Liza Minnelli and the Truth about Emo:

Since I'm new on this site, I thought I'd preface this entry by saying (1) that I really do hate emo and (2) I am fascinated, pervesely or otherwise, by all things rock. So, you know, don't hate the playa, hate the game. Or whatever:


I’d never heard My Chemical Romance before yesterday but, when there song came on my office-mate’s clock radio I must admit to experiencing some intrigue.

Despite what they may have sounded like before, turns out their new album is a “concept album” of the highest order: Overseen (and, one must presume, encouraged) by Green Day’s producer they’ve started wearing matching uniforms, strarted using marching bands and orchestras for backing and have even started calling themselves “The Black Parade”—a move, which, if NME is to be believed, lead to many confused fans on their recent UK tour…who would boo and throw things when it was announced that MCR wouldn’t be able to appear and that “The Black Parade” would be appearing in their absence. Hell, they even got the ever-arty Lukas Haas to star in their first video for the album (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCTq6p-fhvw).

While this is all definitely corny it, perhaps, is revealing of why emo has sucked so much: a majority of these bands seem to be made up of really dramatic kids who are way too proficient, music-wise, to get away with play 3-chord ‘I-lost-my-girl-and-if-she-doesn’t-die-I’m-gonna-kill-myself’ pathos driven pseudo-punk. Now that they’ve achieved some success, they’re indulging their arty tendencies…the new MCR album reportedly includes several nods to cabaret, vaudeville and Broadway (HELL, they’ve even got a duet with Liza Minelli!!!!). I guess it’d be easy to call all this over-indulgent and pathetically garish but, the truth is:
I really like the single.
AND
its actually an uplifting little ditty…a song about how all the broken-hearted and strung-out among us will still get by, still survive, together. Ahh, that ol’ freak unity thing.

Maybe by coming clean about their love of the Rum-Tum-Tugger and ‘Cabaret’ these fella have found a way to get out of having to try to sneer while keeping their perfect pouty faces on. At least its not nearly annoying to hear on the radio as Fall-Out Boy or whatever.

Obviously work is slow and boring today….