Indie, Urban, Alternative, Easy Listening, Reggae

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A CRASH COURSE ON EXISTING MUSIC GENRES
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Part II :: Indie, Urban, Alternative, Easy Listening, Reggae
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Published in PRESS Magazine
March 2004
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Last issue (February), Valerie Mayuga introduced us to an educational crash course in usical genres. She began the course by breaking down the different genres of Pop music and New Wave. Fortunately, she was only arely scratching the surface of musicology. So now, we tread on more unchartered territories in Part II Of PRESS’ Crash course on Musical Genres
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INDIE
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INDIE POP
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Indie Pop is Indie Rock’s more melodic, less noisy, and relatively angst-free counterpart. Reflective of the underground’s softer, sweeter side, with a greater emphasis on harmonies, arrangements, and songcraft, it encompasses everything from the lush orchestration of chamber pop to the primitive simplicity of teen pop, its focus is nevertheless more on the songs than on the sound, and although both indie pop and indie rock embrace the D.I.Y. spirit of punk, the former rejects punk’s nihilistic attitude and abrasive sonic approach. Luscious Jackson, Teenage Fanclub, Blur, Stereolab, Guy Chadwick, Jason Falkner, Hefner, The House of Love, The Lilac Time and Money Mark are among the many Indie Pop artists that bring to mind blue skies, pink cotton candy and vanilla ice cream.
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INDIE ROCK
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There have always been independent labels in the history of rock & roll, but Indie Rock refers to the independent rock music of the early ’90s. After Nirvana inadvertently brought alternative music into the Top Ten in 1991, many alternative bands resisted the fact that their music was becoming popular, so they went further underground. These bands embody the Do It Yourself (DIY) attitude of Punk Rock, and because they refused to sign to major labels and adhered to their independent, punk ideals, their albums are recorded on a smaller budget and released through record labels that are not corporations, but independently owned. Some of the many Indie Rock bands whose music is readily available all listeners are Ani DiFranco, Liz Phair, Sonic Youth, Stereolab, The White Stripes, Yo La Tengo and The Strokes, among others.

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URBAN
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Also known as Urban Contemporary, Urban was the term given to the R&B/soul music of the 1980s and ’90s. While its smooth and polished romantic ballads fit well into quiet storm radio formats, urban also had room for uptempo, funky dance tracks, which usually boasted the same high-tech, radio-ready production and controlled yet soulful vocals. Up until the late ’80s, most urban music was highly pop-oriented, often in melody but nearly always in terms of production. The urban landscape began to shift with the advent of hip-hop as urban and hip-hop cross-pollinated during the early ’90s, eventually resulting in a new hybrid tagged “hip-hop soul.” While hip-hop soul was still slickly produced, the beats were funkier, more elastic and unpredictable with a grittier, more soulful feel. There was still a side of urban that retained roots in adult contemporary, though, and regardless of which side of the spectrum they fell on, the songs were increasingly becoming showpieces for elaborate vocal technique. Partly owing to the steep decline of mainstream pop/rock in the wake of alternative, urban more or less dominated the pop singles charts for the latter half of the ’90s, with major acts including Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, SWV, Blackstreet, Jodeci, Monica, and Brandy, among others.
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FUNK
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As soul began to experiment with rock textures in the late ’60s, Funk emerged and kept the groove of soul but made it deeper and also added a greater reliance on improvisation, much like the blues-rock and psychedelia of the era. Among the godfathers of funk were James Brown, whose funk was stripped down and spare and Sly Stone, whose funk was wilder and drew more from rock & roll. George Clinton, the leader of Parliament and Funkadelic, was the next great funkster who expanded on Stone’s blueprint by adding wild conceptual fantasies derived from the psychedelia of Sgt. Pepper and the counterculture humor of Frank Zappa. He kept working one groove, kept jamming over a deep bass line and adding instrumental breaks, leadeing most of the funk bands of the ’70s picked up on the groove, not the concepts. Funk and hip-hop groups in the ’80s and ’90s though, expanded on both the sound and the concept. Sly & the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Donald Byrd, Chic, Earth, Wind & Fire, Funkadelic, Herbie Hancock, Isaac Hayes and The Isley Brothers are among the many groups whose music can be categorized as funk.
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NU SOUL
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Nu Soul (or neo soul) is a musical genre that fuses R&B, 1970s style soul and hip hop. Believed to have flourished in the 1980s with New Jack Swing artists like Guy and, later, Boyz II Men, the emergence of nu soul could most be credited to Mary J. Blige who’s 1992 debut “What’s the 411?” has proven enormously influential. In the mid-1990s, artists like D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu made the genre a critical success, with moderate to occasionally blockbuster commercial success. Soon after the turn of the millennium, artists like Alicia Keys as well as Macy Gray further popularized the sound
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CONTEMPORARY R & B
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Contemporary R&B developed after years of urban R&B. Though it is just as slickly produced as urban R&B, the musicians belonging to this genre such as Maxwell, D’Angelo, and Terence Trent D’Arby are obsessed with bringing the grit, spirit, and ambitiousness of classic soul (Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding) back to contemporary soul and R&B.
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SOUL
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Soul music was the result of the urbanization and commercialization of rhythm and blues in the ’60s and came to describe a number of R&B-based music styles. From the bouncy, catchy acts at Motown to the horn-driven, gritty soul of Stax/Volt, there was an immense amount of diversity within soul. Since the 60s, soul music has evolved greatly as musicians pushed the music in different directions: In urban centers like New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, the music concentrated on vocal interplay and smooth productions. In Detroit, Motown concentrated on creating a pop-oriented sound that was informed equally by gospel, R&B, and rock & roll. In the South, the music became harder and tougher, relying on syncopated rhythms, raw vocals, and blaring horns. However, although soul music evolved, it never went away — not only did the music inform all of the R&B of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, there were always pockets of musicians like Chuck Jackson, Etta James, The Soul Stirrers, The Staple Singers, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves and Bobby “Blue” Bland, among others who kept performing traditional soul around the world.
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ALTERNATIVE

ALTERNATIVE POP/ROCK
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Alternative Pop/Rock is essentially a catch-all term for post-punk bands from the mid-’80s to the mid-’90s. Though a variety of musical styles exist within Alternative Rock, they are all tied together because they existed outside of the mainstream. During the ’80s, alternative included everything from jangle pop, post-hardcore punk, funk metal, punk pop, and experimental rock. After Nirvana’s popularity in the ’90s, alternative included all of these subgenres, but many of the edges were sanded off because the music was now being marketed as part of the mainstream. Hard rock and punk-derived music were more commercially successful than the left-of-center pop that dominated late-’80s alternative pop/rock, so alternative lost some of its quirkier tendencies in the ’90s. In it’s purest sense, Alternative Music is the opposite of Pop music (i.e., whatever is on the Popular music charts). However, Alternative has become an umbrella term for describing new rock music. Modern Rock is probably a better description. Alternative embodies many sub-genres including: Indie Rock, Alt Folk, Gothic, Brit-Pop, Alt.Country, Shoegazer, Nü-Metal, Grunge, Punk, Emo, New Wave, Post-Rock and literally dozens more. Today, Most of what gets called Alternative today is very much mainstream popular music. Many people have come to resent the words Alternative Music, since everything, good or bad, seems to get called alternative. However, there are still Independent Record labels and artists out there who demonstrate the alternative spirit of art and intellectualism. Ani DiFranco is a good example of a successful and respectable musician who’s DIY ethic and truly unique style is indicative of an Alternative tag. New bands like The Strokes and The White Stripes, as well as Emo bands like Jimmy Eat World and Thurday are bigger than ever
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DREAM POP
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Dream Pop is an atmospheric subgenre of alternative pop/rock that relies on sonic textures – both in terms of instruments and vocals – as much as melody, and often features breathy vocals and processed, echo-laden guitars and synthesizers. Though the Cocteau Twins, with their indecipherable vocals and languid soundscapes, are frequently seen as the leaders of dream pop, the genre has more stylistic diversity than their slow, electronic textures as it also encompasses the post-Velvet Underground guitar rock of Galaxie 500, as well as the loud, shimmering feedback of My Bloody Valentine. Other artists belonging to this genre are The Verve, The Sundays and The Flaming Lips
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Ambient Pop
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Ambient Pop combines elements of the two distinct styles which lend the blissed-out genre its name — while the music possesses a shape and form common to conventional pop, its electronic textures and atmospheres mirror the hypnotic, meditative qualities of ambient. Essentially an extension of the dream pop that emerged in the wake of the shoegazer movement, it’s set apart from its antecedents by its absorption of contemporary electronic idioms, including sampling, although for the most part live instruments continue to define the sound. Stereolab, Flying Saucer Attack, The Golden Palominos and The Cardigans are among some of the bands included in this genre.
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Adult Alternative
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Adult Alternative attracts a wide cross-section of listeners who are looking for something a little different without straying too far from the mainstream. Adult alternative styles — whether acoustic, electronic, or electro-acoustic — are heavily influenced by pop, rock, and jazz fusion elements. Though some albums feature a few vocal selections with lyrics, the main orientation remains instrumental. The best artists have a flair for melodic invention, colorful instrumentation, and rhythmic vitality while retaining a strong level of accessibility. Some adult alternative artists are Andreas Vollenweider, William Aura, Christopher Franke, William Ackerman, Philip Aaberg, Enya, David Arkenstone, David Lanz, Ottmar Liebert, George Winston and Yanni
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EASY LISTENING
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Easy Listening music is instrumental music that was designed to be soothing and relaxing as it slips into the background. Among the many inventive arrangers and conductors working in the genre are Martin Denny, Les Baxter and Esquivel, who distinguished themselves with unpredictable instrumentation and idiosyncratic arrangements. Still, the primary characteristic of easy listening, from Ray Conniff’s lush wordless vocals to the Latin flourishes of Herb Alpert, is that it’s pleasant and easy on the ears. Jimmy Sturr, Lawrence Welk, Frankie Yankovic, Moms & Dads and Brave Combo also fall under this genre.
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LOUNGE
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Based on the lush styles of latter-day swing and big band music, lounge refers to a strain of easy listening music from the ’50s and ’60s. Occupying the middle ground and appealing to fans of traditional pop as well as space-age pop, lounge borrows ideas from the worldbeat exploration of exotica, as well as the futuristic aspirations of space age pop. Henry Mancini, Combustible Edison, The Gentle People, Walter Wanderley and Bob Thompson are some artists whose music fall under this genre.
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Orchestral Easy Listening
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Orchestral easy listening records are lush, string-drenched records that are hardly classical — they use an orchestra to make sweet music that is easy on the ears. From George Frideric Handel, to Ralph Vaughan Williams, to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, this has been a staple of easy listening since the genre’s inception in the ’50s.
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Easy Pop/Vocal Easy Listening
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Relying on light arrangements of pop hits, Easy Pop is often instrumental, though it is not sweeping orchestral, nor is it processed. Performed in small groups, occasionally with unusual instruments (like the Harmonicats, who only played harmonicas), it is often balanced with some frothy strings, sweet vocals, and pop studio musicians. Ray Conniff, Percy Faith, James Last and Paul Mauriat are some artists whose music fall under this genre.
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Classical Pop
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Classical Pop is a strand of easy listening music that makes classical pieces more accessible by streamlining the arrangements and emphasizing the melody, thereby making it sweet and easy on the ears. Mason Williams, Mitch Miller, Arthur Fiedler, James Galway, Liberace and John Williams are just some of the arrangers who provide listeners with such soothing music.
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REGGAE
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A music unique to Jamiaca, Reggae ironically has its roots in New Orleans R&B. Its direct forefather is ska, an uptempo, rhythmic variation based on the New Orleans R&B Jamaican musicians heard broadcast from the US on their transistor radios. Relying on skittering guitar and syncopated rhythms, ska was their interpretation of R&B and it was quite popular in the early ’60s. However, during one very hot summer, it was too hot to either play or dance to ska, so the beat was slowed down and reggae was born. Since then, reggae has proven to be as versatile as the blues, as it lends itself to a number of interpretations, from the melodic rock steady of Alton Ellis and the rock and folk-influenced songwriting of Bob Marley to the trippy, near-psychedelic soundscapes of dub artists like Lee “Scratch” Perry.
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SKA

Ska marked the true beginning of Jamaican popular music, coming to prominence during the early and mid-’60s right around the time the island was granted its independence. Ska ensembles are generally a blend of electric instrumentation and horns most popular in jazz (saxophone, trumpet, trombone). Although structurally simple, ska has a bevy of influences, synthesizing American R&B, jump blues (sax-driven instrumentals and vocal numbers), Jamaican mento (Jamaica’s first indigenous musical form which is essentially a blend of Caribbean calypso and Jamaican folk music which uses the banjo to play chords on the off-beat), calypso and other Caribbean styles, big-band swing, Afro-Cuban jazz, pocomania and other local religious folk music, and European ballroom dances. Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker, Toots & the Maytals, Slim Smith, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, Prince Buster, Clancy Eccles, The Ethiopians and The Skatalites are some of Ska’s most celebrated musicians.
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© Valerie V. Mayuga, 2004