Digital streaming, garage rock revival, indie scenes

Question 1

What is the garage rock revival?

Answer 1

Refers to bands that emerged in the early 2000s who borrowed heavily from past genres, especially 1960s garage rock and late 70s post punk.

Question 2

What are the typical musical characteristics of garage rock revival?

Answer 2

Guitar-based, traditional band format, influence of DIY spirit of punk and indie, pop elements such as combination of slick and rough textures and conventional song forms.

Question 3

Give 3 examples of Garage rock revival artists.

Answer 3

The Strokes, the White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys

Question 4

What is the most acclaimed release from The Strokes?

Answer 4

Their album Is This It (2001).

Question 5

What is the main inspiration of The Strokes? How does this come through in their music?

Answer 5

They are heavily inspired by The Velvet Underground. This can be heard in the vocal style especially.

Question 6

Describe the musical style of The White Stripes.

Answer 6

Took a lofi-approach to writing and recording, and were influenced by 60s garage rock and proto-punk bands of the Detroit scene.

Question 7

How did the advent of the Internet affect the rise of certain genres? Explain how.

Answer 7

It bolstered the resurgence of guitar-based indie music in the early 2000s, as bands like the Arctic Monkeys could post their music online for free to build a fanbase.

Question 8

Describe a pro and a con of the internet for the music industry.

Answer 8

Pro: provides a new way for listeners to access lesser-known artists
Con: rise of pirating has contributed to a decline of record sales, affecting revenues.

Question 9

How did the transition from file sharing to streaming occur?

Answer 9

It happened following public controversies and US Senate hearings. File sharing was deemed an infringment of copyright and websites that enables it, like Napster, were shut down. As a result, the streaming model emerged.

Question 10

Describe the defining characteristics of indie rock in the 2000s.

Answer 10

It still maintained the DIY attitude from earlier indie, but it also benefited from the internet, which led to a proliferation of many bands. Despite what the genre stands for, many were very successful and signed to major labels.

Question 11

Describe the major musical features of indie rock in the 2000s.

Answer 11

It was influenced by diverse genres of the past, mainly post-punk but also new wave, disco, and even art music (use of orchestral instruments in addition to the rock ensemble).

Question 12

Describe the geography of indie rock in the 2000s.

Answer 12

As much as the music appeared to be dislocated from a sense of place since you could listen to any band in the world anywhere, there was a renewed interest for small, local indie scenes. There was also increased interest in music from places other than the US and UK, such as Canada, Iceland, Scotland, and Australia.

Question 13

What area seemed to become the center of indie rock in 2000s America?

Answer 13

Portland, Oregon

Question 14

What is a scene?

Answer 14

A term used to designate a particular concentration of music activity in a more or less specific place or community. It is less related to the stylistic qualities to the music as it is to the spaces of musical activity, such as labels, performance, venues, record stores, places where musicians hang out, etc.

Question 15

What are the 3 types of music scenes? Explain the diffrence between them.

Answer 15

Local: taking place in a delimited place over a specific span of time;
Translocal: scenes in contact with other local scenes in distant places;
Virtual: distant participants coming together via the Internet.

Question 16

Describe the Montreal indie rock scene.

Answer 16

In 2005, Montreal became a central focal point after the success of Arcade Fire. Most focus was on Mile End as the city’s creative hub, and there was an emphasis on anglophone bands.

Question 17

Give 3 examples of a Montreal indie rock band (other than Arcade Fire)

Answer 17

Godspeed you! Black emperor, The Dears, Malajube

Question 18

What is the significance of Godspeed You! Black Emperor!

Answer 18

It is often identified as the point of origin of the Montreal scene and one of its most important contributors,. It caught the attention of mainstream media before arcade fire.

Question 19

What genre is Godspeed You! Black Emperor! and explain why.

Answer 19

It is labeled as post-rock, a subgenre of indie rock focusing on long, instrumental compositions and the use of orchestral instruments.

Question 20

Describe the musical style of The Dears.

Answer 20

Musical style heavily influenced by Britpop and the Smiths, with lush and elaborate arrangements

Question 21

Describe the musical style of Malajube.

Answer 21

Musically, eclectic mix of punk, rock and even prog, with complex song structures

Question 22

Describe how the Montreal scene was typically portrayed in media.

Answer 22

It was represented as strictly divided between Anglophones and Francophones, especially since it was after the referendum in 1995. But this was a stereotypical and simplistic vision of the scene.

Question 23

Discuss issues of inclusion in indie scenes in the 2000s.

Answer 23

There were issues involving the role of female performers, who were often assigned to more backup roles in bands, and were also underrepresented in labels and jobs behind the scenes.

Question 24

Who is Fiest? Describe what they are known for.

Answer 24

An indie rock singer from Nova Scotia whose song “1234” became a surprise hit after it was featured in a commercial for the iPod nano. It was also featured on sesame street.

Question 25

What was the key development of indie in the 2000s?

Answer 25

Its ability to pair the DIY spirit with big, orchestral arrangements. By the end of the decades, electronics were increasingly incorporated as well with techniques such as sampling and manipulated sounds.