All good things must come to an end, as they say. Also old, dying, disease ridden animals are mercifully put down to end their suffering. Emo Diaries has clung on to life for 10 editions now, incontinence set in at an early age (3), they never have really been able to shift the smell of wee. Emo Diaries 2 remains the essential purchase, the others are essentially ignorable other than the first, which has a decent lineup but I never got round to picking it up. Chapter 2 has delights such as an unreleased Blacktop Cadence song, and what a belter it is too. The rest though, well… But enough of my miserable pessimism, no wait! There’s plenty more to come of that. Despite the inadequacies and often mediocre band selection, Emo Diaries was a successful series, it achieved what it set out to do (expose lesser known bands to a wider audience), pre-dated the mainstream acceptance of a pretty dull style of music, and has proved particularly enduring, despite clinging on to it’s better days like a washed up old communist dictator. So, raise a glass of cherry coke to Emo Diaries 10. The swansong. Shed a tear, don your favourite backpack, and argue with your friend in stupid glasses about how version 6 of this comp was better than version 4, whilst playing your final countdown, 3 good songs and 9 more mindblowingly generic songs soundtracking the demise of a fleetingly great idea. Here’s to you. And here’s the bands:
Oliver: it’s a one word band name, named after a dude, they must be emo. This is the independent equivalent of the mainstream ’emo’ stuff that the press-sheet is so vitriolic in railing against, whiney rock music that moves from pretty and poppy into chug very easily. Jimmy Eat World were on Emo Diaries 1, perhaps it is fitting that a band that virtually apes their later efforts kicks off #10. This is horrible, the only reason it is independent music and not mainstream is blind luck. Good or bad, your call.
My Name Is Nobody: they think they are unimportant, so they must be emo. Don’t you just love a shockingly awful wannabe emo band name? These guys have one. They are from Israel apparently, that’s no excuse for being a really bad melodic hardcore band.
the Holiday Plan: they have plan in their name, they must be emo. So bands still call themselves things the Frying Plan? the Dreary Theory? Obviously they do. This is like Blink 182 plays at being fast with diabolical shouty backup vocals and chuggy guitars.
Sounds Like Violence: they must be emo violence. Bit wary that these are Swedes, Deep Elm picks a lot of duff European bands for these comps. Well, SLV have vocals that make me want to stab firebrands in my eyes, I can’t stand this vocal style, but it’s kind of impossible for me to describe why. The music is fairly bland rock stuff. Not too bad, just doesn’t do much for me.
A Month of Somedays: oooh oooh, worst band name yet, they must be emo!! Who came up with that. Lyric: “I don’t mind that you think you can ride your bike all night”. DRIVE STEAM TRAINS! Singer is a bit like Doug Martsch in a whiney way, this is really quite good. Nice and melodic indie rock with an interesting song structure, it jangles along with suggestions that it’ll explode. At points the singer gets all strained and Enigk The song is over 5 minutes long, and I enjoyed it a lot. I could listen to more by these dudes. This sounds like it could fit on Emo Diaries 2, that’s how good it is!
Bailey Drive: they have Drive in their name, like Christie Front Drive, so they must be emo. Reprehensibly bad MTVmo rock music. Shouting and guitar chug riffs. Cheesy screams and cheesy singing and OH THE CHEESE I CAN’T STAND THE CHEESE.
Lock and Key: typewriters have capslock, and keys, they must be emo. it’s Hot Water Music everybody! Not bad, I don’t think I have this HWM song actually so maybe it is not a cover or is off the last 2 LP’s. Ok, ok. Fast and melodic hardcore with gruff vocals.
Hercules Hercules: they randomly repeated a word twice in their name, they must be emo. ooh, starts off all mathy like they think they are from DC or something. Has sassy vocals. Sounds like it was recorded in a cupboard, but not endearingly as everything is paper thin. Good to hear Deep Elm branching out and trying something different, but this is a pretty mediocre example of this style of music.
Lukestar: a band with star in their name, must be emo. More annoying Scandinavian vocals on offer here, the music is unremarkable yet driving indie rock.
Latitude Blue: geography reference in their name, must be emo. They are from England apparently, I have not come across them. Sounds like dull indie rock shenanigans really, I saw about 1134 bands like this in Leicester, there are so many more noteworthy bands on our shores than this it is unreal.
Lost on Purpose: must be emo, I like to get lost on purpose and I am emo. Anyway, this is nice and subtle acoustic indie rock with soft vocals. Gentle and enjoyable. I should make the point that acoustic music is NEVER to be called emo though. That is really really stupid. Same with instrumental music.
the Silent Type: silent types are emo, plus maybe they mean a silent typewriter? EXTRA EMO. Anyway, this is pleasant acoustic guitar strumming with soft vocals. Laidback. Kind of like when Mike Kinsella does Owen. It also has a few moments with synths and strings and gets a bit noisier, recalling Very Secretary. This quite lovely, like the autumn.
Ok, so who’s keeping score? 3 out of 12! 25%. That’s reasonable I guess, I wasn’t expecting that much to be honest. A panhandler would be happy with that kind of day.
And so it is on that note that Deep Elm bows out of chronicling its tastes in emo, and moves on to a new series of comps called “THIS IS INDIE ROCK: The Best New Bands You’ve Never Heard”. Enough with the modesty already.