VMP Magazine

Punk is an attitude. Punk is diverse. Punk is non-adherence to status quo. Musically speaking, if we put Classic in front of Punk, the sounds stand the test of time. For an LP to be Classic, it must be at least 26 years old; these Classic Punk albums broke ground before 1990. The records here are cornerstones of punk rock 'n' roll history; the bands represented both obscure and original in their own fantastic way. The formulation of punk music in the '70s and '80s, and it’s aforementioned greatness, paved way for modern acts that we now love; it may be the most influential movement in music history. If these 10 albums were never made, record collectors would have suffered mightily, and punk rock would surely have been of different mold. Think of them as the huge redwood tree in a field of shrubs, or the fast Aston Martin on a highway full of beaters. If you don’t have the albums summarized (drooled over) below, then it’s going to be really hard to be trusted.

Big factors with punk: weirdness, volume, aggression and ambition. Large misconception with punk: It doesn’t have to sound like a lo-fi piece of shit. There is no Ramones, no Sex Pistols, and no “how-did-you-leave-this-band-out” drama; each delegate is here for being a super spectacular version of it. Since everything revolves around time and place, we’re going in chronological order. These records are pillars in the house of bad religion, each a masterpiece of punk.

As post-rock’s weirder, louder cousin, math rock is dominated by nerdy guitar players and inhumane drummers. Lot’s of guitar tapping, lot’s of looping on the pedals. Lot’s of distortion, but most of what you hear sounds incredibly clear. Lyrically...well, it’s usually hard to decipher the lyrics unless you pull out the liner notes. The vocalists of math rock are very important to the overall sound; they act as another instrument. Some critics have said that emo helped math rock become more lyrical (example: Minus the Bear). Also, an unlikely but welcome influence on the genre: Black Flag’s My War. Yeah, punk touches everything.

Somehow, King Crimson is linked to math rock. So are Steve Reich and Philip Glass, who made simple musical compositions; math rock is not simple. Actually, it’s really complex and challenging. With all the irregularity and atypical rhythms involved, it could be understandable if some music listeners just don’t get math rock. Maybe all the starting and stopping makes their brains want to explode? Nonetheless, math rock might be the most interesting genre in rock. It sounds like some sort of musical calculation.

Listening to math rock makes me want to play with a calculator. Here are the 10 best math rock LPs to own on vinyl.

Emo is probably the most nostalgic genre in music: “Heart on your sleeve” tenderness mixed with sonic attack. Pain, conflict, insecurity, and emotionally confessional expression that became a stereotype linked to fashion, culture, behavior, sensitivity, shyness, misanthropy, angst, introversion, self-harm, suicide, and whatever nonsensical bullshit critics said. Some emo bands rejected the brand to avoid the hullabaloo (probably a smart move!). Despite all the shitty bands emo created, some of the bands in the genre were (still are) really great at playing rock ‘n’ roll. And what kid in their right mind wasn’t buying band t-shirts at Hot Topic 16 years ago? The store only had like 500 on display.

The roots of emo are in punk and post-hardcore, originating in Washington, D.C. in the mid-1980s through the outward intensity of such punk bands as Rites of Spring and Minor Threat. No, don’t ever tell people that those two bands were emo; you’ll justifiably get kicked in the face. “Emo” somehow became a term — punk rockers were getting overtly emotional onstage — passed around and eventually an entire dramatic scene. Upon research, “emo” was first printed in New Musical Express in 1995. When legendary punk hero Ian Mackaye saw “emo-core” written in an issue of Thrasher in 1985, he said it was “the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life.”

Associated genres of Emo: pop punk, indie rock, emo pop, screamo, and Midwest emo (huh?). Long Island, NY and New Jersey became hotbeds for Emo, but only the few and the proud grace this list. Eventually sponsored by major corporations on national tours, the genre started becoming a distant memory around 2010; the listeners and players started growing into distinguished adults. Until recently when underground revival bands — the likes of the Hotelier, Touche Amore, Joyce Manor, and the World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die — unearthed all the nostalgia, reminding former Emo listeners why the genre can be so damn meaningful to listen to if you’re following the correct bands. Torchbearers Brand New (now discarded from this list due to disgusting sexual misconduct allegations against Jesse Lacey), Thursday, and Glassjaw are still around as Emo is being appreciated like never before.

Before we start balling our eyes out over all the unearthed memories, here are the must-own classics of Emo. It’s going to hurt, but mostly lyrically.