From the Basement: A History of Emo Music and How It Changed Society (Music History and Punk Rock Book, for Fans of Everybody Hurts, Smash!, and Nothing Feels Good)

Following in the footsteps of music history/biography texts such as the infamous Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk and Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto, From the Basement details the rise in popularity of rock in the early 2000s. From cult loves like The Early November to giants like My Chemical Romance,From the Basement explores what it was that made indie & emo touch the hearts of so many people. Using first-hand accounts and interviews, the narrative content will be analytical and exploratory. From the Basement starts off by examining the mainstream and then grows into the sub-genres such as street political punk (Anti Flag), screamo, the more aggressive emo offshoot that got popular at around the same time, as well as the labels and the key figures that helped make this era what it was.Lastly, From the Basement will go into the cultural, social and psychological factors surrounding the genre; what `emotional' music really is and the simultaneous admiration and mocking of the sad content therein. You were a black sheep if you listened to those bands, but they also made it onto MTV and now their music is on everyone's best throwback playlists. The fashion and aesthetic of the time also follows that same storyline. You were a weirdo if you wore black nail polish, but then it became a fashion craze. People thought this type of rock was whiny, and a good part of it was. People thought it was immature, and a good part of it was. People thought those adjectives were negative, but From the Basement will explain why they're not-the beauty of the gritty, wailing music that evolved into indie, alternative and emo.

About the Author :
Taylor Markarian experienced the music wave of the early 2000s firsthand as a teenage fan. While struggling with mental health issues as well as the typical growing pains of adolescence, she found a home in indie, emo, screamo, and eventually heavier genres like metal and hardcore. Markarian followed her passion for writing and music by attending Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2014, she lived in L.A. where she interned at punk icon Brett Gurewitz’s (Bad Religion) record label, Epitaph Records. She graduated with honors from Emerson College in 2015 with a B.A. in Writing, Literature & Publishing and a minor in Music Appreciation. She has written for many print and online publications including Alternative Press, Kerrang!, Revolver, Loudwire, and Reader’s Digest. Markarian was born in New York City. She was raised and currently resides in New Jersey. Natasha Van Duser grew up in Washington, DC, at the height of the mid-2000s emo movement. She attended New York University where she majored in Music Media and Journalism with a concentration in Punk and Hardcore history. She began working in the print industry at age 19 and has written for publications such as Inked Magazine, Alternative Press, New Noise Magazine, Infectious Magazine, Freshly Inked and Hi-Fructose Magazine. After several years of conducting interviews with artists like A Day To Remember, Of Mice & Men, Alesana and Frank Iero, she began to transition out of the journalism world to pursue a career in the industry she fell in love with while working on a variety of sets: makeup! Van Duser is now a fashion and beauty makeup artist based in New York City. To this day her two favorite bands are My Chemical Romance and Green Day.

Review :
“Taylor has not only been a part of meticulously documenting the history of emo with well-researched commentary and thoughtful interviews as a journalist, but has lived and breathed it as a passionate fan.” — Rabab Al-Sharif, Executive Editor of Loudwire “She’s a force of investigative passion. Weaving history with humor, she tracks down a genre and a generation with a tremendous amount of access—and who better to take us down into the basement of it all?” — Danielle Barker, Literary Critic and Scholar “Taylor Markarian has such a unique voice and a keen understanding of the musical scenes she’s been documenting during her writing career. It was only a matter of time before she told a larger story via a book format. I’ll be reading cover to cover.” — Amy Sciarretto, Atom Splitter PR “In just a few sentences, I found myself sucked in. I was suddenly emo’s number one fan and I just had to dive deeper into the genre’s history. Taylor’s passion for music immediately captivates you and you don’t want to leave until you’ve read everything she has to say.” — Brandon Ramos, Social Media Director of Epitaph Records “I am excited to say I was interviewed for this amazing piece of work. I highly recommend it.” — Eddie Reyes, Founder of Taking Back Sunday, Fate’s Got A Driver "A definitive work on emo music." -- Jameson Ketchum, Godspeed Podcast