A spoonful of emo (vol. 5)
Posted on 10 October 2005 | 4 Comments
Filed Under: Emo, Old Posts
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I am going to go out on a limb here and talk about a few bands that may be considered only marginally emo. Here goes.
It is hard for me to believe that Hot Water Music has been together with the same line-up for ten years. Also a bit ironic that I chose to mention that despite the fact they are on hiatus with three members continuing as The Draft. Anyhow, Hot Water Music has put out a ton of great records on labels like No Idea, Some, Doghouse, and Epitaph. Their music infused post-hardcore with a gruff, southern, loose rock and roll energy that is instantly recognizable as HWM.
I’m not sure what I can say about this band that hasn’t been said before. Live they are like no other. Heartfelt and sensitive but at the same time driving and powerful, the music of HWM (while not your traditional emo) is essential listening for anyone exploring post-hardcore and emo.
Boxer was (if I recall correctly) the first band actually signed to Vagrant Records, and probably the least-known band the label has ever had. Although they were not at the forefront of the emo revolution, they certainly played impassioned emo-punk-n-roll-core (I’m laughing) that ranks way up there.
Their one and only full-length The Hurt Process is a must-have. The record is full of uptempo post-hardcore about broken relationships that recalls the latter work of Lifetime. In a live setting, the boys from Boxer were a force. I can even recall a night when Nathan (the drummer) lit his cymbals on fire and then pounded away. Damn. It’s also an interesting note that their orignal drummer (not Nathan) left the band to join Dillinger Escape Plan.
When Amy and I were living in Indianapolis in 1998, these guys must have stayed with us over a half-dozen times. They became friends. We introduced each other to great new music. We narrowly avoided death in their van on I-65. They even made apple pancakes for us and At The Drive-In. We miss them and their musical fury. Dave and Will are now playing in The Lot Six (another band you need to check out. Look for MP3 posted here soon) and Matt is playing with Jared Leto in 30 Seconds To Mars. They were only briefly a band, but their impact (to me at least) was huge.
MP3 | Hot Water Music – It’s Hard To Know No Division
MP3 | Boxer – Georgia The Hurt Process
Comments
Great HWM track by the way.