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A_Perfect_Sonnet · 05-16-2007, 06:45 PM

This was taken from the Emo Bands group on facebook, where I spent an hour of my time writing this 1000 word essay.

None of the bands on this list are actually emo bands. The sad thing is I would at least expect Thursday on the list (do they not get MTV/Fuse exposure anymore), because at least back when they started they were playing basment shows with bands like You and I (you know, real emo/screamo?), and were influenced as such.

The truth is, you have a list of a lot of alt-rock bands who have a bad screamer and some post-hardcore influence thrown in the mix. You have nu-metal bands on their too.

I'm just going to tell you where the confusion probably started that totally turned this genre upside-down and into a trendy corporate mechanism:

First a little background - Way back in the 80s (a lot of you probably weren't even alive, I was barely) in the flourishing DC hardcore scene, a couple bands by the names of Rites of Spring and Embrace (Husker Du is a possibility depending on who you ask) turned away from the traditional hardcore scene. By instilling more dynamic song structures along with more passionate vocals driven melody driven guitar lines, they created a branch of off hardcore (originally called emotive hardcore punk). Several acts followed, some major ones being Indian Summer, Moss Icon, and Mineral. This created a new, less popular scene (many of the true hardcore punk fans didn't respect the budding genre as much due to it's somewhat softer side). Ian MacKay (of Minor Threat), started a band called Fugazi at the turn of the 90s, which essentially created the post-hardcore genre. This is where emotive hardcore essential took two paths.

05-16-2007, 06:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
A_Perfect_Sonnet Dinosaurus Rex!!! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Winchester, VA Posts: 896	My take on the corporate whoring of emo. This was taken from the Emo Bands group on facebook, where I spent an hour of my time writing this 1000 word essay. None of the bands on this list are actually emo bands. The sad thing is I would at least expect Thursday on the list (do they not get MTV/Fuse exposure anymore), because at least back when they started they were playing basment shows with bands like You and I (you know, real emo/screamo?), and were influenced as such. The truth is, you have a list of a lot of alt-rock bands who have a bad screamer and some post-hardcore influence thrown in the mix. You have nu-metal bands on their too. I'm just going to tell you where the confusion probably started that totally turned this genre upside-down and into a trendy corporate mechanism: First a little background - Way back in the 80s (a lot of you probably weren't even alive, I was barely) in the flourishing DC hardcore scene, a couple bands by the names of Rites of Spring and Embrace (Husker Du is a possibility depending on who you ask) turned away from the traditional hardcore scene. By instilling more dynamic song structures along with more passionate vocals driven melody driven guitar lines, they created a branch of off hardcore (originally called emotive hardcore punk). Several acts followed, some major ones being Indian Summer, Moss Icon, and Mineral. This created a new, less popular scene (many of the true hardcore punk fans didn't respect the budding genre as much due to it's somewhat softer side). Ian MacKay (of Minor Threat), started a band called Fugazi at the turn of the 90s, which essentially created the post-hardcore genre. This is where emotive hardcore essential took two paths.