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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A Longwinded Post on Billy Corgan, Zwan, and the Projects of David Pajo, Matt Sweeney, and Paz Lenchantin <> Albums from Slint, Tortoise, Chavez, Bonnie Prince Billy, Brightblack Morning Light, and the Silver Jews

Smashing Pumpkin’s greatest achievement, Siamese Dream (1993 Virgin Records), was reissued on vinyl last November, presenting new liner notes and remastered recordings of the classic songs.  It sounds really great; it brought me back to the awkward days of middle school youth when I heard that thick guitar fuzz for the first time.  I was hooked then and I still am now.  Nobody’s guitar sounded that good at the time; the production on that was simply flawless.

The original recording process of the album is another one of those stories of a diligently obsessive artist who required days of arduous labor for what would often amount to a minute’s worth of final recorded material, but that grueling process and Billy Corgan’s visionary talent eventually produced one of the greatest Alternative Rock albums of the 1990s.   Aside from the drumming, Billy Corgan apparently played almost all the parts on the record; it definitely attests to his talent and ability.  All that to say, I had to buy the reissue of the record, but it pains me in some ways because Billy Corgan has got to be one of the biggest tools of the celebrity cesspool. Regardless of whether it’s ad hominem, I always feel some sense of disappointment when I discover that an artist or thinker whose work has impacted me turns out to be a total failure of a person in terms of capacity for interpersonal decency.  In Corgan’s case, he’s egomaniacal to the core, probably due to the destructive forces of fame, but I really wish Corgan hadn’t turned out to be such an utter tool in the same way I regret that great writers such as Heidegger or Celine could turn out to be fascist anti-semites as well.  Ego is a crazy crazy thing...

Case in Point: ZWAN

D. Pajo

To illustrate the point, take Corgan’s side project of the early 2000s, Zwan, a supergroup that featured David Pajo, Matt Sweeney, Jimmy Chamberlin, and Paz Lenchantin. And the word supergroup here is really an understatement.  David Pajo, for instance, is known as a former member of legendary Post-Rock groups Slint and Tortoise, and he has played guitar with artists such as Will Oldham, Stereolab, Interpol, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  He’s also released several critically acclaimed solo albums. 

Sweeney with Will Oldham 

Matt Sweeney is no lightweight as well.  He was the frontman of the legendary Math Rock group, Chavez, during the 90s, but he’s also played with indie acts such as Guided by Voices, Cat Power, and Six Organs of Admittance. He recorded a critically acclaimed collaborative album called Superwolf (2005 Drag City) with Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie Prince Billy) as well.  In 2008, he collaborated with Neil Diamond on his album, Home Before Dark (American/Columbia), and he has worked with mainstream artists as diverse and random as Josh Groban, Kid Rock, and the Dixie Chicks.  A recent interview from the Village Voice acknowledged his tight relationship with legendary producer, Rick Rubin, calling Sweeney his “go to guitar guy.”  

P. Lenchantin

Paz Lenchantin also has quite the impressive resume.  She joined the hard rock group, A Perfect Circle; she has played with Queens of the Stone Age, the Silver Jews, Brightblack Morning Light, and David Pajo’s project, Papa M, and that’s just some of the highlights. 

Of course, Jimmy Chamberlain’s claim to fame is being the longstanding drummer of Corgan’s Smashing Pumpkins, so knowing all this, perhaps Zwan was destined for disaster; that is a lot of big careers all in the same room. (They broke up within a year, and it was an ugly departure...) The only thing is Pajo, Sweeney, and Lenchantin have proven time and again that they are cooperative, creative artists that have the capacity to work with all sorts of personalities and egos in the music world; just look at the above descriptions of their previous and ongoing work.  Corgan, however, has demonstrated again and again that cooperation, compromise, and the capacity to relate to others are incompatible with the demands of his ever-growing egotism. 

Here’s a good track called “Settle Down”, the 2nd track off their only album, Mary Star of the Sea (2003 Reprise Records):

It’s a good song; the entire album is much better than any release by the Smashing Pumpkins in the last decade. (It’s much much better than the Billy Corgan solo album that flopped two years later...)  It’s too bad they broke up the same year of the album’s release....

Zwan's Mary Star of the Sea

To this day, Corgan continues to slander bitterly the other members of the project, calling them names and accusing them of irresponsible, illicit behaviors, whereas the other members have seemed simply to move on and to continue creating art with a diversity of projects.

I think the words speak for themselves; here’s everyone’s response when asked about the bitterness of the breakup of Zwan:

David Pajo: ...[T]hat's one of the reasons I initially liked the guy—[Corgan] was so arrogant, it cracked me up. He would constantly bring up the fact that he sold 25 million records, or that his hit song was played at the Super Bowl or something. It just made me laugh. You know that character Alan Partridge, the one Steve Coogan played? Billy reminds me of Alan Partridge if he'd made a hit record. But after a while, the joke wears off.

Matt Sweeney: Back in the day, I got off on a great foot with [Corgan]. I met him before he was famous then we fell out of touch. Then we did Zwan and I hate to be negative but I wish it would have turned out differently...whatever you read or hear about him, it became more like that. There was a time when Corgan was really fun to work with and open. It's not up to me...it's between him and his maker. I don't want to trash the dude although he's trashed me.

And then there’s Billy’s response...

Billy Corgan: I am not afraid of dirty, filthy people who have no self-respect or class...never have I met such creatures who feel so entitled to all yet contribute so little, not only to my life but the culture and the world in general...the world is on the brink of wars and mass terror, and their main concern is whether or not their indy friends still like them...

Hah! All they care about is their “indy friends”.... Translation: they weren’t obsessively worrying about record sales as a determinative factor for the creative process of songwriting and recording.  And calling them “people who contribute so little....??!!?” Really? Just look to the above descriptions of their work and compare it to Corgan’s recent activity. These other guys have given sooooo much more.... 

Corgan goes on to rant the following:

[They were] people who told me they were my friends but were really just there to take, take, take...time will reveal them to be the poseurs they truly are...don't let their dirty faces fool you, they painted them that way...their filth is in their larcenous hearts, if they have them at all...

Wow... What a walking cliche! And his playground, name-calling antics are laughable at best.  The only member he maintained good rapport with was his longstanding drumming partner, Jimmy Chamberlain, but that did not last long... Observe the difference in their responses when asked about their falling out:

Here’s Corgan on J. Chamberlain: Jimmy is a destructive human being, and people who are destructive break things. I don’t see me reaching the highest levels of my creativity if I’m unhealthy and if I have unhealthy people around me....

Chamberlain clearly has a slightly different perspective: In the middle of the last tour, Billy said it was the agent’s fault, then it was the band’s fault, then it was the fans’ fault... Yes, in the past, I was a destructive human being. I was a complete drug addict and a complete loose cannon, but I’ve taken responsibility for my life. In the grand scheme of things... [I]t's a few Gold records and a bunch of money... I have a wife and kids and I am completely happy.

Like I said, I think all of that speaks for itself, and the audacity of Corgan’s arrogance is too much to handle.  He released one historically important rock album, namely Siamese Dream, and the rest is a mere footnote. For him to hold that over the heads of such accomplished bandmates is egregious and groundless.  To prove my point, here’s a selection of my favorite albums that feature the work of Pajo, Sweeney, and Lenchantin:

Projects of Paz Lenchantin:

Nathan Shineywater & Rachel Hughes

Paz Lenchantin played bass on Brightblack Morning Light’s self titled 2nd album (2006 Matador Records). Hailing from Northern California, the band was formed by Nathan Shineywater and Rachel Hughes in 2005.  The duo has invited many musicians (including Paz Lenchantin, of course) to record and perform with their namesake, and much of their music has been described and grouped as part of the 60s psyche-folk revival of recent years.  In fact, Shineywater helped start the “Quiet Quiet” music festival, an event that’s featured performances by artists like Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy) and Devendra Banhart. I personally think the band could just as accurately be described as mellow, jazzy post-rock. This album is killer; definitely worth a listen.

Brightblack Morning Light s/t

Dave Berman

She also played on the Silver Jews’ album, Tanglewood Numbers (2005 Drag City).  When I first discovered Silver Jews years ago, I mistakenly thought of the group as a Pavement side project.  This is because Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich helped the Silver Jews’ frontman, Dave Berman, form the band in 1989 in NYC. The Pavement members played on the first couple albums but soon departed, so Silver Jews was always Dave Berman’s project.  The group played Pavement-esque indie rock but with a more country-oriented direction. Tanglewood Numbers, Berman’s 5th album, marked the return of Pavement players, Malkmus and Nastanovich, as well as the addition of Paz Lenchantin to the equation.  The mix made for a great Silver Jews record, the best in years for sure. Give it a listen.

Silver Jews' Tanglewood Numbers

Projects of Matt Sweeney:

Matt Sweeney was the frontman of Chavez, and Gone Glimmering (1995 Matador Records) was their debut album.  The band formed in 1993 in New York and were active most of the 90s; they’ve apparently reformed in recent years, but no new material has been released.  Their music could be compared to acts of the Louisville Math Rock scene, bands such as Slint, Rodan, or Crain.  The music is loud, angular, and rooted in the American Post-Hardcore tradition.  Check out their first and perhaps finest release.

Chavez's Gone Glimmering

In 2005, Matt Sweeney teamed up with Will Oldham, perhaps better known as Bonnie Prince Billy, to record Superwolf (Drag City), an album that received enthusiastic reviews; the rich dorks of pitchfork gave it a solid 8.4....  This is one of my favorite Bonnie Prince Billy releases, and I think Sweeney is part of the reason why.  For those that don't know, Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie Prince Billy) is a prolific singer/songwriter that has released folk, country, and rock records at an impressively swift pace over the last decade.  This is undoubtedly one of his best; it's an essential for everyone...

Matt Sweeney's & Bonnie Prince Billy's Superwolf

Projects of David Pajo:

Slint

There was an earlier post about the louisville music scene; like the previously mentioned Rodan, Slint was a legendary Math Rock group of middle America that emerged to national recognition in the late 80s.  The band was formed by former Squirrel Bait members, Brian McMahan and Britt Walford, with guitarist David Pajo, and it all started in Louisville, Kentucky.  Their second (and last) album, Spiderland (1991 Touch and Go Records), is a celebrated landmark of 90s underground music. It’s been repeatedly cited as a seminal influence on Math Rock, Post-Rock, Noise Rock, and independent music in general. This one’s definitely a must have...

Slint's Spiderland

  

After the breakup of Slint, Pajo joined Chicago’s Post-Rock masters, Tortoise, and recorded two albums with the band: Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996 Thrill Jockey) and TNT (1998 Thrill Jockey). Tortoise is a group that defies all labels; they explore electronic minimalism, jazz, psychedelic rock, and have been hailed as one of the great forerunners of the recent Post-Rock genre. The albums with Pajo are my favorites, and I particularly like their jazziest effort, TNT.  Definitely check it out...

Tortoise's TNT

Peter Sagar's Sans AIDS: For Lovers of Pavement or Those that Wish Interpol was Still Cool

Sans AIDS is a lo-fi noise rock act from Edmonton, Canada (although I do believe Mr. Sagar relocated to Montreal at some point...) that has been active since 2009.  The band seems to vary from one to three members with Peter Sagar being the only constant performer; in fact, many critics have described the project as a solo act.  After several recordings and a few tours, Sagar’s project is rightfully getting the attention of critics and fans alike. I’ve had a hard time, however, tracking this group’s discography; most of their releases have been 7”s, splits, and tapes, which makes it difficult.  My first encounter with their music was the 2010 six song tape release, Loaners (Bart Records).  It’s a wonderful, short, minimalist pop album that begs many comparisons.  There is an obvious Pavement influence, for instance, but I also hear post rock elements in the style of Lungfish or Slint.  Dare I say I hear similarities to early Interpol here as well.  If that turns you off, then ignore that last statement.  One blog in the digital sphere of information described Sagar’s music as Lo-Fi slacker pop.  I like that; this guy does exude vibes of slacker-imbued tranquility. In fact, this is best listened to on the couch at noon in one’s underwear when there’s better, more important things to be done that day.  I have a feeling Sagar would have it no other way.  Here’s the opening track of the tape release, Loaners; it’s called “Stoop”:

That’s a great song, but the album’s strongest moment is the track, “forklift.”  I cannot figure out for the life of me how to attach the song link here, so here’s the bandcamp link for the entire album, Sample Sans AIDS "Loaners".  One can listen to the entire release at the linked website, but make a point to listen to the song, “forklift.”  Trust me; it’s catchy.  YouTube had little to offer for samples, but here’s a live performance of a song from another release (not sure which one...) called, “My Friends”:

For fans of poppier Lungfish or Slint, mid-career Pavement, and Lo-Fi recordings in general, this will be a much appreciated addition to the music library.  Definitely check it out, and feel free to comment.

Sans AIDS "Loaners"

Omaha’s Cursive Wishes You a Happy New Year!

Cursive says, Happy New Year!!

“Break in the New Year” on Cursive’s The Storms of Early Summer: Semantics of Song (1998 Saddle Creek Records)

Cursive was a really great Emo band of the late 90s; I know, they’re still together, but their music has changed drastically. They play much more commercial friendly Indie Rock these days, but their early material was some really good emotively dissonant rock n’ roll. The band formed in 1995 in Omaha, Nebraska and released their second album, The Storms of Early Summer: Semantics of Song (Saddle Creek Records) in 1998, shortly after they temporarily broke up. It’s their best release in my opinion. The above song is great along with many others. Here’s my favorite track “A Little Song and Dance”:

Check out the whole album and definitely add this one to the list of greatest Emo acts of the late 1990s... it’s an essential. Have a Happy New Year and enjoy the music!

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A Quiet Holiday with Duluth, Minnesota's Low

Low is an Indie Rock band from Duluth, Minnesota that formed in 1993 and remain active to this day.  In 1999, Low released a Christmas Ep on Kranky Records, a small album they described as a gift for fans.  The album mixes classic holiday songs with original compositions and does a good job of capturing the spirit of the season in a way that’s true to Low’s minimalist, melancholic sound.  The first classic song on the record is “The Little Drummer Boy”:

What a haunting version of a classic Christmas carol - so tranquil and trance-inducing.  The group also channels the King on their Christmas tribute album by playing one of country’s favorite holiday classics, “Blue Christmas”:

When Low plays country music, they really capture the quieter side of sadness and do so beautifully.  Their version of the song recalls a diversity of country acts, resembling artists like Mojave 3 or Cowboy Junkies as much as say Patsy Cline.  As mentioned before, Low recorded some original holiday songs as well.  Their song, “Take the Long Way Around the Sea,” tells in poetic fragments the story of the Biblical wise men; it’s a quiet song with minimalist arrangements and beautiful vocal harmonies that are so characteristic of the band's established sound.  Here's the track:

My favorite of the original compositions is the very Low-sounding slow-core track, “If You were Born Today (Song for Baby Jesus),” another melancholic song of sweet quietude. The song seems to lament the death of Christmas innocence, and I’m guessing the perpetrator here is the modern world: its commercialization of cultural ritual, its wars, its media.  The song sadly muses, If you were born today / We’d kill you by age eight / Never get the chance to say / Joy to the world...

The album is a beautiful holiday tribute - its mood is melancholic but poignant and poetic.  Most importantly, Low’s music captures the spirit of Christmas in a way that most water-downed, commercialized Christmas albums simply can’t.  To prove the point, listen to one of the more moving renditions of the classic “Silent night”:

Happy Holidays everyone!  And Peace on earth!!

Low's Gift to You is Right Here!

Here's to a great Record Store! Houston's Sound Exchange - The Right Price for My Favorite Albums by 2 Great Bands: Can & Yo La Tengo

Met some friends in downtown Houston today (well, yesterday when this actually posts...), and we decided to visit a local record store, Sound Exchange on Richmond Ave.  I don't know if it was the "black Friday" consumption extravaganza or what, but the prices at this record shop are unbeatable.  I recommend visiting to anyone passing through Houston. I found two records that aren't rare, but they're usually not cheap as well. (At least to my standards, and I'm not a "collector," so I have "cheap" standards... I just listen for the quality sound, so I love the reissues and reprints...)

Can circa 1972

Well first off, I picked up a vinyl import copy of my favorite Can album, Ege Bamyasi (originally released 1972 on United Artists).  I'm sure this album is many people's favorite Can record; it's a hard one to beat. The album was a breakthrough success for the band, containing such favorites as "Pinch," "Sing Swan Song," "Vitamin C," and of course "Spoon," which succeeded on the charts as a single.  For those who don't know, Can was a German experimental, psychedelic rock group that formed sometime in the late 60s and disbanded before the 80s. Due to their experimental nature, they are often labeled "Krautrock" and associated with groups like Faust, Ash Ra Tempel, Neu!, and Amon Duul II. Can stands out as my favorite project of this movement, without a doubt, and my favorite album is the one I finally picked up on Vinyl today at Houston's Sound Exchange.  In little more than a decade, the group released 11 studio albums, but the early 70s, with releases such as Tago Mago (1971 United Artists), Future Days (1973 United Artists), and a the aforementioned purchase, are the best years by far.  This is also the period that featured vocalist, Damo Suzuki, as frontman; perhaps that has something to do with it... The Fall seemed to think so as they released a song in the singer's honor, entitled "I am Damo Suzuki," on the album, This Nation's Saving Grace (1985 Beggars Banquet). Here's the opening track, "Pinch," from Can's Ege Bamyasi:



That's a great opener: groovy, psychedelic, weird, with indeterminable lyrics to top it off.  But nothing beats the song "Sign Swan Song," a track that fortunately is not their Swan Song as their career continues prolifically.  Most of us have probably heard this song, so here's some live footage of questionable sound quality:



If you have not heard the studio version of this song, definitely check it out; it's much mellower and more structured, better recording as well...  I think many people's favorite from this album is the groove called "Vitamin C," the opening tune of the 2nd side. Once again, here's a live clip of the famous song:



Unfortunately, it's only a fragment of the recorded song; I wish there was more.  Once again, listen to the studio version as well if you haven't checked out this excellent Can album.  This one is a definite essential for any Rock library.

Yo La Tengo

Now, is there any connection between Germany's Can and the New Jersey natives, Yo La Tengo?  In terms of influence, not that I know of, but who would be surprised if such were the case?  The connection here has to do with today's purchase at the Sound Exchange record store; I finally bought my favorite Yo La Tengo album on vinyl, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000 Matador Records). Yo La Tengo are an American "Indie Rock" group that formed in Hoboken, NJ in 1984 that are still active to this day.  There's nothing I could say about these guys that you probably don't already know; they're Indie Rock legends, up there with the likes of Pavement, Guided by Voices, or Wilco.  Over the years, they've released 12 studio albums as well as several Eps, film scores, and collaborative releases.  I love their 9th album the best, however. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out is the album where the band really mellowed their sound and focused more on texture and atmosphere.  Their distinctively noisy approach was replaced with more subdued, melodic compostions, involving diverse intrumentation in the background of each song's soundscape. My favorite tune on the album is the track, "Last Days of Disco":



That track would fit well on a playlist with some of the later Talk Talk & Slowdive material posted elsewhere on this blogsite.  A mellow, jazzy post-rock sensibility is obviously present in the song's sound.  Another great track is the song, "Tears Are in Your Eyes," and since most have probably heard it, I'll link another live video:



Now that tune would go well with the music of Neil Halstead & Rachel Goswell as well, but this time the sound sits well with their later country-influenced project, Mojave 3.  What a beautiful song! There was a better quality live video on the net, but I couldn't use it because the camera person completely ignores the talent of drummer & co-frontperson, Georgia Hubley. She and her husband, Ira Kaplan, share roles of lead vocals in the band, and she deserves just as much camera time... All this to say, it was a worthwhile visit to a well-known Houston record store that did not disappoint, and like I said before, the prices were great. I give the store an enthusiatic recomendation! Now I can't wait to head home and hear the records on my house stereo.... But before I depart I leave you with the epic conclusion to Yo La Tengo's And Then It Turned Itself Inside-Out, the song "Night Falls on Hoboken."  If you have the time, listen to the song, presented here in 2 parts:





Enjoy the tunes and take care!

 

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P.S. Hyperlinks aren't working, so paste the above addresses in your web-browser... Peace!

Emo Diaries - Entry 3: Chris Wollard & Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music

Most people don’t remember Gainesville, Florida’s Hot Water Music as an Emo band, but that is due to their career’s later move towards mainstream-sounding pop punk.  The Hot Water Music of the late 90s, however, was steeped in the 90s post-harcore/emo tradition.  The group formed in the early 90s by two frontmen, Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard, and their raspy dual-vocal approach immediately reminded listeners of Fugazi-style post-hardcore.  HWM were poppier than the angular, dissonant-sounding bands of the DC scene, however, but their sound fit perfectly with the line ups of Doghouse & Jade Tree records.  In fact, what I think to be their best album, Forever and Counting, was originally released on Doghouse Records in 1997 as their 2nd full length. I remember the day I put the new cassette on while in my car.... I was blown away to say the least.  The first 3 tracks are some of the best emo/post-hardcore songs I have ever heard, and it has everything to do with George Rebelo’s drumming.  Check out the opening track, “Translocation”:

So that song was the first sounds of HWM to rip though my tattered car-stereo speakers.  I was immediately hooked, for I was a sucker (and still am) for the dramatic drumming breakdowns... I wanted more, and the 2nd track of the album, “Better Sense,” was no disappointment; check it out:

Another great track with drumming perfection and heartfelt, vocal emotion.  At this point, I wanted to push rewind and relive the 1st two songs all over again, but the track, “Just Don’t Say You Lose It,” began sounding through the speakers.  It was at this point that I realized that Forever and Counting was one of the best, freshest Emo Rock albums I had ever heard:

I would love to play drums to that song; talk about a great, climactic drumming breakdown!! That’s too much fun... But seriously, what an amazingly intense beginning to a nearly perfect Emo album!  Hot Water Music released other great albums such as their debut, Finding the Rhythms (1995 Toybox/No Idea Records), 
and the 3rd & 4th releases, Fuel for the Hate Game (1997 Toybox/No Idea Records) and No Division (1999 No Idea Records).  After their 4th album, the band moved to the mainstream punk label, Epitaph, and not surprisingly, the band’s sound became less and less interesting.  They disbanded around 2006, and the members (minus C. Ragan) formed the Draft, an attempt at mainstream pop punk much like the later efforts of HWM.

The Blacktop Cadence live

The band formed other side projects as well, the most “emo” being Chris Wollard’s and George Rebelo’s “after hours” group, The Blacktop Cadence.  The group were more subdued, playing slower tempos and less over-driven guitars.  They released in 1 full length, Chemistry for Changing Times, on Keystone-Ember & No Idea Records in 1997.  One of my favorite Blacktop Cadence numbers is not found on the full length; it appeared on one of the original Emo Diaries compilations of Deep Elm Records, “Cold Night in Virginia”: 

That song is so Emo, but in a good way... If you like the slower, quieter, more contemplative side of Hot Water Music’s emotional music, check out Blacktop Cadence’s full length; it’s a great late 90s Emo record.  HWM members also formed an acoustic side project Rumbleseat during the years 1998-1999, and they released one full length collection of their songs, entitled Rumbleseat is Dead (2005 No Idea Records).  The music itself fails to keep my interest, but it serves as an obvious precursor both to Chuck Ragan’s & Chris Wollard’s later folk-related solo projects.  Chuck Ragan released his first studio solo album, Feast or Famine, in 2007 on Side One Dummy Records.  Ragan’s solo music signals a radical departure from the post-hardcore styles of his early rock career.  The music of Feast or Famine is extremely stripped down and contains country/folk-like undertones.  Here’s the track “Geraldine”:

You either love it or think it’s unbearably cheesy and cliche.  I lean towards the former perspective; sometimes predictable simplicity is the best formula for musical expression, and Chuck Ragan demonstrates that well.  He has released 3 other full lengths in the last 4 years, and each release continues to explore Ragan’s softer, more low-key compositional tastes.  Chris Wollard has pursued a recent solo career as well, most notably as Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves.  The project released a single studio album that was self-titled in 2009 on No Idea Records.  I really love this album; it incorporates elements of indie rock, folk, country, and the emo-influenced roots of Wollard’s earlier career.  Check out the track, “Same to You”:

That’s a great album; it vaguely reminds me of the later solo work of Bob Nanna as City on Film.  Both are seasoned post-hardcore rockers playing softer, more mature indie rock in the later parts of their career.  Wollard, however, employs more elements of folk and country much like his former bandmate, Chuck Ragan.  Check out the track, “Reason in My Rhyme”:

That’s good stuff. So this post is another entry on the “real” bands of Emo Rock, but like the other entries, the posting has ended with music far removed from the tradition of poppy, 90s post-hardcore.  That is a further testament of the quality of these showcased musicians. They developed the sounds of Emo but did not rely on its conventions to sustain their musical success.  Instead, these musicians moved forward to explore new sounds.  If you like the material of Ragan & Wollard, definitely check their eclectic discographies; they were many other projects as well (especially Chris Wollard...).

Albums discussed:


HWM's Forever & Counting: http://www.mediafire.com/?acdtmdnavbx
Hwm's Fuel for the Hate Game: http://www.mediafire.com/?ep254aw2ao87wqq
Blacktop Cadence: http://www.mediafire.com/?0gtizmxt4ti
Chuck Ragan: http://www.mediafire.com/?d29dwobzpou

Chris Wollard: http://www.mediafire.com/?umlyzmrmzxj

Feel free to comment and please enjoy!