Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Emo1985

Second genre

Midwest emo1994

Head to headEmo vs Midwest emo
Emo: heaviness 3, melody 9, speed 5. Midwest emo: heaviness 2, melody 10, speed 4.Heaviness3 / 2Melody9 / 10Speed5 / 4
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

The Midwest variant is where the interlocking guitars and the odd metres come from, and it is far more instrumentally intricate than the word emo usually implies.

From the Emo entry.

Midwest emo is sung cleanly where emo is part sung, part screamed, and a little slower: 100 to 150 bpm against 120 to 170. To hear the difference, play Rites of Spring next to American Football. Midwest emo grew out of emo, nine years later.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Emo3
Midwest emo2
−1
Speed
Emo5
Midwest emo4
−1
Melody
Emo9
Midwest emo10
+1

Emo

1985 · Washington DC, USA · 4 subgenres

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore › Emo

In short

Hardcore in which the lyrics turn confessional and the voice cracks. The term started as an insult and became an entire decade of fashion.

How it sounds

  • Quiet-to-loud dynamics, with the voice cracking at peak intensity.
  • Open tunings and arpeggios instead of full chords.
  • First-person confessional lyrics, sometimes embarrassingly sincere on purpose.

Key acts

  • Rites of Spring
  • Sunny Day Real Estate
  • American Football

Start here

The pickSunny Day Real Estate - Diary. The bridge between DC hardcore and everything that followed.

Full page →

Midwest emo

1994 · Illinois / Kansas, USA

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore › Emo › Midwest emo

In short

Open tunings and interlocking arpeggios, odd meters and lyrics about autumn and empty rooms.

How it sounds

  • Open tunings and two guitars playing separate, interlocking lines.
  • Odd meters used discreetly, with no display of technique.
  • The occasional trumpet, slow tempos, and lyrics about places and seasons.

Key acts

  • American Football
  • Cap'n Jazz
  • The Promise Ring

Start here

The pickAmerican Football - Never Meant. That opening guitar figure is a whole genre.

Full page →