Is this thing on?

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#emo100

Emo, emocore, screamo, indiemo, post emo. emotional hardcore, post emo hardcore it’s all here!!

This is the first installment of the ‘Is this thing on?’ countdown of the top 100 EMO songs of all time. For some background on why this is happening then read this previous post HERE. I will be posting these 10 songs at a time every few days so bare with me.

Please let me know what you think, whether you agree or disagree, either here or on twitter @alextb3

Enjoy x

100 – Reggie and the full effect – Thanx for stayin

Fictitious, frivolous, novelty or just awesome. Reggie and the full effect, James Dewees of Get up kids/Coalesce fame long term side project had more than their fair share of emo classics. So desperate was I to have some Reggie in my life I had to borrow money to buy their first album, Greatest Hits 1984-1987, money I don’t remember paying back so maybe shouldn’t be bringing that up. But it’s from the 2nd album, Promotional Copy, that my favourite Reggie song comes from. And it boasts one of the best verses you’ll here in this whole countdown

99 – Roadside Monument – Sunken Anchor

Described by many online as a Christian band, they are Christians and were on Tooth and Nail records so fair enough, but to leave it at that would do an injustice. An early form of mathy, angular emocore, members of the band went on to form Unwed Sailor. Track 99 on the countdown ‘Sunken Anchor’ is taken from the bands 2nd album ‘Eight hours away from being a man’.

98 – Boilermaker – Slow Down

The distinction between whether you could describe some bands as emo or not is sometimes quite blurred making a list like this difficult. No problem here though, Boilermaker made emo music as it should be made, slow and beautiful topped with gorgeous vocals. ‘Leucadia’ was a compilation album of the bands hard to find 3 LPs and ‘Slow Down’ is my personal highlight. After a 10 year battle with cancer, Singer/Bassist Terrin Durfey passed away in 2008, long may he rest in peace.

97 – Hundred Reasons – If I Could

Without doing any research on the subject I will state that Hundred Reasons were the most commercially succesful UK emo band, I am basing this on the fact that I saw them on Top of the Pops once. Having now done a bit of research I see that their debut album ‘Ideas above our station’ got to number 6 in the album charts so I guess that backs up my previous statement. My old band, The Babies Three, were thanked on the sleeve notes because of having played with them in London. Me being the muggins that I am left 2 months before that gig to train to be an actor, foolish on so many levels. Out of the many hits on that first record, ‘If i could’ packs the best punch.

96 – Jets To Brazil – Chinatown

If there is an album cover that can transport me straight back to the late 90’s just by looking at it then ‘Orange Rhyming Dictionary’ is that album cover. I get that warm nostalgic feeling every time I see it and although Jets To Brazil were never one of my favourite bands, you can’t ignore their emo heritage and ‘Chinatown’ is a damn brilliant song.

95 – Coping – F For Now

If there is one reason to be thankful to be alive in 2012 for, and I sure hope there is more than one, then it’s the fact that we are living in the midst of an Emo revival. It’s been wrestled back from those glam goth millionaires that buggered things up in the mid noughties and lets pray it doesn’t get ruined this time around. Coping may not yet have a full length album to their name but ‘F For Now’ taken from the split EP with The Clippers is a song so brilliant it will embed itself in your head and wont leave for quite some time. Awesome!

94 – Inside – Ray Brower

I have my friend Daniel to thank for reminding me about Long Island’s finest, Inside. I shouldn’t have had to be reminded because they are great emo post hardcore boasting members that went on to be in Taking Back Sunday and the Movielife, wowzer! ‘Ray Brower’ is my personal favourite taken from the album ‘Seven inches to wall drug’.

93 – Basement – Grayscale

Hailing from Ipswich, Basement are one of a number of UK bands to be getting excited about at the moment. I saw them play in Margate about a year ago and they completely tore the place apart. Perfectly intense emotional punk rock. ‘Grayscale’ is taken from last years debut album ‘I wish I could stay here’.

92 – The Jazz June – Viva la speed metal

Song titles don’t get much less emo than The Jazz June’s ‘Viva la speed metal’ but that doesn’t stop it from being an emo classic. It opens up the great album ‘The Medicine’ and sets the tone for more of the same, brilliant emo of the second wave variety, whatever that means.

91 – Everyone Everywhere – I feel fine by Everyone Everywhere

Songs don’t come much better than ‘I feel fine by Everyone Everywhere’, obviously I’ve chosen 90 that are better on this list alone but that is besides the point. This is emo pop perfection, one of the catchiest and most instantly likeable songs of the last few years. It’s from a brilliant album that has brilliant artwork and is brilliant, now thats what I call a description. Love it!!

Thanks guys, the next instalment in this countdown will be posted in the next few days. Hope you enjoyed it x

UPDATE! Part 2, no’s 90 to 81 is now up, click HERE to read it

If you use Spotify, click the link below to hear most of these songs on a handy playlist

Emo 100 (100-91)

Cheers