How to Appreciate Emo Music
Learn about its characteristics., Get to know its history., Listen to both popular and unknown bands.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn about its characteristics.
Find out what emo music is, and have an open mind.
Look up emo music articles on internet music magazines, like Stereogum.Sources like this can give you a sense for where emo fits into music culture, both at the present and the last few years.
Such sources can also give you a balanced idea of what sets emo apart from a technical standpoint.
Take the time to get a grasp for emo musical structure, how it varies from typical verse-chorus-verse patterns, and other important sound qualities.Learn what to listen for when you hear a track, and be able to explain why it’s typically identified as emo.
Judging music genres is a bit like judging a dog show: instead of comparing one breed with another, the judge asks how well a dog meets the standards of its particular breed.
Get to know emo’s particular standards before making any judgments.
It might seem a bit boring, but making sure you can understand musical qualities can help you learn more about what you like, discover more music, and be able to explain clearly why you don’t like something. -
Step 2: Get to know its history.
In 2004, a well-known musicologist claimed that the Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” (1966) was the first emo album – and “Pet Sounds” is often found at the tops of all-time rock album lists!Even if that claim doesn’t hold up, it’s undeniable that emo traces its lineage to the hardcore punk scene in the mid-1980s.Get to know the genre’s history: from these roots, to its mainstream popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, to what many call its post-2013 revival.
Stereogum, and other internet sources such as Treblezine, can tell you about emo’s roots, it’s “Golden Age” in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and its post-2013 “revival.”, Like any genre in the age of mass communication, it’s easy to think of emo as just what you hear on the radio or other popular media.
Emo is more like a loose collection of subgenres, however, rather than a rigidly defined category.
Not every band sounds like what you hear on the radio, especially since its recent “second wave.”While it’s helpful to know what the best known examples of emo music are, make sure you’re taking the time to discover lesser known artists.
Check out emo tags on Soundcloud and other music-sourcing websites. -
Step 3: Listen to both popular and unknown bands.
Detailed Guide
Find out what emo music is, and have an open mind.
Look up emo music articles on internet music magazines, like Stereogum.Sources like this can give you a sense for where emo fits into music culture, both at the present and the last few years.
Such sources can also give you a balanced idea of what sets emo apart from a technical standpoint.
Take the time to get a grasp for emo musical structure, how it varies from typical verse-chorus-verse patterns, and other important sound qualities.Learn what to listen for when you hear a track, and be able to explain why it’s typically identified as emo.
Judging music genres is a bit like judging a dog show: instead of comparing one breed with another, the judge asks how well a dog meets the standards of its particular breed.
Get to know emo’s particular standards before making any judgments.
It might seem a bit boring, but making sure you can understand musical qualities can help you learn more about what you like, discover more music, and be able to explain clearly why you don’t like something.
In 2004, a well-known musicologist claimed that the Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” (1966) was the first emo album – and “Pet Sounds” is often found at the tops of all-time rock album lists!Even if that claim doesn’t hold up, it’s undeniable that emo traces its lineage to the hardcore punk scene in the mid-1980s.Get to know the genre’s history: from these roots, to its mainstream popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, to what many call its post-2013 revival.
Stereogum, and other internet sources such as Treblezine, can tell you about emo’s roots, it’s “Golden Age” in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and its post-2013 “revival.”, Like any genre in the age of mass communication, it’s easy to think of emo as just what you hear on the radio or other popular media.
Emo is more like a loose collection of subgenres, however, rather than a rigidly defined category.
Not every band sounds like what you hear on the radio, especially since its recent “second wave.”While it’s helpful to know what the best known examples of emo music are, make sure you’re taking the time to discover lesser known artists.
Check out emo tags on Soundcloud and other music-sourcing websites.
About the Author
Jacqueline Henderson
Jacqueline Henderson specializes in education and learning and has been creating helpful content for over 5 years. Jacqueline is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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