27. Taking Back Sunday and Brand New

These bands may not have invented emo music, but they proved it commercially viable, creating the first internationally recognized rock scene on LI. In just a few short years, these local heroes have gone from playing VFW halls to packing arenas, becoming bona fide music industry darlings and setting the standard for their genre. At this moment, garage band singers across America are trying their darnedest to croon like BN’s (pictured) dashing Jesse Lacey or whip a microphone through the air like TBS’s hyperkinetic Adam Lazzara.