A discovery of pop-punk superstars Fall Out Boy, the Las Vegas emo band Panic! At the Disco (named for a Smiths song), stormed the charts in 2005 while its members were barely old enough to vote. Offering a highly danceable take on the emo formula of…

The mercurial term "emo" has meant many different things since its first appearance in the mid-1980s hardcore punk underground. By the mid 2000s, the term was best exemplified by the band Fall Out Boy. Playing an accessible brand of melodic rock mark…

Formed in 1999 Amityville NYs Taking Back Sunday took their version of melodic hardcore from bands like Lifetime Endpoint and Sunny Day Real Estate as well as guitarist Ed Reyes emo band the Movielife The bands first demo a five-song CD was released …

Bergen County NJs Senses Fail consisted of vocalist James Buddy Nielsen guitarists Dave Miller and Garrett Zablocki bassist Michael Glita ex-Tokyo Rose and drummer Dan Trapp Forming in 2002 SF developed a slick amalgam of post-hardcore chuggery and e…

New Jersey hardcore band My Chemical Romance achieved a surprising degree of success with their Goth-tinged, woe-is-me take on punk. Labeled everything from emo and pop-punk to post-hardcore and screamo, My Chemical Romance are one of several bands f…

Originating from Canton, Ohio, USA, this spiritually inclined pop punk band was formed by Matt Thiessen (b. Canada; guitar/vocals), Matt Hoopes (guitar), Brian Pittman (bass), and David Douglas (drums). The quartet took their unusual name from the be…

Hailing from Orem, Utah, USA, the Used was formed in the late 90s by Bert McCracken (vocals), Quinn Allman (guitar), Jeph Howard (bass), Branden Steineckert (drums). Growing up in a staunchly conservative Mormon district of Utah, the quartet formed t…

Better known as the vocalistsongwriterkeyboardist for the West Coast punk-pop quintet Something Corporate Andrew McMahon explores the dark side with his emo pop side project Jacks Mannequin Utilizing the talents of numerous friends and collaborators …

Formerly in rival bands on the Chicago local scene guitarist Mike Carden and vocalist William Beckett came together in 2002 to mark the beginning of indie-emo rockers the Academy Is originally just named the Academy Naming influences from U2 to Weeze…

Dashboard Confessional began as a solo project for Chris Carrabba, a member of the late-1990s Florida hardcore scene. With his introspective lyrics, heart-on-the-sleeve vocals, and spare acoustic guitar playing, Carrabba soon won over a devoted follo…

Given their presence on Californian Punk label Drive-Thru, it could be assumed that Something Corporate chose their name as an ironic swipe against the mainstream and although the band also appeared on the Warped tour they made little effort to disgu…

Born in the suburbs of Chicago lead singer Tom Higgenson was originally fascinated with the drums performing in various pop and rock bands in high school One of these groups was Harveys Daughter where he met bass player Ken Fletcher The group disband…

Out of the backwaters of Oklahoma rose the power-pop clatter of the All-American Rejects, whose 2002 self-titled debut album, released on the indie Doghouse Records, yielded a huge fan base and the attention of several major labels. In a field crowde…

Formed in the Pacific Northwest during the late 1990s, Death Cab for Cutie deals in guitar rock that is informed by a striking sensitivity. Led by singer/guitarist Benjamin Gibbard, the group straddles the line between indie and emo rock, earning the…

Matchbook Romance is a melodic hardcore unit from Poughkeepsie NY The band started in 1997 when bassist Ryan Kienle vocalistguitarist Andrew Jordan and drummer Aaron Sterns band Fizzlewink added guitarist Ryan Judas DePaolo and became the Getaway All…

Formed in 1999 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Hot Hot Heat looked back nearly 20 years for inspiration, as they fashioned their sound after quirky post punk outfits such as XTC and the Cure. After a number of personnel changes, the line-up se…

New Jersey dream rock quartet Armor for Sleeps emotionally charged lyrics energetic live shows and DIY work ethic have won them a loyal fan base Singersongwriterguitar player Ben Jorgensen began writing songs the summer before his freshman year at co…

California skate-punk trio Blink 182 employed a snappy mix of punk-pop and humor that appealed to a whole new generation of rock fans too young to have fully appreciated Green Day's initial impact. These third- (or fourth-) generation punks became th…