A recurring question in the emails we get is “What are you talking about? (Insert Band Here) doesn’t sound anything like (Insert Band Here), how can they be Mall Emo?
Read the definition at the top. A band is considered Mall Emo because it’s referred to as Emo at least five times. It has nothing to do with sound, genre, whatever. So you can stop sending us emails about the subject.
If you consider Mall Emo a genre, Sunny Day Real Estate would probably be the equivalent of Rites Of Spring. They’re widely considered the first band to be called Emo. Why? No clue.
The false term had pretty much died until bands like Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy, and My Chemical Romance hit the scene. Suddenly, everybody donned tight jeans and started cutting themselves, for no apparent reason, and began listening to what they considered “Emo”, because the bands had written songs that they could apparently relate to. Songs not to get married to, if you will. Thanks to Reggie And The Full Effect for the great title. Now, the term applies to band from At The Drive-In to Coheed & Cambria to Panic At The Disco.
The burning question is why people call these bands Emo. The obvious reason would probably be because Spin, Alternative Press, and MTV call them Emo. But why do they call them Emo? If you think about it, it doesn’t make much sense. The term has been around since the mid-80’s, and the music-related media didn’t begin using it until around 15 years later, give or take, for music that sounds nothing like the actual genre. So why did they hijack the term? If anyone has any insight on the subject, feel free to share with us.
A lot of the time, people ask us why bands like Blood Brothers, Underoath, and Norma Jean aren’t Emo? That’s quite simple: They don’t have the same sound as Emo. They aren’t nearly as hard as modern Emo bands, so how can they be part of the same genre? And never mind the fact that Blood Brothers are Post-Hardcore anyway. But these bands aren’t DIY. As mentioned in the Emo page, a band must be DIY to be part of the Emo genre. If they don’t have that, they aren’t in. It’s odd, but true. Also, Underoath is a Jesus band, anyway. Same with Norma Jean.
Something I hear a lot is that “everyone has their own opinion, and if their opinion is that (Insert Band Here) is Emo, that’s their choice.” Well, yes, it is their right, but that doesn’t make them right, does it? This is not something that’s based on opinions. Emo is a genre of music, and because of this, the band has to be certain things to be part of that genre. This is something that is based on fact. And the fact is, these people are wrong about what they think. If someone thought Iron Maiden was Rap, would you tell them they were wrong? Of course you would, because they aren’t right about what they’re talking about. So why should you let them go on thinking that? Of course not. So you shouldn’t condemn us for telling people that what they think is Emo really isn’t.
Mall Emo is also a term for any behavior people attach to the term Emo. More bullshit. To be quite frank, if I had a nickel for every time I heard someone call self-abuse “Emo”, I’d feel sorry for the person who said it around me after I used the money to buy a gun.
It’s absolutely foolish to be say that someone’s Emo. Emo is a genre. You cannot be music. Just like nobody is Punk, Goth, or Metal, nobody is Emo. Contrary to popular belief, these genres are just genres. It’s just stupid to connect clothing and behaviors to organized sounds, isn’t it? Of course it is.
After reading this, you may wonder, “What about all my friends? Should I tell them what I read?” Of course you should. As your friend, it’s your duty to inform them of their mistakes. Don’t be horrible about it, there’s no true reason to be, unless they won’t shut the hell up about what they think is Emo. Then it’s just fine to tell them to get fucked.
It’s not hard to tell them what Emo is. Just paraphrase what we talk about on the site. Also, feel free to give them our link. We won’t mind. If you feel daring enough, make a mix tape with actual Emo on it. Who knows? They might find bands that they like.
You should never be afraid to tell anybody that they’re wrong. Be it your best friend or some guy on the bus, you should tell people that the information that they have is incorrect. If they persist, just persist right back. Don’t hesitate to be a little bit hostile if they fight you. They’d thank you if they knew the whole truth.If you thought there were a lot of Emo bands, then you'll be surprised to see this equally long list of Mall Emo bands.
Not all Mall Emo bands are bad, however. The bands in bold are bands we listen to.
Got a Mall Emo band I'm missing? There a band here that shouldn't be? If so, go here.
Here's the part where I make fun of the Mall Emo Kids. If you have something that makes fun of Mall Emo Kids, send it to me, along with your name and location.
Here's mine:
This is your typical Mall Emo conversation:
XxSlavetoAnguishxX: omg my gf just left me
acidburnedsoul: that sux man
XxSlavetoAnguishxX: i blame myself only i'm such an ass *cries*
acidburnedsoul: dude come over to my house and we can cut ourselves together
XxSlavetoAnguishxX: okay *cries*
acidburnedsoul: omg dashboard confessional has a new cd, i preordered it already
XxSlavetoAnguishxX: dude they're my favorite band to self-mutilate to
acidburnedsoul: i prefer to cut myself while watching Napoleon Dynamite on my bigscreen
XxSlavetoAnguishxX: dude that movie is so deep. i cry every time i see it
acidburnedsoul: me too. i hate myself
XxSlavetoAnguishxX: yeah we're such tortured souls, nobody understands how hard life is for us
acidburnedsoul: yeah we got it tough dude. pass the tissues