ALTERNATIVE ROCK

Alternative Rock Alternative rock is a broad genre and underneath it

are many other sub genres such as; Brit pop Rock - pop Grunge Post – grunge Punk rock New wave Folk rock Indie rock Noise rock

Different music magazines NME Artrocker Kerrang! Q Mojo

NME The New Musical Express, popularly as NME

was created by Theodore Smythson. It is published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart and in the 1970s it became the best-selling British music newspaper.

It became closely associated with punk rock through the writing of Tony Parsons.

An online version of NME, NME.com, was launched in 1996 and is now the world's biggest standalone music site, with over 7 million users per month.

The NME gave the Sex Pistols their first music-press coverage in a live review of their performance at the Marquee in February, 1976.

They covered artists such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam in the 90s.

Kerrang!Kerrang! is a UK based magazine devoted to rock

music published by Bauer Media Group. Kerrang! was initially devoted to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and the rise of hard rock acts. In the early 2000s it became the best-selling British music newspaper.

In 2000, EMAP launched Kerrang! as a digital radio station across the United Kingdom, playing a back-to-back sequence of rock and alternative music. The radio has a number of specialist programmes dedicated to the many subgenres of rock music.

In 2001 EMAP launched Kerrang! TV. The television channel covers the more mainstream side of the rock music as well as classic rock bands like Aerosmith and AC/DC, and classic heavy metal bands such as Guns N' Roses and Metallica. Kerrang TV is now a joint venture between Bauer Media Group and Channel 4.

During the 1980s and early 1990s the magazine placed many thrash and glam metal acts on the cover like Metallica, Poison, and Venom but later discarded them when grunge acts such as Nirvana rose to fame. 

Artist research

Kings of Leon; They are a Grammy

winning American

rock band composed of brothers – Anthony Caleb Followill, Ivan Nathan Followill, Michael Jared Followill. They started their music with genres such as southern rock and blues but lead into alternative rock. They were formed in Nashville in 1999. They decided to name their group after their grandfather Leon from Talihina, Oklahoma.

Alice in Chains

They are an American rock band who

formed in Seattle, Washington 1987.

They are widely associated with grunge and the band’s sound incorporates heavy metal and acoustic elements.

They have released 4 studio albums, 2 EPs, 2 live albums, 4 compilations and 2 DVDs.

They are known to have a distinct vocal style which is harmonized with Staley and Cantrell’s vocals.

Due to concerns over the female bondage issue, the band originally named it Alice ‘N’ Chains, however reverted back to their original idea of Alice in Chains.

They are considered a legacy.

Oasis

Oasis are an iconic band

which formed in England

1991. They were originally named The Rain but decided on Oasis. It was formed by Liam Gallagher, and his brother, Noel Gallagher joined and wrote their songs. They were hugely popular in the 90s and became legendary for their music. In 1999 they formed their own label called Big brother which released their songs and albums. Oasis were heavily influenced by The Beatles. Many other artists and bands have taken influence from Oasis, such as Arctic Monkeys, Maroon 5 and Lily Allen.

More recent music

Of Monsters and Men

Their style of music is

Alternative folk rock music. They

were formed in Iceland in 2010,

which allows their music to be

traditional yet with a modern twist.

In 2011, Of Monsters and Men released

an EP entitled Into the Woods. The

band's debut album My Head is an Animal which was released in 2011, peaked at No. 6 on the US Billboard 200 album chart, No. 3 in the UK and also reached other European charts.

Its lead single “Little Talks" was an international success, reaching the Top 20 in over five countries and No. 1 on US Alternative songs.

Mumford and SonsMumford & Sons was formed in December 2007 

The band name originates from the fact

that Marcus Mumford was the most

‘visible’ member as he organised the band

and their performances. Lovett indicated that

the name was meant to invoke the sense of

an "antiquated family business name".

Their debut album was released on 5 October 2009 with "Little Lion Man" as the lead single.

In December 2010, Mumford & Sons

earned Grammy Award nominations for Best

New Artist and Best Rock Song ("Little Lion Man").

While they did not go on to win an award,

the band performed their single "The Cave" at the Grammy ceremony.  

In February 2011, they received a European Border Breakers Award for their international success.

Audience/ Demographic Young rebellious teenagers Most likely 16 – 24 year olds would listen to upbeat rock, whereas

people who are older would typically listen to soft rock. It is aimed for both genders and is typically known to be defiant and

bold. Most of the audience of this genre would like to consider

themselves not mainstream as Alternative rock is different and unique. They prefer to enjoy something with a bit of edge rather than the traditional pop songs.

Record Labels Oasis formed their own record label ‘Big Brother’. Kings of Leon originally signed to RCA, however in

2009, they launched their own record label, ‘Serpents and Snakes’.

Coldplay is signed to EMI. Of monsters and men are signed to Republic

Records.

Mainstream music? Alternative rock is not mainstream music

as that tends to be pop or hip hop, however people tend to say they are rock fans when they only like one band or artist’s music, such as Coldplay.

Is Alternative rock music popular? As Alternative rock music emerged in the 1980s as a

source of independent music, it was fairly unknown. However in the 1990s, it became widely popular and the underground artists gained mainstream recognition.

Record companies were confused by this genre of music but as it became a trend, they were eager to sign up underground artists who fitted the criteria. This led to the excessively admired grunge music which consisted of bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

Towards the late 90s, there was a decline in popularisation. Despite this, many alternative rock artists are still popular in the modern day such as Coldplay, Radiohead, Mumford & Sons and The Script.

Advertisement/Acquisition TV shows such as The X Factor and The Voice have been

produced for entertainment but they also have another ability. They are used to search for talent in order to keep the music industry in business. Talent scouts and producers such as Simon Cowell have their job made slightly easier for them as instead of discovering talent the conventional way – going to clubs, gigs and open mic nights – the talent comes to them! It also saves them the hassle of advertising and promoting the artist as the shows let them gain their own fan base without endorsement.