Alternative music is a difficult genre to track nowadays. There are a few massive bands that everyone seems to know about, and yet are still classed as “alternative”. Similarly there are smaller lesser known bands that fall under the umbrella term.
The biggest two alternative rock bands I can think of are Muse and Radiohead. Muse have been going from strength to strength for over ten years now, each album building on the previous one, and evolving more and more into an unstoppable mega band. The main way they have done this is through touring, which seem to be the main source of revenue for a lot of bands these days. CD and download sales just dont quite seem to cut it, and it is interesting to speculate on the effect illegal downloading has had on these revenues. For example, the CD and download figures may be affected by illegal music downloading, but through this, the bands gain more fans, and they would go and see the bands live, and therefore create more revenue for the band than if they had bought the CD.
Radiohead has evolved massively as well. Starting out in the Nirvana era of grunge, their edgy guitar based rock turned heads in the early nineties, with their album “The Bends” remaining one of rock’s greatest albums. With the turn of the millenium, they seemed to change into a moody, synth driven, avant-garde art-music band. They have returned to the guitar based type music more recently, but far more matured and restrained.
A new band that I really like is “Everything Everything”, a four piece band from Manchester that is truly unique. They have roots in R&B, rap, rock, indie, sonic art, and have a huge range of influences from Beyonce to Steve Reich. The result of this is an apparent mish-mash of styles that somehow seems to breed a unique sound that no-one else has. I predict big things for this band, and look forward to their second album with great anticipation.
In the underground there are many other unique bands that are just starting off, an example being “Redbook”. Hailing from Worcester, initally an acoustic piano/guitar duo, they have recently expanded into a full band, and from the few gigs they have played seem to have big things in store for them. Combining proper rock with restrained synth and piano songs, they really are brilliant, and I wholeheartedly recommend you check them out.
Alternative Music has had a rich past, and seems to be progressing and growing still, and I look forward to seeing where it goes next.