Emo

Emo is a genre of rock music. Since its inception, emo has come to describe several independent variations of music, linked loosely but with common ancestry. As such, use of the term has been the subject of much debate.

In its original incarnation, the term emo was used to describe a subgenre of hardcore punk which originated in the Washington, DC music scene of the mid-1980s. In later years, the term emocore, short for “emotional hardcore”, was also used to describe the DC scene and some of the regional scenes that spawned from it. The term emo was derived from the fact that, on occasion, members of a band would become spontaneously and strongly emotional during performances. The most recognizable names of the period included Rites of Spring, Embrace, One Last Wish, Beefeater, Gray Matter, Fire Party, and, slightly later, Moss Icon. The first wave of emo began to fade after the breakups of most of the involved bands in the early 1990s.

Starting in the mid-1990s, the term emo began to reflect the indie scene that followed the influences of Fugazi, which itself was an offshoot of the first wave of emo. Bands including Sunny Day Real Estate and Texas Is the Reason put forth a more indie rock style of emo, more melodic and less chaotic in nature than its predecessor. The so-called “indie emo” scene survived until the late 1990s, as many of the bands either disbanded or shifted to mainstream styles.

As the remaining indie emo bands entered the mainstream, newer bands began to emulate the more mainstream style, creating a style of music that has now earned the moniker emo within popular culture. Whereas, even in the past, the term emo was used to identify a wide variety of bands, the breadth of bands listed under today’s emo is even more vast, leaving the term “emo” as more of a loose identifier than as a specific genre of music.

• Blatant – An emo band with a rough
   approach to songs. Site has music clips, band news and updates. Requires
   Flash Player.
• 
   Christie Front Drive – Fan site for the now defunct band. Site features
   post Christie Front Drive work, a discography and images.
• Cursive – Omaha based indie
   rock. Tour dates, photos, biography, discography, forum, reviews, contact
   information, videos, links, and real audio and MP3s.
• Decade – A four
   piece, emo/rock band from Southern Vermont. With news, show dates, member
   profiles, pictures and links.
• Hey Mercedes – Merchandise,
   pictures, band news, contact information and MP3s.
• Mineral – Crank
   Records page for the Austin, TX based emo band.
• Sick Lipstick, The – Band
   from Toronto, Canada with ex members of Black Cat #13. Would appeal to fans
   of Huggy Bear, Screamers, Arab On Radar, Le Shok.
• Small Brown Bike – A band
   from Michigan playing punk rock. Site has band information, pictures,
   upcoming shows and a discography.
• To The Rescue
   - The emo band based out of the US. Site features news, upcoming shows, MP3s
   and a guestbook.
• AMG All
   Music Guide – History, list of groundbreaking albums, artists and
   reviews.
• Emo
   Lyrics On The Web – Having trouble finding lyrics? Come here for indie/emo/hardcore
   type bands and their lyrics.
• Origin of Emo -
   Traces the origin of the genre, with references and shopping links.
• What The Heck Is Emo Anyway? – A
   primer for a loose definition of what Emo is, with a best records list and
   links to other sites.
• 
   Punk with a heart: ‘Emo’ music getting noticed by the mainstream -
   Article by Martha Irvine, from the Associated Press. (July 25, 2002)  
• 
   What the fork is emo? – Article in the Daily Egyptian by Codell
   Rodriguez.
• 
  how to dress emo 2.0 by rob dobi. how to dress emo 3.0, check it out!

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