emo: e-mo 1. a much mocked, maligned, and misunderstood term for melodic, expressive, and confessional punk rock


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- mocked, maligned, 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.


Get on the bus with Dashboard Confessional and get unprecedented access to the head, heart, and life of Chris Carrabba.
Tour Texas with Jimmy Eat World as they celebrate their unlikely chart triumph.
Hang out inside the New Jersey home of Thursday singer Geoff Rickly and hear how hardcore saved and then changed his life.
Sit down with Taking Back Sunday – see how friendship spawned a favorite band.
Discover how mild-mannered Replacements fan Rich Egan built Vagrant Records into a multi-million dollar empire and turned punk orthodoxy on its ear.
Uncover the true story and origins of influential and controversial community sites like makeoutclub.com and livejournal.com.
Instant Message with hundreds of your friends, peers, classmates, fans, siblings, and children. Hear their hopes, dreams, fears, and loves – and see how emo, no matter what it sounds like, is really their story.


Plus: Weezer, Rites of Spring, Jawbreaker, Sunny Day Real Estate, New Found Glory, The Promise Ring, Braid, Texas Is the Reason, Mineral, The Starting Line . . . and much, much more.


NOTHING FEELS GOOD
Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; (November 2003)
ISBN: 0312308639