Category: Finora Reilly

The term “emo” encompasses a wide range of sounds within the music world. Emo was born from punk and hardcore. Emo shares intense lyricism and melody with the genre, but from a different perspective. While punk is often politically and physically charged, emo is emotionally charged. Themes of heartbreak, loss, yearning, and not fitting in are common and maybe even essential to the genre.

While many of us who grew up in the 2000’s think of emo music as bands like My Chemical Romance, Panic! At the Disco, Fallout Boy, and Taking Back Sunday, the genre holds much more. The internet has also popularized other subgenres in the emo scene, such as Midwest emo, skramz, screamo, math rock, and emoviolence.

Emo can be split into four or five different waves, at least, as of 2025.

In the summer of 1985, Dischord Records launched what was known as “Revolution Summer” in their home base of Washington D.C. This was in response to the loss of interest in punk and hardcore music as members started to age out of the scene. “There was a situation where the shows were becoming increasingly, moronically violent,” MacKaye said in an interview. “A lot of people were like: ‘fuck it, I’ll drop out, I don’t want to be a part of this anymore.’” Rites of Spring was a heavy hitter for this crowd, as it had the emotional appeal, rather than just the physical. This lyrical and ideological focus chased away the growing presence of hate and unwarranted violence in hardcore at the time. 

One of the most notable things about first wave emo is that it remains the most true to its punk and hardcore roots. The style was dubbed “emo-core” by Thrasher Magazine at the time, which abbreviated “emotional” and “hardcore”. The core was dropped almost as quickly as it was added, as bands rejected the label for being “too limiting.”

The first wave of emo stayed a relatively underground genre through the rest of the 1980’s and into the early 1990’s. Limited access to the genre was a big cause for this, with most bands being released DIY or by small record labels. 

The second wave of emo music followed soon after the first, where emo began to move more inland. This is where we saw the start of what we now know to be “Midwest emo” gaining notoriety. Sunny Day Real Estate, American Football, Cap’n Jazz, and The Promise Ring are all early staples of Midwest emo. 

Much of what we were seeing from screamo was coming from the coasts, with bands in San Diego and Washington D.C. in the earlier part of the decade. As the years passed and the sound evolved, bands began to emerge in the cities and suburbs of Boston, New York City, and Tampa. 

Many of the notable screamo bands from this time were formed in the latter half of the wave, including Orchid and P. 99. That isn’t to discredit the pioneers of the evolution though, with Heroin being one of the earliest inspirations for 90’s screamo.

Although these subgenres became more popular as time went on, labels had issues signing bands. Even with the decline of the grunge scene, Midwest emo and screamo weren’t palatable to mainstream listening. Locally and regionally recognized labels like Polyvinyl did sign artists and produce albums, but household names steered clear. Cleaner and poppier bands were favored and these sounds faded back into obscurity. 

The 2000’s brought forth the emo music many digital nomads grew up with and think of when hearing about the genre. This was mall-emo, emo-pop… what have you. The 2000’s emo subculture is usually characterized by heavy black makeup, dark swooping hair, and black skinny jeans. This was emo music at its most commercial and advertised. 

In my opinion, the commercial third wave can be split into two main categories: emo-pop and pop-punk. Bands like My Chemical Romance set the tone for all the kids who didn’t feel like they fit in. Pop punk of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s paved some of the way for emo-pop as well. Bands like Blink 182 and Jimmy Eat World took from similar punk influences and had that “just-radio-friendly-enough-to-make-it-on-the-air” sound that skyrocketed them to stardom.

My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At the Disco were dubbed the emo “Holy trinity” during their Tumblr peak. Fall Out Boy “Take This to Your Grave” changed the idea of a boy band for many, as the lyrics hit on a deeper and more emotional level than their boy band predecessors. 

Alongside these nationally famed and idolized bands, there was still a strong scene that was more in line with the roots of the emo genre. Bands in the indie and hardcore spaces started gaining notoriety; such as At the Drive In and Death Cab for Cutie. While they may not have been as in everyone’s face as emo-pop was, there was a strong fanbase behind them. Their sound was a bit more reminiscent of their second wave predecessors than their emo-pop counterparts.

The third wave was nostalgic for much of Gen Z, and just as quickly as it appeared early on in the decade, it dissipated around 2008. 

In the 2010’s, emo took a turn back towards the bands like American Football and Cap’n Jazz, rejecting what the new definition of emo that had come through the aforementioned commercial bands. This is dubbed the “emo revival.” 

In the second wave, the preface of “Midwest” was almost entirely a geographic indicator. In the 2010’s, the genre became known more as a sound rather than a region. That Midwest sound spread to the coasts, with bands like Joyce Manor coming from the west coast and The Hotelier and Modern Baseball from the east. They adopted the same common tropes laid out by their predecessors. We still saw this sound coming from landlocked regions though, as both Tigers Jaw and Title Fight came out of Scranton, PA during the 2010’s.

The bands of the Midwest revival era took secondary influence from pop punk, math rock, post-rock, and indie. Common themes across the board still remained unified; suburban life, friendships, drugs, alcohol, and failed relationships. This is also where I truly noticed the stereotype of ridiculous and strung out song titles starting to be used, such as Pet Symmetry’s “Please Don’t Tell My Father That I Used His 1996 Honda Accord To Destroy The Town Of Willow Grove Pennsylvania In 2002.” 

On the other side of the genre, emo rap was seeing a major increase in popularity. Many fans of emo in the third wave shifted towards this genre, as it was a continuation of that riff of popular culture. In the way rock was at the center of music in the 2000’s, hip hop and rap took the stage throughout the 2010’s – the popularization of emo and punk rock shifted into emo hip hop and rap. 

Now, whether or not we are still in the fourth wave or have moved onto a fifth is up for debate. With the speed trends move at, I think it’s safe to say the sound of the genre has evolved enough to constitute a fifth wave. Some time in the late-2010’s to the early-2020’s, there was a slight shift in the genre. 

While it isn’t as copycat to the 90’s as the fourth wave, it still takes major inspiration. The most notable difference many online will point out is the adoption of updated technologies, such as synths and drum machines. The evolution of sound from Modern Baseball to Slaughter Beach, Dog serves as evidence of this shift in sound. 

Overall, things became more experimental. Your Arms Are My Coccoon, Thoughts on Bowling, Computer, and Origami Angel are some notable bands in the emo space today. 

Another medium that has really pushed emo music into the limelight is Tik Tok; where bands that may have only been known locally can be reached at a national, or even international, level. Tik Tok, specifically, has also served as a means of reminiscing on bands from the second and fourth waves, with Title Fight becoming a viral band. This virality has also led some artists to reunite or come back from hiatus, either to release new music or tour old albums; like My Chemical Romance, Bay Faction, or sports. 

There is a distinct form of yearning and nostalgia in the fifth wave, whether that is due the sheer accessibility of memories and footage from recent years or another sign of the times. When the sixth wave is to come is up for debate, but until then we remain in the fifth wave. 

Favorite Tracks: Monster Burger and a $5 Beer, And a Big Load, Monica Lewinskibidi, Mix Master Wade on the Beat

The “#1 Hot New Band” Hot Mulligan released their fifth studio album, The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still on Friday, Aug. 22. The album comes in with 16 tracks spanning over 42 minutes.

Although they have been creating and releasing music for the better part of 10 years now, they broke out of the underground scene into a wider pop punk space with their 2023 release Why Would I Watch.

This album does everything their previous releases have done and more. With ridiculous, sometimes humorous song titles, backed with some of the most depressing lyrical content out there. It seems to be a necessary contradiction in Midwest emo.

This album follows the ebbs and tides of dealing with grief, moving from light and airy melodies to heavy, raw lyrics. We feel and hear the heightened emotions and catastrophic ideologies that come with feeling like it can never get better towards acceptance that we must move on. The contrasting sounds, all backed with equally heavy hitting lyricism resonates with many. It’s a reminder that recovery isn’t linear.

The opening track, Moving to Bed Bug Island sets the tone for what’s to come, although the album’s title serves a similar function. We can never fully remove ourselves from grief, it always comes back to haunt us.

Moving swiftly into the debut single of the album, And A Big Load where we’re confronted with that contrast instantly. And this song does what Hot Mulligan is known best for, catchy riffs and depressing lyrics. Highly listenable music with much darker undertones once you listen closer.

It Smells Like Fudge Axe in Here, and Island in the Sun are both songs rooted deeply in paranoia. We’re waiting to see the consequences of our actions, knowing what we did wasn’t right. Remembering every mistake made and ruminating on those until the outcome we expect comes to be.

Bon Jonah keeps a similar sound to Island in the Sun but it feels like we start regaining consciousness. Maybe all of the dwelling on the outcome is all in our heads, but how does that make it any better? We’re still grappling with those scenarios, even if it’s entirely of our own creation. This Makes Me Yummy follows, an instrumental with themes of hope and reconciliation.

Quite possibly the most ridiculously and chronically online title on the album, Monica Lewinskibidi brings us back to the dwelling and grieving we were experiencing earlier in the album. Time still passes, even when we aren’t present. Even from “half a world away” you’re missing opportunities and connections with those you love. Milan Minute takes us back to reality though, standing as a reminder that we have affected others positively in the spaces we inhabit.

Cream of Wheat of Feet Naw Cream of (feat.) brings us to the title lyrics “Hold your brеath, the sound a body makes when it’s still” and stands as an acknowledgement of things getting worse. Mix Master Wade on the Beat brings us back to the earlier themes of the album; realizing we’re obsessing over outcomes that have yet to happen. Even after the growth we’ve made from the start of the album, we still doubt ourselves.

We start to slow back down and return to the melancholy theme of the album with This Makes Me Yucky. Haunting spoken word over lighter instrumentals are the focus of this song, and it directly contradicts This Makes Me Yummy. It’s a reminder that nothing really matters. We define ourselves by our moments of weakness and dwell on those. But in the end “Nothing you did made any difference.” Whether that’s a hopeful or hopeless ideology to have is up to the listener.

Monster Burger and a $5 Beer is the most reminiscent of Hot Mulligan’s previous successes. Painting grotesque imagery to get a point across. It has everything we think of when remembering a Midwest emo song – glittery guitar solos, twinkly riffs, repetitive themes, and heavy symbolism.

The album closes out with My Dad Told Me to Write a Nice One for Nana, which in my opinion is the perfect endcap to this LP. We’re let go with a more serious song title and a sound to match it. Although it is laced with depressive tones, we are finally letting go of the immense grief that comes with losing someone. We may not be the same afterwards, but we’ve reached the final stage of acceptance.

Hot Mulligan has mastered the art of making a highly listenable album with devastating lyricism and themes. Only listening to the notes played will leave you feeling hopeful, while reading the lyrics is soul crushing. They make you confront the feelings we often repress, whether we’re grappling with the loss of someone through death or just the passage of time and evolution of character.

I don’t know how often I’ll be able to confront this album, but I foresee it being one I return to as I grieve what once was in my life. It might be a bit too depressing to stream repetitively on my commute to work, but that’s not how albums should be critiqued or judged. This LP reminds me of past versions of myself and the idea of nothing truly mattering, whether that’s for better or worse in this world. It’s oddly hopeless, yet it reminds me there is still more to see out there.