12 - 1990s Rock, Grunge, & Electronica Rumblings Flashcards
What happened with the indie genre label going into the 1990s?
it continued to diversify into many different subgenres and ended up covering quite a broad selection og musci styles
–> many publications attempted to explain the multiplication of all the subgesnres
What happed with the indie scene in Seattle in late 1980s/early 1990s? Why? What did this eventually result in?
specific scene around Sub Pop label was fusion of musical styles and new alliance of social groups and
subcultural symbols
why: this label and area was seen as the place to find your feet as a new different artist
result = remap and reorient the entire idea of indie rock
What new genre name arose in the 1990s? What did this new name indicate/mean?
“alternative” was replacing indie = turn toward populism and closer to non-indie roc practices (more pop influences as well as shift to major record labels rather than indie small ones)
What is another term that came out of Seattle in 1990s? What sound did this subgenre have? What style of dress?
GRUNGE!
sound = overdriven guitar of seattle post-punk bands!
style = faded flannel and torn jeans
Some main grunge groups? Why different than heavy metal?
- Soundgarden
- Alice in Chains
- Mother Love BOne
- Pearl Jam
difference: melodic vocals! as well as incorporation of other genre inflluences
Why were grunge/sub-pop groups gianing so much atention in 1990 according to Dave DiMartino’s article? How is this similar to a previous artist we’ve discussed? Where do they get their style/sound?
they are unique! = not following a formula or specific market (just like Ray Charles etc just finding own style, do what want rather than finding some speficic definition)
sound: from the records they listen to, which are very underground, dont look to MTV for inspiration
What is Riot Grrrl movement (where develiop from, what politicla aspect was added to this foundation)?
developed from: indie-punk/hardcore insitutions! = fanzines, indie record companeis, DIY attitude
political: feminist critique of the limits of patriarchy, esp on women who would otherwise be participating in rock and other popular music but instead those are for men
How did Riot Girl groups present themselves? Did these groups like associating with teh “Riot Girl” label? What are some groups?
present =
- “in your face” approach to expressions of femininity
- confrontational attitude toward mens presumed resistance to change
they resisted being characterized as riot girls or as part of any movement
groups
- Bratmobile
- Bikini Kill
Why is punk a good way for women to conduct this protest?
Punk itself is a protest and push against the existing norms/society!
= focus on the ugly etc
How did the Riot Girl movement/music start? What is an example of one of these starting points?
started in fanzines! “we arent getting put in their magazines, lets do it ourselves”
then shifted into music, realized need to protest directly in the music instead of attempting to use other mediums to protest about music
example: Bikini Kill fanzine: had a section listing sayings men use to keep women discouraged, to keep unequal power distribution
What was another institution that the riot girl movement protested by extension?
capitalism!
–> highlighted it as a broaded institutuinalized manifestation of patriarchal authority, esp seeing the lack of success for female groups financially in comparison to male performers, female participation limited
What was another shift seen from the grunge genre? What defines this genre? What did this say about the alternative genre?
shift to “scrunge”
= squelchy distortion and taking grunge alt sound but leavin the indie values behind
demonstrates more mainstrreamness of alterative, further need for other subgenres and things to describe the changes happening within the genre
What indicated alternative becoming popular? What question does this bring forward?
- indie groups signing to majpr record companies
- indie alt vidoes on MTV
- scrunge coming in leavinf indie values behind
wuestion: “alternative” to what? –> the whole point of alt was that it was marginal and oppositional, but that becomes complicated when it gets popular and then is the main thing that youd want ot be oppositional from
What is a funny contrasting observation about indie stars? What happened to the main alt stars?
theyre allll white men! these stars are needed to trasnlate indie values into something socially meaningful bc without them, indie loses its last shred of jjustification for its raison detre
alt stars became “sacrificial lambs” for alternatives failure of self-definition = they become popular, no longer underground, gain money and fame, get rpped apart asa result for selling out and abandoning the values of indie/alt
Where did electronica start? How did it grow?
started: from disco after it went back underground, DJs kept producing electronic grooves for dance clubs
grew: underground mainly (minus brought into pop sometimes by artists like Madonna)
