Emo Diaries - Entry 7: Austin, TX’s Mineral

Mineral was the emo band of Texas during the 90s. Formed in Houston in 1994, they quickly relocated to Austin where they were active until 1998. During that time they released several singles, appeared on some influential emo compilations, and recorded 2 albums, The Power of Failing (1997 Crank! Records) and EndSerenading (1998 Crank! Records). They were trailblazers of the genre; many of the conventions (and now cliches) of popular emo culture were first being developed by these guys. The “soft/loud structure,” the melodic guitar lines, and the off-key, emotional vocals defined these Texan, Christian rockers’ sound.

Their first album, The Power of Failing, is right up there with Braid, Cap’n Jazz, and the other 90s legends of the emo scene, and it stands distinctly apart from those Midwesterners in style and mood as well. It’s darker, less frantic, yet sadder in its exploration of human emotion. Here's the song "Gloria" from their debut release:

That's a great song, but at times, I do wonder about this album. Is this record the beginning of the overly sappy, self-obsessed cry-fest that emo has sadly become in the decadent Fin-de-Siecle age of the 20th century? God, I loath the current state of Emo Rock and for reasons that get back to the conventions first developed by this influential rock band. Here's some excellent songs from the album that, despite their greatness, demonstrate the turn towards self-obsessed emotional decadence. The first one is "If I Could" and the latter track is called "Parking Lot":

Unlike their later imitators, Mineral was an amazing band, definitely worth adding to the library - especially their debut. The members went on to form other significant Emo bands of the early 2000s, most notably The Gloria Record and Pop Unknown, which are also worth a listen for most Emo enthusiasts. Enjoy!

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