Friday, May 20, 2011

Emo is the New Emo

With the world set to come to an end tomorrow, what better time to look back and reminisce.
  
Confession: I used to be in a severely emo band. What do I mean by severely emo? I mean the whole nine yards, my friend—screamy singing, bleeding from playing your guitar too awesomely hard (read: incorrectly), lyrics that almost exclusively revolved around being romantically upset, songs named after Japanese bears...all of it. 
  
Needless to say, I was pretty heavily invested in the whole genre in its mid-nineties heyday (post-DC-hardcore, pre-mall-emo).
  
So I was understandably psyched when it was announced earlier this week that one of my favorite mid-nineties emo bands, Christie Front Drive, was playing a reunion show at The Bell House in Brooklyn, a modest walk from my very front door. Now, I never thought I was the reunion type (as Maritime frontman, Davey van Bohlen, said of his former band, Cap'n Jazz in our earlier interview, "it sometimes makes sense to leave the past in the past"), but, after missing last year's seemingly only ever possible Cap'n Jazz reunion show due to catastrophic weather, I now understand that it's wiser to go see a potentially washed-up band from your youth than it is to possibly miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime awesome musical experience. So, long story short, I got my tickets.
  
But all these reunions—Cap'n Jazz in 2010, now Christie Front Drive, and soon new material from mid-west emo-sweethearts, Braid—all in this very specific, 16+-year-old genre, it got me thinking: What the hell is going on? 
  
It also seems cause enough to post five of my favorite songs from this era. No, my old band's not in there. What do you think I am? But enjoy...for, like, 24 more hours....  
  
Braid • Urbana's Too Dark 
Braid is one of the many influential emo bands to spring forth from the rock-motional fertile grounds of the Chicago area and, happily, they're set to release some brand new material soon. Plus they Tweet and shit. Crazy, right?
  
Cap'n Jazz • Little League 
Another Chicago band that bore many, many bands to come, some awesome, some....very arty. Plus Davey van Bohlen et al started it when they were, what, five? And yes, I missed they're only reunion. Ever. I'm sure it was terrible, right?

Christie Front Drive • Field 
Whether this song has actual lyrics or not, I love it. Fingers crossed, guys.

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start • Song Competition 
Sadly, I don't think these fellas are around anymore, but our old band happened to play a show ages ago with them, and I've been in love with their math-rock-y sound ever since. And yes, that was their actual name. NERDS!!!

The Promise Ring • Watertown Plank 
Totally my favorite Promise Ring song ever, and I think the first one I ever heard. 
  
Alright, now everyone grab your backpack straps and fingerpoint to the sky, in all its fiery, final, Armageddon-ridden glory.  
  
Most emo end times ever.

(above - photo by me of the most emo mailbox ever, used for many a show flyer in the day)
Posted by Troy Farmer at 5:13 PM Labels: , , , ,

4 comments:

  1. I'm sorry to say that these song selections are bullshit. Please replace them with the following:

    Braid - First Day Back
    Cap'n Jazz - That A-Ha cover they did
    Promise Ring - Red and Blue Jeans
    Christie Front Drive - Field (That one can stay)

    The Up Up Down Down slot should be filled by The Get-Up Kids (any track from 'Something to Write Home About'), Knapsack or Horse Skirt.

    Thank you.

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  2. 1. Second favorite Braid and Promise Ring songs, respectively;
    2. On Cap'n Jazz, you're cracked;
    3. And Up Up Down Down was an awesome band that should have gotten much more recognition...though Jejune nearly made that slot. Knapsack and the Kids seemed a bit too produced to be true indie-emo, to me, but yes, they was awesome; and
    4. I WISH I could lay my hands on some Horse Skirt. That band's shit is ELUSIVE.

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  3. Yay! Hearts to 90s emo. Also I vote pre very emergency promise ring. AND HELLO, WHERE IS SUNNY DAY???

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  4. Sunny Day would have been too obvious. Like listing 'the bed' on a Top Five Places to Sleep list. We avoided the more produced, overly-present acts in the top five, focusing in on the indie stuff instead. So, like 'the bathtub,' or 'on the beach,' or 'UNDER the bed.'

    ...although I did just get up from a nap. My judgement may not be totally without influence.

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