Is alternative burning out?

God Of Radio

In the United States, pretty much in every city except LA, alternative music on the radio (ratings-wise) is dying. Its actually DEAD. Wondered what you thought about that!?

Karl Hungus

If you mean the popular chart whore "Alternative" bands that are nothing more than pop dressed up with guitars, then I would certainly hope it's burning out. Maybe then we can get more interesting and creative Alternative music like we once had.

sink

Alternative started as an underground movement and it's simply returning to it's roots. No harm there some of the best music came from the underground. Pop music is dying anyway the, new distribution methods are hammering the record companies and I'll shed no tears at their passing. All music should be personal like true art.

God Of Radio

I WISH pop music would die. Its not going anywhere.

lordgoat

God Of Radio wrote: »

I WISH pop music would die. Its not going anywhere.

Most bands out now labelled as alternative are pop. See Kooks, ting tings et al.
So is it a death to alt that you are seeking as well?

Makaveli

Tings Tings are alternative?

As in you could listen to good music, alternatively you could listen to the Tings Tings?

corkstudent

Alternative music has been "mainstream" since the 60s. Alternative doesn't have to mean "really, really" alternative. The fact is alternative music gets no radioplay at all anymore, whereas in the 90s it would have done. This isn't a "good" thing, people should be exposed to better music. Most Irish music scenes anyway are dire.

SprostonGreen

I've gone to my collection in the last year or so, listeing to The Cure, Ride, Smiths etc. Nothing new interests me guitar wise, only electronic.

The way I see it, its peaks and troughs and Alternative music is at the base of a trough, the only way is up.

lordgoat

Makaveli wrote: »

Tings Tings are alternative?

As in you could listen to good music, alternatively you could listen to the Tings Tings?

think you took me up wrong. i consider them pop. sh it at best.

I generally have a problem with the term alternative at the best of times.

Alternative to what? Silence?

Makaveli

No I got you I just wanted to make a witty comment.

pariko

I get embarassed for people who make threads like this.

Firstly, there is more great music now in a wider variety of genres than there has ever been. The way it's marketed and labelled and spat out at people through their media machines is in a constant state of flux, a flux that is sometimes mistaken for death or rebirth or whatever the shíte you want to call it.

What's even more tedious is when people get into what are ostensibly arguments or debates about music but at the end of the day come down to little more than semantics - words like "alternative" and "emo" mean vastly different things now than they did twenty years ago and continue to mean different things to different people.

I've gone to my collection in the last year or so, listeing to The Cure, Ride, Smiths etc. Nothing new interests me guitar wise

Your loss - doesn't mean it's not out there.

only electronic.

How avant garde of you :P

The way I see it, its peaks and troughs and Alternative music is at the base of a trough, the only way is up.

Absolute bóllocks in all fairness dude.

SprostonGreen

pariko wrote: »

Your loss - doesn't mean it's not out there.

No loss at all, I'm aware of new music not much of it thrills me.

pariko

That's a pretty dense attitude. So you've listened to everything, then?

Bren_M.Records

Id agree with that, music tends to go through phases.

SprostonGreen wrote: »

The way I see it, its peaks and troughs and Alternative music is at the base of a trough, the only way is up.

God Of Radio

pariko wrote: »

I get embarassed for people who make threads like this.

Firstly, there is more great music now in a wider variety of genres than there has ever been. The way it's marketed and labelled and spat out at people through their media machines is in a constant state of flux, a flux that is sometimes mistaken for death or rebirth or whatever the shíte you want to call it.

What's even more tedious is when people get into what are ostensibly arguments or debates about music but at the end of the day come down to little more than semantics - words like "alternative" and "emo" mean vastly different things now than they did twenty years ago and continue to mean different things to different people.



Your loss - doesn't mean it's not out there.



How avant garde of you :P



Absolute bóllocks in all fairness dude.

People like you THINK you are smart about music, but in actuality you're a wannabe music elitist.

Don't know what you're embarrassed about, but ALTERNATIVE is an actual FORMAT in radio. My point is that ALTERNATIVE radio is dying and no one is listening to it above the age of 21 usually. There ARE some great songs and bands out, but no one would know because ALTERNATIVE radio has become a lot of old 90's songs with a bunch of POP thrown in.

See BILLBOARD MAGAZINE and read up on FORMATS.

Then see how embarrassed you are.

pariko

Hmm. Now that I have a clearer idea of what it is you're talking about, I'll adjust my response accordingly:

I don't think trends in American radio have any relevance on an Irish forum. I don't think it's a stretch to say that most people who are into their music at all in this country - i.e. desiring something a bit more satisfying than aural wallpaper - would only listen to conventional radio at best as a fairly peripheral and supplementary tool for finding out about music (webzines, podcasts, word of mouth Myspace recommendations and shows in one's area etc taking precedence), and in a lot of cases not at all.

I don't think any of the great bands in Ireland right now are lying awake at night fretting about the decline of American radio rock.

John

God Of Radio wrote: »

no one is listening to it above the age of 21 usually.

I imagine the ratings for under 21s and all radio makes for depressing reading. Teenagers are all about the internet, radio for them is something to put on in the car while their ipod is charging.

There ARE some great songs and bands out, but no one would know because ALTERNATIVE radio has become a lot of old 90's songs with a bunch of POP thrown in.

As I said, the internet has replaced radio as the place for finding out about music. The amount of bands releasing records that could be classed as alternative hasn't gone down, if anything I say there are more bands out there doing well (touring, selling CDs, merch, etc.) because of the power of the internet. Sites like myspace, last.fm and of course the evil downloading sites/programs are doing a far more efficient job than any DJ (bar John Peel).

See BILLBOARD MAGAZINE and read up on FORMATS.

Does Billboard even get carried outside the US? Isn't it a big corporate backslap? Radio formats? Sounds like marketing to me.

Bubs101

How exactly is alternative music dead? There's some great stuff that's come out in the past 2 or 3 years. The National have released 2 great albums in that time. The Killer's last effort was great IMO (Although not many people share it). Bright Eyes released two great albums on the same day, one electronic, the other accoustic. Spoon's Ga Ga Ga came out last year, great ambitious album. Willy Mason is releasing some great accoustic stuff. Ryan Adams has hit a vein of form. Metric have been releasing some brilliant stuff. Panda Bear got outstanding reviews (not for me personally).

Just because it's not being played on the radio or TV doesn't mean that there's nothing out there. You just have to dig a little deeper to find the great stuff

dave.omeara

I'll ask the question, What is Alternative?

Anything with guitars in it seem to be classed as alternative nowadays. Pop is only if it involves a backing track and has a dance routine in the video. Rock seem to be dead. When was the last time you heard someone describe themselves as a rock band and didn't laugh at the idea. Emo, I don't know what the hell that is, (seriously, feel free to help on that one).

I would have thought alternative is something that doesn't fit into any specific type of genre. Something really outside the box, and as far away from mainstream as possible. Thats not saying that once it becomes mainstream it's no longer alternative, but isn't that the origin on alternative.

It's a good thing if it's going underground again. It will mean bands who are in it for the love of music and want to make great music will thrive, and it will return to the people to make or break a band or bands sound, not to radio stations to determine what we should be listening to.

lordgoat

My god i'm glad someone else had responded before i found the latest replies.

God Of Radio

Bubs101 wrote: »

How exactly is alternative music dead? There's some great stuff that's come out in the past 2 or 3 years. The National have released 2 great albums in that time. The Killer's last effort was great IMO (Although not many people share it). Bright Eyes released two great albums on the same day, one electronic, the other accoustic. Spoon's Ga Ga Ga came out last year, great ambitious album. Willy Mason is releasing some great accoustic stuff. Ryan Adams has hit a vein of form. Metric have been releasing some brilliant stuff. Panda Bear got outstanding reviews (not for me personally).

Just because it's not being played on the radio or TV doesn't mean that there's nothing out there. You just have to dig a little deeper to find the great stuff

I agree with that.

Also, radio as an industry sets the tone for what becomes popular...and yes, in Ireland . . . INDUSTRY-WISE at least. There's a reason why adding a song is worth a lot of money and yeah, bands DO still get excited about their song being added to radio air play.

Bubs101

dave.omeara wrote: »

. Emo, I don't know what the hell that is, (seriously, feel free to help on that one).

Emo is the exact same thing as nu-metal but the bands have black fringes instead of skin heads and they all sound like an American Matt Bellamy. Some bands have had some good albums ignored because of the emo tag. Brand New's second album has 4 genuinley brilliant songs, Jimmy Eat World have released good stuff and My Chemichal Romance aren't that bad

insinkerator

dave.omeara wrote: »

I'll ask the question, What is Alternative?

Anything with guitars in it seem to be classed as alternative nowadays. Pop is only if it involves a backing track and has a dance routine in the video. Rock seem to be dead. When was the last time you heard someone describe themselves as a rock band and didn't laugh at the idea. Emo, I don't know what the hell that is, (seriously, feel free to help on that one).

I would have thought alternative is something that doesn't fit into any specific type of genre. Something really outside the box, and as far away from mainstream as possible. Thats not saying that once it becomes mainstream it's no longer alternative, but isn't that the origin on alternative.

It's a good thing if it's going underground again. It will mean bands who are in it for the love of music and want to make great music will thrive, and it will return to the people to make or break a band or bands sound, not to radio stations to determine what we should be listening to.

What is Alternative: There is no way to answer that question, because the way people classify music is entirely based on taste. There is no table to follow when it comes to classifying music

if song contains a and b then it is alternative c and d it is metal. No this does not exist. Genre's are based on personal opinion and therefore change very easily. As mentioned earlier, The Kooks labelled as alternative. I agree with whoever said the Kooks are more a pop band. Why? no particular reason, i just think that they are better suited to the genre pop. I have different ideas as to what Alternative music sounds like.

This above statement basically spells out what i am trying to say. I would see the Kooks as Pop band. However, sonebody else clearly sees them in a different light to classify them as alternative. This is genre classification based on personal opinion.

Then you could go back to roots and classify music into genres based on their original meanings.

Indie - Indie music(short for independant) was a term reserved for ANY band that had no label i.e independant of a label. However now indie has become an offshoot off Alternative and i have seen bands such as the Kooks, Strokes and Killers classified as Indie.

Pop - Think pop, who comes to mind? Britney Spears. Pop is short for popular. Define a popular band: A band with a large following. Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Muse, BRMC, My Bloody Valentine The Smiths, Joy Division. In my opinion all these bands had and still do have huge followings. Does that make them 'pop' music?

Ok so basically in this post have talked my way around in a circle. But my main point i guess really, is that genre classification is a complete and utter farce. There has always been differences in personal opinion and there always will be. And since genres will always stem from opinion, they shall always continue to be a farce. However would a music scene without any genres be better??

P.S. Im not entirely sure is all of this on topic, but i have had a rant about genres brewing inside me for some time now and i really wanted to get it out!

dave.omeara

insinkerator wrote: »

What is Alternative: There is no way to answer that question, because the way people classify music is entirely based on taste. There is no table to follow when it comes to classifying music

if song contains a and b then it is alternative c and d it is metal. No this does not exist. Genre's are based on personal opinion and therefore change very easily. As mentioned earlier, The Kooks labelled as alternative. I agree with whoever said the Kooks are more a pop band. Why? no particular reason, i just think that they are better suited to the genre pop. I have different ideas as to what Alternative music sounds like.

This above statement basically spells out what i am trying to say. I would see the Kooks as Pop band. However, sonebody else clearly sees them in a different light to classify them as alternative. This is genre classification based on personal opinion.

Then you could go back to roots and classify music into genres based on their original meanings.

Indie - Indie music(short for independant) was a term reserved for ANY band that had no label i.e independant of a label. However now indie has become an offshoot off Alternative and i have seen bands such as the Kooks, Strokes and Killers classified as Indie.

Pop - Think pop, who comes to mind? Britney Spears. Pop is short for popular. Define a popular band: A band with a large following. Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Muse, BRMC, My Bloody Valentine The Smiths, Joy Division. In my opinion all these bands had and still do have huge followings. Does that make them 'pop' music?

Ok so basically in this post have talked my way around in a circle. But my main point i guess really, is that genre classification is a complete and utter farce. There has always been differences in personal opinion and there always will be. And since genres will always stem from opinion, they shall always continue to be a farce. However would a music scene without any genres be better??

P.S. Im not entirely sure is all of this on topic, but i have had a rant about genres brewing inside me for some time now and i really wanted to get it out!

Yeah, alternative is a pretty wide ranging name. It really does depend on your ideas on music and personal taste. My idea of alternative is, not common. Arcade Fire, Sigur Ros, these would be alternative bands. Interpol and Kings Of Leon would probably be classed as alternative as well, but why not class them as rock. I don't think they would be classed as innovators of music , but they are great bands non-the less.

But trying to get back on topic. What does it matter if alternative music isn't being played on Us radio. Bands aren't going to go 'Oh we won't get played on the radio, lets give up our dreams' No, they'll devote more time and energy to live sessions. Get a local following, then a national following then an international following and then they'll be back on the radio. And as was mentioned already, the internet mean you're better know internationally now then you would have been starting off even 5 years ago.

insinkerator

It doesnt bother me a huge amount if alternative bands arenthugely prominent over the radio. I dont listen to whole lot of radio(bar last.fm). Live music is much better and if i want to listen to studio stuff my iPod suits me much better due to the lack of taste in most radio presenters. That said if the lack of airplay prevent the bands putting out the music then there is a problem!

Bubs101

dave.omeara wrote: »

But trying to get back on topic. What does it matter if alternative music isn't being played on Us radio. Bands aren't going to go 'Oh we won't get played on the radio, lets give up our dreams' No, they'll devote more time and energy to live sessions. Get a local following, then a national following then an international following and then they'll be back on the radio. And as was mentioned already, the internet mean you're better know internationally now then you would have been starting off even 5 years ago.

Because without awareness of the good bans people make idiotic comments about how alternative is dead or all the recent music is crap

God Of Radio

Bubs101 wrote: »

Because without awareness of the good bans people make idiotic comments about how alternative is dead or all the recent music is crap

I personally like Alternative music, but as a whole, Alternative isn't a mainstream format. Sorry. It just isn't. The music doesn't sell and it doesn't get a lot of airplay. Don't tell me people don't listen to the radio either. CHR and HIP HOOP stations are HUGELY popular and have a LOT of influence on people's buying habits. That's a fact, not an opinion. Alternative music JUST ISNT POPULAR. It doesn't mean it isn't worth talking about or listening to - TO US - THE FANS.

John

Well, isn't the whole point of an ALTERNATIVE scene is that is ISN'T as popular as POP MUSIC? Radio is there to cater for the masses because there isn't a lot of free space on the FM band and stations (especially commercial ones) have to aim for as wide an audience as possible. This means less air time to the alternatives to pop music (and hip hop is one aspect of pop music as it is very popular. I'm guessing CHR is Christian rock which doesn't exist here to any meaningful extent).

But that being said, five years ago the only radio station in Ireland catering to fans of alternative music was a pirate station. Now not only has that station become fully licensed but many of the national stations (both commercial and public service) have increased their programming when it comes to alternative music. There was a time I wouldn't listen to the radio at any hour and now there are a few shows on different stations I'd tune in to.

God of Radio, do you mind me asking what do you mean by alternative? Do you mean the early-to-mid 90s guitar music like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. or do you mean something else? For all your CAPITALISATIONS and FACTS, it's fairly confusing as to what you're getting at.

dregin

dave.omeara wrote: »

Emo, I don't know what the hell that is.

This is emo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_NvawdVCME

I dunno wtf MCR, Jimmy Eats World think they are but they sure as hell don't sound anything like that. Emo was late 80s/early 90s "emotional" hardcore. This later trend is nothing more than pop music + guitars.

Jim

dregin wrote: »

This is emo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_NvawdVCME

I dunno wtf MCR, Jimmy Eats World think they are but they sure as hell don't sound anything like that. Emo was late 80s/early 90s "emotional" hardcore. This later trend is nothing more than pop music + guitars.

In fairness though I think that label was slapped onto most bands and not used by the bands themselves, and in this way it became a new genre seperate from emotional punk/hardcore.

dregin

Yeah but there're two completely different genres with the same tag and the Rites of Spring were around long before all this other rubbish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW3EQu_wR1I

dave.omeara

God Of Radio wrote: »

I personally like Alternative music, but as a whole, Alternative isn't a mainstream format. Sorry. It just isn't. The music doesn't sell and it doesn't get a lot of airplay. Don't tell me people don't listen to the radio either. CHR and HIP HOOP stations are HUGELY popular and have a LOT of influence on people's buying habits. That's a fact, not an opinion. Alternative music JUST ISNT POPULAR. It doesn't mean it isn't worth talking about or listening to - TO US - THE FANS.

If, as you say, Alternative isn't popular, then why would radio stations play it. Their commercial stations out to make money and get as many listeners as they can. They're going to play the stuff being played on MTv, the stuff being played in niteclubs and disco's around the country. Which is pop, and hip-hop and dance. If radio is your main source of new music then no wonder you might think its dying or dead already.

In saying that the lines between all the genres do seem to be getting blurred a bit. It would be worse if there were no genres at all but I think every genre type has evolved and changed from their origins so it's not really fair to be comparing bands now with bands of a few years ago.

The Knife, Battles, Broken Social Scene, The Pixies, I class these as alternative, in the original, when the genre was first coined, sense of the word. None of them may be mainstream, but I'm pretty sure they would sell out a gig pretty fast if the announced one. They are popular to their fans.

bythewoods

Reasons why alternative/ indie is dead:

Scouting for Girls
The Enemy
The Kooks
The Pigeon Detectives
The Twang
The Wombats
The Ting Tings
One Night Only
Black Kids

And there are more. Many more.

insinkerator

^^

Assuming that you consider those bands to be alternative. I consider them to be pop bands labelled as alternative by record labels because of the current vogue of "being and liking all things alternative"

Dudess

Have Scouting For Girls been marketed as indie/alternative? Surely not...?

pariko

bythewoods wrote: »

Reasons why alternative/ indie is dead:

Scouting for Girls
The Enemy
The Kooks
The Pigeon Detectives
The Twang
The Wombats
The Ting Tings
One Night Only
Black Kids

And there are more. Many more.

What absolute twaddle.

insinkerator

[IMG]http://[IMG]http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk3/in_ur_house/Picture6.png[/IMG]

.......

Fraid so.....:(

God Of Radio

John wrote: »

Well, isn't the whole point of an ALTERNATIVE scene is that is ISN'T as popular as POP MUSIC? Radio is there to cater for the masses because there isn't a lot of free space on the FM band and stations (especially commercial ones) have to aim for as wide an audience as possible. This means less air time to the alternatives to pop music (and hip hop is one aspect of pop music as it is very popular. I'm guessing CHR is Christian rock which doesn't exist here to any meaningful extent).

But that being said, five years ago the only radio station in Ireland catering to fans of alternative music was a pirate station. Now not only has that station become fully licensed but many of the national stations (both commercial and public service) have increased their programming when it comes to alternative music. There was a time I wouldn't listen to the radio at any hour and now there are a few shows on different stations I'd tune in to.

God of Radio, do you mind me asking what do you mean by alternative? Do you mean the early-to-mid 90s guitar music like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. or do you mean something else? For all your CAPITALISATIONS and FACTS, it's fairly confusing as to what you're getting at.

I mean by the PLAYLISTS that are on charts such as on BILLBOARD MAGAZINE, allaccess.com, FHM MAGAZINE, R&R MAGAZINE, etc.

mehfesto2

Surely labelling something as 'Alternative' is merely just playing to a counter-culture anyway?! And a counter culture is always popular. But part of a counter-cult mentality is that they don't like being seen as popular!

People who subscribe to the view that Alt. music is superior to other forms of music generally have their own view on what's "good and bad" anyway. I'd rather be happy listening to The Pigeon Detectives or Black Kids than be associated with people straving to be different for the sake of who they 'want' to be. I'm no saying the muisc that's been categorised this way is poor. But the people associated with it can be... well... a pack of ****.

Altnative music is dead. Has been for years.

insinkerator

mehfesto2 wrote: »

Altnative music is dead. Has been for years.

I disagree. I think that alternative music is still out there, just harder to come by. It is obvious to us who could be considered the alternative bands of old - The Cure, The Smiths etc. Thay had the chance to make it big. and will always be remembere for it. But when they started out too, people had to "discover" them.

I think that if people look close enough, alternative music is still alive and kiking out there, its just that wa are to lazy as a race to go and find it. We merly sit around and wait until the record labels drip feed us their "alternative music"

Have Scouting For Girls been marketed as indie/alternative? Surely not...?

Im afraid so Dudess, heres more of it!

JLemmon

Lads calm down.
Popular Music goes in cycles, we are at the end of one now, somewhere in the world is a scene ready to explode or at the beginnings of one and that will be your "alternative" bands of tomorrow and mainstream bands of the day after.
Also, all music doesn't come from the US and UK.
Have a look around the world please lots of brilliant music exists outside of our little bubble.
There is two types of music good and bad, find out which is which yourself and don't be so bigheaded to believe you know it all and your taste is best everyone is entitled to like whatever they like even if you think it's crap.
As for most radio and mtv, see payola. It still exists, in different forms then before more subtle but still around and your the victim unless you wake up.

JLemmon

Oh and btw when the term alternative was coined
Black Flag, Butthole Surfers, The Minutemen, Husker Du,
Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, etc etc were alternative.
Do it yourself bands.
The Cure and The Smiths were not, The Smiths were indie, meaning independant on an independant label, they ceased to be indie when they signed to warner. The Cure rode in on the Post Punk Scene, they were on elektra and subsequently geffen, Not Indie.
Alternative is alternative to the mainstream, having no involvement with mainstream culture, so most of the bands mentioned would not fit that bill in fact death metal bands are more alternative than the ones mentioned.

insinkerator

^ Iwould have considered them to be alternative, this highlights how genre classification can fail

However in light of your post i may change my opinion!

JLemmon

Who cares about classification anyway
it's all about the music man, the music
Now pass me my compilation of Swedish post rock organic corn fed alternative
country and western dub dixeland rocksteady processed nu-metal grunge ragga power pop girl group southern soul banjo goodtime music

God Of Radio

Wow. In all mah years, I never would have thought I'd see someone say THE CURE wasn't alternative. That was one HELL of a statement.

sprinkles

God Of Radio wrote: »

I WISH pop music would die. Its not going anywhere.

The Beatles were pop. Pop just means popular, not necessarily Westlife. There is plenty of room in everyones record collection for some pop - Blondie etc...

lordgoat

FHM Magazine? Best stay tuned to the gossip pages in the sun as well then...
JLemmon has the same idea as me when it comes to what alt/indie means.

R.F.R

Is alternative music burning out?!?! Is it??

Well really the answer in no, no it isnt!

It never will as there will always be bands on the outside who will be making creative music that come straight from the heart!

Although i understand why the OP would ask this. What we've witnessed over the last 3-4 years is Alternative/Indie music crossing over into the pop mainstream, and with anything that crosses over into the mainstream it no longer becomes about music but more about how many units can be sold!

The same thing happened with Britpop, Grunge and dance music ect! where you get a bunch of identikit bands knocking out sub-standard albums who will know doubt be dropped by there label within a year or two! who remembers the coldplay fad from a few years ago??

Nearly every unsigned band in dublin thought it was a good idea togo down this root.

Its a Fad, something tobe sold to the masses ect!

Now dont get me wrong there has been some fine albums put out over the last few years, although personally ive found nothing amazing and maybe this is because of my alternative punkrock roots!

I guess what im tryin to say is, people who know alternative music (and really know it!!), they know how to get there hands dirty in order to find new records and bands to excite there senses ect.



And fortunately "Joe Lean & The Jing, Jang Jong" just dont do it for me!!


also see "One Night Only" (What a bag of ****)

ronanoc

This is a bit of a tired argument but genres will do that. Alternative is a really awkward genre to talk about because it doesn't really say anything about the music.

I think most people's interpretation (be it correct or not) would be that most of the bands playing at the Irish festivals would fall into the classification of alternative. And they sold out.

rowlandbrowner

The use of terms like Alternative and Indie and so bloody vague and blurred now, Historically they where simply an umbrella term for a cacophony of bands and genres united simply by an aversion to the big business way of operating the music industry, contradictory is that most wave’s of music dubbed Alternative and/or Indie have been the usual contrived efforts by the music established to make money off the ignorant masses by spewing endless automatons dressed up to reflect the latest trends. The difference in the 00’s has been how lazy they have gotten in disguising the bands of…well, real bands (sign of the times). Take the Kooks for example, they are no less manipulated than Westlife, you don’t get that kind label-boss-paints-moistening formulaic chart success by accident. Proper accidents end in chaos, the Kooks are not chaos. All the bands – at least most – that have been bothering the charts with guitars the past few years have all been owned by the same 4 companies and people bought it as they do all mass marketed products with the illusion in their heads that they where buying something “alternative” or “independent”…. Look the Dublin music scene, nothing but middle class kids with hair the right length, skinny pants, playing accessible guitar music, waiting to be picked up by a label. We where duped, and now that this is fizzling out as all fad’s do. You will all buy something else and the kid will cut his hair and loose the lady pants.

this isn't some organic revolution dying out, it's the product being tailored to better fit the demographic.

MikeHoncho

Thread is BS. Find bands you like. Listen to them. Go to their gigs. Talk to your mates about them. End of story.