Alternative Dead?
 

I was wondering what you guys think about this whole idea? It doesn't seem like many up and coming bands/artists want to be in the whole "alternative" setting, and choose more of a pop/punk way of being. Also, not many alternative groups are making it that big anymore (besides Dave Matthews Band, but they are old school) :wavey:

I agree that we don't hear as much about Alternative bands as we use to. It may be dying out a little or going underground to appear later. I know there are still Alternative bands that are being formed, but I just don't think we're getting much exposure to them.

Well said.

Alternative on the pop scene is mostly dead. What people push as "Alt" or "Modern" rock nowadays (radio, not necessarily Internet radio), is really just poppy Progressive or Punk rock. (Evanesance, All American Rejects, please, shoot me). I really don't like this new music; I don't think many people really do.

As far as Alternative ever appearing again on the greater scene, I wouldn't doubt it; its a much loved music style, and look at how Classic Rock was revived in the 90's. There are still Alternative bands that play really well, (311, Radiohead(A cross-genre band id say), Weezer), although not all of them have altogether survived. Give it some time :)

True. Alternative bands in todays pop culture mainstream (evanescense [sp?] and the others) are not my favorites either.

whats with people hating popular music becuase its popular.. i see no problem in it, i know people that will like bands... and stop the day their video hits mtv... why should they care if they have talent

Who decides what is popular? Mostly music critics and 10 year old girls....That's why I have a problem with most "popular" music.

I hardly agree with you... I think alternative and indie music are a couple of the only genres that are still thriving these days, along with hip hop and the all too popular commercialized MTV garbage genre

It depends on what you mean....I agree that the Indie idea is thriving, but is it really Indie music that is? Or the idea of Indie as a style/fashion? And I agree some alternative is doing good, but nothing has been going mainstream huge in alternative music unless you consider John Mayer alternative (which I guess you could)

Depends on what you mean by dead...
 

It's dead if you mean what's on the Billboard Top 40 Charts. Then again I never pay attention to those any way. The golden age of alternative is probably past but I think there's still a lot of interest.

I like a lot of groups I find on College Air charts. A good source to find new stuff. Death Cab For Cutie, The Shins, Mojave 3 and even some older bands like Flaming Lips, Guided By Voices, Joe Strummer (formerly of the Clash) and the Mescaleros are really cool. Well, at least I think so.

Also found a good internet radio source recently. Flying Funk Radio plays just about all the songs off the CDs from all those bands and more. They also play classic rock stuff but since most of the songs are not hits but "album cuts" as they call them, I find it's great to listen to for checking out the stuff on the College Air charts.

i wouldnt say its dead. you have bands such as the mars volta, LCD and 80s matchbox b-line disaster slowly emerging. also, this new "garage" scene seems alternative to me. bands such as the 22/20s and the subways are creating sounds that are not particularly radio-freindly, yet are attracting fans and selling records.

This thread made me laugh.

The point is you don`t hear about proper independently made 'alternative' music. You find it. THATS why it`s alternative.

Damn straight. Alternative music is getting brilliantly. There's so much good new stuff. You have to find it, its there for the taking, start going to gigs of bands you've never heard of, take a chance. Thats how I saw Franz Ferdinand and The Coral a few years before they were popular, and many other bands that still aren't widely known but are my faveourite bands ever.

i remember seeing the bloc party and 22/20s in camden before they got big. now their starting to make an impression in the rock scene and both have produced really cool debut albums. so alternative is by no means dead

I think people`s perception of what 'alternative' is vastly outdated. What would have been considered alternative 10 - 15 years ago isn`t alternative now.
It seems every guitar band around these days is labelled alternative , even though their albums are stocked by chain stores & supermarkets everywhere & the band themselves have never been near an independent label in their entire career.

My idea of alternative is bands on small labels or who have been around the block a few times releasing albums to a small loyal following , bands like The Fall , Tindersticks , Godspeed You Black Emperor , Melt Banana ,The High Llamas , Mogwai ect ect. Not your typical simple guitar rock that can be found pretty much anywhere.

so alternative not as a musical genre but as a qualification for certain bands to meet? you basically described what the original indie rock movement was. infact, most of the bands you listed are known alot more commonly as indie.

I was under the impression that the term 'Alternative' meant alternative to whats in the charts or on radio playlists , as thats mostly stuff on small labels then I guess it is 'indie'

Is the Dandy Warhols alternative? If they are does it mean alternative's alive? If not what are they?

I think that alternative is just kind of a genre from the 80's/90's that branched out into a lot of different genres. As in an "alternative" to mainstream music. It still exists and is thriving, it just cant really be covered by the vague term alternative anymore

Does it matter?

If you like them you like them , why bother with pointless labels

I think Alt is on the comeback path. Nirvana has made nirvana-esque bands the mainstream. So I think groups that follow the Bush/Nickleback/Creed suit are mainstream. I also think people who followed the Korn scene like Disturbed/Trapt/Three days grace are the mainstream. So bands like the White Stripes, The Killers, Bright Eyes, and Drive-by Truckers are the new Alternative.

The problem with alternative is that its
A.) Objective and
B.) Never stagnant.

Alternative is alive and well. Whats cool will be dumbed down and mass marketed making anyting slightly complicated and too deep for Joe Walmart the new Alt.

i think someone mentioned this about bands calling themselves alternative just to seem different. i don't really remember who but there was band being interviewed and they said they wanted to be known as pop/punk because the term alternative was being pasted on everything much like a fad.Oh and i love the subways!!! contrary to the people's taste here they have shows where they play pretty good music. i

my opinion on this has changed a little. i look at acts such as sigur ros, john conn & the glass gypsies etc as alternative. any band or act with an element of rock cant really be seen as alternative now- rock has never been so popular and in demand.

that's true. the need for individualism is growing and when they hear alternative, they all turn to see what it's all about.so why not label yourself as alternative and maybe you can cheat some people into buying a couple hundred cds...it's as crazy as donald trump selling water and ice with 'trump' written all over them......

Alternative has always been to much of general term for me, I mean find a better description for yourself! I like alot of stuff people call alternative, but I always try to throw it into better catagories