Purple7x08_24
President: Galactic Federation
- May 8, 2022
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I've been trying to narrow down my playlists on Spotify and I've got a little bug bear with the definitions behind 'Pop', 'Alternative', and 'Indie' What do they actually mean, or represent? I might be on the spectrum, but I feel it's important to nail down specific styles of music within playlists and these terms don't allow for it.
Pop music is supposed to represent music that is mainstream and popular, but what about crossover. Many people loosely describe Pop music as the style but this is not quite right. You can hardly call The Black Keys, or Arctic Monkeys as Pop music.
So how exactly do you describe the branches of 'Pop' music.
I see the following:
'Pop'
Mitski is an interesting artist I struggle to categorize. Some croossover with Beck
Lana Del Rey, Mazzy Starr, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Cocteau Twins, Travis, Keane. (Similar style, sweeping dream like vocals) [Dream,Shoegaze]
Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor, Beck, Ben Folds, Hozier (Clean crisp vocals, simple instrumentals) [Baroque]
Katy Perry, Pink, Pharell, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande (simple chord progressions, non complex, synthesizers, less emphasis on rock beats, more on vocals)
Genres that have intertwined with 'Pop' Keith Urban, Shaniah Twain, Brad Paisley, John Mayer, Anderson, James Bay, Leon Bridges, Anderson East, Usher, Newer songs of Alisha Keys (genres that have lost their roots and merged with 'pop' music to deliver a more electronic/auto tune feel.
Modern RnB in general has lost it's roots and seems more 'pop' orientated than anything.
'Synth Pop' Self explanatory
'Alternative Indie'
This is a real bug bear of mine. After compiling a list of alternative songs, I've discovered that it's too broad and really don't like the term at all. The term seems to coin any song NOT mainstream as alternative or Indie but doesn't describe the music style at all. I want to narrow my playlists not broaden them.
Lumineers and Edward Sharp and the Magnetic zeroes are more aptly identified as Folk.
Black Keys, Royal Blood, The National, Editors, all classified as Alternative/Indie, but really more like punk/blues/hard rock
Eels, Grant Lee Buffalo, Dandy Warholes, Pixies, Weezer, James, Nada Surf, Feeder [don't know how to describe this genre]
I'm big on genres being stricter because it allows for better identification of music that maintains it's roots.
RnB is a huge one for this. The traditional RnB keeps to it's chilled beats and smooth vocals, slight branch off Soul. I don't think it's right to classify pop style RnB like Chris Brown, and recent Usher tunes with Classic/Traditional RnB.
Metal, same thing, numerous styles. The 'pop' styles are trash. You've got Extreme (More than Words), Opeth, Metallica, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot.
Thoughts? How would you describe, and categorize music. I do understand it can be highly difficult to categorize music. I'm having a hard time doing so for the Eels, and Grant Lee Buffalo other than to categorize it as Blues Rock.
Pop music is supposed to represent music that is mainstream and popular, but what about crossover. Many people loosely describe Pop music as the style but this is not quite right. You can hardly call The Black Keys, or Arctic Monkeys as Pop music.
So how exactly do you describe the branches of 'Pop' music.
I see the following:
'Pop'
Mitski is an interesting artist I struggle to categorize. Some croossover with Beck
Lana Del Rey, Mazzy Starr, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Cocteau Twins, Travis, Keane. (Similar style, sweeping dream like vocals) [Dream,Shoegaze]
Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor, Beck, Ben Folds, Hozier (Clean crisp vocals, simple instrumentals) [Baroque]
Katy Perry, Pink, Pharell, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande (simple chord progressions, non complex, synthesizers, less emphasis on rock beats, more on vocals)
Genres that have intertwined with 'Pop' Keith Urban, Shaniah Twain, Brad Paisley, John Mayer, Anderson, James Bay, Leon Bridges, Anderson East, Usher, Newer songs of Alisha Keys (genres that have lost their roots and merged with 'pop' music to deliver a more electronic/auto tune feel.
Modern RnB in general has lost it's roots and seems more 'pop' orientated than anything.
'Synth Pop' Self explanatory
'Alternative Indie'
This is a real bug bear of mine. After compiling a list of alternative songs, I've discovered that it's too broad and really don't like the term at all. The term seems to coin any song NOT mainstream as alternative or Indie but doesn't describe the music style at all. I want to narrow my playlists not broaden them.
Lumineers and Edward Sharp and the Magnetic zeroes are more aptly identified as Folk.
Black Keys, Royal Blood, The National, Editors, all classified as Alternative/Indie, but really more like punk/blues/hard rock
Eels, Grant Lee Buffalo, Dandy Warholes, Pixies, Weezer, James, Nada Surf, Feeder [don't know how to describe this genre]
I'm big on genres being stricter because it allows for better identification of music that maintains it's roots.
RnB is a huge one for this. The traditional RnB keeps to it's chilled beats and smooth vocals, slight branch off Soul. I don't think it's right to classify pop style RnB like Chris Brown, and recent Usher tunes with Classic/Traditional RnB.
Metal, same thing, numerous styles. The 'pop' styles are trash. You've got Extreme (More than Words), Opeth, Metallica, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot.
Thoughts? How would you describe, and categorize music. I do understand it can be highly difficult to categorize music. I'm having a hard time doing so for the Eels, and Grant Lee Buffalo other than to categorize it as Blues Rock.
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