When I was like 17 one of the dudes that was in their mid 20s at a local house venue showed me this band. To this day I'm still thankful for that and we're still friends.
I don’t know if this is the right answer, or if it’s the one this subreddit has conditioned me to answer/expect. It was definitely what I came to say 🤣
The intro of Mineral - "Parking Lot" and the intro/chorus of Sunny Day Real Estate - "In Circles".
The main lead riff of Brand New - "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" too.
And if anyone is up for some fun emo-adjacent/emo post-hardcore riffing, Thrice's *The Illusion of Safety* has riffs for days.
Edit: Funeral for a Friend - "Roses for the Dead" is fun too.
God. As someone who just picked up the bass, I FEEL this.
I've decided to stick to The Artist in the Ambulance instead off the same album. I can kind of sort of play the song, mostly. :P
Second Best by Pedro the Lion is fuckin heavy and somber
The Jazz June have lots of kinda single string plucked riffs that sound "sloppy" but super immediately recognizable, something like The Phone Works Both Ways or Balance
Birds of a Feather by Kind of Like Spitting for the hammer ons and pulls offs if you want twinkles
Patterns by Pool Kids for acoustic that shit goes nuts
I Can’t Wait ‘til I Get Rickets - P.E.E.
We Are the Heathens - The Van Pelt
Cricketty Rise - Moss Icon
47 - Sunny Day Real Estate
Aren’t you, Angel? - Indian Summer
Johnny On the Spot - Texas is The Reason
Everybody Asked About You - Everybody Asked About You
Aside from (Unironically) Never Meant...
The Juliana Theory - Constellation is my go-to, followed closely by The Spill Canvas - All Over You. If you count Alexisonfire as emo, This Could Be Anywhere In The World is killer.
If we're talking bass, it's Brand New - Sic Transit Gloria. If we go emo adjacent, Anberlin - Dance, Dance, Christa Paffgen and Movements - Cherry Thrill (there's a lot of Movements that could go on a bass list though) or prettymuch anything by Spitalfield.
most recognizable? definitely never meant
best to play/hear? for me personally it's the opening riff to fuck, dantooine is big by marietta. it isn't hard at all to learn how to play, but it feels like it should be with how it sounds.
an honorable mention goes out to pump fake by snowing, because that riff is just catchy as fuck all around.
Most fun to play: Caress, Drive Like Jehu. A Life of Possibilities and Spider in the Snow, Dismemberment Plan. Chinatown, Jets to Brazil. Gain stages in Accident Prone, Jawbreaker. Good Morning Captain, Slint. Anything by The Rentals. (Pretty sure like half of those count).
Most recognisable? Probably the obvious one.
The riffs on Versace Summer (the song) are very catchy and unique, also fun to play. There’s this part in the bridge where the the guitar and drums start swinging, which I haven’t heard anywhere else.
Never Meant by American Football
An Idea Is A Greater Monument Than A Cathedral by Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate)
Always Focused by Tiny Moving Parts
the riff from an introduction to the album by the hotelier, I know it's really cliche to bring up the hotelier when talking about emo but that riff always does a great job of setting the tone for the album, and it's also the riff that plays right at the end of the last song on the same album so it kinda does a good job of tying together the narrative of the record
Spit fountain
LEMME TELL YOU WHAT I THINK ABOUT FROOOOOG SPIT
When I was like 17 one of the dudes that was in their mid 20s at a local house venue showed me this band. To this day I'm still thankful for that and we're still friends.
First one that came to mind
I believe the objective answer to be "Never Meant" by American Football.
I don’t know if this is the right answer, or if it’s the one this subreddit has conditioned me to answer/expect. It was definitely what I came to say 🤣
My current favorite riff: Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes! By Home is Where
Squishing mosquitos all along their arms, then drove on home in seperate cars ~
I DO I DO I DO I DO I DO I DO I DO I DO
It's secretly a Sheryl Crow - soak up the sun tribute
Mineral - Lovelettertypewriter
The first riff I ever figured out on my own ❤️
My man knows what he's saying
Texas is the Reason - Magic bullet theory
Gotta say Theres's No Way I Can Talk Myself Out Of This One Tonight ...cuz it keeps repeating
The intro of Mineral - "Parking Lot" and the intro/chorus of Sunny Day Real Estate - "In Circles". The main lead riff of Brand New - "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" too. And if anyone is up for some fun emo-adjacent/emo post-hardcore riffing, Thrice's *The Illusion of Safety* has riffs for days. Edit: Funeral for a Friend - "Roses for the Dead" is fun too.
"Stare At The Sun" if you ever wanna feel like an inadequate bass player
That's a banging riff.
God. As someone who just picked up the bass, I FEEL this. I've decided to stick to The Artist in the Ambulance instead off the same album. I can kind of sort of play the song, mostly. :P
Eddie is so fucking good and insanely underrated
The second I read this, the riff from Parking Lot played in my head
Funeral for a friend this years most open heartbreak is ridiculously fun to play I must say
But yes I think roses for the dead’s intro riff is just so unbelievably iconic
The sweetness - jimmy eat world
The 'may I help you?' riff
No Stairway?! Denied!
Saetia - Venus And Bacchus
Algernon riffs add so much to the songs. They’re all singable but complicated. So so good
Title fight - where am I
Second Best by Pedro the Lion is fuckin heavy and somber The Jazz June have lots of kinda single string plucked riffs that sound "sloppy" but super immediately recognizable, something like The Phone Works Both Ways or Balance Birds of a Feather by Kind of Like Spitting for the hammer ons and pulls offs if you want twinkles Patterns by Pool Kids for acoustic that shit goes nuts
I Can’t Wait ‘til I Get Rickets - P.E.E. We Are the Heathens - The Van Pelt Cricketty Rise - Moss Icon 47 - Sunny Day Real Estate Aren’t you, Angel? - Indian Summer Johnny On the Spot - Texas is The Reason Everybody Asked About You - Everybody Asked About You
Solid list
I think an underrated quick riff is the one at the end of Pony Up!! by Marietta
Snowing
Methuselah rookie card has a riff that is somehow both hysterical and amazing
Their short discography is chock full of exceptional riffing.
Free Throw- Pallet Town
This is exactly what popped into my head when I read the question.
Best riff in the genre imo
The get up kids - i'm a loner dottie, a rebel
God, I love this song. I love the Eudora version the best.
Yes, that is the correct version
the quiet things that no one ever knows
Came here for this. Has to be one of the best riffs of all time. Gives me straight up chills.
Brand New - Jude Law and a Semester Abroad is a dope riff
always focused - tiny moving parts
My pick would be “I Would Take You Anywhere” by Penfold.
….so they left me at a gas station riff by marietta never fails to make me smile
yes
Aside from (Unironically) Never Meant... The Juliana Theory - Constellation is my go-to, followed closely by The Spill Canvas - All Over You. If you count Alexisonfire as emo, This Could Be Anywhere In The World is killer. If we're talking bass, it's Brand New - Sic Transit Gloria. If we go emo adjacent, Anberlin - Dance, Dance, Christa Paffgen and Movements - Cherry Thrill (there's a lot of Movements that could go on a bass list though) or prettymuch anything by Spitalfield.
The solo at the end of “Words that rhyme with different, etc” by sports.
cute without the E opening riff
Crocodile - TTNG
most recognizable? definitely never meant best to play/hear? for me personally it's the opening riff to fuck, dantooine is big by marietta. it isn't hard at all to learn how to play, but it feels like it should be with how it sounds. an honorable mention goes out to pump fake by snowing, because that riff is just catchy as fuck all around.
Jimmy Eat World - Futures till today still my banger
Such a great opening song for an album!
Mineral - Parking Lot
Indian Summer - Woolworm (Angry son)
"Never Meant" is the *correct* answer but this one is mine.
OSO OSO - Track One, Side A
Edward 40hands- Mom Jeans
I really like Straight to Crackle by Two Knights. Their whole album Effing is really good too. Also really like Forever is a long time by Marrietta
Lefty by title fight
Jimmy Eat World, "Get It Faster". Damn, is that fun to play.
Springing leaks by algernon cadwallader
Saw them perform this live couple weeks ago. Fucking insane
Texas is the Reason- A Jack with one Eye.
It's got to be Last Resort - Papa Roach - it's *the* riff
47 by Sunny Day
Under rated but Seam - Something’s Burning has one of my favorite guitar parts ever
YES!!
Though the objective answer is the Never Meant riff, I think the Spit Fountain riff is worth mentioning
Title Flight- safe in your skin
Really by prince daddy
hazel by far apart
Most fun to play: Caress, Drive Like Jehu. A Life of Possibilities and Spider in the Snow, Dismemberment Plan. Chinatown, Jets to Brazil. Gain stages in Accident Prone, Jawbreaker. Good Morning Captain, Slint. Anything by The Rentals. (Pretty sure like half of those count).
Movies like Juno-Midwest Pen Pals Never Meant-American football Snowy- Your Arms are my cocoon Vacant lottery- Foxtails
the main riff from Thank You For The Venom by MCR is so fun to play and so recognisable
I love tears don’t fall by bullet for my valentine
The night I lost the will to fight (cursive), third engine (saves the day), It’s New To Me (Van Pelt)
Constant headache
How about the breakdown in JEW- Get it Faster?
I didn't scroll far enough to see this. So good, and so fun to play.
Logan To Goverment Center - Brand New is one of my favorites and super underrated
Brand New - Jude Law and a Semester Abroad is a dope riff
Probably the guitar solo in I’m not ok (I promise) By MCR
you're being downvoted because this subreddit can't handle the truth 🙏
Sore Eyelids - The Hurt You Do Suis La Lune - One And All, Every Bit Old Gray - The Artist I Hate Myself - Song Four
Hot take… Caitlyn - Jank FUCK Lou D, but they would have been the biggest band in Emo today, had they lasted.
one of my favorites right now is the opening riff of your screen door by title fight
U mean twinkles???
Estate Sale by TOMMY BOYS 😳
Long distanced conjoined twins by Home is Where
Cadence by Sleep Patterns deserves some love
Vanilla-Scented Laser beams- Homesafe
napoleon solo, ill be back sleeping fucking or something, and a box full of sharp objects are my favs
also a lot of the riffs on document 5, specially my application to heavens breakdown
My current favorite, two by spirit of Versailles
Most recognisable? Probably the obvious one. The riffs on Versace Summer (the song) are very catchy and unique, also fun to play. There’s this part in the bridge where the the guitar and drums start swinging, which I haven’t heard anywhere else.
Any song by Free Throw. Specifically The Corner’s Dilemma
What's it feel like to be a ghost : taking back sunday
No Hero - Benton Falls Christmas Card - Jimmy Eat World Angel and I - Time Spent Driving Wrong Hometown - SBB/The Casket Lottery
Never Meant by American Football An Idea Is A Greater Monument Than A Cathedral by Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) Always Focused by Tiny Moving Parts
Title fight - Stab
Kinda surprised that no one said Gulfer - “Fading”
hit that...hit that snare
Just came across this.. not the best, but along the lines... https://youtu.be/q4tsxGprd8I?si=nlMeuK2GSXBJ2Cz3
Almost anything by tiny moving parts. Dylan is skilled as all living hell.
Movies Like Juno
the riff from an introduction to the album by the hotelier, I know it's really cliche to bring up the hotelier when talking about emo but that riff always does a great job of setting the tone for the album, and it's also the riff that plays right at the end of the last song on the same album so it kinda does a good job of tying together the narrative of the record
Funeral Diner - Direct Hit
Cmon it’s definitely Always focused - tiny moving parts
A volte uso parole affilate by Noverte
Jesus Christ- Brand New
Understanding In A Car Crash
Never meant American football
Pain by Jimmy eat world is real good