What is Emo? Really, what is it?

[WiredOut]

Coming from a comment in another thread entirely, what is bloody 'Emo' anyway?

I've honestly never figured out what constitutes an emo song/band.

I do remember one of my pals putting on 'Panic! At The Disco' at my house about a year ago. Are they emo? Whatever they were, they made my ears spew blood. And there's not a lot of music I can't find some sort of value in. But this...

One of my pals who was an occasional WH listener seemed to think that emo as a category was rubbish, because certain bands (apparently including The Wildies) had emo qualities all along anyway. What the fuck was he on about, I wondered. And still do.

[Ean]

This article is pretty good.

How To Be Emo.

Or there's a short version here.

[blackdeathcrew]

I thought Emo was Rod Hull's Sidekick??

[WiredOut]

Thanks for the linxz, Ean.

Strong displays of emotion? To music? Golly.

Well, I suppose 'Panic! At The Disco' did inspire a strong feeling of disgust, so I can see where they're coming from. Is nausea an emotion? I'd like to see them puke live, listening to their own monitors.

[Ean]

I'd like to see them puke live, listening to their own monitors.

Danny used to do that...

Danny's Emo?!

[skychaserhigh]

I thought Emo was Rod Hull's Sidekick??

lol

[WiredOut]

I'd like to see them puke live, listening to their own monitors.

Danny used to do that...

Danny's Emo?!

Fuck! You can also hear him talking about how he cried a couple of times at the gig on the 'Grievous Acoustic Behaviour' album.

[Zo]

Dont panic don't panic.....

He's not got a fringe covering one eye....

...yet.

[Damian]

It has just become a label now, and most bands that get associated with it want to wash their hands of it. I like Fall Out Boy a lot, but that's because they are (to these ears) a pop band... "emo" doesn't come into it.

[kitescreech]

1) stoopid comb over / weird side parting hair.
2) Black clothes, maybe some red and/or white as a contrast.
3) Pain that "You dont understand".
4) sort of spills into Goth.
5) Bands must have looooooooooooong names. (preferably with sp,e punctuation in !)

Having said that, at least they have an identity, unlike R&B types... Its just a teen identity thing - they will grow out of it.

*shudders*

/return to Tower of Superiority.

[Ross]

They're just modern Goths... The same type of kids who cut themselves to Korn because "they know my pain"

[Workyticket]

Strong displays of emotion? To music? Golly.

Seconded like a motherfucker, Wired! That's what I hated about 'Emo' when it was just a genre name; I mean, what the fuck is it supposed to mean? 'Emotional' music? So what have all the other musical styles been doing all this time? It'd be like someone coming out with a new branch of porn and calling it 'Wank Assistance'

And now, well, it's basically Grunge without the masculinity of all them lumberjack shirts, isn't it?

[SuperJake]

It's just whiney, annoying american wannabe's, I.e. My chemical romance, Panic at the disco etc. I really do not like Emo.

[markE]

Dont panic don't panic.....

He's not got a fringe covering one eye....

...yet.

what do you think the brylcreem is for..

[Dyf]

Emo is short for emotional hardcore, which started in the late 80's early 90's with bands like Embrace (no, not THAT Embrace), and Orchid. Later on, more poppy/punky bands like Texas is the Reason and Jimmy Eat World started being called emo. You could say they were the second wave of emo, I guess.

A few years ago, the term started being wrongly used to describe all kinds of bands. You know there's something wrong when Bright Eyes is described as hardcore. Nowadays, the word has lost all meaning with regard to an actual musical scene.