Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and EMO

This book rocks!

If you like Dashboard, Blink, Jimmy Eat World, or anyone like them... they're here! This book is a must read for anyone who's interested with punk rock and interviews with bands!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A must read for punk fans!

I thought this book was awesome. It gave all the bands mentioned in it justice and it showed their loyalty to their fans. It was great how it showed the tour life of Jimmy Eat World, and the lyrical mind behind Chris Carabba. They started out basically with the 80's and 90's hardcore underground scene. They explained the scene, the fans, and the bands, such as Jawbreaker, Texas Is The Reason, and The Promise Ring. But as the book goes on they expand into modern day bands like Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, and Brand New. They have interviews with the singers, and commentary on their live shows and the connection and energy produced there. It also talks about real kids and how the music helped them and their own experiences at shows or wherever. This book is best suited for any teenage music lover from the age of 13 to 21. I live for this music and having a book that named almost all of my favorite bands and mentioned key lyrics of their most memorable songs meant a lot to me. Up until reading this book, reviewers or people in this industry never really understood what this was all about. They never got why kids were so emotional when they were at a Dashboard Confessional concert, or why Jimmy Eat World's Clarity became one of the best known emo records. They just didn't get it. It was all about money to them. We were just emotional freaks to some, or cry babies to others. After reading this book it can change your whole perspective towards this music and I think that's exactly what the author had in mind.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

'Emo'

I would have to say this book was very interesting. I'm not sure if I totally agree with everything he mentions but, I did enjoy reading it. Emo is just emotion...all music is emotional. The lables we place on music and the people who listen to it are lame. Everyone is emo in their own way...some people cry, some people scream, and others just plainly sit there. Music is music we should all just love it for what it is. And I agree...Listen to Saves the Day.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

quick notes on intelligence

1) The Used aren't emo 2) You can like a genre of music, and still like bands of another genre 3) You can't 'be' emo, just like you can't be music. You can be a 'part' of emo, but i'd advise against it. Just be whatever the hell you want 4) A lot of Weezer's music actually would fit into the emo genre 5) Listen to Saves the Day

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pathetic

I'm almost positive that the book is not meant to force views on people or tell you exactly what genre specific bands are. It is supposed to give you insight on the different cultures so you can form your own opinion. By the reviews here, its already caused the same controversy that it was meant to change.

It made me cry!!!!!

I finished reading it last night, and I loved it a lot!!!!! He uses beautiful discriptions and metaphors, and he really caputres the teenage sense of hoplessness. Just read it, you won't be sorry!

What can I say?

Its not something that I had to force myself to read but its not something I would read again. It was quite pointless and honestly I wouldn't recomend anyone buying it. find someone (if you can) who alreayd boughtit and borrow it for awhile.

Actually READ the book

For all of you that are saying that this book just adds on stereotypes, read it again. This book takes words like 'emo' and 'punk' and takes them OUT of their stereotype and INTO an entire culture. Which is what those words are, they are entire cultures that people live by. Oh great, you listen to Dashboard Confessionals. Your emo. But you also listen to 50 Cent. Now what? This book was an excellent read and the author talks about excellent bands and musicans.

Well,

All this talk of catagorizing is boring me. At the same time, I am the biggest hypocrite...I don't think that Weezer is Emo..., I don't think that Dashboard Confessional is Emo....Emo is 'Emotionally Hardcore', people!!! Sure, they have catchy tunes..., but really... This book was....not quite my kind of read.

Interesting to Hear About

This book just adds to the idea that music must be catorgized with words like 'emo' 'punk' etc. (which sorry I don't believe in, if you can give me a straight defination of what is the difference between inde, rock, punk-pop, post-punk, funk, disco, country-pop, country-rock emo alternative, metal, hevy metal, death metal, alternative-punk, alternative-pop and more then I stand corrected. MUSIC IS MUSIC people) If you are into that kind of stuff read this book and form your own opinions. I skimmed this book and it had some gloom and truth to it.

geeze!

emo is a music scene that gives punk rock and hardcore a bad rap. its a bunch of repetitive music with a negative message, besides rap. they should write a book on how most sub cultures like oi, street punk, real hardcore, psychobilly and others show their anti emo ideals at underground shows. thats whats really going on in the underground!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Awesome

I loved this book because it talked about my favorie bands (like Dashboard, Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, and the Used). It also explained what 'emo' really is because no one seems to understand it. I recommend this book to anyone who likes punk rock music.

I really enjoyed it

Im a fan of just about every band he mentions (Dashboard, taking back sunday, brand new, etc.) and i most enjoyed this book because 1) i could relate to the teenagers he interviewed and 2) im a fan of the music. the 'review' on the cover that says the book is like the music...about the fans, is very true. it was hard to read the book without my headphones on. i could have done without his frequent quotes by Jessica Hopper, she was entirely too pessimistic for my taste. But otherwise, i really liked it. it was neat.

Weezer is EMO jerk.

If you ever listened to their first or seconds albums you'd be overwhelmed with their emoness. All the songa are emo on both of those albums and all those other bands are not emo. Bright eyes is emo. That is punk and other stuff like that. Not emo. That is all.

Weezer= not emo. DUH!

ummm, rebekah, if you are trying to be emo, then i would advise you to stop obsessing over weezer. they are not emo. If you want some help, i woud advise you to start listening to true emo bands like Brand New, Dashboard Confessional, Thrice, Thursday, Sunny Day Real Estate, Senses Fail, Yellowcard, The Used, Straylight Run (and so on.... all of those wicked sick bands)

emo = emotional hardcore

'Emo' is a mocked and highly misunderstood subgenre of punk rock. Unfortunately, Greenwald takes the most common misconceptions about 'emo' and calls them true.If you want to know 'emo', you first need to know punk rock. Because after all, 'emo' is punk rock.

Yea!!!!!!!! Emo Rules!!!!!!!!

I love trying to be emo! This book has helped me find my wanna-be emo self! I love this book. Go out and buy it right now!WEEZER RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WEEZER FOREVER!!!!!

emo kids

i love this book, because it gives you a chance to understand a very complex genre of music. I'm not sure about people trying to be emo, but i wouldnt quite agree with the argument that like emo, you cant be music. it's like punk. people can be punk, that doesnt nececcarily mean they cant listen to other music. thats just the stereotype or image. To 'be' emo in my opinion, would mean that you have a great appreciation for the music, and can realate passionatly. it doesnt mean you have to walk around in sweater vests with tin lunchboxes. anyway, nevertheless, a great book.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.