Scan barcode
A review by uncreationmyth
From the Basement: A History of Emo Music and How It Changed Society by Natasha Van Duser, Taylor Markarian
informative
medium-paced
2.5
"Real Emo" only consists of the dc Emotional Hardcore scene and the late 90's Screamo scene. What is known by "Midwest Emo" is nothing but Alternative Rock with questionable real emo influence. When people try to argue that bands like My Chemical Romance are not real emo, while saying that Sunny Day Real Estate— lol jk
definitely closer to a selectively-sourced retrospective than the "comprehensive look" described on the back cover, but i'm actually okay with that? i just wish the title wasn't so misleading. i thought it would be a quick, easy read & i was right. not particularly complex analysis— very surface level explanations with uneven coverage. but you know what? i had some fun! as someone who went into this book with a (probably) above average level of knowledge on the subject, i liked it as a collection of firsthand quotes and stories.
it felt a little like being cornered at a party & getting a ted talk from someone's older sister... which might actually be kind of fitting for this topic? sure, i would have loved to see markarian draw a clearer timeline/family tree and go more in depth with the greater historical/social context & significance. i'm willing to take this for what it really is, though: a personal account of the bands that resonated with the author ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
some critiques that i will stand by: it was jarring to see so many references to brand new without ever addressing jesse lacey. i was also disappointed that, while there was some cursory discussion of toxic masculinity early on, it never addressed sexism & misogyny in the scene. i was hoping for a section in a similar vein to jessica hopper's "where the girls aren't" essay.
i guess i was a little... underwhelmed by how heavily this book coasts on nostalgia. last year i went to a jessica hopper/hanif abdurraqib talk hosted by kcrw & abdurraqib said something about emo that kept popping into my head while reading: "without rigorous accountability, nostalgia is kind of worthless." i do think people should be allowed to look back fondly at things that soundtracked crucial moments in their lives & continue to enjoy them. i would just hope that they do so with newfound clarity— to recognize the bad parts & to reckon with how to handle them moving forward.
overall, the author's passion is palpable & i'm happy for her! unfortunately, the title talks some big game & falls short. like i said, this was a fun read & it's probably great if you're really just looking to reminisce. it doesn't really bring anything new to the table for me, though, so i'll keep waiting for an andy greenwald level book about this era.
definitely closer to a selectively-sourced retrospective than the "comprehensive look" described on the back cover, but i'm actually okay with that? i just wish the title wasn't so misleading. i thought it would be a quick, easy read & i was right. not particularly complex analysis— very surface level explanations with uneven coverage. but you know what? i had some fun! as someone who went into this book with a (probably) above average level of knowledge on the subject, i liked it as a collection of firsthand quotes and stories.
it felt a little like being cornered at a party & getting a ted talk from someone's older sister... which might actually be kind of fitting for this topic? sure, i would have loved to see markarian draw a clearer timeline/family tree and go more in depth with the greater historical/social context & significance. i'm willing to take this for what it really is, though: a personal account of the bands that resonated with the author ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
some critiques that i will stand by: it was jarring to see so many references to brand new without ever addressing jesse lacey. i was also disappointed that, while there was some cursory discussion of toxic masculinity early on, it never addressed sexism & misogyny in the scene. i was hoping for a section in a similar vein to jessica hopper's "where the girls aren't" essay.
i guess i was a little... underwhelmed by how heavily this book coasts on nostalgia. last year i went to a jessica hopper/hanif abdurraqib talk hosted by kcrw & abdurraqib said something about emo that kept popping into my head while reading: "without rigorous accountability, nostalgia is kind of worthless." i do think people should be allowed to look back fondly at things that soundtracked crucial moments in their lives & continue to enjoy them. i would just hope that they do so with newfound clarity— to recognize the bad parts & to reckon with how to handle them moving forward.
overall, the author's passion is palpable & i'm happy for her! unfortunately, the title talks some big game & falls short. like i said, this was a fun read & it's probably great if you're really just looking to reminisce. it doesn't really bring anything new to the table for me, though, so i'll keep waiting for an andy greenwald level book about this era.