what exactly is "midwest emo"?
pinterest truly does inspire sometimes
Everyone wants to expand their music taste, but nobody wants to take the necessary actions to discover new music.
While I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day, something that I usually pass by caught my eye.
I think we’ve all seen these:
An ode to the early 2010s where low-effort memes with white backgrounds, mismatched images, and random collages were all the rage.
Enter Earfeeder: A participant to the 2010s trend, but with music genres and albums. I’ve seen their work a myriad of times on Pinterest (since Pinterest is curated to my interests, there would obviously be pins on, well, music), but I never really thought twice about it.
Today, I came across this one about Midwest Emo music, and it got me thinking: I’m from the Midwest and I like music. Why not use this starters’ guide to discover new genres of music?
Although I don’t particularly identify with the emo subculture, I will absolutely listen to this genre while following the steps given by Earfeeder.
Album 1: American Football - americ anfootball
Unfortunately, this did not sound like American football. I didn’t hear a single drunk middle-aged dad.
That aside, this band is known for making midwest emo more palatable to the general audience, with cleaner production and more standard vocals. This album was completely digestible for me— I loved the bass lines, the guitar, the saxophone, and the vocals. There was even a moment where I looked up at my friend while we were doing homework and said, “Wow, this midwest emo stuff is really good". I will definitely be coming back to this album.
Rating: 8.5/10
Album 2: Diary - Sunny Day Real Estate
Turns out, this album is a cult-classic. After digging a bit, it turns out that Diary won the “least hated album” in the Emo subreddit!
It was absolutely filled to the brim with angst. Not that I have a problem with that, it’s just not what I’m used to in terms of music. This album was a banger, but I have to admit that I liked American Football better. I got a little bored while listening, as most of the songs sounded very similar (don’t come for me, please). The songs Seven and Pheurton Skeurto are going on my future playlists!
Rating: 7/10
Album 3: Burritos, Inspiration Point, Fork Balloon Sports, Cards in the Spokes, Automatic Biographies, Kites, Kung Fu, Trophies, Banana Peels We've Slipped On, and Egg Shells We've Tippy Toed Over - Cap’n Jazz
The name that really stuck was “Shmap’n Shamzz”, because it wasn’t such a pain to say. This was a pretty exciting endeavor for me, as it felt like the culmination of my long journey. There were some really cool textures, but it was a bit harder to enjoy than the last two albums. I felt like the lyrics were hard to decipher, which took away from my enjoyment :( I think the specific sound of screaming (for a prolonged period of time) simply isn’t for me. I can get around why others like it though, so don’t let me deter you from listening to it!
Rating: 5/10
Verdict: My mission was a success. I think I’ve successfully expanded my music taste and discovered new music that I love! As for the question in the title, Midwest Emo is an indie-rock influenced emo genre, with lots of great guitar and whiny vocals.