Sadness from a high place

Here comes more negativity! The artist on the spotlight today is Hawthorne Heights. Maybe spotlight is a bit too much. Let's try limelight. No, that's still to bright (actually, I think it might be the same thing). How about blacklight? Woah, we'll probably see things we'd wish we hadn't! OK, no light. Actually, that might be a little dangerous considering who we're discussing. Alright, how about in a cleared outdoor area that's not too close and not too far from civilization? Yeah, that sounds good.

So, the artist in the starlight is Hawthorne Heights. The reason behind the long-winded introduction is to reflect the fact that the band members aren't real attention seekers and their music has a dark and melancholy atmosphere. This quintet from Dayton, Ohio exploded into the scene in 2004 with their debut The Silence in Black and White. They are best known for their first single "Ohio Is for Lovers," which the mainstream public affectionately classifies as "The Emo Anthem."

Now, I can (and probably will) spend an entire post on what emo is, what emo isn't, and how emo isn't really an actual genre. But the focus remains on this post-hardcore band. In a nutshell, post-hardcore is a derivative of hardcore punk that focuses more on the content and composition of songs. The heavy distortion and occasional screams still have a place, but the quiet-loud dynamics of alternative rock are taken to heart, allowing for the expression of deeply personal themes and some experimentation in sound (solos, harmonics, breakdowns, etc.).

Hawthorne Heights' sound wasn't new, as post-hardcore has been around since the mid/late-80's, but it was fresh to the mainstream. Thanks to heavy rotation of singles on buzz radio and MTV (when the "M" stood for something), TSIBAW was certified Gold and became the best-seller in Victory Records' catalog (which includes other post-hardcore acts like Taking Back Sunday). Their 2006 sophmore release, If Only You Were Lonely, also succeeded in the charts.

An unexpected turn for the band occured on 24 November 2007 with the death of Casey Calvert. Calvert, who provided guitar and unclean (screamed) vocals, died of accidental causes involving antidepressants and his asthma condition. After some coping time, the band decided to move forward without a replacement. They released Fragile Future in 2008, featuring a turn towards the alternative direction. In 2010, Skeletons was released with lead guitarist Micah Carli taking up unclean vocals.

For many, Hawthorne Heights was part of that "emo" phase that everyone was going through between 2004-2006. And although it is unfortunate that the success of their band and their genre sort of panned out with the passing of a member, they don't let that deter their ambition, which is just to make music. And their influence can be heard in the recent wave of metalcore teens and the few post-hardcore acts that are still truckin'.

"Pens and Needles" by Hawthorne Heights

Saying goodbye this time,

Kelvin