Alternative Music

[ndjs]

What the hell is it? I have seen everything from Rage to Bloodhound Gang to The Mountain Goats classified as alternative.

I know I have no idea what it is, but personally i just think of it more like NIN.

[Mildred Pierce]

I've always thought it was a silly title. I mean, what is it an alternative to? I think that the term generally applies to bands that take more chances with songwriting, mix genres and avoid the overhyped 'hollywood' exposure of the kelly clarksons and matchbox 20's.

Of course the title should never be taken too seriously. In the 90's Alternative music topped the charts...therefore making pop music into the alternative. That kind of gives me a headache.

[funmusicgirl]

alternative is a bs musical term...like "indie" it's terribly vague as to what the label is actually a reference to

[Mildred Pierce]

Originally Posted by funmusicgirl

alternative is a bs musical term...like "indie" it's terribly vague as to what the label is actually a reference to

Indie makes a bit more sense though...as it refers to the 'independent' status of the act/label. Even then, it's a dumb way to describe music in this day and age, now that the lines between "major" and "indie" are blurring so much.

[fizzwings]

I've always wondered about 'alternative' music as well. Some people consider any band outside the charts 'alternative' but then when they make it into the Top 10 they're still giving them the same label. Other people say that 'alternative' is a sound of its own but nobody can agree on what this sound is.

[BigAl268]

It's the same as any totally arbitrary moniker..."alternative" is no more descriptive than "indy" or "EMO" or even "rock". People will make the associations they want to make with it. There's no real way to get around that.

[Suspense]

Rather then having any specific sound connotations, Alternative music (specifically rock) is used to describe a subset of various musical scenes and genres that existed outside of the mainstream music culture of the time.

Goes back to early 60s garage rock bands to the London and New York underground scenes in the 60s, through to the punk explosion, post-punk era, the various US alternative rock scenes that spawned from the college rock and hardcore scenes, through british madchester, dream pop, shoegazing, US industrial, post-rock, no wave, noise rock/pop, post-hardcore, math rock, seattle sound etc...

The actual sound has little to do with the label at all. The Cocteau Twins and The Jesus Lizard are polar opposites in terms of the music they make, but both could accurately be described as Alternative rock.

[Sir Vlado]

What sort of bands can be put into the Alternative music category?

I'm guessing bands like Coldplay and Oasis?

[Omit]

alternative is for bands that aren't wanted by the other genres

[D_Duck]

well i feel that alternative is there for those who maybe are still exploring their musical genre they like best so that they play a little bit of a variety of differnt genres but are not one other in specifically so alternative is more of an experimentally playground for bands but most just stick with the title