What the heck is Alternative Rock anyway?

[BAGWIS]

So... from my own memory, I remember when the term "alternative rock" was started back in the late 80's and early 90's. It was mostly college rock indie bands, or at least rock music that was not on the mainstream.

So now that "alternative rock" is mainstream... what is the real alternative, and what the heck is "alternative rock" anyway?????

[Natalia]

that is a great question kuya... lemme ponder on it for awhile...

[bing]

many different genres were born in the 80's and 90's. people didn't know what to call them so they used Alternative to every new music that didn't fall into the usual blues, jazz, pop, rock 'n' roll genres.

today Alternative is overly used. with so many genres being born and mixed and matched, everything is Alternative to everything.hahaha!

[saD dAS]

well said..plain and simple.

[onat]

ok..ok...correct me if im wrong(and i prolly am)....during the early 80's..after the disco backlash..mainstream pop, rock, etc..rules and others stayed underground like the CBGB days (The Ramones, New York Dolls etc..etc..)we know of.. time passes and the undergrounders mature (and prolly most of em became college students if not OD'ed)thought that "hmm maybe im too old to play punk or metal or wear mohawk but i still don't like listening to what the radio is playing" so came, alternative rock!! which only played via independent radio stations such as college radio stations and usually aired during wee hours to keep students awake during study sessions, as far as i can remember, the first bands became the crossover new wave/alternative were the likes of REM, Joy Division, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Mission and some Goth bands such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Bolshoi, Samhain, The Cure (used to write very dark lyrics way before "Boys Don't Cry"), punk bands such as Sex Pistols, Minor Threat, Social Distortion, Corrosion Of Confirmity, and also we should not forget the political / environmental charged bands such as The Midnight Oil, The Clash, The Smiths , U2 etc..etc.. catered the adolescent listeners at the comfort in their respective dorms...as you noticed most of these bands were English because during those times, United States were not exactly ready for such genre and few bands are formed...In our loving Philippines has a different history of alternative...during Marcos Regime (Martial Law), this genre is used to fuel our grievances, pains we have experienced during the said regime...since we cannot voice out through newspapers etc (media blackout)...then voiced out through music and played during rallies...but it needs to be heard from appari to jolo..thus, 102WXB was born...at first, to hide its intentions from the military..plays different rock/new wave..but slowly they begin to play Heber, Asin, etc...After 1986 Revolution, and the end of the regime..the final airing of 102WXB the day after Marcos fled to hawaii..bid farewell and change its format to WRR...3 years after..Power 105 DZBM aired, they usually play English bands, I remembered the first song they played was Suedehead by The Smiths..changed my life forever..heheh..after a year NU107 was born and among their playlist were The Dawn, Identity Crisis, After Image (they used to be very heavy...)etc..etc...so that's how i know it started..Alternative Rock....in case i am wrong...im sorry po!!!

[RoXin]

Nice!!! Thanks for the history lesson Onats! I feel enlightened!

[saD dAS]

nalunod ako onat! bagsik!

[Lawrence]

Alternative, i know it traces back from early 80's, with bands that uses synthesizer with bands like The Cure, New Order etc. i know "Alternative Rock" started in early 90's during the grunge era with Nirvana and Pearl Jam as rivals... I describe this genre where a band attempts to crossover or experiment with more than one genre of music, other than being stuck in to a hair metal band of course with elements of Rock music (dist. guitar, lead solos) , with bands like Sublime, No Doubt, 311, Incubus, Radiohead, Rage...

[Lawrence]

kasi VH-1 Classic used to show a block of early Alternative music videos and I always see these bands there and I also hear these bands on a Q101 shuffle... i think new wave are also part of alternative roots cause they were the first ones to experiment electronic sounds (before techno existed)

[chicago chic]

hi guys! glad to be part of this group.

anywho..hmm, lets see...from what i've researched :D its says that: "Alternative" can describe music that challenges the status quo and that is "fiercely iconoclastic, anticommercial, and antimainstream,". do u guys approve of this? for me, its probably somewhat of 'self expression or self actualization' (a simpler and nicer way of defining it) isn't that what most musicians do with their music?

[Lawrence]

"fiercely iconoclastic, anticommercial, and antimainstream," dude that sounds like punk rock to me!!

[chicago chic]

hmm...sounds like it...well, i think alternative is a means for experimentalism, as if saying, "its cool to be different". and here is another stuff i read about this topic: "According to urbandictionary.com, indie rock, such as Modest Mouse, Le Tigre and Stellastar, evolved from "lo-fi" experimental 1960's rock, the 1970's punk scene and the "alternative" rock movement of the early 90's. After the mainstream adopted "alternative" music such as No Doubt and REM, indie rock became the new alternative." so is it right to say alternative = indie music? coz i thought they were different. share ur thoughts please :D

[Lawrence]

Alternative music was also known for Indie bands, meaning bands that are unsigned and dared themselves to be different..but during the mid 90's i think, the term Indie was taken out of context from its' original meaning by creating another genre where the term "Indie" is being used where we exposed more music from UK. Today, this genre "Indie Rock" music had became such a trend since 2005 with bands like The Bravery, The Arctic Monkey's, Franz Ferdinand, The Hives etc. where it has the sounds of disco-beat kind of drumming, constant fast strumming of a fuzzy electric guitar, bad singing etc. whenever we see a music video on MTV that sounds like this everyone would say, "That's Indie", even popular rock bands are starting adapt this kind of "Indie Rock" sound! So the today's Alternative has this sound which I don't really like!