A gorgeous hardcover time capsule of the emo music scene as it was from 1996 to 2006, featuring never-before-seen photographs and never-before-told stories from key emo musicians, photographers, and icons.Â

While the term emo has become a familiar label, there was a time when that wasn’t the case. Many bands of the mid-to-late ’90s would never have classified themselves as such – back then, the term was not only inaccurate but often used derogatorily. With the advent of the 2000s, the previously underground emo scene was put on the map, and the term and sound of the genre morphed into something new.Â

A musical renaissance was happening, but bands didn’t give much thought to the label in the long term. Nothing mattered, as long as the kids came out to shows. Today, the musical and cultural impact of this movement is alive and well, responsible for some of the biggest and most influential acts of the 21st century, from Jimmy Eat World to My Chemical Romance, and the emo label has been reclaimed by those who can’t imagine life without

Through rare and never-before-seen photographs Amy Fleisher Madden, founder of Fiddler Records (Dashboard Confessional, New Found Glory, Recover, and more), thoughtfully and lovingly puts together this moving archive of the second and third waves of emo. With a foreword by Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional) and revealing essays from Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), Geoff Rickly (Thursday), Norman Brannon (Texas Is the Reason), and Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids), as well as insights and bite-sized narratives from photographers and other musicians of the era, this heartwarming time capsule expounds an extraordinary moment in music history – a scene that gave life to not only numerous big names but also to a powerful sound and even more powerful friendships.

Featuring over 80 bands, including: Jimmy Eat World Dashboard Confessional My Chemical Romance Texas Is the Reason Taking Back Sunday The Get Up Kids Thursday The Promise Ring American Football Saosin From basements and VFW halls to dive bars and hole-in-the-walls, during long overnight drives through the middle of nowhere and stolen moments of sleep in carbon-copy motels, Negatives captures the heart of what made up this tight-knit community, an official archive of life as it was, taking you on stage, behind the curtain, and on the road.

To Be Young, Gifted and Black

Negatives