Alternative Music

 Let us set the stage...

    Now I’m going to go out on a limb and assume everyone knows about alternative music. I’ll also go ahead and say most of you don’t really know what makes a song alternative. Well I sure didn't and may I just say it was hard to find an exact box to fit the music into. I guess when your goal is the break out of the box you really don't want to be put back in. Music that isn’t considered “mainstream” by most. That’s not saying that these songs can’t make it mainstream. Songs like Smells Like Teen Spirit, which helped push the genre into a mainstream setting, are well known and extremely popular. Anyways I think that is plenty to get us started with so let’s dive into the amazing world of alternative music.

What exactly is alternative?

    So you may be wondering, how did this start? Alternative music as a whole is created by artists who feel that the mainstream pop music does not fit them. They strive to create something different. They want stylistic freedom. They wanted something aggressive and new. Going against the societal expectations for music means you may not be particularly popular. And originally, these artists were not. Certain bands made hits, but the majority of the alternative community was garage bands with a presence in the underground scene. In fact, the underground setting is typically what separates alternative music from mainstream rock. There sure are a lot of sub-genres for different types of music as well. The term "alternative" covers an increasingly broad category of music that was once centered solely on edgy 90s rock. As a result, the exact definition of the term varies from person to person. But from what I've found there are some basic components that really separate the music from other genres: it goes against mainstream ideas, typically guitar driven, most contain an electronic component, a strong influence from the 70s and 80s, use of popular melodies, and a use on punk energy.

A Slight Side Note

    So alternative was a lot more than I was expecting and honestly finding an exact definition or origin was really hard. How do I know it's American? If you recall my family and music blog you met my father, the self named "audiophile." This is a pretty accurate description because he LOVES music. Specifically alternative types of music. And since he grew up in Seattle he had a front row seat to the introduction of alternative music to the mainstream in the form of grunge. Meaning I've heard more than I would like about different bands, their origins, how they started underground, etc. Besides I think we can all agree the edgy going against the status quo attitude of the music is pretty American.

The Goods

    Now, the moment you've all been waiting for: my post emo a** showing you some songs :) Let's dive in to this masterpiece that I have been cultivating all week long!

My Chemical Romance: Welcome to the Black Parade

    Very emo... If you had a middle school emo phase (or a child who did) you probably know this band at least. And this is one of their bigger songs. The band has a very goth look and has been given many different descriptions as far as what genre they really are. Obviously, I'm saying they are alternative rock. The band got their start in the underground on the East Coast and rose to fame in the early 2000s. Now I want you to listen for these components when you listen to the song, because it really does fit our categories: ideas against the mainstream views, pop influence, guitar driven, punk influence, electronic aspects. 

    My my just look at those outfits. The video alone shows some not so pop-looking visuals. Unless you were steam-punk or goth I don't think that would be what you would necessarily look for in a video. Which is perfect for out purpose. The beginning of the song has a rather light hearted soft melody, showing off the pop influence on the song. But once we really get started we can definitely hear the shift more towards the punk sound as the music gets a little more harsh sounding. Did you notice how much the guitar was used? This song definitely fits the "guitar-driven" quality as it was used in different ways to convey different sounds throughout the song. Now as far as electronic sounds, we got some electric instruments. Not exactly techno, but it is electric and it definitely adds to the music in my opinion. 

Violent Femmes: Blister in the Sun

    This lovely addition to our list is a proud member of my 80s playlist. I always said my parents were the emos of the 80s and this is my proof. Violent Femmes is regarded as the most popular alternative band of the 80s, when alternative was in its infancy. If I'm being perfectly honest as I googled lists of "best alternative songs" this bad boy popped out to me because I have screamed this in my car a few times. I couldn't really tell you what instruments are being used besides a guitar and a drum. And honestly the lyrics don't make a ton of sense to me. But the weird overall sound isn't mainstream. It has that guitar and it almost sounds like pop, but the lyrics do not match. Which means we meet quite a few common categories! So take a listen:

    It may not make a ton of sense to me but my goodness do I vibe to it! Does this fit into every category I listed? No, but it's like I said earlier: the definition changes from person to person. Alternative music is made with the purpose of breaking out of a box, so putting them all back in a box just wouldn't make a whole lot of sense. I really like this song though and I think it reminds us that alternative isn't just grunge. And I forgot to mention, you are 80s influence when the song is from the 80s!

Wheatus: I'm Just a Teenage Dirtbag

    

    I randomly started singing this and low and behold it's alternative rock! I was originally going to use my cry song, Losing My Religion, but why do that when we can have this bop that I forgot existed. I think I've gone over what makes a song alt enough times that you get the point so this listen is all up to you. This poor band doesn't get too much attention, which was made clear by an article about them that talks more about Taylor Swift than them.

I'm Done Now

    So yes this was much much harder than I thought. Even after the painfully hard search for good websites and definitions, lots of changes in plans, and a tough time picking songs this is still my favorite genre of music. So I hope you maybe learned a little. I also really hope that was at the very least comprehendible.