Emo is not a phase. Maybe (thankfully) in terms of style, it is. But the genre of music, which rose to its pinnacle of popularity in the early 2000s, remains relevant.
Sans heavy eyeliner and swoopy hair, emo music made a positive impact on pop-culture, one that continues to influence other genres and stands alone in its success today. Ask Bob Tallman, frontman of Abandoned Malls of America. The new emo band out of Cincinnati claims a "classic, Midwest emo with a modern punk energy and grit" and released their first single "Spring Grove" on July 14.
"Spring Grove" earned 2,000 streams in its first week live, Tallman says. Despite the band's unassuming social media presence, they've gained recent popularity through word of mouth and landed a spot on a Reddit pop-punk best of roundup.
Currently, Abandoned Malls of America are in the studio recording their debut album. The four-piece band is vocalist and guitarist Bob Tallman, guitarist Chris Shafer, vocalist/bassist Zach Madden and drummer Zack Preston. While presumably perfecting their brilliant blend of pop-punk sound and emo energy, the band granted the debut of their second song release "Fancy Words for Failure" to CityBeat.
"Fancy Words for Failure" begins a melodic tune with emo-centric, drawn-out and varying vocal runs. It catches an upbeat rhythm in the chorus and sounds bafflingly familiar while introducing a fresh and signature take on the genre.
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Abandoned Malls of America's second song release, "Fancy Words for Failure."
"While the Midwest emo genre does appear to be experiencing a bit of a renaissance due to the re-discovery of bands like American Football and Sunny Day Real Estate, we feel we're unique in that we don't adhere strictly to the genre's boundaries," Tallman says. "As you'll gauge from the clip of our forthcoming second single 'Fancy Words for Failure,' we have no qualms about branching our Midwest emo roots into pop-rock territory. We simply embrace the tradition of Midwest emo and are attempting to carry the flag of this beloved - and admittedly niche - style of music into a new era."
The emo style of music came with a lot of signature quirks, one being overly-specific, sometimes nonsensical and lengthy song titles. A few classics are: "I Liked You Better Before you were Naked on the Internet" by From First to Last (fun and little-known fact, Sonny Moore is the man behind famed DJ Skrillex, who previously fronted FFTL); "Baby, You Wouldn't Last a Minute on the Creek" by Chiodos; Fall Out Boy's "I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me;" and Dance Gavin Dance's "And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman."
The list could go on and on. While "Fancy Words for Failure" isn't as long, it's reminiscent of that wild era of song naming. And the cadence with which it rolls off the tongue certainly vibes with the never-ending list.
Something about emo music in particular allowed it to be popular but still underground - it's more approachable than punk counterculture and more established than DIY-fueled projects. And whether you like it or not, you don't have to be a part of the scene to partake.
Bands like Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, My Chemical Romance and Panic! At the Disco were some of the biggest names when emo music ruled the mainstream, and even those who aren't fans of the genre could recognize their sound. Some beloved bands of that time are still successfully touring, while others have disbanded but their most popular songs are still on the radio or Spotify playlists everywhere.
While emo can roll in and out of "trending," the nostalgia factor is always high and delightful.
"Seeing the success of the recent 'Sad Summer Fest' (July 19 at Andrew J Brady Music Center) as well as the crazy response to the return of bands like My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy, I'm pretty sure the market is primed for the next emo explosion" Tallman says. "For better or worse, we've been around long enough that we were there for the peak of this music's popularity and we have a genuine passion for it and a belief in our abilities and experience."
One line in "Fancy Words for Failure" is aimed only at the subject of the song but could be taken as reasonable advice to give Abandoned Malls of America a listening chance: "Get on board or go to hell," Tallman repeats throughout the song.
"Fancy Words for Failure" will officially release to streaming platforms Aug. 4. Learn more about Abandoned Malls of America here.
