Music is an entity that pervades every facet of life –- assuming you are not deaf –- but many people are often oblivious to the stultifying amount of different
genres people enjoy all over the globe. One particularly impressive style of music is
emo, which is rather obscure itself, but has its roots in the popular and revolutionary
punk genre.
Deriving its name from the word "emotional," the emo genre is an extension of punk and hardcore. Trusted indicators of the style are visceral yet complex guitar music driven by oscillating dynamics and deep personal lyrics. The term "emocore" was first employed during the mid-1980s to describe the music of the Washington, D.C.-based group Rites of Spring, often recognized as the progenitor of emo music.
Although Rites of Spring may be the first to purport this unique style, their recognition is somewhat lacking. However, their brother of the same record label, Fugazi, is arguably the most popular and influential emo band, with albums dating from 1988 to the present Other big names in the genre are Jimmy Eat World, The Promise Ring, Mineral, and the Seattle-born Sunny Day Real Estate. Their styles range from post-punk spazzcore to radio friendly pop, but they all possess basic emocore underpinnings. The upstart band Get Up Kids have recently brought the emo style, enmeshed in punk, to a wider audience with radio and MTV hits from their Something to Write Home About album.
Like all popular music genres, emo will one day relinquish its niche status and be renown to even the most casual aural audience. Especially, with terrific ambassadors of the genre like Noise Ratchet and Texas is the Reason. The starting gates have been flung open and a dark horse named emo has the potential to captivate the crowds.