I want to do some more entries on the 90s phase of Emo rock; call it my attempt at intervention for lost souls such as these:
Or maybe I'm trying to reach out to this guy:
All I know is it probably won't work, but that doesn't stop me from trying... So let's approach this according to region, and we'll start with the Northeast.
Northeastern 90s Emo Rock -
1st Stop: Kutztown, PA's The Jazz June:
The Jazz June was an Emo band that formed in 1996 in Kutztown, PA; they released several albums and Eps before disbanding by 2002. The group has reunited for the occasional show, most notably a benefit tour in 2007 for a friend that fell victim to Cancer. I’m guessing the band is named after the famous Gwendolyn Brooks poem, “We Real Cool,” a work that is nicely concise and worth quoting:
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
-Gwendolyn Brooks 1959
From 1997 to 2002, the band released 4 studio albums, as well some 7"s, and my favorite of the four is their third, The Medicine (2000 Initial Records; I know! It’s not technically 90s.... so what!). The only studio-version track I could find from the record on YouTube was the song, “Death from Above”:
Great Song with some real mathy guitar riffs. Personally, I love the opening track of the album, "Viva la Speed Metal"; here's a live video of the song:
Jazz June’s a great band. Honestly, I’m largely ignorant of any activity of the members after Jazz June’s run. If anyone knows of later projects involving the members, please drop me a line. I would be very interested to hear their musical development thereafter.
NY's Texas is the Reason
An unfortunately short-lived 90s Emo project that proved giants in terms of influence was the band Texas is the Reason. They were active from 1991 to 1996, and like many Emo groups of the 90s, they came together in the local hardcore scene; one member was formerly a part of the legendary NYHC band 108. I believe members were all part of the obnoxious macho, Hare Krishna hardcore scene, which is interesting because TitR are not macho at all; their music is sensitive Emo rock at its best. The band released 1 Ep, 2 splits, and only 1 full length, Do You Know Who You Are? (1996 Revelation Records); the album is probably my favorite release in the Revelation Records catalogue, produced by Jawbox’s J. Robbins and hailed by countless rock groups as a defining influence. Here’s the excellent opening track, “Johnny on the Spot,” from their sole full length:
That’s quintessential 90s Emo Pop. Another favorite of most Emo enthusiasts is the song, “Back and to the Left”:
The group disbanded while on a European tour, but members moved on to other equally significant projects, most notably the supergroup Jets to Brazil (members of Jawbreaker and Helmet as well...).
Boston, MA's Piebald
Piebald was an Emo Rock/Pop Punk band that actually formed in Andover, Mass. in 1994 and later moved to Boston. The group remained active until as recently as 2008 (I believe they played a reunion show in 2010...). The band came out of the same scene as Converge, Cave In, and others, and naturally, their early sound leaned more towards hardcore than rock. As the band matured, however, they became more melodic and more clever in their writing. Over the years, they released several Eps, splits, and full lengths that showcase a career of significant growth and transformation. Their breakthrough album, however, was most definitely If It Weren’t For Venetian Blinds, It Would Be Curtains For Us All (1999 Big Wheel Recreation).
Here’s a video of the song “We Believe in Karma”:
That’s a great tune; it could be just as easily classified as quality Pop Punk. Their song structures and time signatures, however, are way too complex to be described simply as a derivative of punk. The band really became a mainstream hit with their 2002 release, We Are the Only Friends We Have (Big Wheel Recreation/Defiance Records).
Their biggest hit off the release is most definitely their classic song of solidarity, “American Hearts”:
Their biggest hit off the release is most definitely their classic song of solidarity, “American Hearts”:
“Hey, You’re Part of It!!” Piebald was a great rock band; definitely check them out.
Another MA Classic: Kid Kilowatt
I mentioned the group, Cave In, earlier, one of the legends of MA music scene. In the mid-late 90s, members Stephen Brodsky and Adam McGrath joined Converge member, Kurt Ballou, and Aaron Stuart from the just mentioned Piebald to form the late 90s supergroup, Kid Kilowatt. They released only one album, Guitar Method, on Second Nature Recordings, and although the band played from ’96 to ’97, the album was not released until 2003. The album was a “softer outlet” for Cave In, says Steve Brodsky, which obviously did not fill the void, for Cave In soon cashed in its metal licks for progressive, art rock antics that made me yearn for the days of Beyond Hypothermia & Until Your Heart Stops. Kid Kilowatt is great late 90s Emo Rock done by seasoned veterans of the various post-hardcore traditions. Unfortunately, being the supergroup they were, the band had little time to play shows and develop their sound, and the band quickly disintegrated. Here’s the track, “7th Inning Song Formation”:A short-lived supergroup that’s definitely worth checking out....
There's more "Emo" postings to come; I have many more bands to share from the Northeast region as well as from the Midwest and South. Enjoy those for now; I know these two will...
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