Dirty Little Secret
the second in a series of posts about emo
When last we left our heroes, the third wave of emo had just ended. Or rather, it morphed almost seamlessly into the fourth wave.
You can’t talk about fourth wave emo without talking about the American landscape of the time. George W. Bush had just been “elected” president, the economy was still booming from the strength of Clinton-era prosperity and the seemingly never ending dotcom bubble. Everything was hunky-dory (if you were white, heterosexual, protestant Christian, and middle-class or higher).
Then 9/11 happened, and the entire tenor of the country changed. For those of you reading who don’t have memories of a pre-9/11 world, have you ever seen Pleasantville? It’s like that in reverse. The saturation turned down and the color washed out.
It's not a hard and fast rule, but in general music becomes more aggressive as political turmoil and economic instability increase. As such, emo music in turn exhibited more aggressive characteristics. The influences of post-hardcore (itself a mellowing of the same punk roots present at the birth of emo) and the then-ongoing post-punk revival (where bands like The White Stripes and the Strokes were reaching their height of popularity) combined to add a veneer of distortion and fuzz to the genre.
But a funny thing happened simultaneously: emo cranked up the dial marked “mainstream appeal”, emulating the song structures of the teen pop blaring from the studios of Total Request Live on MTV and combining it with the slick production of Ross Robinson's nu-metal to create a new hybrid: emo pop. More than a little pop-punk crept in too; the lasting impact of Blink-182 cannot be understated. Green Day may have opened the door for pop-punk by lifting from the Descendants, Operation Ivy, and the Replacements wholesale, but Blink charged through that door to sell out stadiums.
Emo hit it big. Whereas previous bands refused the label altogether, new voices embraced the term (and the marketing potential) wholeheartedly. By 2002, it was everywhere. Tours and festivals dotted the country, and the globe. Everything looked like it could continue indefinitely like a freight train chugging along toward the horizon.
Of course, the train stopped. Bands who made gobs of money had their priorities change, and their sounds either warped into self-parody or stagnated in an ill-fated attempt to stay young forever. Popular tastes changed, especially as the fragmenting pop-culture landscape exploded into a thousand genres and micro-genres thanks to the internet allowing obscurity to no longer be a thing. No matter what you're into, there's someone else into it somewhere, and they probably have a social media presence.
Bands also dissolved due to personal acrimony, record label politics, and the ever popular “artistic differences”. Some regrouped, others didn't. Some threatened legal action, others threatened bodily harm.
By the end of the decade, the entire genre of emo seemed drained of purpose and of commercial appeal. However, the candles stayed burning and the tapes kept circulating, leading to a revival. Ironically, the vanguards of the revival claim it's no such thing, returning to the denialism entrenched in emo at its outset. Thanks, Ian MacKaye.
You're not here to listen to me blather (unless you are, in which case I love you). You want to listen to some carefully curated music that you can make fun of me for picking. No rankings (because I don’t want a knife fight in the comments). Let's jump right into it.
A. Girl’s Not Grey - AFI
AFI (A Fire Inside) were the energetic grandpas of the 2000’s emo scene. Formed in 1991 as a poorly trained hardcore punk band and progressing through nearly every genre of punk and punk-adjacent music along the way, their 2003 release Sing the Sorrow combined the gothic influences of 1999’s Black Sails in the Sunset with the alternative rock and horror punk hybrid of 2000’s The Art of Drowning in conjunction with soaring arena rock choruses stolen from Journey or Bon Jovi. The resulting mishmash, produced by Jerry Finn and Butch Vig, sold a ton of records and served as their commercial peak. AFI also incorporated a stage presence and visual persona that opened the door for theatrical flair in emo, allowing bands like MCR and P!ATD to march through in full regalia.
B. Move Along - The All-American Rejects
Stillwater, Oklahoma is more than Oklahoma State University. It’s the home of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the birthplace of Garth Brooks, Chester Gould, and the All-American Rejects. Purveyors of pop-flavored emo, their 2002 self-titled album was part of the big marketing push for the third wave thanks to “Swing, Swing”, while their follow-up Move Along hit #6 on the Billboard 200. “Gives You Hell” from 2008’s When the World Comes Down was their biggest single, but I like “Move Along” better and it’s my list.
C. A Praise Chorus - Jimmy Eat World
Who loves expertly crafted pop songs laced with nostalgia? I love expertly crafted pop songs laced with nostalgia! This is by far my favorite song on this list. I know I said I wouldn’t be ranking them, but this is the number one. Don’t tell anyone. (Please tell everyone you know.) Jimmy Eat World enlisted the help of the Promise Ring’s Davey VonBohlen when they needed a punch up in the bridge. Their only request was to “sing us something that we know”. His response incorporated lines from Tommy James and/or Joan Jett, Madness, TMBG, Mötley Crüe, Bad Company, and of course the Promise Ring. With references like that, of course I’m going to like it. Besides that, it’s a beautifully rendered song, replete with tight guitars, focused drums, pinpoint tempo turns, and soaring vocals.
D. Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance, the sons of Newark, New Jersey, absolutely reject the term “emo” as a descriptor for their music. This is somewhat awkward, as they are the prototypical emo band to most of Middle America. Combining the theatrical bombast of Queen with the incisive marketing instincts of Smashing Pumpkins and the raw aggression of the Misfits, MCR was the face of emo. 2003’s Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge was their first major-label release, while 2006’s The Black Parade cranked the bombast dial (and commercial success) to eleven. “Welcome to the Black Parade” has a slow piano intro, a drumline pre-chorus, and an arena-rock chorus. A theater kid’s dream. You can practically see Jean Valjean in the background with the script for “Do You Hear the People Sing” firmly in hand.
E. Ocean Avenue - Yellowcard
What’s the difference between a fiddle and a violin? Beer stains versus wine stains. Yellowcard was one of a few rockish bands at the time to feature the instrument prominently, but none really incorporated it into emo quite like them. Their killer app was “Ocean Avenue”, and it’s essentially an occurrence of the dreaded one hit wonder. That doesn’t mean they stopped immediately after; in fact, Yellowcard released ten albums through 2017 before breaking up for good. Until last week, of course, when they reunited for a performance at Chicago’s Riot Fest. Emo isn’t dead, it just smells funny.
F. Cute Without the E - Taking Back Sunday
Dueling vocals and acrobatic basslines defined Long Island’s Taking Back Sunday musically, while seemingly never-ending drama among band members and their associates was their trademark in non-musical matters. Fifteen people have been either permanent or temporary members since 1999, with Adam Lazzara (vocals) and Mark O’Connell (drums) being the longest tenured performers. “Cute Without the E” was the first release from the first album, coming out as an advanced “leaked” single before securing a distribution deal. I’d say they never surpassed it, either.
G. Memory - Sugarcult
Sugarcult’s signature song, “Memory” was the lead single from 2004’s Palm Trees and Power Lines. “Memory” rides the lines between pop-punk (like the majority of their other work) and emo, and the sense of longing and loss produced by the song are really the determining factor. There’s not a lot to say about Sugarcult; their other song “Bouncing Off the Walls” is straight-up pop-punk, and I defy you to name another without looking it up first.
H. Face Down - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Misogyny permeates rock and roll. Alternative rock is worse, and punk is even worse than that. Emo is among the worst offenders, but the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus defy expectations on their first and biggest hit by presenting an anti-domestic violence narrative. Drawn from lead singer Ronnie Winters’ own experiences as a child, the album version is much more screamo in nature, while the single remix is distinctly poppier.
I. 7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen) - Fall Out Boy
If MCR are the Beatles and Panic is/are Bowie, does that make Fall Out Boy the Stones? Eh, it’s a weak metaphor but I’m leaving it in. Despite Pete Wentz’ best efforts at pulling focus for himself, the star of any Fall Out Boy song is Patrick Stump’s soaring vocals. The man is genuinely gifted, which makes his usual choice of material all the more embarrassing. 2005’s From Under the Cork Tree is probably their artistic peak as a group, with cohesive composition and somewhat less egregiously bad lyrics (which were later proved in court to be plagiarized).
J. Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off – Panic! At The Disco
Brendon Urie is a deeply weird dude. That’s not necessarily a pejorative, but his approach to emo (bordering on art-rock) doesn’t sound like anyone else. Softer than MCR, stranger than FOB, less commercial than any of his contemporaries, he is definitely closer to the Peter Gabriel end of the continuum than the Phil Collins end. Live shows included costume changes, spoken-word interludes, and actual circus acts. He quickly transcended emo as a genre, but his first album is a cornerstone of the genre. My favorite song isn’t “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” or "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage", but instead “Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off”. (As much as I hate the wordiness of emo song titles, it really does eat up the word count.)
K. I Caught Fire – The Used
When the third wave of emo came along, the exterior trappings of the image (long dark hair, dark makeup, pale skin, copious piercings) became well established. However, the songs themselves became closer to arena rock, even if they were wearing black tees and Converse. The Used is a great example; listen to “I Caught Fire” back to back with “Separate Ways” or “Bad Medicine” and tell me you don’t hear the similarities. The guitars and vocals are virtually in sync. Emo has a wide umbrella at this point in its development, but this is incredibly mainstream for a supposed alternative movement.
L. Welcome To My Life – Simple Plan
Montreal doesn’t get enough play in global music discussions; it’s a vibrant multicultural hub, but it has little impact on the North American music scene relative to its side. I personally blame Simple Plan, as they produced some of the most generic pop-punk you’ve ever heard. Occasionally, though, they produced a great song. In this case, they dipped their toe into the emo waters and broke out the acoustics to make a frat-party “bust out the guitars” moment possible. There’s only so much “Wonderwall” a person can hear in one lifetime.
M. Dear Maria, Count Me In – All Time Low
All Time Low combined textbook emo dress (complete with dyed hair slathered in product) and textbook pop-punk with deep emotional longing for the company of an exotic dancer to create “Dear Maria, Count Me In”. The lead single from their second album So Wrong, It’s Right was their first real chart success, helped in no small part by the music video set in a strip club. Shout out to Gilli Messer, who plays the female lead.
N. Misery Business - Paramore
Paramore is the lone entry from a femme-fronted band on the list, but they are not a token pick. Ironically, their song is the diametric opposite of “Face Down” form above, to the point where they refuse to play “Misery Business” in concert anymore due to the inherent misogyny in the lyrics. Internalized misogyny: not just for dudes and dude-presenting folks. Hayley Williams is one of the best frontwomen in rock history, up there with Debbie Harry, Pat Benatar, and Ann Wilson in terms of charisma, vocal prowess, and stage presence. It’s unfortunate that the band became the Hayley Show, but that’s going to happen when there’s such a dynamic force in front. Just ask Faces, LaBelle, the Supremes, Genesis, and I can go on.
O. Ohio Is For Lovers - Hawthorne Heights
Even though they didn’t have the career of their contemporaries, Hawthorne Heights is what I picture when I think “emo”. Stop-start tempos, crunchy guitars, alternating growls and howls, chugging basslines, and lyrics like:
So cut my wrists and black my eyes So I can fall asleep tonight or die Because you kill me
If you’re ever compiling a visual dictionary of music, save a picture of these guys.
P. Can’t Be Saved - Senses Fail
Screaming is overused in emo as a rule, but Senses Fail figured out how best to utilize the technique on their 2007 album Still Searching. It’s not the basis for songs, it’s used as a flair or accent. It’s better for the listener as it doesn’t burn out your ears, and it’s significantly better for the performer. There is a definite art to screaming in music, and most do not do it correctly to attenuate pitch and tone while saving your vocal cords. Not everyone is Chuck Schuldiner, nor should they try to be.
Q. Until The Day I Die - Story of the Year
Story of the Year might be most famous for losing a fistfight to the roadies from Godsmack, but never mind that. Originally from St. Louis, they came into their own when they moved to Orange County, California and hooked up with John Feldmann, the singer and guitarist for skate punk stalwarts Goldfinger. He got Story of the Year a deal with Maverick Records, where they worked together to produce Page Avenue, their biggest hit. The best song on the album is the straightforward anthem “Until The Day I Die”, which is as heartfelt and emotionally wrought as it sounds.
R. I Miss You - Blink-182
Despite their huge influence on the genre, the vast majority of Blink-182’s output isn’t emo. Pop-punk, alternative, rock, and pop, sure, but there’s only a handful of genuinely emo songs from them. Preeminent is “I Miss You”, from 2003’s self-titled album. An acoustic song with a hip-hop inspired drumloop, the song references two goth touchstones in A Nightmare Before Christmas and The Cure’s “Lullaby”. It may not be the typical emo song, but it’s as close as Blink ever got.
S. At Your Funeral - Saves The Day
Saves The Day made an appearance on the last post, but they continued apace in the new decade. They definitely have more of the aesthetic of second wave midwest emo in contrast to the new bands emerging at the time, having more in common with the Promise Ring or Jawbreaker than Taking Back Sunday or AFI. The video is representative of their stripped down persona, simply lead singer Chris Conley in a plain polo singing his heart out while the room spins around him.
T. Beating Heart Baby - Head Automatica
Hi, I’m Larry and I don’t like Glassjaw all that much. The songs are deeply misogynist, even for a genre where that’s not a bug, that’s a feature. I like Daryl Palumbo’s output in Head Automatica much better, where he adopts a new-wave, new-romantic twist on emo. This song even has an organ part, for goodness’ sake. His talents as a vocalist take center stage, switching from whisper to shriek in consecutive bars. It’s really impressive, and I wish his health allowed him to perform more.
U. Blood Red Summer - Coheed and Cambria
Coheed is a band that defies categorization. One second they’re prog rock like Rush, the next they’re imitating the Knack with immaculate power-pop. Then they’ll release an arena-rock anthem better than Kiss, followed by an acoustic groove closer to Ozomatli. Picking one song to represent them is a fool’s errand, but I’m just such a fool. “Blood Red Summer” is more directly emo, especially in the bridge, than anything else they’ve recorded. Claudio Sanchez’s soaring countertenor is a force to be reckoned with when delivering such anguished lyrics as “what did I do to deserve this?”
V. Vindicated - Dashboard Confessional
I took a poll of my followers and got this song as a result. Dashboard Confessional took the acoustic emo angle by force with their MTV Unplugged special, the first ever recorded by an unsigned artist. When watching the special for research, though, I realized where Chris Carrabba took his inspiration: that’s right, Steve Perry. Watch this video if you don’t believe me. His choruses are lifted straight from Journey, and I mean that in the best way possible. If you’re going to steal, steal from the best. Chris can play a crowd like a fiddle (or is it a violin?).
W. L.G. Fuad - Motion City Soundtrack
Minnesota’s Motion City Soundtrack teamed up with Mark Hoppus on their second album Commit This to Memory, and his poppy influence therein cannot be understated. Despite the blatant profanity in “L.G.Fuad”, it’s a light and airy composition is radio-ready. Their signature synthesizers separate them from their more analog brethren, and the electronic burbles are a welcome difference in the genre. When you hear a Moog, you know it’s MCS.
X. Emily - From First to Last
Sonny Moore wasn’t always Skrillex. When he was a wet behind the ears teenager, he was the lead singer for From First to Last, a Tampa-based post-hardcore band. Sonny utilized a melodic screaming technique that was incredibly effective, while being incredibly taxing on his voice. Soon enough he was in constant pain and unable to speak due to the strain, and he had to leave the band to recover. He pursued a latent interest in electronic music during his recovery, and the rest is dubstep history. “Emily” from the album Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Bodycount is a simple song, just him and a guitar at his most emotional. Atypical emo, but emo nonetheless.
Y. Juneau - Funeral For a Friend
The lead single from the debut album for Welsh emo band Funeral For a Friend, the released version is a departure from the original demos. This version leans more toward melodicism rather than “aggressive” vocals, resulting in a more commercial appeal. The screams do make an appearance in the bridge, though. The slickness of the guitars and the processed nature of the drums make the vocals stand out more, providing contrast.
Z. This Could Be Anywhere in the World - Alexisonfire
Yet another Canadian band, this time from Ontario. Alexisonfire, named after an adult actress who failed to trademark her stage name, recorded their third album Crisis in 2006. The second single was “This Could Be Anywhere in the World”, which was their first song to make the Canadian charts. Although they have occasionally decried the screamo label (including one vow to “kill” the genre”), this song is prototypical soft screamo all over.
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This was a particularly good one Larry!