Emo/Hardcore

Born of DC's heartfelt post-hardcore scene, emo (short for emotional) is characterized by its sensitive take on life and how to live it. Vocals are as intense as the guitar attack, and songs are mid-tempo affairs structured around short energetic bursts. The sound was epitomized by bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Jets to Brazil. More recently, bands like Fall Out Boy, Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eat World have taken the sound to the mainstream and made it the alt style of choice of the mid-'00s.