Biography

Midwest emo (or Midwestern emo[1]) refers to the emo scene and/or subgenre[2] that developed in the 1990s Midwestern United States. Employing unconventional vocal stylings, distinct guitar riffs and arpeggiated melodies,[3] Midwest emo bands shifted away from the genre's hardcore punk roots and drew on indie rock and math rock approaches.[4] According to the author and critic Andy Greenwald, "this was the period when emo earned many, if not all, of the stereotypes that have lasted to this day: boy-driven, glasses-wearing, overly sensitive, overly brainy, chiming-guitar-driven college music."[5] Midwest emo is sometimes used interchangeably with "second-wave emo".[6] Although implied by the name, Midwest emo does not solely refer to bands and artists from the Midwestern United States, and the style is played by outfits across the United States and internationally.[7] According to The Chicago Reader critic Leor Galil, the second-wave bands of the Midwest emo scene "transformed the angular fury of D.C. emo into something malleable, melodic, and cathartic—its common features included cycling guitar parts, chugging bass lines, and unconventional singing that sounded like a sweet neighbor kid with no vocal training but plenty of heart."[8] Incorporating elements from indie rock, the genre also features "gloomy chord progressions"[9] and arpeggiated guitar melodies.[3] Midwest emo is also commonly associated with the use of math rock elements.[4] Or a Midwest Emo band from Tulsa