With an apartment to myself I find
myself spending a lot of time listening to music to drown out the
silence, and occasionally I'll sing along when I see that my neighbor
isn't home. I really enjoy music and it has been a big part of my
life for a long time. Anyone who visits my office at school
frequently knows that I enjoy listening to jazz while I work, but the
brave souls who have squeezed through the clutter and ridden in my
car will be aware that I also have a strong affinity for
post-hardcore.
For those of you who don't know what
post-hardcore means, it is a genre of music which utilizes a lot of
heavy base and percussion along with a high level of volume.
Post-hardcore songs typically have fast tempos, and some common
characteristics are song titles that have nothing to do with the
actual content of the song and an atypical song structure. But
probably the most recognizable attribute of a post-hardcore band is
the blending of clean and unclean vocals. In other words the vocal
track of the songs alternate between harsh screaming and melodic
crooning.
In general the lyrics of post-hardcore
songs are vent-sessions with the implication that everything sucks,
people are cruel and selfish, and no-one or nothing will ever make
you lastingly happy. Which is basically the antithesis of my life. I
mean, I have positive obsessions with everything from Nintendo games
and anime to barefoot trail running and needlessly complex fantasy
novels. I spend most of my days surrounded by the eternal optimism of
elementary school aged kids and I take every chance I get to hang out
with my friends and family. I love my job and the place I live and
I'm more than content with my lifestyle. I had an enviable homelife
and a successful college career. If there is anyone who should be
disqualified from post-hardcore it's me. There is no reason that I
should be able to relate.
But post-hardcore is the genre that
I'm drawn to more often and more deeply than any other. Part of that
is because I like the juxtaposition of the harsh and clean vocals and
because I like the instrumental intensity and fast pace. More than
that, though, I think I like post-hardcore because it feels so
honest. Post-hardcore understands human depravity in a way that no
other genre seems to—even (sometimes especially) more than
Christian music. There is no illusion of finding happiness in
something like “true love” or friends or alcohol or drugs or sex
or revenge or home or family or fame or whatever else every other
style of music celebrates. Post-hardcore assumes a certain level of
ennui. And I like that reminder that searching for joy in worldly
pleasures will leave you empty and hollow. I think that's why I know
so many post-hardcore fans who have been converted to Christianity,
and why several of the students that I lead to Christ were students
that I initially bonded with over a shared love for Dance Gavin Dance
and Pierce the Veil. Post-hardcore is for people who are lost and
know it, and that's a good place for God to start working in your
life.
If you're intrigued and want to
explore the world of Post-hardcore I'll give you the list of my ten
favorite bands from the genre here and you can check them out:
- Dance Gavin Dance
- Emery
- Slaves
- Pierce the Veil
- Tides of Man
- I the Mighty
- Closure in Moscow
- Broadway
- I See Stars
- Breathe Carolina
Here's a YouTube playlist with some of
my favorite tracks from each band. Disclaimer: the songs are mostly
dark and intense and depressing, but that hopelessness shouldn't be
the end of the story.
And if post-hardcore isn't your thing
I will be posting my thoughts on some of the other genres I enjoy
soon; including jazz, punk, alternative rock, electronic, post-rock, and video
game soundtracks. Yeah, my music library is an eclectic place.
