I hear this term once in a while and have no clue... could I have some descriptions, bands, and a reason why it's called emo?

It's usually emo-core or emo-punk, as in "emotional". I think it was initially attributed to Weezer, then picked up by their followers (Get Up Kids, Ozma, etc).

a bunch of bands copying the same sound off one another, creating a boring, hollow music genre. any band with lyrics about hearts and schoolyard breakups is considered "emo" now. it's outdated and overused and annoying.

I see... well not really, but whatever.

So what about the band Hum? Are they emo?

Weezer ain't the founders of sh*t. The first big emo record was Rites of Spring's first disc. They were fronted by Guy Piccioto who is now in Fugazi. Emo started in DC in the late '80s. It was more melodic hardcore. Now emo has been morphed into really bland pop music like Get-Up Kids, Promise Ring, Death Cab, etc. What is real emo is now considered screamo. Pick up any album by Hoover to hear what emo at its best sounded like.

Nope.

I'm not sure what I'd call Hum, but it ain't emo.

Think of the most wussy hardcore music you can find.... That's emo.

-Get-up Kids.
-Mineral
-Dashboard Confessional
-Cursive
-Promise Ring
-Jets to Brazil
-JeJune

These are bands that have two things in common. They suck and they're considered emo by today's standards.

oh yeah...

and Weezer are a pop band. nothing more, nothing less.

Well colour me releived... I don't know any of those emo bands, no do I want to... but I do know Fugazi... but that was back in 94....

True, I was just giving a one-sentence introduction to today's "emo", Weezer being the biggest name in that group.

I happen to love The Get Up Kids and The Promise Ring.

Dashboard Confessional sucks though.

Read the thread that Benedict posted here. I posted a couple definitions of emo that might help.

Weezer is not an emo band, by any stretch of the imagination.

Edit: OK, obviously the imagination is capable of stretching pretty far. But not mine, and not this far; not this time.

Weezer is emo!

If you assume that pop-rock is synonymous with emo, that is.

Weezer is Power Pop.

I would consider Hum to be Shoegaze, even though they aren't British and came out a few years after that whole scene dissipated.

Big shoegaze fan here. Similar bands would be Ride, Swervedriver, Catherine Wheel, My Bloody Valentine, Lush, etc.

Catherine Wheel is one of the most underappreciated brit-alt-rock bands ever. Black Metallic is still one of the best alt songs I've ever heard.

Pop-rock is not synonymous with emo. It's pop. Emo is hardcore.

the get up kids are kinda cool. not my fav. in the world. I saw them and Ozma open for Weezer. Ozma just sucks hard. waste of time right there.

Unfortunately, more and more pop bands are getting lumped into that emo category. I've heard Belle and Sebastian referred to as emo on more than one occassion. Seems that if someone is spotted wearing a sweater vest at a concert, that band is automatically branded. It's enough to make you want to scream.

I can rule out the idea that B&S are emo very simply:

I like them.

Formula

x = some random band

1) Does stevevt like x?
....A) Yes
........i) Are they MBV?
............a) Yes
................1) They are emo
............b) No
................1) They are not emo
....B) No
........i) They might be emo
........ii) They might not
........iii) Better bring earplugs to the show, just in case

It was sarcasm, my friend. I was making a playful jab at the 17 year old kids out there with the black-rimmed glasses who think that Weezer is anything close to "emo".

Oh, sorry. I didn't catch the sarcasm.

But Oliver, you know I agree with you. Genres are of course meaningless, but having great DC bands of the late '80s, early 90's grouped in with mediocrity like J.E.W. or G.U.K. is obnoxious to say the least.

And Steve, I hope you were joking saying My Bloody Valentine is emo. I know you probably were.

That makes his equation even simpler.

I'd like to say I was joking. It was more akin to typo-ing, or brain-farting.

But for the life of me, I can't think of the emo band I wanted to put in the equation. Oh, well.

True about making my equation simpler.

I think emo bands were all inspired by the great Emo Philips.



"Just call me Mr. Butterfingers..."

Here, this link should help you out. It's Seventeen Magazine's article on what is emo and how to dress emo:

http://ilikebarns.freeservers.com/photo.html