6. Texas Is The Reason: Back And To The Left
Named from a line in a Misfits song, Texas Is The Reason was formed in 1995 in New York City, and briefly seemed destined for great things, before in-fighting among the members led to a break-up after only one 1996 album. Vocalist Garrett Klahn has the kind of voice that you could either hate or love; nasal and occasionally shrill, but also warm and inviting. With all members veterans of various hardcore bands, Texas Is The Reason had both the clang of hardcore and the prettier intricacies of emo. "Back and To The Left" is the best distillation of their varied influences from their lone album, Do You Know Who You Are?; melodic, enthusiastic, energetic, and angular, it is textbook emo. One of the best selling releases ever on Revelation records, the band disbanded in 1997, just as they were being courted by the majors. Like several emo bands, members Norm Arenas and Chris Daly actively practiced religion; in their case, Hare Krishna.
7. Pedro The Lion: Of Up And Coming Monarchs
Pedro the Lion began as a group, but its lineup never managed to hang together, and ultimately the moniker came to represent just one musician, David Bazan, of Seattle. Lyrically, Pedro The Lion specializes in love songs/relationship songs, sometimes about people, sometimes about God. A practicing Christian, Bazan writes from the viewpoint of repentant sinner, wringing his hands over indiscretions that would make your average hardcore or metal band smirk. It's Hard to Find a Friend is a delicate and tender debut album, with sophisticated lyrics punctuated by remarkable detail and clarity; Bazan delivers them in very sincere voice. In some respects, his obsession with detail puts him in league with obsessives Brian WIlson and Daniel Johnston; however, his music most closely resembles lo-fi pioneers Sebadoh crossed with folk-rocker Hayden. "Of Up And Coming Monarchs" leads off It's Hard to Find a Friend, and sets the mood.
8. The Promise Ring: Red Paint
Formed in Milwaukee in 1995, The Promise Ring became one of the most popular emo bands of the late 1990's. Poppier than the hardcore-derived bands, they, along with Jimmy Eat World, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Braid represented the more accessable wing of emo. 30° Everywhere was their 1996 debut, and it is one of the most tuneful offerings from an emo band. The band evolved over the years; following the melodic punk-pop of their early recordings, they developed a rootsier sound in their later years, before disbanding in 2002. "Red Paint" from the debut captures them as they were bridging punk to pop, and merits a listen.
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.