xLizardx

Would you care to elaborate exactly what these values are? Defining music by subjective values seems, if possible, even more nebulous.

The process you describe - of a grass roots music movement becoming increasingly popular, modified, and yes, commercialised, is hardly unique to emo. It's a common phenomenon in the music industry generally. Not that many modern pop-punk or punk-rock bands share the values of the original 80s punk bands, but does that make their music worthless? No! Does it in any way devalue the original music that inspired it? Funnily enough, no it doesn't.

Rock and roll was appropriated from blues and r'n'b - does that make it worthless as a genre? Do modern metal artists undermine their predecessors by only partially emulating them?

No, and no again. I appreciate that commercialisation can be frustrating, but it's an unfortunate part of the process of musical evolution - these people you perceive as "copying" you because they want to "look cool" for the most part, probably have simply discovered, and genuinely are enjoying what is to them, a new sub-genre of music. THAT IS NOT A BAD THING. Music is awesome - so why shouldn't it be as participatory as possible? It's very narrow minded to think "well, I heard this band first, so I must keep them to myself" - and it's counterproductive to the bands as well: they may honestly have no wish to make lots of money from their music, but they do need to be able to sustain themselves, at least, if they wish to keep producing it.

Now, obviously, when enough people like a thing, then companies etc. will start trying to deduce ways to make that thing profitable. However, it really would be unjust to blame the other fans, or for that matter, any of the bands for this: they, just like you, are simply trying to enjoy the music.

Personally I've never adhered to one specific subculture stringently enough to feel that people in general are imitating me, although I have experienced a few individual/ specific instances of people imitating me on a personal level. I generally take it as a compliment - why should I mind if, for example, I explain my opinion on politics, or religion, or mention some music that I like, and then the person to whom I've explained myself is sufficiently persuaded by my motivations, rhetoric, or taste, to wish to adopt that opinion for themselves? Surely that's a good thing?

As far as parody goes - well, I've been bullied and ridiculed for any number of things. What's one more to add to the pile? I'm confident enough in my own principles to dismiss the castigation of people so insecure in their own self esteem that they feel the need to attempt to empower themselves by unfairly belittling others.

I get the impression that you feel like something you love has been appropriated from you, and bastardised, but the truth is that it was never yours, in a proprietary sense, to begin with: it's something that you participated in, certainly, but how can a collective idea or movement be said to belong to any one person?
You cannot possess it. You can merely believe in it.
My second point is that the thing you love has not been corrupted at all - all the original music you enjoyed is still there - it still exists [unless for some reason every single person who owned it as a cd or file or record destroyed or deleted it]. Your memories of it remain - surely you do not allow modern incarnations of the genre to tarnish them?

Should I suddenly hate Buffy the Vampire Slayer just because the vampire genre has now suffered Twilight? No. Of course not - because all the things from the past that I love... are still there for me to appreciate. Do I care that the vampire genre is currently awash with girly romances? Not particularly - because even though it is a little frustrating, I know that logically, this also means that there is far more chance of GOOD new vampire fiction getting published as well. I just have to sift through the dross a bit.

This is how it is with music. It really doesn't matter if there are modern bands you dislike, that claim influence from bands you do like. So what? Didn't Hitler claim Darwinian theory as an excuse for eugenics? Doesn't mean Darwin wasn't a brilliant guy - just that a few of the people who decided to read his material were *******s of the highest [or should that be lowest?] order. That happens. It's a risk of being successful.

Anyway, since we're on the subject, I'd be interested to hear what, in your opinion are the core values of emo music... and in seeing how many other people unequivocally agree with them.

14232949

I can't believe it's 2014 and we're arguing about what is and isn't emo.
If people haven't learned by now, there's no hope in them ever catching on.

Goofle

Who's the stunner in your avvy?

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14232949

Her name's Virginie Ledoyen, she's a French actress known mostly for her role in the Leonardo DiCaprio film 'The Beach'
You know the one where DiCaprio goes to Thailand in search of purpose and finds the island colony of world travelers?

This is obviously a picture of her in the late 90's/early 2000's but she's aged well.
This is a gallery of her 10 years after The Beach was released

Virginie wears dress, price on application, Chanel Paris-Moscow - London Evening Standard

Don't think she had much of a prolific career outside her home country but whenever she smiles, it just gets me. I just melt.

Anyway, back on topic here's a track for you guys;



and another



They're more modern. Not every emo conversation has to come back to Mike Kinsella's bands.

Mondo Bungle

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GuD

just gonna quote this for truth and let myself out before this turns into that thread in the punk section by Larehip.



to answer the OP who hasnt even signed in in a month and has probably been scared off, Lifetime are good:

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I spit bullets in my feet
Every time I speak
So I write instead
And still people want me dead
~msc

Isbjørn

Where in their catalogue should I start?

Also, as for the "core values" of emo, you just gotta hear it. Listen to the bands posted in this thread. They should share something the third emo bands don't have.

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Mondo Bungle

Probably their full length, Whenever, If Ever. This song is so good.



But I mean, their entire discography is fantastic, including their comp track "To the Janitor, To the King".



So go ahead and listen to the full length, but you'll ultimately want everything. They only have 80 minutes worth of music in total.

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jawbreaker24

bulbasaur

this is great. thanks!

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last.fm