An Intro To Chicago Emo Revival: Part Three

When the Revival Broke (2013–2017)

We’ve finally arrived at the point where the Emo revival was starting to become subsumed into modern indie rock. Major publications were now playing a game of catch up, much to the artists dismay. This is when you start to see a bit of bile from people proclaiming “don’t call it a revival”. Even if it seems silly years later, I can understand the sentiment. The onslaught of think pieces were lacking historical depth, acting as if these new group of bands came out of nowhere. Someone like Evan Weiss was playing emo tinged music all the way back to 2000. It was only after years of grinding that anyone was starting to pay attention.

With this increased attention on the genre comes a shift towards professionalization, a much needed development for bands both new and old. Capping out solely as a DIY act is not a sustainable path. There’s a reason why so many bands burned out very quickly in the early days of the fourth wave. Having to do everything yourself is life draining. I imagine at a certain point there has to be the question of “is this even worth it any more”? You could make more money working a bullshit job than being in a full time band.

Just as important, the scene’s explosion in 2013 brings in people who were oblivious and lays the groundwork for the next generation of bands. Speaking from experience, 2013 is when I first become aware of emo outside of the 3rd wave. My favorite podcast, Hollywood Prospectus, had an episode about emo out of nowhere (Andy Greenwald was a co-host) and with it came a playlist that laid the foundation of what I understood as 90’s emo. Paired with a newfound discovery of Spotify and r/emo, my appetite for the genre has still remained insatiable to this day.

Chicago on the other hand was in a period of transition. Many of the bands in the previous era had already broken up and started completely different projects. The ones that did survive were now on their 2nd or 3rd record and were moving beyond the scene that they once occupied. That DIY ethic that was central to the last era wasn’t there in the same way. While there were still some house venues (Gnarnia, Friend Zone), bands would be just as likely to play Sub-T or Beat Kitchen.

Kittyhawk (2012–Present)

Emo Pop is beginning to emerge as a dominant force during the emo revival. The lines between pop punk and emo are becoming increasingly blurred, and are beginning to converge on one another. Kittyhawk is one of several examples I could use. Their reference points are bands like The Anniversary or Motion City Soundtrack, valuing big pop hooks above all else, telling a very similar story as Dowsing did in part two of this series.

Lifted Bells (2013-Present)

Lifted Bells continues the trend of the so called “emo super groups” during this time. We’re seeing many of the key players from part two of this series start new groups or short lived side projects. I use quotation marks because that term is used so liberally in press releases that the word super group has no meaning to me anymore. Music scenes are a game of musical chairs, with the same 20 or so members re-configuring for new projects. The only twist is that this one has the singer Bob Nanna, a huge influence for many of the bands in Chicago during this time.

We’re also seeing more of the math rock side of emo show itself with Lifted Bells. The focus is just as much on the virtuosic guitar playing of Matthew Frank and Matt Jordan as it is on the vocals. This is by no means the first time we’re hearing math rock make its way into the genre. You can go all the way back to 2004, with the band Colossal, making very similar music in the proto-revival days.

Retirement Party (2017-Present)

Listening back to Strictly Speaking , it’s no surprise that people were enamored with Retirement Party right away. It combines all of the era’s best features into a compact thirteen minutes of pop delight. Avery Springer’s lyrics talk about mental health in a honest way without being cringe inducing. Nick Cartwright’s lead guitar work actually feels unique and helps propel the songs forward without dominating over the vocals.

Best Witches (2013–2014)

There are going to be omissions on this list, just because I can’t write about every single Chicago emo band that formed in this four year period. Many never got to go beyond the basement phase and can only be found by scouring message boards or Reddit. Best Witches is one of several examples that could represent that class of bands, only existing for two years. They do the twinkle sound very well, still retaining the hardcore/screamo thrust that gives the songs an urgency that is central to the genre.

Churchkey (2013–2016)

Almost immediately after Glocca Morra released Just Married, you’re beginning to see the impact it had. You can hear its influence on Churchkey’s first release, The Great American Challenge, released in 2014. At times they almost sound like a cover band. A Great Big Bowl of MD 20/20 is the biggest culprit, standing as their most drunk punk song at the time, and is eerily similar to Professional Confessional. But to relegate the band to pure worship status isn’t quite right. By the time Churchkey released their only album, they had finally settled into their own distinct sound. Unfortunately, like so many others before them this would mean the end for the group, moving on to another stage of their lives. Singer Corey Wichlin would eventually find himself in the orbit of Zack Schwartz, currently serving as the drummer for Spirit of the Beehive.

Lettering (2016-Present)

Lettering began as many emo projects have before: one person playing on the acoustic guitar. That setup would be quickly abandoned but not before singer/guitarist Jinno Redovan released Bathroom Time, a two song EP that you can still find on Bandcamp. Even in its skeletal form, you can map out the defining characteristics that make up a Lettering song. Redovan weaves in and out of interlocking guitar riffs, broken up by confessional lyrics that verge on diary entries.

Mormon Toasterhead (2013-Present)

I can’t help but think of Mormon Toasterhead as an accidental predecessor to what Home is Where recently articulated as the fifth wave. I’m thinking specifically about the section that’s labeled as lo-fi, where Your Arms are My Cocoon and Lobsterfight are using lo-fi in new and inventive ways, picking up where Brave Little Abacus left things off. There’s a similar spirit throughout the entire Mormonhead Toasterhead discography, and may be even more eccentric, making any genre descriptor fall short, fitting somewhere between freak folk and emo.

Cipinko (2013–2015)

Ciphinko was a high school band with an eventual end date in sight, even if it was unknown at the time. Gary is all impulse in the best way possible, giving pure unfiltered energy that harkens back to the early revival days. Singer Leor Miller embodies that urgency in the opening track, singing “I’m a waste of a time/No metaphor”. Eventually this style of music would no longer serve Miller in the same way, making a sharp transition when they went to Bard College, trying to move beyond the confinement of genre.

Darkle (2015–2018)

Darkle could easily be passed off under the much maligned “weedmo” category that becomes especially prevalent around the time of their formation. The first track on Birds Bees and Sweaty Palms features a bong hit but isn’t indicative of what’s to come in the next 17 minutes. All of the song titles are a bit jokey, even naming one track “Kinda like Kind of Like Spitting.” It’s a bit of a misdirection; Darkle’s compositions are a bit more compelling, never feeling as sedated as some of their contemporaries. The vocals are dynamic, dipping into emoviolence while still maintaining that midwest emo drawl as its melodic center.

Their best work would come in 2018 on Pain Train, their last release and really shows a way forward for a certain guitar style that had become stilted in the scene. Go on to YouTube if you want to see what I mean. Its become a game of one upping each other so as to lose any sort of originality. We’ll call it the Tiny Moving Parts-ification of emo in recent years. Darkle has always avoided falling into those traps but the first two tracks in particular feel novel, leaning into a spaghetti western sound that I have yet to hear anywhere else.

Winter Classic(2013–2017)/Boss Fight (2014-Present) Split

You’re not going to see either of these bands register on any writeup on the emo revival, so we’ll call this a personal choice. Both bands were local favorites, never touring too much, but are bright spots for this era. Their split catches both bands at the peak of their powers and has what I can only describe as “big Braid energy”. It has a lot of those start-stop rhythms that I associate with Frame & Canvas and it doesn’t really do the noodly midwestern emo guitar style, making it stand out from bands that just sound like uninspired clones of other acts.

Thank you for reading! If you enjoy what you read, please consider giving me a tip on Venmo (Hugo-Reyes-6). I do these articles out of a love and without any chance of payment for the hours of labor that goes into each part of this series.