Alternative rock, from darkness to light

Claire Abe — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 10:00:31 +0000

Today, I will introduce you to a very vast genre, with many sub-categories, some of which we will see later. This is alternative rock.

Let’s dig to discover this underground genre!

DISCLAIMER: This post is based on some of my knowledge and is backed up and supplemented by research done before its writing. You can find the sources at the bottom of the page.

Note: Bands/ artists I quote in the posts, I only mention them to give you an idea of the sounds you find in the different genres. But I want to be clear that over time it has become more and more complicated to do it with style blends and so on.
In addition, my goal is not to categorize artists, but to present them to you so that you discover the different possibilities that there are in rock and metal. And even make you enjoy those genres.

What is alternative rock ?

It’s a movement that emerged in the 1980s that comes directly from the underground field. It will be very popular in the 1990s.

If you don’t know, “underground” means all forms of art made outside of ordinary commercial circuits.

The alternative term is used to describe bands inspired by punk (and its derivatives), which are under contract with independent labels and rejecting the mainstream. (It is like, we are not bought, we do not want to do the shit you want! It’s a bit of the mindset. You add in the rebellion of punk and here we are)

It’s a movement that has several subgenres, including:

Grunge,
Independent rock,
Britpop,
Gothic rock,
Independent pop,
And shoegaze.

Origins of Alternative rock

Alternative rock, initially, refers to any form of underground music that has appeared as a result of the punk movement. He is influenced by the latter, the garage band and the new wave.

In addition, we can consider that some bands of it are garage bands. These are young people who gather around their love for music in their garages or other places where they can practice their art.

At the same time, some subcategories are also inspired by other musical styles such as folk music, reggae, electronic music or jazz.

But one band can be considered the founder of the genre: Hüsker Dü

Coming from punk – hardcore punk, they paved the way for all the big names of alternative rock in the 90s. With their albums Metal Circus or Zen Arcade, they will influence bands such as Nirvana, the Pixies, Dinosaur J., Sonic Youth, Green Day, Foo Fighters and more.

Thanks to Hüsker Dü:

We start talking about rather morbid facts in the songs, instead of just talking about politics. Especially with their song Diane, where they recount the murder of Diane Edwards (true fact) from the point of view of the murderer.
They played a major role in convincing the underground scene that melody and punk rock were not opposed.
It’s one of the first bands in the underground scene to give credit to university stations and to sign with a major (Warner Bross).

Alternative rock characteristics

Diffusion

Alternative metal is defined with the rejection of commercial success in popular culture. Although a few were successful, at first, alternative rock bands were all underground. They performed in small clubs and were broadcast on university radio. The latter were very important in their dissemination role. Moreover, these radio stations gained credibility when they broadcast bands that later became famous.

Their popularity also depended on word of mouth.

All of this changed with the signing of some bands in majors as well as the worldwide success of grunge which will allow different alternative rock bands to be successful. Moreover, some will consider the end of alternative rock at this very moment, when this genre becomes popular.

Bands

We generally find:

A guitarist,
The bass player,
A drummer,
And a singer.

In addition, bands include the presence of women, usually on bass and/or singing. Although the majority remains male.

Production

It’s simplified to the maximum. There is a rejection of digitization and a return to a more «raw sound».

Lyrics

We can hear lyrics about drug use, depression, or ecology. All these themes aim to respond to the social tensions of the time.

Alternative rock bands

We can mention : REM, the Pixies, Sonic Youth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More, Pavement, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Jane’s Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Go-Between, Muse, Radiohead, U2, Placebo, The Cure..

EVOLUTION

Several events should be noted for this part:

On the one hand, the genre began to die out for some during its popularization.

On the other:

The death of Kurt Cobain in April 1994

The trial between Pearl Jam and TicketMaster: The group found that the tickets were too expensive, but the latter having a monopoly on the larger venues, Pearl Jam had to bow.

The cancellation of the Loolapalooza festival in 1998, for lack of headliners.

However, a resurgence of the genre appeared in the 2000s with influenced bands or «heirs» of alternative rock such as Whites Stripes, The Killers, Linkin Park, Modest Mouse or Franz Ferdinand.

In addition, from alternative rock, alternative metal and all its derivatives developed and continue to exist to this day!

Conclusion

A parent genre to many others, as popular as he is, alternative rock has helped shape current music.

Although its popularity is the beginning of the end for some people, I personally find that its popularity has proven the creativity and talent of underground artists compared to mainstream ones. Be careful, I’m not saying that mainstream artists don’t have talent.

If you want a taste of alternative rock, you can listen to the dedicated playlist right here.

In the meantime, feel free to share the article as much as possible.

Also, you can see all the drawings / caricatures right here !

See you soon !

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