everybody hurts

everybody hurts: an essential guide to emo culture, by leslie simon and trevor kelley

ok, short review. i’ve been amazed by how the almost-impossible-to-define music genre of emo has proliferated and splintered into dozens of even-more-impossible-to-define subsets and nuances over the past few years. and how emo has become more mainstream, and — surely — the haven of the hip white kids. let the truly mainstream have their r&b and hip-hop and top-40. emo, like it’s “alternative rock” predecessor, is in the midst of an identity crisis as it’s growing popularity is antithetical to its “we’re the forgotten” anti-conformity soul.

i admit, i’m a 44 year old dude. i am not allowed to be emo (though it is hilarious that my 13 year-old daughter has recently moved beyond her hip-hop and r&b only musical tastes and raided most of the emo from my itunes, causing a shudder in the generation gap of our household).

i bought this book because i wanted to understand more, and because i thought it looked like fun. and in some ways it provided both. in other ways, it was just too self-effacing and “i’m more hip than you because i make fun of the very affinity group i am part of”. a few insights; too many lists of “the right record stores”, “the right clothing stores” and such. worth a skim if you’re interested in the subject; but not a high recommendation.