Emo

If emo was an attempt to break free of codified sounds and punk genre expectations, it certainly proved successful. Compare the early postpunk fervor of Rites of Spring to the bald, one-voice confessions of Bright Eyes and the radio-ready pop-rock of Fall Out Boy — and you're only scratching the surface of emo's complex evolution.

If one thing connects the sometimes radically diverse artists and songs falling under the "emo" rubric, it's intensity. That intensity comes in all forms in our Next Steps, whether it's the softly crooned emoting of Christie Front Drive, the hardcore guitar and semi-strangled screams of Still Life, or the epic melodies of Mae.

Haven't had the opportunity to keep tabs on the 20-year evolution of emo, from its D.C. beginnings to its multiple incarnations in far-flung regions (and the not so far-flung — Alexisonfire hails from St. Catharines, Ontario)? That's where our Deep Cuts come in, bringing you every flavor of this storied alternative/rock/pop sound.

It's a classic tale of musical propagation, of change begetting change. Emo — that singular brand of "emo"tionally and melodically loaded punk rock — branched out from a handful of Washington, D.C., musicians to mutate into multiple forms across the world. In the process, a designation once used to distinguish those who'd taken their mid-'80s hard stuff to the next level of dynamic experimentation has become a marker for any band that enhances its punk-informed sensibility with passion, melody, and pop. From Billy Talent to Jimmy Eat World, these are the prime movers of emo.