What is emo? For starters it's a form of melodic, confessional, or EMOtional punk rock. But emo is more than a genre of music–it's the defining counterculture movement of the '00s. EVERYBODY HURTS is a reference book for emo, tracing its angsty roots all the way from Shakespeare to Holden Caufield to today's most popular bands. There's nothing new about that perfect chocolate and peanut butter combination––teenagers and angst. What is new is that emo is the first cultural movement born on the internet. With the development of early social networking sites like Make Out Club (whose mission is to unite "like–minded nerds, loners, indie rockers, record collectors, video gamers, hardcore kids, and artists through friendship, music, and sometimes even love") outcast teens had a place to find each other and share their pain, their opinions, and above all, their music–which wasn't available for sale at the local record store. Authors Leslie Simon and Trevor Kelley lead the reader through the world of emo including its ideology, music, and fashion, as well as its influences on film, television, and literature. With a healthy dose of snark and sarcasm, EVERYBODY HURTS uses diagrams, illustrations, timelines, and step–by–step instructions to help the reader successfully achieve the ultimate emo lifestyle. Or, alternately, teach him to spot an emo kid across the mall in order to mock him mercilessly.

Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo tells the story of a cultural moment that's happening right now-the nexus point where teen culture, music, and the web converge to create something new. While shallow celebrities dominate the headlines, pundits bemoan the death of the music industry, and the government decries teenagers for their morals (or lack thereof) earnest, heartfelt bands like Dashboard Confessional, Jimmy Eat World, and Thursday are quietly selling hundreds of thousands of albums through dedication, relentless touring and respect for their fans. This relationship - between young people and the empathetic music that sets them off down a road of self-discovery and self-definition - is emo, a much-maligned, mocked, and misunderstood term that has existed for nearly two decades, but has flourished only recently. In Nothing Feels Good, Andy Greenwald makes the case for emo as more than a genre - it's an essential rite of teenagehood. From the '80s to the '00s, from the basement to the stadium, from tour buses to chat rooms, and from the diary to the computer screen, Nothing Feels Good narrates the story of emo from the inside out and explores the way this movement is taking shape in real time and with real hearts on the line. Nothing Feels Good is the first book to explore this exciting moment in music history and Greenwald has been given unprecedented access to the bands and to their fans. He captures a place in time and a moment on the stage in a way only a true music fan can.

For many, the word “emo” calls to mind angsty teenagers, shaggy black haircuts, and skinny jeans. A popular music phenomenon in the early 2000s, emo is short for “emotional hardcore,” and refers to both a music genre and a youth scene notable for its androgynous style. Judith May Fathallah pushes beyond the stereotypes and social stigma to explore how online fandom has shaped the definition of emo, with significant implications both for millennial constructs of gender and for contemporary fan studies. First laying out the debate over what emo is, Fathallah walks superfans and newcomers through the culture surrounding thegenre’s major bands, including the emo holy trinity: My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At the Disco. Next she examines fans’ main mode of participation in the emo subculture—online communities such as LiveJournal, Tumblr, MySpace, and band websites. Taking a hard look at the gender politics that dominated those spaces, she unearths a subculture that simultaneously defines itself by its sensitivity and resistance to traditional forms of masculinity, yet ruthlessly enforces homophobic and sexist standards. Fathallah demonstrates fandom’s key role in defining emo as a concept and genre after 2001, with probing insight into its implications for gender constructions through popular music.

From Dashboard Confessional, Thursday, and Jimmy Eat World to My Chemical Romance, Paramore, and Fall Out Boy, Say The Quiet Part Out Loud is an ebook chronicling the rise, fall, and rise again of a genre of music that was both vilified and celebrated. This is part 1 of 3, telling the exciting and crazy story of 2000s emo.

Lina had the idyllic childhood—until descending into mental chaos. Caught in a chaotic world of her own making, Lina resorts to recording her teenage thoughts to make sense of her anguish. She shares the details of her life obsessively with her sister and her friends, in millions of words eventually found by their father. Lost in the dark, Lina navigates the childhood evidence later found in her archives. But will her research open a pathway to love—or help her continue down the path of blame, false memories, and spite? The past and present events are Lina’s direct experience through her eyes and words, faithfully condensed by her father. The future events—Lina’s therapy and mature reflections—were projected by the author and a senior psychologist with access to the source material. Love her or hate her, through Lina's own heart-wrenching language the reader steps into her broken inner world to experience firsthand the emotions, depression, obsessions, irrationality, and ruthlessness of teenage borderline personality disorder. Emo Reality shines a light into the dark corners of adolescent mental illness, proving this disorder is not just a phase and demonstrating its ravages not just upon an individual, but also upon a whole family. ★★★★★ “An unusual book about mental health and family dynamics, strangely compelling, like peeking into a diary. Some readers will bounce off the language, but those who connect will see how mental struggle can affect a family in ripples and crashing waves.”—Amelia J. ★★★★★ “As a mental health therapist I found the mental health representation to be accurate and insightful. A great job of crafting an interesting narrative based on lived experience, and ending with valuable information.”—Stephanie L. ★★★★★ “This book brought me to tears as Lina recounts episodes of hallucinations and misremembering. More than a case study, this is a harrowing exploration of a life living with mental illness.”—Alicia C. ★★★★★ “The reader feels the visceral emotions Lina experiences and the anger, desperation, and isolation she endures. This book is a significant entry into books about mental health and brings the enormity of the psychiatric situation to bear upon the reader.”—Betsy B.

A deep dive into the cultural, social, and psychological impact that the emo scene had on pop culture—featuring inside stories from music legends. Though music always comes from a unique time and place, its influence can be timeless and universal. In the 1990s and 2000s, an explosion of indie, emo, and punk rock carried a raw emotional that has resonated with listeners ever since. In From the Basement, music journalist Taylor Markarian examines the underground emo scene that had an indelible influence on popular culture. Markarian grew up in the emo scene. She’s been backstage with Hawthorne Heights and appeared in a Senses Fail music video. With her intimate perspective, she explores not only the music itself but its fans and creators. With extensive band interviews and an exploration of music’s relationship to culture and mental health, From the Basement demonstrates that there’s much more to emo than black eyeliner and colored Converse.

Hey Suburbia: A Guide to the Emo/Pop-Punk Rise chronicles the music of the Warped Tour generation that launched bands like Paramore and My Chemical Romance into superstardom. Music journalist Mike Damante covered the genre for one of the largest media companies in North America, and has compiled the stories of 1990s-2000s emo and pop-punk explosion as told by himself, the bands, publicists, and the fans who never stopped listening. Featuring interviews with blink-182, Taking Back Sunday, Descendents, Dashboard Confessional, New Found Glory, Good Charlotte, Alkaline Trio, The Get Up Kids, Motion City Soundtrack, Saves The Day and others. Hey Suburbia: A Guide to the Emo/Pop-Punk Rise is a new anthem for your underground.