Wanted: Fall Weather for my Midwest Emo Vibes

Please go away summer

I don’t know how the weather is by you, but summer is not giving up without a fight here. The past week we’ve had pretty humid days that have been in the high 70s and low 80s. And it has been wearing me out! I was tempted to skip a post this week, but sitting at my desk gives me an excuse to drink a non-alcoholic beer and enjoy some of the cool air conditioning.

The heat’s nowhere near as bad as it was a month or two ago and it’s definitely nowhere near as bad as it for people that live in places like Phoenix, Arizona.

But I am a born and true Midwesterner, so I want my four seasons, dammit!

I got a taste of crisp fall weather two weeks ago and it’s the only thing I can think about now. I yearn for the day I can wear shorts and a hoodie. For when I can be out in the sun without sweating up my shirt. I yearn to for bonfires — or pretending to go to bonfires. I haven’t been to one in ages since I live in an apartment and don’t know anyone who does bonfires, but one day I will go again and I will love it!

Despite the warm weather, I’ve been celebrating the approaching fall weather with two of my favorite activities: eating salsa and listening to Midwest Emo. (Don’t ask me why I crave salsa in the fall — it’s unexplainable to even me.)

Another way I’ll celebrate is by sharing some of my favorite Midwest emo albums with you!

American Football by American Football

I cannot talk about Midwest emo without bringing up American Football. I mean, what’s not more Midwest and emo than writing music in a smaller city like Urbana, Illinois?

They’ve got a math rocky sound to them that may not be for everyone, but it just itches a certain part of my brain in a way that not every kind of music can. It’s like the perfect amount of stimulation without taking me overboard.

Oh and here’s a fun fact: Did you know you can stay in the American Football house? It’s true and it’s on my bucket list!

best buds by Mom Jeans.

This album is sooooo whiny, but in a good way! And it only takes about five seconds to find out how whiny it is with the first line of the entire album:

“I think it’s about time that I warned you I might cry in front of you”

This album is a guilty pleasure for me. It makes me think of myself at a time as a teenager/young adult where I was way too deep in my feelings and oftentimes found other people who had the same problem. There were some fun times, but it’s not a period I’d go back to. But at least this album will let me relive some of those moments while being relieved I don’t have to actually deal with them anymore.

You’re Gonna Miss It All by Modern Baseball

The biggest reason I keep coming back to Modern Baseball is because of their wicked smart lyrics that are also a little bit punny at times. I mean what’s not to love about a line like this?

Sharp as a tack, but in the sense
That you're not smart, just a prick

They also are very much OK with making fun of themselves; there’s just a certain level of self-awareness they have that, combined with the smart lyrics, makes for an album that feels very raw and vulnerable.