretty far cry from their two more recent releases, which are a lot more radio friendly.

Clarity also drew some comparisons to U2 at the time; you can definitely hear an Edge influence on a couple songs.

The last track is a 15 minute song that just has to be heard to be believed. Beautiful and amazing.

 

[lazarus]

Also, Weezer's Pinkerton is considered one of the godfather albums that kind of inspired the emo sound.

 

[IWasBored]

palace_hero took the obvious definition.

there's good and bad stuff with every genre, though.

my advice is don't bother trying to find an explaination. in a year or two, most of these bands won't be around anymore. and the ones that are will be parading under a different flag. the word "emo" will be a thing of the past. sure, the music will still exist, as it did before this current explosion of whiny make-up wearing pop bands. but the genre will be irrelavent. kind of like nu-metal. speaking of nu-metal, remember papa roach? 4 or 5 years ago they were in the same genre as staind, godsmack, and all those other bands that would show up on "where are they now" if vh1 still did that show (do they still have that show?). but not papa roach, they've got a new album and a new look! they're EMO! coby whatshisname wears eyeliner! funny, i got the impression that nu-metal was trying to be macho as they whined about how mommy and daddy didn't love them, or their girl left. i guess we should at least be glad they shed their false pretenses. sure, if you listen to "last resort," you'll hear in the lyrics that they were always very emo. but back in 2000, 2001, it wasn't called emo. it was nu-metal. ask any 13 year old kid at a thrice show what nu-metal is, and he probably won't remember.

 

[typhoon]

I've gotta say, I'm kind of jealous of thirteen-year-old kids at Thrice shows now.

 

[Palace_Hero]

If you want to hear a very good emo album, and one of the fairly early ones, I'd check out Jimmy Eat World's Clarity. It's not a very hard album, and a pretty far cry from their two more recent releases, which are a lot more radio friendly.

Clarity also drew some comparisons to U2 at the time; you can definitely hear an Edge influence on a couple songs.

The last track is a 15 minute song that just has to be heard to be believed. Beautiful and amazing.

JEW aren't emo, cos they're good.

 

[IWasBored]

palace_hero, i'm glad your here. if you weren't, how would we ever know what's good and what's bad?

I've gotta say, I'm kind of jealous of thirteen-year-old kids at Thrice shows now.

 

[Palace_Hero]

palace_hero, i'm glad your here. if you weren't, how would we ever know what's good and what's bad?

Wow. 20,000+ posts and I've never noticed you before.

 

[Cleasai]

maybe its because your head is shoved up somewhere it shouldn't be.

Here is a link to allmusic.com's definition of Emo. Link: Click Here

 

[namkcuR]

Is Good Charlotte emo? I was told they were once.

Either way, they're rubbish.

 

[VertigoGal]

I agree with typhoon's definition.

Most of my friends are into emo.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

palace_hero, i'm glad your here. if you weren't, how would we ever know what's good and what's bad?

one could say the same about you, you know. i'm just saying.

 

[AtomicBono]

So, basically, emo is whiny, kill-yourself-because-your-high-school-girlfriend-left-you music, but any whiny, kill-yourself-because-your-high-school-girlfriend-left-you music you actually come across isn't emo, even though it obviously is, and if you call it that, you'll probably get called names.

Exactly.

And emo kids are goth kids that are too scared to go full-on goth, so they just whine a lot and maybe buy a Good Charlotte shirt from Hot Topic and have their hair hanging in their faces.

 

[IWasBored]

one could say the same about you, you know. i'm just saying.

of course. you just did. it's good to know who is allowed to say it and who gets warned for it, though. thank you.

 

[PopDaisy]

Aargh, one of my posts led to bitch-slapping...



Anyway, on the positive side, I really appreciate all of you who attemped to interpret this term for me; and apparently it wasn't that easy an answer to nail down. I do have a little clearer understanding of it, however, and although it doesn't appear to hold much appeal for me personally, I like to be aware of what's going on in all facets of the music world.

4 weeks until Milwaukee!

PopDaisy

 

[indra]

Aargh, one of my posts led to bitch-slapping...



PopDaisy

Don't sweat it. I've come to the realisation that virtually all posts in this forum lead to bitch slapping eventually.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

of course. you just did. it's good to know who is allowed to say it and who gets warned for it, though. thank you.

there's a difference between what i said and what you said. you were being sarcastic towards someone for doing the exact same thing you're doing. i just called you on it.

 

[wolfeden]

Wikipedia has a fairly good definition, last time I looked.