3. Modest Mouse: Interstate 8
Modest Mouse was formed in 1993 in Issaquah, WA, and originally recorded for K records, specialists in twee-pop and owned by Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening. While Modest Mouse shared many of the lo-fi characteristics of the twee-pop bands, their more aggressive, punkier approach combined with a wistful, almost eerie lyricism put them firmly in emo territory. Leader Isaac Brock was only 22 when the Interstate 8 album was recorded in 1996, but he has a world-weary way with lyrics, many of which come across as profoundly sad. The title track "Interstate 8" leads off the album, and features Brock's morose singing and playing to good effect. Atmospheric in the right places, and well constructed, this is another fine example of emo from its peak years. After years in relative obscurity, Modest Mouse finally hit big in 2004 with their equally somber Good News for People Who Love Bad News album, which peaked at #18.
4. Jimmy Eat World: For Me This Is Heaven
![Jimmy eat World: Jimmy eat World [EP] (1998)](http://img213.echo.cx/img213/649/jimmyeatworldep0sz.jpg)
Jimmy Eat World's four members go back a long way; singer/guitarist Jim Adkins, drummer Zach Lind, singer/guitarist Tom Linton, and bassist Mitch Porter met in kindergarten. Formed in Mesa, AZ in 1994, the band released a few indie singles before Capitol records took notice and signed them in 1995. Their best known song is the catchy, ringing, melodic hit "The Middle" from 2001, but their emo influence is better heard on their earlier material, most notably the 1999 album, Clarity. "For Me This Is Heaven" is included on that album, but actually was included on a 5-song EP released in 1998 on Fueled By Ramen records. Like a number of emo bands, Jimmy Eat World bristles at the tag, and indeed have outgrown it. But in their early years, their cloudy-weather vocals and instrumentation fit the bill.
5. Braid: My Baby Smokes
Braid are frequently cited as one of the classic early 90's emo bands. Their history is somewhat convoluted, with numerous line-up changes, but their mainstays were singer/guitarist Bob Nanna and drummer Roy Ewing, who met via a tape-trading ad in a rock newspaper. "My Baby Smokes" is from their second album, The Age of Octeen, released by the Mud label in 1996. An unpolished, energetic effort, the album and song feature rough, punky, almost garage band style guitars, and Nanna's vocals, which ranged from a mumble to a shout to actual singing. "My Baby Smokes" builds from a quiet rumble, with rolling drums and barely audfible lyrics before exploding into wall of sound noise and wailing vocals. A good band, they never sold enough albums to keep going, and broke up in 1999.
Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
wonderful uao. thouroughly enjoyed everything here. i just been startin to sort of half-poke at the edges of emo on account of a lady-friend seems to like a hella lotta bands that could fit snugly within the confines of the genre. and politically, as a reaction to both commercial music business and the macho fuckin posturing of so many rock bands, i think its an incredibly positive thing.
Other than Weezer i dunno that any of these bands would've crossed my listening post until recently, save for Modest Mouse, who i didn't for a second ensvision as emo. I just imagine there ain't no right reason in the world for me to decry all that "whinin" no more. Look at the songs you wrote, folks would say. Look at those fuckin bright eyes records litterin the place. Look all that nonsense. And you don't like emo becuase it's all "whining for no good reason"??????
on the other hand, the number of emo bands straddlin the rock world at the minute, the number of them cynically exploiting the emotions of their fans for nothin other than commercial gain, that shit i can't get behind for a damn second.
but i could listen to Pinkerton all day.
i have NEVER been able to find Zen Arcade in a record strore, and had to make do with candy apple grey, which was fairly dissapointing.
2 - Mark Saleski
holy crap! the duke doesn't own that Fugazi record?
what the hell?!! buy it tomorrow!
3 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
mark, Fugazi are one of the bands up yonder who have indeed infiltrated my record collection. i never much cared for the Straight Edge shenanigans (save for a brief weekend back in 99), but regardless, Fugazi and Minor Threat are sitting neath my keyboard at this very minute. even though, to be perfectly honest, the dead kennedys stuff next to it gets all the stereo-space.
and curse this, i just spent too long crouched over fumbling through CD's in order to find that Husker Du record. which i now have beside me for to iTune-ise. alongside a loada other stuff i always meant to fling on there. How could i have forgotten Gillian Welch or Bill Monroe or System Of A Down? makes no sense. but there there are, fit for to be ripped.
4 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
an i think maybe the reason why i didnt even think of fugazi when commenting up yonder, is becuase never in my wildest pigeon-holeing delirium would i have considered them emo. most likely on account of i still don't especially know what the fuck emo means.
i have that documentary on VHS someplace, too. what was it called? the fugazi one... Document or somethin??
5 - Craig Lyndall
This read like a much more concise version of Andy Greenwald's book, "Nothing Feels Good" which blathered on a bit too long about Dashboard Confessional.
Anyway, a fine article. I am just waiting for the people who hate the word Emo to come out of the woodwork and call you an idiot. It will happen. Just warning you.
Good selections for meaningful songs. I would have to put Mineral on any list that I make of most influential artists. In terms of Modest Mouse, I wouldn't call them emo. This is where I think there is a clear split between emo and indie rock. Whenever a band like modest mouse pushes boundaries of weirdness, I say it is eclectic and think of indie. When a band is wearing its heart on its sleeve like Mineral or Sunny Day, it is emo.
Try and place a band like Death Cab for Cutie though and you are going to start getting into trouble.
6 - Mark Saleski
i'm not here to call anybody any names, but i am in duke's camp with this Emo thing...in that it's an interesting bit of categorization where there's not necessarily a unifying sound with these groups.
think about it. if you'd never heard about any of this stuff before, switched on the radio and heard Weezer's "Hash Pipe"...you'd think it was, what? to me, it's a just a rock song.
7 - The Theory
yeah, most of that I don't think I'd consider emo. That said, the genre is ambiguous enough that it is pretty worthless trying to argue it.
8 - Tom Johnson
Another very nice piece, uao.
I'll echo Craig - watch for the Fugazi supporters to ignorantly rip into you for labeling them as emo. ,a href="http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/02/24/135437.php"My first post here was about Tortoise's self-titled album that, for whatever reason, talked about Fugazi and mentioned emo, and well over two years later it got a comment from just such a person.
9 - Julie
Fugazi is not EMO!.Emo is closer to green day that hardcore punk. Even mentioning Bad Brains in the same ARTICLE as Emo seems preposterous.Good Article though. Tries too hard to make Emo sound legit instead of wimpy(Which I feel it is).
10 - Craig Lyndall
This is another reason that I just call my band a melodic rock band. I have heard people tell us we are emo, alternative, etc, but it is just a form of rock really.
Give it a listen and tell me what it is if you like, but I just call it rock.
11 - uao
I didn't write the history; I just report it.
Honest injun; Fugazi and Dischord records' output were called "emocore" at the time for much the same reasons the 90's bands were called emo.
If the tough guys in Fugazi's audience want to pretend this isn't true, fine.
But while researching this piece I came across about a dozen comprehensive articles that say the same things this article does. Just do a google search "history of emo" or "fugazi + emo" and see what comes up.
Those Fugazi fans who don't like emo might want to consider listening to the late GG Allin instead.
;-)
12 - Craig Lyndall
Well said, uao...
By the way, if you want to see some fans attack, go check out the review I did of War All the Time by Thursday...
(sniff) they were so mean!
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/18/140826.php
13 - SFC SKI
Another good on, uao, I read it on your site first.
Not much for emo, but everyonce in a while I hear something worth listening to more than once.
14 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
regarding comment #11 - gg was the KING of emo
15 - uao
Craig: I've had a few pieces go that way here, too. This one still might...
I liked your reply in your thread "Maybe you are blinded by your infatuation." Simple, and to the point. That was pretty funny.
Duke: now that you mention it, maybe GG indeed was the king of emo. You've cast him in a whole new light for me.
:-)
16 - BRICKLAYER
Lil' Brick says More Elmo. Less Emo. Thank you.
17 - Eric Olsen
super super job getting your ears around a very slippery genre, which basically means whatever the person talking says it means - thanks uao!
18 - Cordy
I would have to say that bands like Weezer, Death Cab, Bright Eyes, The Postal Service. I'd say they were Emo. Emo to me is strange out-there music, usually having some electronic stuff or an acoustic guitar.