Defining Emo

In The Current NME issue (reported via stereogum):

Bottled at Reading! Tabloid stories! Where do you stand? Plus, we hear from the guy who bottled Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie.

Where do we stand? We stand on the side that acknowledges these bands are not actually emo. How did MCR and P!ATD even get classified as emo? It’s a terrible misnomer we’ve gone along with, but let’s put a stop to that.

Not to get all Brandon Flowers, but it’s time for a debate! Have these 21st century MTVu eyeliner rockers anything in common with the DC hardcore scene twenty years ago? What was the last great emo album? What’s the greatest emo album of all time? Is America losing the war on the emo? Is there even a war on emo? Why is Gerard dressed for battle? ———————– Thank GOD someone is finally acknowledging this. Then again, I can understand… those who were around long enough to know where Punk roots probably don’t like the way casually toss the word around these days. Likewise, those who knew of emo before every band with eyeliner was getting slapped with the moniker know that Panic!, Co/Ca, FOB, MCR, etc… are not emo.

I guess I, personally, have an issue with it because like, 5 years ago I met a boy at a Yellowcard show (yellowcard is not emo!) and we talked on the phone a few times and one day he emailed me his fav song. It was an old Bright Eyes song– straight up slit your wrists warm-up music. I decided the kid had issues and never called him back.

Superficial, I know, but if I could remember which song it was, I’d tell you and then you’d go listen and then you’d completely understand. Who wants to date someone who listens to on the verge of ending it all music? Not me.

The Emo that I know is slow, sullen and sounds as if its recorded 5 minutes before the artist hung himself. The Emo that I know sounds like artists have been sucked dry of all their life energy and barely have the heart to choke out their lyrics before they go cry themselves to sleep.

Just sayin’… Wiki Emo