Four Minute Mile

Released in 1997, Four Minute Mile is the debut studio album by The Get Up Kids and stands as a foundational pillar of the 'Midwest Emo' subgenre. Recorded in just two days with producer Bob Weston of Shellac, the album possesses a legendary 'live' feel that captures the band's youthful energy and lack of artifice. While their follow-up, Something to Write Home About, would introduce more keyboards and polished production, Four Minute Mile is defined by its raw, twin-guitar attack and Matt Pryor’s signature strained vocal delivery. The album was instrumental in establishing Vagrant Records as a powerhouse in the independent scene. Critics often cite it as a bridge between the abrasive post-hardcore of the early 90s and the more melodic indie-pop-influenced emo that would dominate the early 2000s. Its influence can be heard in nearly every emo-pop band that followed, though few matched its genuine sense of urgency.