“how to manipulate for dummies” details the “emo” genre, which often coincides with the “male manipulator music” stereotype. Emo is a genre of rock music that emerged from the D.C. hardcore punk scene in the mid-1980s. Originally known as “emotional hardcore”, or simply “emocore”, the genre combined hardcore punk with emotional, confessional lyrics. As it evolved, it has combined sounds of post-hardcore, pop, pop-punk, indie rock, etc. This playlist outlines the five waves of emo. (Note: Not every band on this nor following playlists are explicitly “emo”. What bands are and are not emo is often heavily contested, so for the sake of clarity, the songs and bands listed are in some way, at the very least, associated with the scene and/or history.)
The first wave, the conception, is traced back to Rites of Spring, who, ironically, hated the term. Other founding bands like Embrace, fronted by Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat, and Dag Nasty also refused to adopt the term, but they participated in the 1985 Revolution Summer movement where emo challenged the violence and prejudices of the hardcore community.
For Want Of / Rites of Spring
Circles / Dag Nasty
Building / Embrace
Burn No Bridges / Gray Matter
After early D.C. emocore bands dissolved, emo spread westward in the 90s, planting most notably the mid-west. Sounds shifted more towards that of indie rock with bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Cap’n Jazz. Sub-genres of math rock, like American Football, and screamo/”skramz”, like Saetia, also began to branch off.
The Sweetness and the Light / Saetia
Seven / Sunny Day Real Estate
Accident Prone / Jawbreaker
Oh Messy Life / Cap’n Jazz
Red & Blue Jeans / The Promise Ring
Never Meant / American Football
Holiday / The Get Up Kids
When most people hear the word “emo”, they tend to think of “guyliner”, black hair-dye, and MySpace. That would be thanks to third wave emo in the 2000s. At this time, emo hit its commercial peak in “mall emo.” The boundaries were pushed further with radio-friendly pop-punk becoming a major proponent in the new mainstream sound. Bands like Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and Paramore, were icons of the emerging counter-culture. Meanwhile, post-hardcore and screamo bands like Thursday still thrived.
At Your Funeral / Saves the Day
Cute Without The “E” (Cut From The Team) / Taking Back Sunday
Understanding In A Car Crash / Thursday
Sweetness / Jimmy Eat World
Demolition Lovers / My Chemical Romance
Sending Postcards From a Plane Crash (Wish You Were Here) / Fall Out Boy
Emergency / Paramore
In the late 2000s and early 2010s, the fourth wave, otherwise known as “emo revival”, saw bands move away from third wave and back towards the sounds of second wave. Revival bands utilized a DIY sound, twinkling math-rock-esque guitar riffs, and nostalgic lyricism. This is where the name “midwest emo” became less to do with region and more to do with sound, becoming its own sub-genre.
Such Small Hands / La Dispute
Some Kind of Cadwallader / Algernon Cadwallader
Re-Do / Modern Baseball
Falling in Love Again / Joyce Manor
Your Deep Rest / The Hotelier
The Medic / Foxing
Edward 40hands / Mom Jeans.
More recently, a fifth wave of emo has taken the sounds of emo revival and experimented even more, ignoring previous conventions, combining sub-genres, adding instruments like synths and drum machines, embracing pop, etc.
I Forgot to Take My Meds Today / Prince Daddy & the Hyena
I’m My Own Doctor / Remo Drive
The Title Track / Origami Angel
