what is the greatest emo band of all-time?

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in your honest opinion...

― Paul Edward Wagemann (PaulEdwardWagemann), Thursday, 29 June 2006 15:54 (twenty years ago)

Mineral. Total guilty pleasure.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Thursday, 29 June 2006 15:59 (twenty years ago)

primo pre-emo: dag nasty, all/descendents, minor threat/embrace/fugazi, rites of spring, buddy holly

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 29 June 2006 16:02 (twenty years ago)

LIFETIME, duh, and anyone who grew up in NJ in the 1990s will agree.

― max (maxreax), Thursday, 29 June 2006 16:04 (twenty years ago)

18-year old me says Quicksand.

― LC (Damian), Thursday, 29 June 2006 16:11 (twenty years ago)

I'm sorry Mr. Fritz, but in my humble opinion, Fugazi, Rites of Spring, and Embrace are not "pre-emo" but ARE definitive emo. And the artistic apex of the genre is the Rites of Spring LP.

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Thursday, 29 June 2006 16:33 (twenty years ago)

All that early emo stuff always struck me as real middling, half-assed and under-realized. Even Pinkerton (snooze) and ATDI (yawn) have no emotional resonance for me.

I would honestly say the best answer to this question is My Chemical Romance, who were the first band to make those whiny, overwrought choruses actually resonate in a way (ie, in an overproduced pop context) that I could understand.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 29 June 2006 16:38 (twenty years ago)

Rites of Spring and Embrace, no doubt. They are real emo, not the shit that is coming out today. Bands like My Chem have destroyed the true meaning of emo the way bands like The Killers have killed the true meaning of indie rock.

And I love Lifetime, but they were never an emo band. They're are hardcore band. I grew up in Jersey going to see them in high school and they always surrounded themselves with hardcore bands and always called themselves a hardcore band. Sort of like how the first (and only the first) Saves the Day record is a hardcore album.

― Ryan McDermott (Rebelwordsmith), Thursday, 29 June 2006 16:49 (twenty years ago)

Bands like My Chem have destroyed the true meaning of emo the way bands like The Killers have killed the true meaning of indie rock.

Who said the Killers are indie rock?

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 29 June 2006 16:50 (twenty years ago)

"true meaning"

― you make chatting lame (teenagequiet), Thursday, 29 June 2006 16:51 (twenty years ago)

Lifetime is Emo most because they called themselves "hardcore."

― max (maxreax), Thursday, 29 June 2006 17:09 (twenty years ago)

This is also star-gazing for people who had lame taste is the 90s and now try to justify it. Like so many people who listen to Load/5RC bands have a hard on for Youth Of Today now that there's sufficient distance from it.

The only difference between most proto-emo bands and My Chemical Romance is a budget and some eyeliner.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 29 June 2006 17:09 (twenty years ago)

I hate when people destroy the true meaning of pop by mixing it with other genres.

― It's Rodney, poised and rational! (R. J. Greene), Thursday, 29 June 2006 17:11 (twenty years ago)

No one said The Killers are indie rock, but I mean if you ask some random person on the street, they would say that The Killers are indie rock because they are a kind of hip, dancy band that aren't whoring themselves on MTV that much. And for your average person that is "indie". And for me that destorys what indie really is, independent. The only reason I used that example is bc I was talking to someone at a party and they asked me what kind of music I like. I said indie-rock and punk music primarily. And they said, "Oh indie rock, like the killers and the strokes?" And I said, "No, not at all." haha.

And as for Lifetime being emo. I mean, there is a valid arguement there. They are melodic and they kind of sing. So I understand that point of view. But I just grew up with them being a New Brunswick hardcore band.

― Ryan McDermott (Rebelwordsmith), Thursday, 29 June 2006 17:20 (twenty years ago)

My memories are that all NB hardcore bands were secretly Emo bands.

― max (maxreax), Thursday, 29 June 2006 17:28 (twenty years ago)

Dismemberment Plan.....or do I have no idea what emo means?

― Ben Crazee (Ben Crazee), Thursday, 29 June 2006 19:50 (twenty years ago)

sunny day real estate

― 6335 (6335), Thursday, 29 June 2006 20:06 (twenty years ago)

"The only difference between most proto-emo bands and My Chemical Romance is a budget and some eyeliner.

-- Whiney G. Weingarten (christophe...), June 29th, 2006."

Define 'proto-emo'.

I fail to see how Fugazi and Rites of Springs (or Weezer and ATDI for that matter) bear any resemblance to something like My Chemical Romance.

― ... (paid in cigarettes), Thursday, 29 June 2006 20:11 (twenty years ago)

emo, as it was known in the late 80's up through mid-90's? fugazi, jawbox, mineral.

emo, as it's known today? my chemical romance or armor for sleep, or possibly ATDI. maybe say anything.

weezer and sunny day real estate are not emo bands.

― Emily B (Emily B), Thursday, 29 June 2006 20:23 (twenty years ago)

I don't care for My Chemical Romance or understand their appeal, but I have chosen to accept them rather than risking irrelevance to anyone that matters.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 29 June 2006 20:24 (twenty years ago)

Jesus, this is a weird ILM alternative universe situation: no one has yet weighed in to mock the premise of "greatest emo band?" What gives? Should I start?

― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 29 June 2006 20:27 (twenty years ago)

husker du

― M@tt He1geson, Rendolent Ding-Dong (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 29 June 2006 20:38 (twenty years ago)

"I have chosen to accept them rather than risking irrelevance to anyone that matters."

I don't understand what this means!

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 29 June 2006 20:48 (twenty years ago)

He doesn't want to piss off Ultragrrl

― max (maxreax), Thursday, 29 June 2006 20:50 (twenty years ago)

sunny day real estate were "indie emo". wikipedia is never wrong!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo_%28music%29

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 29 June 2006 21:02 (twenty years ago)

What's a goodf band name for these dudes?

― PappaWheelie 2 (PappaWheelie 2), Thursday, 29 June 2006 21:04 (twenty years ago)

Ashlee Simpson

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 29 June 2006 21:05 (twenty years ago)

The Modern Lovers

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 29 June 2006 21:11 (twenty years ago)

It took 5 answers for the inevitable to start.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Thursday, 29 June 2006 21:14 (twenty years ago)

How the hell are the Killers NOT an indie-rock band?

And they said, "Oh indie rock, like the killers and the strokes?" And I said, "No, not at all." haha.

Um... examples of real indie-rock then, please.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 29 June 2006 21:17 (twenty years ago)

Sebadoh

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Thursday, 29 June 2006 21:20 (twenty years ago)

I mean new real indie-rock. From 2004 (or whenever the hell that Killers album came out) until now. I don't think you can compare the Killers to Sebadoh because they came out at different times.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 29 June 2006 21:31 (twenty years ago)

The only difference between most proto-emo bands and My Chemical Romance is a budget and some eyeliner.

I kinda dig MCR too, but this is plainly untrue: MCR is almost entirely about big melodic hooks, decent chops, soaring choruses, etc. The proto-emo bands did not aspire to anything like that condition. They also wore more eyeliner.

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:01 (twenty years ago)

Snrub - examples of NEW REAL INDIE ROCK - Sleater-Kinney (recently deceased), Belle and Sebastian, Built To Spill (despite their recent jump to the majors), !!! (chkchkchk), Les Savy Fav, British Sea Power, Bright Eyes, Calexico....almost anyone on Matador, Merge, Kill Rockstars, etc.

Not the commercial stuff.

― Ryan McDermott (Rebelwordsmith), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:08 (twenty years ago)

Mrs. Nrub is indefatigably OTM here re: Killers and the world of Indie.

Hey haters, look what Google pulls up #1 for "indie rock and roll".
http://www.lyrics007.com/The%20Killers%20Lyrics/Indie%20Rock%20&%20Roll%20Lyrics.html

― oh, wrinklepaws! (Wrinklepaws), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:09 (twenty years ago)

Rites of Spring!

― Torgeir Hansen (MRZBW), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:11 (twenty years ago)

It's all good fun until somebody disses Minor Threat and I have to shiv them in the eye.

― Goo-night, Swede Hurt (noodle vague), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:11 (twenty years ago)

Saetia!

― unnamedroffler (xave), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:11 (twenty years ago)

Ryan McDouchemott just got owned.

― oh, wrinklepaws! (Wrinklepaws), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:12 (twenty years ago)

promise ring.

nothing feels good is solid top 3 for my favorite album ever.

― wolves (wolves), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:14 (twenty years ago)

if you ask some random person on the street, they would say that The Killers are indie rock because they are a kind of hip, dancy band that aren't whoring themselves on MTV that much.

define "whoring yourself on MTV".

― grady (grady), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:17 (twenty years ago)

See Michael Azzerad's definition of Indie: "Independent has several definitions, but the one this book uses is the crucial question of whether a label disttibutes its records through one of the corporate music bohemoths."

Clearly not the corporate driven Killers.

I can't believe you get your information from Google.

― Ryan McDermott (Rebelwordsmith), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:17 (twenty years ago)

what's the difference btw MCR and weezer again?

― le hague (le hague), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:18 (twenty years ago)

if you ask some random person on the street, they would say that The Killers are indie rock because they are shitty indie rock.

― Goo-night, Swede Hurt (noodle vague), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:18 (twenty years ago)

whoring yourself. peddling your product to the corporate crowd i guess. that term was a bit strong. written in the throws of discussion board passion. haha.

― Ryan McDermott (Rebelwordsmith), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:19 (twenty years ago)

T/S: the whoring themselves Beatles to the corporate crowd vs Phish

― Goo-night, Swede Hurt (noodle vague), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:20 (twenty years ago)

"The only reason I used that example is bc I was talking to someone at a party and they asked me what kind of music I like. I said indie-rock and punk music primarily. And they said, "Oh indie rock, like the killers and the strokes?" And I said, "No, not at all." haha."

...and then they were like "Douchebag," and I was all like, "THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF WHATEVER!"

― J Arthur Rank (Quin Tillian), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:21 (twenty years ago)

rainer maria

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:22 (twenty years ago)

I will say one thing about the killers though. you can dance to them and that counts for something.

― Ryan McDermott (Rebelwordsmith), Thursday, 29 June 2006 22:28 (twenty years ago)

City of Caterpillar.

― Fresh Willis (Freshwillis), Thursday, 29 June 2006 23:26 (twenty years ago)

The Who

― 100% CHAMPS with a Yes! Attitude. (Austin, Still), Thursday, 29 June 2006 23:32 (twenty years ago)

Indie rock has very little to do with antiquated definitions like "it has to be released on an independent label". That concept disappeared by the mid-90s.
There are plenty of bands on major labels that identify with, or liberally borrow influence from "indie" music.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:03 (twenty years ago)

what's the difference btw MCR and weezer again?

Weezer: major scales, medium-warm colors, textured fabrics
My Chemical Romance: melodic minor scale, dark colors, sheer fabrics

hope this helps

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:11 (twenty years ago)

Brooker - the definition is a bit antiquated. I mean I think that Sonic Youth is an incredible force in indie rock and they haven't been on an indie label since 1989. I think there are exceptions but the indie rock aesthetic (and it's ever changing) is almost always created by bands on independent labels and then co-opted by the majors.

― Pop Ryan (Rebelwordsmith), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:13 (twenty years ago)

Melodic minor? That's odd:

http://www.mibac.com/Pages/Theory/frames/mm/Melodic%20Minor%20Scale.html

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:13 (twenty years ago)

Built To Spill (despite their recent jump to the majors)
This post contributes absolutely nothing to the topic, but as an "indie-rock" pedant, I feel obliged to point out that Built to Spill's recent jump to the majors happened roughly a decade ago. Sorry.

― Binjominia (Brilhante), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:16 (twenty years ago)

Tim sit down at a piano or pick up a guitar and familarize yrself with the melodic minor, it's essentially the goth scale

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:18 (twenty years ago)

(I'm mainly trying to crack wise when I ascribe it to MCR though, )their shit's actually major like weezer but with these occasional bends to add some extra down-in-the-mouthness)

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:21 (twenty years ago)

promise ring.
nothing feels good is solid top 3 for my favorite album ever.

-- wolves (wolvesaresohotrightno...) (webmail), June 29th, 2006 7:14 PM. (wolves) (link)

that's my least favorite well-known album ever

― a.b. (alanbanana), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:24 (twenty years ago)

binjominia: my mistake you are absolutely correct. I guess I just assumed they stopped making music after There's Nothing Wrong With Love. Thanks for the correction.

― Pop Ryan (Rebelwordsmith), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:36 (twenty years ago)

I am familiar with the melodic minor scale. Not familiar with rock songs that use it. Here is someone playing the chord sequence for the melodic minor scale:

i - ii - III+ (augmented) - IV - V - vi (dim.) - vii (dim.) - i

http://www.andymilne.dial.pipex.com/Melminchords.mid

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:41 (twenty years ago)

Ryan: "throws" = throes

Rites Of Spring fourthed.

― sleeve (sleeve), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:41 (twenty years ago)

"This post contributes absolutely nothing to the topic, but as an "indie-rock" pedant, I feel obliged to point out that Built to Spill's recent jump to the majors happened roughly a decade ago. Sorry."

With Built to Spill, that's what? Two albums?

― J Arthur Rank (Quin Tillian), Friday, 30 June 2006 00:47 (twenty years ago)

Four.

― Binjominia (Brilhante), Friday, 30 June 2006 01:29 (twenty years ago)

Lynyrd Skynyrd. Have ya'll heard "Simple Man"?

― regular roundups (Dave M), Friday, 30 June 2006 02:23 (twenty years ago)

I have no idea what the fuck 'emo' is, as it applies to music, but I'm going to say Cap'n Jazz, only because I love them so.

― nicky lo-fi (nicky lo-fi), Friday, 30 June 2006 05:22 (twenty years ago)

"and I woke up this morning / with a piece of past caught in my throat / and then I choked..."

5th for Rites of Spring. Revolution Summer Love.

"and I woke up this morning / with the present in splinters on the ground / and then I drowned..."

― Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, 30 June 2006 06:12 (twenty years ago)

;_;

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Friday, 30 June 2006 06:14 (twenty years ago)

Bright Eyes

― BeeOK (boo radley), Friday, 30 June 2006 06:16 (twenty years ago)

Sunny Day Real Estate. "In Circles" is goddamn archetypal.

― bernard snow (sixteen sergeants), Friday, 30 June 2006 15:15 (twenty years ago)

Cap'n Jazz is indeed great

― unnamedroffler (xave), Friday, 30 June 2006 15:27 (twenty years ago)

Rites of Spring looks like it's gonna own this thread before too long, a fact which should help to define what "emo" WAS.

We've talked about emo in another thread recently, but I'd say any relatively new group that's called emo and that's influenced by Weezer and Sunny Day Real Estate isn't really emo but some pop simulation of.

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Friday, 30 June 2006 15:43 (twenty years ago)

the hated

― Machibuse '80 (ex machina), Friday, 30 June 2006 15:50 (twenty years ago)

Took y'all fuckin' long enough.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Friday, 30 June 2006 16:16 (twenty years ago)

haha, you know The Hated were the best emo band I ever actually SAW.

― sleeve (sleeve), Friday, 30 June 2006 19:05 (twenty years ago)

the rolling stones.

― AaronK (AaronK), Friday, 30 June 2006 19:31 (twenty years ago)

Why the fuck is no one trolling this thread?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 30 June 2006 19:35 (twenty years ago)

ILM - YOU'VE LET ME DOWN, YOU'VE LET THEM DOWN, AND MOST OF ALL, YOU'VE LET YOURSELF DOWN.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 30 June 2006 19:38 (twenty years ago)

http://www.picturetrunk.com/uploads/b1cc5109b5.jpg

― nicky lo-fi (nicky lo-fi), Friday, 30 June 2006 19:48 (twenty years ago)

I'm down with Nothing Feels Good as well. If that's considered emo.

Is Sunny Day Real Estate emo?

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Friday, 30 June 2006 20:22 (twenty years ago)

Yes

― CDDB (Dan Deluca), Friday, 30 June 2006 20:27 (twenty years ago)

I are ten emo. Does this help?

― le hague (le hague), Friday, 30 June 2006 21:16 (twenty years ago)

what's the difference btw MCR and weezer again?

weezer was good once?

weezer were never an emo band, though. Let there be no confusion about this. Just because some pop-punk bands claimed to be influenced by Pinkerton and later got called emo by some hack journalists does not make weezer an emo band. weezer played power pop.

And weezer have some minor-key tunes. I don't know what Thomas is on about with regard to the melodic minor scale though.

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Friday, 30 June 2006 21:50 (twenty years ago)

are the pop punk emo bands of today (mcr, fall out boy, thursday, taking back sunday, get up kids) related to the DC hardcore emo bands of yesteryear?

where the fuck did MTV emo come from? did these people listen to puddle of mudd and fred durst, but only mention at the drive in, green day and weezer in interviews?

forgive me if i'm totally off base. i have a hideous car wreck interest in where the emo rash came from, but i don't have anybackground.

― theghostrobot (theghostrobot), Saturday, 1 July 2006 06:47 (twenty years ago)

a lot of these current bands (mcr, fall out boy, thursday, taking back sunday, etc) were kicking around for a few years in the modern, post warped-tour version of the "hardcore/punk" scene but were granted MTV rights by Satan after nu-metal's lease was up.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 1 July 2006 10:06 (twenty years ago)

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/StopMTV!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 1 July 2006 10:11 (twenty years ago)

why doesn't anyone else here like rainer maria :(

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Saturday, 1 July 2006 10:11 (twenty years ago)

This is a great thread.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 1 July 2006 23:35 (twenty years ago)

death, taxes, genre arguments

― cdwill (cdwill), Sunday, 2 July 2006 01:35 (twenty years ago)

i hate all of it. but this is the only one i can stand.

http://image.com.com/mp3/images/cover/200/drf700/f705/f70542hu9by.jpg

― corey c (shock of daylight), Monday, 3 July 2006 06:01 (nineteen years ago)

i too have to step up for cap'n jazz. that's good music. the fantastic guitar playing helps.

― naturemorte (naturemorte), Monday, 3 July 2006 06:37 (nineteen years ago)

The Modern Lovers
-- Mr. Snrub (mistersnru...), June 29th, 2006 11:11 PM. (Mr. Snrub)

The most OTM thing on this thread. Jonathan Richman invented emo and straight-edge in one fell swoop with "I'm Straight" and that was in the early 70s. Anyone who came after that (Minor Threat, Fugazi, all that "nu" stuff the kids are into these days) is just over manufactured tripe for children... ;-)

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 3 July 2006 09:36 (nineteen years ago)

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