Chapter 16 Alternative , Heavy Metal, and Grunge After 1980.

1. Chapter 16Alternative, Heavy Metal, and GrungeAfter 1980.

2. Alternative is an umbrella term for a large family of rock-related, punk-inspired styles that began to develop in the early eighties and continues to flourish in the early twenty first century. “Alternative” has lost his original connotation as the music in it identifies has become more familiar. However, the alternative movement began as a musical alternative not only to the pop of Michael Jackson and others but also to the more commercial, MTV-oriented rock of the eighties. TheAlternativeMovement

3. TheAlternativeEcosystem • Alternative bands sought the artistic freedom to make the music they wanted to male, uncorrupted by a corporate mindset. • Alternative was a grassroots movement to restore integrity and importance to rock. Bands toured relentlessly, going form on small club to next. • They recorded low budget albums on their own or on independent labels and sold many of them at performances. Some for airplay on college radio stations; during the eighties , commercial stations seldom programmed songs by alternatives bands. Many developed loyal, even fanatic, followings; some fans published or wrote for fanzines. • Because it started out on such a small scale, the world of alternative music was far more personal. • Fans usually they had gone the extra mile to seek out bands to follow. Perhaps they had gotten to know members of the ban, done some of the grunt work, or written for a fanzine.

4. Minutemen • Minutemen was one of the pioneer alternatives bands, sang “Our band could be our life”. • Minutemen were an American hardcore punk band formed in San Pedro, California, in 1980. Composed of guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt, and drummer George Hurley. They were noted in the California punk community for a philosophy of "jamming econo"—a sense of thriftiness reflected in their touring and presentation—while their eclectic and experimental attitude was instrumental in pioneering alternative rock. • “Corona” was the theme song of the MTV television show Jackass. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=206f0dLjtds

5. Alternative: A neo-traditionalTrend • Alternative began as a neo-traditional movement: recapturing the sense of importance that characterized rock in the sixties and punk and new wave music in the seventies was its primarily goal. However, the message was different. Alienation replaced the heady optimism of the sixties as the dominant theme. Musically, alternative derived most directly from punk and new wave. • Tempos were fast, rhythms were busy, sound levels were generally loud. • The point of departure was the garage band. • The core of instrumentation was typically vocals, a guitar or two, bass, and drums, although bands often went beyond this basic lineup.

6. Alternative: A neo-traditionalTrend • Themovementgainedmomentumintlaterpart of theeighties, itdiversifiedbyinfusingelements of otherrockerasubstylessuch as punk, metal, and electronica. • Commongoundbecame more a matter of attitude and commercialpresencethan musical similarity.

7. Lollapalooza • ThefirstLollapalooza tour (1991) featuredsuchdicerseacts as Jane´sAddiction, NineInchNails, and Ice –T and BodyCount. • Unlike previous music festivals such as Woodstock, A Gathering of the Tribes, or the US Festival, which were one-time events held in one venue, Lollapalooza was a touring festival that travelled across the United States and Canada. • Lollapalooza has become in an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a three day period. Lollapalooza has featured a diverse range of bands and has helped expose and popularize artists such as Metallica, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Green Day or Lady Gaga.

8. From Punk toAlternative • The boundary between punk and new wave on the one hand and alternative on the other seems more geographic than temporal or musical. • The formation of the first alternative bands occurred around 1980, when the careers of the bands like The Clash (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vHvzybkqfo) or Talking Heads (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNnAvTTaJjM) were at high point. • Their music represents a stylistic continuation of punk and new wave; there is no radical difference between the two at the beginning, although alternative would soon diversify into a much more varied music.

9. EarlyAlternative • Thetwobandsmostresponsibleforstartingthealternativemusicmovementwere: • HüskerDü • R.E.M

10. HüskerDü • American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart. • HüskerDü first gained notice as a hardcore punk band with thrashing tempos and screamed vocals. The band developed a more melodic musical style as they drifted away from their early sound, helping to develop the early alternative rock sound in the process. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoKeH7JYE48

11. R.E.M • The acronym for “ rapid eye movement.” • R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands. • Characteristically for R.E.M. the lyric is as elliptical as the music is clear. The sharp and sudden contrasts between verse and chorus provide a foretaste of what would become a defining feature of alternative music: dramatic, often jarring contrasts within songs. • In their determination to follow their own creative path, even if it circled back to the past instead of moving toward the future, the group set the tone for the alternative movement. • “Radio Free Europe” was their first hit. This song helped put the band on the rock music map and establish the essentially retrospective orientation to alternative music. It has the bright tempo, clean rhythm, and lean sound associated with David Bowie and new wave bands. The texture is spare in the verse; by contrast, the chorus features a much richer texture because of the jangly, reverberant guitar figuration and the active bass line underneath Stipe´s vocals. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac0oaXhz1u8&ob=av2e

12. Heavy Metal after 1980 • Heavy metal, such a powerful force in rock during the early seventies, seemed a caricature of itself by mid-decade. • Although dismissed or ignored by rock critics heavy metal developed a loyal and steadily increasing fan base through the late seventies and eighties through frequent touring. Fans packed arenas to hear their favorite bands, bought their recordings, and kept up to date through fanzines. • Exposure on radio and MTV was minimal, especially early in the 1980s.

13. The Revival of Heavy Metal • Guns N´ Roses debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987), sold over 20 million units. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1tj2zJ2Wvg&ob=av3e • In the wake of the economic hard times many faced a bleak future. They felt out of the loop, especially during the eighties, when the gap between rich and poor widened so dramatically. They responded to the recurrent themes in heavy metal: the occult, sexual dominance, rage, frustration, protest and power. • Megadeth, AC/DC, Motorhead, Judast Priest, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Teister Sister, Scorpions, all worthy sequels to the original: Black Sabbath. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MII3ns2KTBc • Headbanging: is a type of dance which involves violently shaking the head in time with the music, most commonly in the heavy metal music genres. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTXGOx5tfV0&feature=fvst

14. Strickingdifferences • Distorsion is typically more extreme. Increasing the distortion to the point that the notes being played may be almost impossible to discern because of the halo of white noise around them. • Instrumentation is basic. One or two guitars, bass and drums. • It is not tuneful. This is especially evident in the vocal line, which is typically more incantation than melody. The vocalists chant, wail, even spit out the words. • The ratio of instrumental sections to vocal sections is much higher than in most other rock-based styles. These typically consist of a series of intricate riffs. • It typically avoids conventional harmony. Bands may play power chords, but complete harmonies and chord progressions are the exception rather than the rule. • The best metal bands are virtuosic. Not only in solos, also breathtakingly fast tempos, with a level of precision comparable to that of a fine string quartet or tight jazz combo. • Metal “song” tend to be long, sprawling, multisectional works. They avoid the standard verse/bridge/ chorus formula of rock era music.

15. Metallica • Heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California whose releases include fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship that placed them as one of the founding "big four" of thrash metal alongside Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. • The group, formed in 1981 by guitarist-vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, built an ardent cult following during the first part of the eighties even as it burned through a string of guitarist, including Dave Mustaine • Metallica´s record sales were brisk, although the band got almost no exposure on radio or TV. • “One” (1988) the most played song from the album And Justice for All. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8bTdBs-cw&ob=av3n

16. Women´sVoices • Womenquicklyfound a home in thealternativemovement. • Whatmadethework of women in alternativemusicdistinctivewasthattheirvoiceswerenotconstrained in anywaybytheexpectations of more mainstreammusic. • Alternativegavefeminists a forum and enabledwomen of everypersuasiontospeaktheirmind.

17. Women´sVoices cont. • Thewomen´smovementwithinalternativemusictookroot in thelatterpart of theeighties and flourished in thenineties. • Amongtheimportanttrendswastheriotgrrrlmovement, whichsupported a militantfeminist agenda with post-punk musicthatfavoredconfontationoverchops ( bandslikeBratmobile and Bikini Kill). • Feminist fanzines nurtured and promotedthem and otheracts, and independentlabelsreleasedtheirrecordingsThequeercoremovement,whichreactedagainst more mainstream gay and lesbianviews, found a musical voice in thework of bandssuch as Sister George, Tribe 8, and TeamDresch.

18. Alternative and Singer-Songwriters • Alternativemusicalsosupported a revival of singer-sonwriters, many of themwomen. • Even as artistslike Tracy Chapman, Suzanne Vega, k.d. Lang, and AlanisMorrissettegarneredmajorlabelcontracts and theoccasionalGrammyaward ( Tracy Chapman in 1996). • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6475u0wEG0 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-26hsZqwveA • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jne9t8sHpUc&feature=fvsr

19. AniDiFranco • Althoughhermusic has evolvedawayfromwhatshecallsthe “ folk punk” of herearlyrecordings, AniDiFrancoembodiestheentrepreneurialspirit of alternative as fully as anyartist. • Shestartedherown record company, Righteous Babe Records, in 1989 and putoutherfirstalbumthefollowingyear. • LikeJoni Mitchell, whosemusic has reflected a similarlywide-rangingcuriosity and a from-the-heartperspective, DiFranco´smusic has rangedfromcontemporarytakesontheurban folk styletocollaborationswithmajorartistssuch as Prince, JanisIan, Maceo Parker, and theBuffaloPhilharmonicOrchestra.

20. AniDiFranco cont. • Thethreeconstantshavebeenincisivelyrics, whichusuallyspeakeitherto social and politicalissuesdeartoherheartorthecurrenttakeonherpersoneallife; and heraffectingvoice; and herfluent and imaginativeacoustic guitar playing. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chLjpk2yhvk

21. Alienation • The final twotracks of thischap are Nirvana´s “ SmellsLikeTeenSpirit” and Radiohead´s “ParanoidAndroid”. • Thereisanundercurrentthatconnectsthemdespitetheirobvious musical differences. • Bothproject a sense of alienation. Itpoursout of thelyrics and themusic. And it comes from and speaksto a groupdubbedGeneration X.

22. Generation X • Generation Xwasthetermpopularizedby Canadian novelist Douglas Coupland: itidentifiesthechildren of thebabyboomers. • Themembers of Generation X, some of whomcamefromcounterculturefamilies, came of ageduringthe “greedisgood” eighties. • Theywere more in tune withthe “ no future” mindsetbroadcastbythedisaffectedyouth in Great Britain and North America and the punk bandsthat set ittomusic. • TheiranthemwasNirvana´s 1991 hit “ SmellsLikeTeenSpirit.” • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1-NZWtTJYI

23. Grunge • Nirvana´s particular brand of alternativecameto be calledgrunge, thoughthoseinvlved in thescenehatedtheterm. • Grungefused punk disaffectionwiththepowder and distorsion of heavy metal • Like so manyotheralternativestyles, itstartedonthefringes--- literally.

24. Nirvana • KurtCobain and Chris Novoselicformed Nirvana in Aberdeen, Washington. • Thegroup´sfirst single appearedonone of themanyindielabels: theappropriatelynamed Sub Pop, whichwasbased in Seattle. • Itiseasytounderstandtheenormous appeal of “ SmellsLikeTeenSpirit,” especiallytoits target audience: angryyoungpeoplewhowerenotreadytobuyintothesystem. • “ SmellsLikeTeenSpirit” is a remarkablesynthesis of severaldifferent, almostcontradictory, elements.

25. Nirvana cont • Themelodic material---especiallytheseveralinstrumentshook, the “hello” section, and the vocal chorus---embedthemselves in thelistener´sear; theyofferimmediatepoints of entry. • Theyseemto be directexpression of themood of thesong; thatthey are catchy at thesame time is a bonus. • Thesharpcontrasts and abruptshiftsfromsectiontosectionhelpthesongportraythedarkestdepression: anoppressiveweightthatcannot be thrown off. • Thesongis a punk song in spirit: itexpressesrage, alienation, and frustration in bothwords and music.

26. Radiohead: The New Art Rock of theNineties • Themembers of Radioheadallwenttothesamehighschool: AbingdonSchool, a privateinstitutionoutside of Oxford. • The band wasformedOn A Friday in 1986. • Theirfirstalbummadeit quite clearthatthegroupwouldfindtheirowndirection. • Thealbumcalled “ Pablo Honey” camefrom a bit bytheJerkyBoys, a comedygroupwhoseCDsconsist of irritatinglyfunnyphonecalls. • “ Creep,” the single thatgotthemnoticed, isverymuch in thespirit of the times.

27. Radioheadcont • ThealienationthatmarkedRadiohead´searlyworkbecomeseven more apparent in subsequentalbums. • Thebookletthat comes withOK Computer( 1997) containsthelyricsdisplayedalmostrandomlyamid collage-likeimages. Bothwords and images are hardtodecode. • Kid A (2000) iseven more frugal withcontent: there are simplyfragments of images and no lyrics.

28. Radiohead “ ParanoidAndroid” • Itwas a boundary- stretching single. Thesongisprofoundlydisturbingbecauseitisoften so beautiful. • Thefacts of thesong--- itssprawlinglenght; thethreedistinctsections and the reprise of thesecondsection; thestrongcontrast in characterwithin and betweensections; thedeliberatedelivery of thelyrics---are there. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmCJ3TW2hqA • The moresignificant point isthat the conflictsdiscontinuitieswithin the words, within the music, and between the words and musicdemandthatlistenersengage with the song in morethan a casualway.

29. Alienation and Fragmentation • Although “ SmellsLikeTeenSpirit” and “ ParanoidAndroid” createdramaticallydifferentsoundworlds, they share twocommonelementsthat place them in thenineties. • Oneisthesense of alienation and theotheroneissudden and jarring musical contrasts. • Thevarioussectionscreatetheirownmoods.

30. Looking Back, LookingAhead • There are numerousparallelsbetweenthealternativemovement and early rock. • Bothgrewout of themostrhythmecallyaggressivemusic of its time • Bothwereoriginallyrecordedonindependentlabels, thencrossedovertothemajorswhenthemusicgainedcommercialtraction. • Bothdevelopedpassionatefollowings • Bothdiversifiedstyllisticallyover time

31. TermsToKnow • Alternative • Lollapalooza • Headbanging • Riotgrrrl • Queercore • Grunge