Emo Cult Warning For Parents

[Paper Hearts]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770

A confusing essay, based completely on opinion. Russell Brand is 90% goth? What a writer she is! I do see her reasoning in using Green Day as an illustration, nevertheless, because "emo" originally referred to emotional hardcore. Green Day is probably not a quintessential band of that movement, however the current genre (which is seperate) popularly known simply as "emo" seems to take great influence from the sound of Green Day--whom I have always hated. I would have listed that the 'fashion' of emotional hardcore listeners hasn't changed so drastically (as Sands proposes), but rather, starting in the mid 1990s, bands claiming to be emo or "goth" such as Marilyn Manson, began to fool themselves and had some success with other people, as well. It would have been worthwhile had S Sands mentioned that emo is really neither goth nor really a true member of the emotional hardcore movement, but rather only pretends to belong to either of those periods in certain aspects, and perhaps she could have cited a couple of critics or historians who've pointed to the differences between these three movements.

[Msterbeau]

Don't you have dishes to wash or something?

Hardcore punk started more like 1979ish...

[Paper Hearts]

I'm not speaking of "hardcore punk", I'm speaking of "emotional hardcore", which was sort of the next wave in that vein of music.

[MarsDustDoug]

The bands given credit for pioneering the emo sounds are The Pixies, Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Beefeater, One Last Wish, and Fire Party with a few others sprinkled in. The style was pretty much created in the DC area and spread across the country from there with little pockets opening up churning out bands like mad. Gainesville Florida is one such city that had almost a monopoly on bands of this style for awhile.

Fugazi and the Pixies really gave way into the more "indie rock" sounding emo which led to the only good period for the style, the early 90's. Texas is The Reason, Sunny Day Realestate, Mineral, Elliot... all excellent ands with talent to smash these so-called "emo" bands of now into the whiney little brats they are. In the mid 90's you had two VERY prolific bands with alot of talent rise up. Get Up Kids and Jimmy Eat World. The Get up Kids went south later in their career to just be crap. I don't care what anybody says though, Jimmy Eat World has excellent wiriting. Their lyrics are downright perfect.

You also had the emo-hardcore scene still thriving and gaining speed in the early 90's with groups like Quioxte, Hot Water Music, As Friends Rust, and Keepsake (though most bands will claim indie-hardcore over emo-hardcore for their sound)

Hope that helps a bit on the background of the muscial portion of this topic. I know its a bit off from what the essay was about

[Paper Hearts]

The bands given credit for pioneering the emo sounds are The Pixies, Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Beefeater, One Last Wish, and Fire Party with a few others sprinkled in. The style was pretty much created in the DC area and spread across the country from there with little pockets opening up churning out bands like mad. Gainesville Florida is one such city that had almost a monopoly on bands of this style for awhile.

Fugazi and the Pixies really gave way into the more "indie rock" sounding emo which led to the only good period for the style, the early 90's. Texas is The Reason, Sunny Day Realestate, Mineral, Elliot... all excellent ands with talent to smash these so-called "emo" bands of now into the whiney little brats they are. In the mid 90's you had two VERY prolific bands with alot of talent rise up. Get Up Kids and Jimmy Eat World. The Get up Kids went south later in their career to just be crap. I don't care what anybody says though, Jimmy Eat World has excellent wiriting. Their lyrics are downright perfect.

You also had the emo-hardcore scene still thriving and gaining speed in the early 90's with groups like Quioxte, Hot Water Music, As Friends Rust, and Keepsake (though most bands will claim indie-hardcore over emo-hardcore for their sound)

Hope that helps a bit on the background of the muscial portion of this topic. I know its a bit off from what the essay was about

Thank you. I was hoping to read more criticisms on the Sarah Sands article, from people involved here rather than actually find critique on emo, itself--but it's probably unavoidable that we do talk about emo a bit. -I have no problems with the emo bands being introspective or sentimental, if they are, what I dislike is the way that the music sounds overall--it's not to my liking. It is just the tone of it and the tempo that I dislike, although what I dislike about emo is regardless, here. -I truly find shocking how Sands eluded to emo as being dangerous music. People who make a trend of slicing their wrists AND write poetry? Is this something new and exclusive to emo? Is it anything new for teenagers? Are emo listeners all teenagers? It's just a terrible article. She relies solely on her personal experiences which evidently were not of enough passion, because she's yet to realize that it is not the audience which defines a genre, but the artists themselves. This woman knows nothing of rock and roll. The Daily Mail has really degenerated.

[MarsDustDoug]

Thank you. I was hoping to read more criticisms on the Sarah Sands article, from people involved here rather than actually find critique on emo, itself--but it's probably unavoidable that we do talk about emo a bit. -I have no problems with the emo bands being introspective or sentimental, if they are, what I dislike is the way that the music sounds overall--it's not to my liking. It is just the tone of it and the tempo that I dislike, although, what I dislike about emo is regardless, here. -I truly found shocking how Sands eluded to emo as being dangerous music. People who make a trend of slicing their wrists AND write poetry? Is this something new and exclusive to emo? Is it anything new for teenagers? Are emo listeners all teenagers? It's just rubbish. But she's also basing her article solely on her personal experiences which evidently were not of enough passion, because she's yet to realize that it is not the audience which defines a genre, but the artists themselves. This woman knows nothing of rock and roll. The Daily Mail has really degenerated.

I totally agree with you on her terrible perception of Emo and its culture.

My main issue with said culture is how it changed. The emo I spoke of in my little history portion was emotional stuff indeed (listen to the song "Sit and Watch the Fireworks" from Jimmy Eat Worlds "Clarity" album, rather rough song as you listen and start thinking of those around you that fit its words) but, the emotion wasn't what it is now. Back in the 90's emo kids were nerdy-looking sweater-vest wearing kids that smoked too much and didnt play sports. they didnt wear all black nor even dare set foot into Hot Topic. Yes there was depsression, but thats because the music made one feel the way the singer was... like you lost your closest friend, got cheated on by the girl of your dreams, or broke up with said girl. It was more of an outpour of sorrow in the veins of relationships and love. Not an outpour of blood from the veins in your wrists.

Somewhere about 2001-ish emo took on the "goth" stereotype of "Oh woe is me im so depressed that i want to kill myself, but im even too depressed to try that" I remember even the late 90's in highschool that the emo kids were never the ones sent to guidance for suicidal actions or fears. it was the "goth" kids (we called them and still call these "I HAVE to be depressed because it's/I'm goth" ones "gloom puppies"). NOW, all the emo kids are supposedly suicidal (I would be too though if I had hair that bad) and the gothic teens are feared for possible violence.

I find it very funny how that happened. In less than 10 years a subculture can go from being supposedly all depressed and gloomy to being feared for their "anger". I miss the romaticism of gothic culture, but thats a whole other topic.

All in all I blame AFI for the biggest push towards this change in "emo" and then My Chemical Romance (who I adore for lyrics, that guy can write some great lines). Kids now just need to read into things a bit more than take it for face value. Im sure the true meanings and feeing of the songs are completely lost to them do to metaphor or word play. Though I could be wrong and the bands really could be singing without literally about taking ones own life. Which would be completely redundant and give great reason to shun this fourth-wave of emo.

[Paper Hearts]

I totally agree with you on her terrible perception of Emo and its culture.

My main issue with said culture is how it changed. The emo I spoke of in my little history portion was emotional stuff indeed (listen to the song "Sit and Watch the Fireworks" from Jimmy Eat Worlds "Clarity" album, rather rough song as you listen and start thinking of those around you that fit its words) but, the emotion wasn't what it is now. Back in the 90's emo kids were nerdy-looking sweater-vest wearing kids that smoked too much and didnt play sports. they didnt wear all black nor even dare set foot into Hot Topic. Yes there was depsression, but thats because the music made one feel the way the singer was... like you lost your closest friend, got cheated on by the girl of your dreams, or broke up with said girl. It was more of an outpour of sorrow in the veins of relationships and love. Not an outpour of blood from the veins in your wrists.

Somewhere about 2001-ish emo took on the "goth" stereotype of "Oh woe is me im so depressed that i want to kill myself, but im even too depressed to try that" I remember even the late 90's in highschool that the emo kids were never the ones sent to guidance for suicidal actions or fears. it was the "goth" kids (we called them and still call these "I HAVE to be depressed because it's/I'm goth" ones "gloom puppies"). NOW, all the emo kids are supposedly suicidal (I would be too though if I had hair that bad) and the gothic teens are feared for possible violence.

I find it very funny how that happened. In less than 10 years a subculture can go from being supposedly all depressed and gloomy to being feared for their "anger". I miss the romaticism of gothic culture, but thats a whole other topic.

All in all I blame AFI for the biggest push towards this change in "emo" and then My Chemical Romance (who I adore for lyrics, that guy can write some great lines). Kids now just need to read into things a bit more than take it for face value. Im sure the true meanings and feeing of the songs are completely lost to them do to metaphor or word play. Though I could be wrong and the bands really could be singing without literally about taking ones own life. Which would be completely redundant and give great reason to shun this fourth-wave of emo.

Especially if we're talking about types of rock music, I would say in all honesty that both recently, and when I was in high school, there have been many times when I've thought to myself "Fuck, that shit is horrible.". And I think that same way sometimes when I hear certain styles of rock music that come from before my time. I have no special hatred for emo. It is not an issue of our suddenly pretentious youth, to me. I do dislike emo, let me be clear about that, but I would not hold emo accountable for teenage suicides, per se. Emo is certainly not the first depressing music, nor the most gloomy rock music available, by any means; if a genre of music is "dark" (or pretentious) then it's some fault of society--the politics of art never occur spontaneously; people never decide as a culture to slash off, for no fucking reason. I think this article is a bit harsh. I think that writing poetry is a great institution; yes, I find the vast majority of poetry is really terribly written, but bad poems are also nothing new--people have been up themselves forever and it appears that Sarah Sands is a great example of that premise. Let the emo people write poetry, let them have their own fashion and music, it’s fine. When one writes such an essay for a publication so widely read as The Daily Mail, shouldn’t that person feel at least some responsibility to set issues forth with accuracy? Is bad music really any worse or any more dangerous than bad journalism?

[Paper Hearts]

I would also like to add that I discover new bands which I like, almost weekly. Just two days ago I heard a band from Edinburgh called "Shitdisco", that I feel is pretty great and they are participants of a new genre of rock. Emo is not the only new style of rock music available, as Sarah Sands seems to think. In fact, "emo", as we know it today has been around for about a decade. And yes, I did say "Shitdisco".