Finding Emo
By: Unsung Zero Tuesday 05 April 2005
Finding Emo When defining emo to someone one will usually
describe it as really whiney punk. When in fact what you've
described is a small portion of the subgenre of emo. Like I've
said before, emo is an emotionally driven subgenre of hardcore.
Now, given THAT definition one could argue that all music is now
emo. But it's not.
When I said emotionally driven I mean through
heart- felt feelings and pain and hurt and such. Okay, now that
singles out about...10% of all music. Furthermore, Emo is
emotionally driven as opposed to politically or anything else.
Alright, well there's another 30% left out. So what makes emo...emo?
Violence. Emo-core, screamo, etc. etc. all have that ONE thing
in common. Violent visualizations to get their painful lyrics
across. Examples: Finch - Three Simple Words "with my hands
around your neck/who will stop me now?" Still need more? Saves
The Day - As Your Ghost Takes Flight "The last time that I saw
you August of '99 Should have had my hammer And a few rusty
spikes to nail you on a wall and use bottles to catch your blood
display you for the neighbors So they know your time had come
and I drank your blood feel it drippin down my throat And head
right for my heart" Senses Fail - 187 "You ripped my heart out
You tore my eyes out Now you're gonna pay I'll stab you one time
I'll eat your heart out So you'll feel my pain Don't you know
that I always need you All of my dreams I wanna kill you I wanna
kill you NOW I'm insane" Now, granted I'm using more popular
artists the common similarity is there with most TRUE emo
artists. Now, around the time that Green Day and Blink 182 began
growing in popularity similar bands began emerging all
delivering messages about the almost that same thing. High
School, girls, growing up, and having no friends. Now with the
introduction of these bands the title of emo became more used
amongst the "punks" and still is. They/we use(d) is to describe
music that was whiney and angsty and not what emo is. Granted,
I'm a fan of said genre Blink 182, The Ataris, New Found Glory,
Simple Plan, these bands and such like them are NOT emo. I'm
sure SOMEONE will remind us all that "putting genres on stuff is
stupid" and I'd like to thank them for remembering that and
letting us all know what their opinion is. But the fact of the
matter is...society, take part in it or not, is based on labels
and there's no way around it. Anyway, back to the subject at
hand. Even though said bands all sing about emotion and pain and
heart break They do not share the same common element that the
true emo bands share. Enter, Dashboard Confessional. Dashboard,
and bands that are similar, though I've yet to hear it, brought
a split in the emo genre. Dashboard has brought the heartfelt,
loving, sensitive aspect of emo out in the violent
visualizations emo-core gave us. In the end of it all, this
article may not do anything and some of us will still refer to
pop-punk bands as "emo" and give the kid in the cardigan sweater
vest and think framed glasses a hard time for listening to
Weezer. Anyway, I can only HOPE that something has gotten
through to SOMEONE out there. Till next time, Rock Out With Your
Cock Out (I fuckin hate the band who started that too) |