exploring emo bands by 216

[butthead aka 216]

I am going to do my best to take this more serious than the rest of the forum and write more professionally. My goal is to listen to 1st and 2nd wave emo bands, one album at a time, and write down thoughts I have.

bands i might cover but I am open to others:

jets to brazil
forgetters
sunny day real estate
rites of spring
braid
hey mercedes
the promise ring
knapsack
the get up kids


Originally I was going to just stick to 1st and 2nd wave but I am going to see how this goes and whether I want to get into 3rd wave later.

[butthead aka 216]

Jets to Brazil - Orange Rhyming Dictionary



Track Listing

"Crown of the Valley" – 4:55
"Morning New Disease" – 4:16
"Resistance Is Futile" – 3:00
"Starry Configurations" – 4:03
"Chinatown" – 5:35
"Sea Anemone" – 5:20
"Lemon Yellow Black" – 4:02
"Conrad" – 4:58
"King Medicine" – 5:42
"I Typed for Miles" – 5:33
"Sweet Avenue" – 5:16

Background:

This is the debut album for Jets To Brazil, released in 1998. I actually thought Jets to Brazil was an early 90s band before exploring them more. Lead singer Blake Schwarzenbach sang in the punk rock band Jawbreaker from 1988-1996 before forming Jets to Brazil. They released 3 albums and disbanded in 2003.

Thoughts

The album opens with Crown of the Valley which sounds like a mixture between soft rock and alternative with a touch of a punk-rock element. It sounds very Jawbreaker-esque to me, which makes sense. Way more "rock" than I anticipated but not to be confused with anything hard.

Until the fourth song, Starry Configurations, the album seems very 90's alternative rock. Then it switches to a bit of a slower, more melodic tune.

dear infatuation, you do not see me
die here beside you in see-through obscurity
governess, fancy less, we'll sound the alarm
and drum up some simpleton for you
to eat these apples from your eyes

Longing for the girl, a bit of a superiority complex. Not quite understanding why she wants someone else who is unworthy. The song picks up right at the end of those lyrics into a more aggressive tone.

Chinatown



Chinatown has a really Smashing Pumpkins vibe to it musically with the bass line. I really enjoy it and I will disclose I love the Smashing Pumpkins. It's simple and to me gives the thoughts of being exhausted and indulging in apathy.

I'm tired of fighting, so I'm demolished - that's the way
some make exhaustion a mode of expression and that's their way

Sea Anemone is next and it's the first song featuring the 'emo' style I was expecting from more songs. It's a depressing and slow tune with great visual and metaphorical lyrics.

turtle on its back in the desert sea
and you look like a cool drink
just slightly out of reach
draw myself into the shell
waiting on a sign from god
or a nod from hell

Really one of my favorite songs on this album. It seems like it's talking about getting married, not being able to live up to expectations, contemplating suicide, self-disapointment, all through a somewhat sarcastic tone (gee it feels nice sitting here alone) and the last 4 lines hint towards a brighter tomorrow accompanied by an uplifting change in the music.

now we're turning on the lights
it's the first day of my second life
take my name off of the lease
you can even keep the name it never suited me

Conrad has a distinctively different sound with a more prominent bass line throughout. A story about a suicide in a hotel bathroom, but the musical accompanying the lyrics doesn't match. Much like a Third Eye Blind song where the music might fool you if you aren't really hearing the lyrics. I wonder if the lyrics are a commentary on the person's morality of life or their personal character. The song ends on a note that gives me that vibe... should they be spared? Are they worthy? Lots of self-deprecation in this album so far.

angels lay their odds on you
know not quite what they should do
only that they can't quite tear themselves from the view

I Typed for Miles is the second to last track and I defy anyone to listen without immediately thinking it's Nirvana's Heart Shaped Box. Another incredibly self-deprecating tune with lyrics like "note to self: no once cares, your voice is average". I didn't really connect with a deeper meaning. The last line says

"they're playing love songs on your radio tonight
I don't get those songs on mine
you keep ****ing up my life

but I'm not so sure what he refers to. The song reeks of self-pity and wallow of a man secluded. The aggression comes through in the last few lines which he screams several times. Part of me thinks he is just referring to his own vices, whatever they may be. It's not so clear.

Sweet Avenue

Jets to Brazil - Sweet Avenue - YouTube

The last song on Orange Rhyming Dictionary, Sweet Avenue, was the first song I heard by Jets To Brazil and led me to want to explore more of them. It is by far the most different song on the album and was surprisingly to me not a good indicator of what I would find throughout the rest of the album. Its a classic love song and maybe that's why it ends the album. Depressive, self-deprecating songs followed by a light at the end of the tunnel. An optimism going forward?

Sweet Avenue has tons of imagery and is an incredible mix of metaphors that don't come across as overly cheesy, corny, or played out. A lot of focus on the 5 senses in this one and it feels like the rest of the album was a storm and this ending track is the survival of said storm.


TLDR - Much more rock/alternative than I expected. Great lyrics that I found subtle enough but not too obscure and over my head. Blake's nasally voice really appeals to me too. Enjoyable album, I'd give it a 8/10 although it wasn't really what I was looking for.

[Alfred]

I'm not as well-versed in this ilk of emo bands (I much prefer screamo bands that took after Orchid and Saetia), but this should be an interesting thread. I'd like to see a revival in discussion of emo bands on this forum.

[butthead aka 216]

Originally Posted by Alfred

I'm not as well-versed in this ilk of emo bands (I much prefer screamo bands that took after Orchid and Saetia), but this should be an interesting thread. I'd like to see a revival in discussion of emo bands on this forum.

i browsed through the journals and genre forums and didnt really see much emo stuff. its one genre that intrigues me that i didnt see covered much here so i thought it'd be cool to get somethin started

also im not really into screamo or hardcore stuff. i have a feelin some of the bands i run into tho will have a lost of punk, punkrock, screamo, hardcore, post punk tendencies about them

[Alfred]

Listening to a couple of those Jets To Brazil songs, I can understand why people constantly compare The Lawrence Arms to Jawbreaker. Both vocalists really do channel Blake S's vocal style in their own ways. It was more obvious with these Jets To Brazil tracks though, I think it deserves a listen.

[anticipation]

No Cap'n Jazz? No Bells on Trike? No thank you.

[butthead aka 216]

Originally Posted by anticipation

No Cap'n Jazz? No Bells on Trike? No thank you.

it says right there im open to whatever but suit yourself


The lawrence arms hmmmm i will look them up and report back alf

[YorkeDaddy]

Originally Posted by anticipation

No Cap'n Jazz? No Bells on Trike? No thank you.

Wow, what a close-minded, arrogant post.

I listened to the links of those Jets to Brazil songs and liked them a lot. I'm getting that album right now.

I've been getting into emo stuff a lot lately so I'll be following this thread.

[Isbjørn]

This looks interesting, I'll keep an eye on it.
Btw, by the "third wave", do you mean mainstream bands like My Chemical Romance and Dashboard Confessional or underground revivalist bands like Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) and Tigers Jaw?

[14232949]

It's been a while since I've truly spent a prolonged period listening to second wave emo or really anything from the midwest scene in an abundance.
Briks reminded me of Sunny Day Real Estate earlier today and I'm going to get onto the albums I don't own by them.

I think the thing I find most common about emo music to me at least is how when you get into it, you really get into it. I have EP's and LP's from bands that released one record and faded into obscurity (I know this was quite common) but after a while you just seem to forget about emo's existence. Likely because there isn't a prominent scene any more so the lack of new music causes it to lose relevance and slip under the radar.
But, I'll make it my mission to go through and re listen to the records I've not visited in some time.

The way I see it, as long as you're < 25, you'll still get something out of emo music before you're too old to understand it any more.