Emo
- See Emo (disambiguation) for other uses of the term Emo.
Emo (an abbreviation of "emotionally-driven Hardcore punk" or just "emotional-hardcore") is a term now broadly used to describe almost any form of guitar-driven alternative rock that expresses emotions beyond traditional punk's limited emotional palette of alienation and rage. It is also used to describe fans of this genre, most commonly teenagers (emo kids). The actual term "emo" originated in the mid-1980s D.C. scene, with the band Rites of Spring, as well as bands such as Fugazi, Moss Icon, and Antioch Arrow. The term addressed both the way the band connected with its audience, as well as its tendency to deal more with topics of personal and relationship politics than with the standard themes of rock music.
History
Origins
The roots of the emo style can be traced to two seminal bands of the post-punk era. In 1983, Mission of Burma's album VS did much to expand rock beyond its original constraints while still retaining its raw emotional punch. There are still what can be considered emo bands around today, but most of them take a full-on screaming approach (hence the name Screamo) like Circle Takes The Square and Saetia. In 1984, Hüsker Dü's album Zen Arcade established what is widely considered to be the definitive blueprint for emo: simple, raw guitar-oriented music with intense vocals and deeply introspective songwriting.
As the style caught on, bands such as Moss Icon, Policy of Three, Navio Forge and Indian Summer evolved traditional Hardcore into what eventually became known as simply "emo", a style which intensified the dramatic aspects of vocal performances in order to achieve a cathartic breakthrough with the audience. Done well, the result was powerful emotional release that often left emo bands and their audiences crying or screaming at the end of performances. While effective, such open displays of emotion made many traditional hardcore fans uncomfortable, and caused much friction between the two camps. Some believe that the "emo" moniker was originally used as a derogatory term by these detractors.
Progression of the Genre
With the mass-market acceptance of alternative music in the early 1990s, a new derivative style variously called "chaotic emo", "screamo", and "Emo Violence" emerged featuring a influence, releasing many defining records of this style in the early 1990s. Significant emo bands from this time include Heroin, Angel Hair, Antioch Arrow, Swing Kids, and Mohinder.
Later in the 1990s, bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate, Elliott, Christie Front Drive, Get Up Kids, Cap'n Jazz, The Promise Ring and Mineral explored a more moderately paced form of emo that mixed the early emo sound of Rites of Spring with the post-hardcore innovation of Fugazi and Quicksand. The musical genre that best describes Sunny Day Real Estate, The Get-Up Kids early work, Jimmy Eat World's early work, as well as Elliot and Christie Front Drive is Post Emo. This musical movement of the early 1990s was very emo influenced, and can be very much heard in the Sunny Day Real Estate album, Diary, maybe more than any of the others.
Modern Usage of the Term "Emo"
Today, the term "emo" is increasingly ambiguous, and is often used disparaingly to describe something that is overly-sentimental, and is used in a similar way to the homophobic usage of "gay" as a derogatory adjective. The term "emo fag" is often used as an insult aimed at people who dress in a way based upon emo fashion, or who listen to music considered to be "emo". This is similar to the term "goth" being used as a pejorative aimed at those who were involved in the nu metal trend. It is commonplace for people to refer to themselves or others as "emo" or "emo kids" now. Some claim that this is done to remove the negative connotations of the term, disenfranchising it, similar to the usage of the term nigga by many African-American rap artists (though the level of negativity that has been associated with the term "emo" is in no way comparable with that of the "N-word"). Others, mostly veterans or fans of the original emo sound, or those sometimes referred to as "emo" but who consider the term a pejorative, believe that usage of the term in this constant is the product of ignorance of the actual meaning or connotations of the word "emo" amongst those who use it self-referentially.
With the success of rock bands such as The Get Up Kids, Jimmy Eat World and The Promise Ring, the music industry has promoted a series of successful, emo-influenced bands. The term has come to be used in conjunction with a vast array of musical styles that have little similarity, and it has now become more of an umbrella label for a trend in modern alternative rock than an actual defineable genre, much like the term nu metal before it. Bands who play anything from remotely melodic hardcore to delicate acoustic music are labelled "emo", mostly out of convenience by music journalists or ignorance by fans of various genres. Acts as dissimilar as The Used, My Chemical Romance, Senses Fail, Thursday, Poison The Well, Glassjaw, Funeral For A Friend, Hawthorne Heights, Dashboard Confessional, Coheed and Cambria and a virtually endless list of others have been lazily branded emo, creating much confusion over whether or not emo as a defineable genre of music even exists.
Emo kids are widely ridiculed as being crybabies who think they are cool because they like to sit in the corner and cry.
Emo fashion
Traditionally, the term "emo" when used in describing clothing meant clothes such as tight jeans and fitted T-shirts or polo shirts, sweaters, and "Buddy Holly" glasses. However, as the variety of music labelled "emo" has become larger and the genre has gained more mainstream popularity, there are now several distinct strands of emo fashion. Most forms of emo fashion originate from fans emulating the styles of members of their favourite groups. These styles themselves are usually derived from pre-existing fashions of the New Wave, punk, metal, indie, grunge, Goth and hardcore genres and sub-cultures.
The "Emo Nerd" Look
Sweaters and thick-rimmed black glasses became a popular form of emo fashion after Rivers Cuomo (singer/guitarist of the popular band, Weezer) began wearing them at concerts and in press photos. As the term "emo" has become more common amongst mainstream music fans and the media, and it is now used to describe a wide array of musical styles that aren't strictly emo (such as post-hardcore and metalcore), this is no longer the most common form of emo fashion, though the "emo nerd" look is still one of the most widely recognised stereotypes of the emo sub-culture.
Fashioncore
The style of dress most commonly referred to as fashioncore has now become the most widely spread archetype of emo fashion. Those who consider themselves, or are considered by others to be, "scene kids" often engage in many short-lived trends, most appropriated from other sub-cultures. These have included bandanas (which were previously associated with both hip-hop and homosexual sub-cultures), sweatbands, eyeliner (for males) and recently L.E.D. belt buckles, which display scrolling text. As the popularity of these items increases, those who are considered to be most "scene" (hip) abandon them for other trends.
The basic fashioncore style of clothing has remained constant however: tight fitting T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts, usually either black and featuring the logo of a band or a semi-ironic slogan or image (such as the logo of a 1980s cartoon series like Thundercats); tight-fitting jeans worn low (often below the buttocks — another style appropriated from hip-hop subculture), usually suspended with a studded belt; and trainers. Once the most common form of footwear amongst those conforming to fashioncore dress codes were Converse All-Stars, though their popularity has decreased, and now the most popular style of footwear amongst those considered truly "scene" are hi-top or retro trainers, usually Nikes. Messenger bags decorated or customised with band logo pin badges are also often associated with this strand of emo fashion. This style of clothing is also often seen as being metrosexual in nature.
It is the fashioncore strand of emo fashion that is most often visibile amongst those following the emo trend. The use of MySpace has become established as a staple of the fashioncore trend. People who are part of this scene are usually identifiable by their screen names, which often feature song quotes, or other stereotypically "emo" phrases, usually surrounded with "x"s (the use of which has evolved from the straight edge sub-culture).
The Emo Haircut
The Basic Emo Haircut
What is most commonly implied by the term "emo" in reference to hair is dyed jet-black hair that is sloped to cover, or partially cover, one of the eyes (usually the right eye). The popularisation of this hairstyle is often attributed to the band Refused, whose members had uniform jet black hair sloped to partially obscure the right eye. The uniform dress code of the band has also been an influence of emo fashion — especially the fashioncore strand — in general.
As the term "emo" has become more and more ingrained in the popular conscience, "emo haircuts" have come to include a much wider array of styles. These more complex styles are largely associated with the fashioncore style of emo fashion and are most commonly sported by scene kids.
The Scene/Devilock Haircut
The origins of one of the most popular emo hairstyles are largely attributed to The Cure, The Misfits and AFI. Robert Smith of The Cure had his long hair drooping over his eyes, but had the back slightly shorter and spiked out. Jerry Only of The Misfits invented a haircut in the late 1970s/early 1980s known as a "devilock" which involved the hair to be cut short, but leaving the fringe to grow very long and to be combed forward over the eyes Only, guitarist Doyle and former lead singer Glenn Danzig all wore the style and dyed their hair black. Most members of The Misfits have sported the style or one similar at one point or another. During the "All Hallows EP" and "The Art of Drowning"-era, AFI frontman Davey Havok used to have a haircut that mixed these two styles together, cutting his hair short by way of the standard hardcore punk shirt and spiky haircut, but left only his immediate fringe to grow long, at least down to his chin. He also dyed his blond hair black from a very young age. Since the appearance of this variation of the devilock, the two have been given names: The Only Devilock and The Havok Devilock. These two, and in particular Havok's variation, are an obvious precursor to what has become known as "scene" hair.
The Neo-Mullet
Also referred to as a skewed mullet or 90-degree mullet, this is an updated version of the much-derided classic mullet haircut. The basic "business at the front, party in the back" cut is often modified with a longer piece of hair on one side at the back, whilst the front section of the cut often partially obscures one eye (most commonly the "tail" at the back slopes to the left while the fringe slopes to the right). This haircut is commonplace amongst both male and female scene kids. The hair is almost always dyed jet black, and it is then commonplace for sections to be highlighted either blonde or red.
Body Modification
Tattoos
The tattoos most often associated with the emo trend and scene kids are:
- Stars, most commonly on the forearm, often coloured half black and half blue or red.
- Sleeves or half-sleeves, though these are more commonly associated with metalcore and mathcore bands and fans.
Piercings
"Plugs" and flesh-holes are the most common form of piercing amongst those associated with the emo trend, along with lip piercings often placed on one side of the mouth.
Criticisms
Emo has been subjected to an unusually high level of critcism when compared to other musical genres, sub-cultures or trends. The vitriol aimed at the term "emo" even exceeds that aimed at the similarly popular nu metal trend during it's peak popularity.
"Cheer Up Emo Kid"
"Emo kids" or "emos" are stereotypically seen as being suicidal, angst-ridden teenagers. When attacking "emo", its detractors often refer to wrist slitting. This is largely due to the lyrical themes of music that is contemporarily labelled "emo"; one of the most common issues addressed by bands such as Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, The Used and others are broken hearts. Other bands, such as Thursday, address other topics considered depressing. The criticisms levelled at "emo" because of reasons such as these are virtually identical to those levelled at other genres which have at one time or another been staple listening for angst-ridden teenagers, such as grunge, nu metal and goth. This viewpoint is also based on the widely accepted notion that the majority of "emo kids" are middle-class white kids.
T-shirts, pin badges and other accessories are often worn by those who have a strong dislike for emo (and have also been known to be worn ironically by some who are considered by others or themselves to be "emo").
"Say No To Emo"
Other criticisms directed at emo are also shared with past musical trends; that emo is "bad music" or that it is a shallow and soulless money-making trend. These criticisms are largely subjective, though they are most commonly used by those who have only heard the most mainstream end of the wide musical spectrum that the term "emo" has become used to cover. Many consider it ironic that those who despise emo for being a trend are in actuallity part of the anti-emo trend itself. Scores of websites have sprung up aimed at criticising or ridiculing emo. Fans of many other musical genres have been known to wear T-shirts or other items with anti-emo slogans such as "Say No To Emo".
Sexuality
Criticisms of emo are often laced with homophobia; terms like "emo fag" have become common. There are two likely reasons for this, the first being that the popularity of emo fashion is largely linked to metrosexuality, in that followers of emo fashion are usually heterosexuals who appropriate clothing and style stereotypically linked to gay culture. The second likely reason is that many "emo girls" display a strong attraction towards gay or bisexual male activities. Though it is common in Western culture for men to find lesbianism erotic, females finding homo- or bi-sexuality erotic is a trend largely peculiar to the emo trend and sub-culture. Many girls have made pages on internet sites like MySpace collecting together pictures of emo boys making out. This activity is viewed far less liberally than female homo-erotic experimentation in Western culture, and as thus has created many strong anti-emo feelings amongst retrosexuals.
Sexism
Comparisons have been drawn by some between the 1980s hair metal scene and emo, as some hold the opinion that they are both misogynistic forms of music produced predominantly by males. The notion that emo is possibly misogynistic is based largely on the stereotypically "emo songs" which focus on broken hearts. These songs are almost always told from a male perspective, due to the fact that vast majority of emo vocalists are male, and some consider the lyrics to present an unfair representation of women.
Lyrics that have been cited include:
- I hope the next boy that you kiss has something terribly contagious on his lips Brand New - Jude Law & A Semester Abroad
- You can lead a whore to water and you can bet she'll drink and follow orders Glassjaw - Pretty Lush
- I'm too fly and shy, like no other guy, I'm too fly and shy just for you Glassjaw - Lovebites and Razorlines
Emo groups
See also
External links
- Myemospace.com Pokes fun at scenes and the scene-lover infested entity of myspace.com
- "what the heck *is* emo anyway?" a semi-comprehensive FAQ/parody on the subject
- axioentertainment.com's emo guide, a guide that pokes fun at emo attitudes/styles
- Identity Crisis Emo Game, A parody of emo as done by Maddox.
- how to be: emo The Emo Guide To Life in video form.
- The Emo Videogame — an online video game series dedicated to emo culture, which is very tongue-in-cheek and self-effacing.
- A condensed history of Emo, and a comparison to the misconceptions of today.
- Emo-ology — an attempt to create an emo discography
- Emo in the sense described by this Wiki page
- Emo Farm- A funny film about a farm that raise emos.
- Mighty Moshin Emo Rangers An emo themed parody of 90's kids show Power Rangers.