I really enjoyed this! I have been thinking a lot about/privately writing about emo for the past couple of years. A lot of, if not most of the writing about the genre focuses on larger separate chunks of time or "waves". Doing so tends to leave out certain periods of time altogether or ignore the fact that most of the changes that occur don't happen over night and instead are part of gradual developments. While your article is a brief overview, I appreciate that it attempts to connect some dots.
While some of my own conclusions may be different than yours, I really appreciate this article.
Even though I clearly know a lot less about music than you do, I'd like to humbly put forward my inkling of skepticism. Isn't the twinkly stuff of today basically all derived from American Football's LP1, and aren't AF's riffs completely independent of Moss Icon's influence, having their origins entirely in math rock?
Like, I see sorta three kinds of 'twinkles' being identified here: those pensive ones of Moss Icon and Indian Summer, those jangly riffs of Mineral and Braid, and those of American Football (which can admittedly also be heard in Cap'n Jazz), with their distinct hammer-ons. Aren't the noodles of all 21st century bands, from Midwest Pen Pals to Snowing to Marietta to Tiny Moving Parts, all just Never-Meant style riffs? I'm not saying these bands are entirely influenced by American Football (bands like Snowing definitely have the hardcore of Cap'n Jazz), but can American Football's twinkles really be traced back to Moss Icon?
good question! i would actually argue that, if you listen to Mineral’s EndSerenading and the first American Football EP in tandem with each other, you would hear a lot of similarity in purpose, mood, and atmosphere, particularly in the guitar work. by the time you get to LP1, AmFo were certainly incorporating more math rock and hints of jazz into their compositions, but i actually hear way more of the Victor Villarreal-style surreal spazziness in the bands you mentioned in particular. even the more American Football-styled bands, like empire! empire!, are also openly indebted to the slower indiemo bands of Mineral and Christie Front Drive. in any case, i definitely would argue that the AmFo twinkle style at the very least has the same roots as the Moss Icon lineage, because it’s important to remember that post-rock, math rock, and post-hardcore were all kind of being innovated/making massive leaps forward at the same time and were all sort of part of the same scene, particularly in the early-mid 90s.
Can you make a chronological playlist please and thank you!
I really enjoyed this! I have been thinking a lot about/privately writing about emo for the past couple of years. A lot of, if not most of the writing about the genre focuses on larger separate chunks of time or "waves". Doing so tends to leave out certain periods of time altogether or ignore the fact that most of the changes that occur don't happen over night and instead are part of gradual developments. While your article is a brief overview, I appreciate that it attempts to connect some dots.
While some of my own conclusions may be different than yours, I really appreciate this article.
Hey! Great article!
Even though I clearly know a lot less about music than you do, I'd like to humbly put forward my inkling of skepticism. Isn't the twinkly stuff of today basically all derived from American Football's LP1, and aren't AF's riffs completely independent of Moss Icon's influence, having their origins entirely in math rock?
Like, I see sorta three kinds of 'twinkles' being identified here: those pensive ones of Moss Icon and Indian Summer, those jangly riffs of Mineral and Braid, and those of American Football (which can admittedly also be heard in Cap'n Jazz), with their distinct hammer-ons. Aren't the noodles of all 21st century bands, from Midwest Pen Pals to Snowing to Marietta to Tiny Moving Parts, all just Never-Meant style riffs? I'm not saying these bands are entirely influenced by American Football (bands like Snowing definitely have the hardcore of Cap'n Jazz), but can American Football's twinkles really be traced back to Moss Icon?
good question! i would actually argue that, if you listen to Mineral’s EndSerenading and the first American Football EP in tandem with each other, you would hear a lot of similarity in purpose, mood, and atmosphere, particularly in the guitar work. by the time you get to LP1, AmFo were certainly incorporating more math rock and hints of jazz into their compositions, but i actually hear way more of the Victor Villarreal-style surreal spazziness in the bands you mentioned in particular. even the more American Football-styled bands, like empire! empire!, are also openly indebted to the slower indiemo bands of Mineral and Christie Front Drive. in any case, i definitely would argue that the AmFo twinkle style at the very least has the same roots as the Moss Icon lineage, because it’s important to remember that post-rock, math rock, and post-hardcore were all kind of being innovated/making massive leaps forward at the same time and were all sort of part of the same scene, particularly in the early-mid 90s.
I see! Thanks for your response!