genres (final) Flashcards
1
Q
progressive rock
(when? what were its characteristics? who was the audience?)
A
- early 70s
- emerged out of the splintering of countercultural rock
- long complex forms, emphasis on guitar virtuosity
- concept albums
- coded as white and intellectual/pretentious
- eg. Pink Floyd
2
Q
funk
(when? what were its characteristics? who was the audience?)
A
- 1970-74
- emerged out of 60s soul, but abandoned the tin pan alley tradition to make it perceived as more “authentic” Black music
- funky, down to earth, danceable, focus on rhythm over chords/melody/form
- driving bass line, jazz horns (sometimes), call and response
- popular among younger Black audiences
- eg. James Brown
3
Q
hard rock
(when? what were its characteristics? who was the audience?)
A
- 1970-79
- rebelled against high art-rock and prog rock by emphasizing anti-progress, anti-virtuosity, and back-to-basics themes
- about personal expression
- popular among lower-middle class white youth
- eg. the Velvet Underground
4
Q
heavy metal
(when? what were its characteristics? who was the audience?)
A
- 1970-79
- originally used interchangeably with hard rock, but later became more associated with satanic imagery, more guitar and bass virtuosity, and a heavier bottom, tremolo picking, palm muting, bass drum rolls
- popular with middle class white audiences
- eg. Black Sabbath
5
Q
glam rock (when, what)
A
- 1970-79
- androgynous male stylization, theatrical performance culture
- more UK phenomenon
- heavy guitars, flamboyant vocal intonations
- eg. Ziggy Stardust
6
Q
disco (when, what, who)
A
- 1975-79
- glamorous aesthetic, electronic instruments, DJs, focus on dance, sexual freedom, and hedonistic pleasure
- popular with urban audiences, predominantly Black and gay (at least in the beginning)
- eg. Donna Summers
7
Q
reggae (when, what, who)
A
- 1970-84
- slow tempos, drum fills, influences from US, UK and Africa
- themes of independence and freedom
- political messages appealed to audiences internationally (eg. working class UK, mod culture)
- eg. Bob Marley
8
Q
old-school 80s hip hop (when, where, what)
A
- 1979-85
- emerged out of the Bronx in NYC
- forged by African- and Caribbean-American youth in NYC
- culture associated with visual art, breakdancing, dress, etc.
- rejection of glamorous glitzy Black dance music, while still being shaped by disco DJ techniques
- focus on gritty realities
- sampling culture
- eg. Sugarhill Gang
9
Q
punk (when, where, what, who); US vs UK
A
- 1975-79
- emerged in NYC, stemming from hard rock (but took more inspiration from reggae than from blues)
- loud, fast, simple, associated with radical politics, nihilism, anti-virtuosity, and anti-establishment
- associated with cassette culture
- US punk: leather jackets, ripped jeans, homogenous look (eg. Ramones)
- UK punk: more about personalization, eyeliner, mohawks, distinctly working class (eg. Sex Pistols)
10
Q
post punk (when, what, where)
A
- 1975-79
- late 70s punk trajectory of bands, specifically from the UK
- applied the ethos of nihilist punk to different genres, incorporating the use of synthesizers, jazz influence, reggae, funk, etc.
- lost the political thrust of punk
- eg. Joy Division, the Smiths (later–early 80s)
11
Q
new wave (when, where, what)
A
- 1975-84
- describes the late 70s trajectory of punk bands specifically from the US
- scenes centred in NYC at CBGB
- ironic, cool, and distant
- eg. the Police, the Talking Heads
12
Q
what were the mainstream sounds of the 80s?
A
- pop music was a combination of new wave, post-disco dance music, adult contemporary, early hip hop
- these were the genres portrayed on MTV
13
Q
British heavy metal (when, what)
A
- 1980-84
- stiff riff-based music, power chords, heavy distortion
- some satanic lyrics and references to the occult, gloomy style
- half singing, half screaming, high falsetto voice
- eg. Judas Priest, Iron Maiden
14
Q
what were the two main factions that heavy metal split into? when?
A
- toward the mainstream: hair/glam metal (early-mid 80s)
- away from the mainstream: thrash/speed metal (late 70s, early 80s) and hardcore punk (1980-84)
15
Q
glam/hair metal (when, what)
A
- emerged from heavy metal in the early 80s (to mid 80s)
- metal sound, inflected by pop-style structure, length, lyrics
- more hooks, less solos
- eg. Bon Jovi
16
Q
thrash/speed metal (when what)
A
- emerged from metal in the late 70s, early 80s
- lyrics were focused on dark themes of power, violence, aggression, death
- favoured complexity, virtuosity, polyrhythms
- eg. Metallica
17
Q
hardcore punk (when, what)
A
- 1980-84
- faster, meaner, more intense, extreme, and aggressive form of punk; emphasized masculine aggression
- rejection of punk fashion in favour of a more casual masculine attire
- anti-genre
- associated with pogoing and violent mosh pits at concerts
18
Q
new school hip hop/golden age (when, where, what)
A
- mid 80s to early 90s
- shift toward harder, street-oriented sounds and aesthetics
- more complex flows and rhythms, development of new sampling techniques
- increasing mainstream success
19
Q
first hip hop act to be played on mtv:
A
run DMC
20
Q
gangsta rap (what, when)
A
- 1990-94
- less use of samples
- sung choruses, lyrics about material wealth and sex and drugs; generally more explicit
- gentler rapping, laid back delivery
- split into west coast and east coast rivalry
21
Q
what were the record labels associated with west coast vs east coast rap scenes?
A
- west coast: death row records
- east coast: bad boy records
22
Q
riot grrrl (where, when, why)
A
- 1990-94
- alternative punk movement aligned with second wave feminism
- response to violent masculine culture of hardcore punk through the use of satire
23
Q
grunge (when, where, what)
A
- 1990-99
- seattle, Sub Pop label created a network of indie producers, bands, etc. that developed a similar sound
- dynamic live music scene, diy aesthetic
- sad guitar music, loser stereotype, casual dress
24
Q
90s alternative (when, what)
A
- 1995-99
- women who weren’t part of the mainstream
- combination of riot grrrl sensibility with intimate singer-songwriter trope
- eg. alanis morissette
25
Q
90s r&b (when, what)
A
- 1995-99
- versatile genre, wide vocal range and extreme vocal virtuosity, lots of runs, breathy voicing, melisma
- defines what constitutes a good singer, reasserted Black women as the conscience of pop
- women who bridged the gap between R&B and hip hop, yet sat in an alternative space
- eg. Lauryn Hill, TLC, Destiny’s Child
26
Q
country-pop (when, what)
A
- 1990-2009
- country that incorporated pop and rock
- featured fiddle, banjo, slide guitar
27
Q
teen pop and boy/girl bands (when)
A
- 1995-2004
28
Q
reality tv effect (when, what)
A
- 2000-2009
- popularized cursive singing, emphasized importance of powerful voice and good range
29
Q
chicago house (when, what)
A
- 1985-89
- 125 bpm
- gradual buildup of instruments
- takes eurodisco model and removes the pop song structures, making the beat heavier and increasing the bass
30
Q
detroit techno (when, what)
A
- 1985-89
- faster tempo than house
- emphasized experimental noisy timbres rather than refined disco elegance
- driven by radical futuristic sound potential
- clap sound
31
Q
drum n bass (when, what)
A
- 1990-94
- began as “jungle” in the uk
- permeated mainstream in UK, spawned rave culture
- fast tempos up to 160 bpm
32
Q
EDM (when, what)
A
- catch all term, but surpassed the “techno” label in 2000
- edm pop from 2010-2015
- transitioned from underground club culture to popular music
33
Q
dubstep (when, what)
A
- 2010-present
- subgenre of EDM that was more about virtuosic mastery of electronic sounds rather than danceability–overly produced textural experience
