Why do people use a genre of music to describe themselves?
This is nothing new. Most types of music lead back to a persons likes.
Country Music singing about chain-sawing woman riding with the daisy Dukes, rebel flag cowboy hat in a 1960's red caddy kissing on their man who just came in covered in dirt from a hard 13 hour day on a cat bulldozer or bouncing back into the house (trailer) ready for biscuits and sweet loving making while singing "The USA is gonna kick some ass".
So if you go out to the Sat night dance in PO-Dunk Oklahoma you best be wearing your tight blue Genes, shined up cowboy boots, a plaid or western style shirt, with the best cowboy style hat your day job allows you to buy. If you come into the dance driving a Jetta or a Toyota Rav4 you're already in a heap of trouble. I promise you that Donna Summer won't be the music of choice at this weekly ritual and mention a few words about liking Michael Moore after a few cold ones and you will likely find yourself "politely" asked to leave, and if you blurt out you went to see the Dixie Chicks in concert you will get stares as if someone burned the bible cast out of your peer group no matter how jacked up your Ford F-250 is in its best waxed blue paint with the chrome roll bar and BFG 41" mudder's.
Myself, not now as much but when a bit younger and in a metal band we had our black metal `cliche looks such as chains, leather, long ass hair, upside crosses, silver earrings - never gold, and roughed up boots, it was almost always black.
Our bands are Slayer, My dying Bride, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and such.
Our movies include zombies and as much blood and guts as possible as long as they look real. If you never heard of the Necronomicon what the fuck was the matter with you? A burning bible was acceptable more to prove you fit in than any real message for most.
...and after a few dozen "Screwdrivers", (Vodka, & beer the major poison of choice.... not wine coolers or Mike's Hard lemonade) ... if someone blurted out they just went to a Dixie Chicks show they would be given the stare of death and maybe cast out.
If you show up to a hang out wearing Izod, fancy little whimpy jewelry, a golden tan just coming from the gym looking for a T-dance asking why "Babs", Madonna, or Cher isn't playing from the juke box you were in the wrong venue,.... Club Bunz was down the street.
Punks, Goths, grind metal, death metal, glam metal, are example of other genre's of music are the ones of many that have a culture related to music

Yes to EMO's for me, I can relate though different in peer group overall.
</IMG>
~Mike