Alternative music (also called alternative rock, alt-rock or merely alternative) is a style of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. In this instance, the word refers to the genre’s distinction from mainstream rock music. But the term’s original meaning was broader, referring to a generation of musicians unified by their collective debt to either the musical style or simply the independent, DIY ethos of punk rock, which in the late 1970s laid the groundwork for it. The term is a broad umbrella term consisting of music that differs significantly regarding its sound, social context, and regional roots. By the end of the 1980s, magazines, and zines, college radio airplay, and word of mouth had increased the prominence and highlighted the diversity of it, helping to define some distinct styles (and music scenes) such as noise pop, indie rock, grunge, and shoegaze.
– Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia
You will never know my real name, but will instead know me as Britain Chambers. I am the sole mind behind my band Context Sensitive. Unlike everyone who happens to chase the next big trend or stay within the confounds of genres, I make the music that I like with all the sounds that I desire the music that turns me on. Follow me down the rabbit hole and see how far it goes.
by Gabriel Marinho da Silva Cavalcanti
We are The Other Creatures, a project of psycho-punk experimental music from Brazil, formed by Gabriel Marinho (a.k.a $eraph) and Juliana Vannucchi. Our music tries to explore unknown universes.
I started Nocturnal Company when I got to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for my freshman year of college. I often stayed up all night in my dorm recording on my laptop with the only live instruments being guitar and keyboard. Luckily, my roommate stayed at his girlfriend’s dorm most of the time. That kid was a character, he smoked hella pot and took watermelons full of vodka to parties, where he feigned a french accent.
To the best of my recollection, I can’t recall ever being tear-gassed.
My first instinct should probably have been to turn around and run away from the plaza, just like everyone else who went scampering, screaming and covering their mouths. The old, indigenous woman, with the multiple petticoats and black pork pie hat, sitting at her usual location half-way up the block, from whom I usually bought a daily newspaper, suddenly bent over and vomited. Moments before, I had heard a “pop-pop” and saw white, billowing clouds of smoke. A young Ecuatoriano adult, running in a hooded sweatshirt, gave a sudden yelp and stumbled, after getting hit in the leg with one of the tear gas canisters.
by Syrenomelia
The ambition of Syrenomelia is to find back the strangeness, the dirtiness, the emotion and passion which characterised the alternative rock music between the 60ties and late 90ties – defying the industrialised and genre-focussed ways of making music that have been so ubiquitous in the last 20 years.
by Kevin David Marin Quiñonez (KDMQ)
Well, this is my 3rd time writing this, my second try at writing this on a computer. I have to put a disclaimer out; this might get dark and depressing. Don’t know, but, yeah, I just wanted to put that out here.
I write this not coming from a place of hate, but from a place of time, and exhaustion. Also, I do this so I can try to explain the songs I have released thus far as part of an upcoming album I’m working at the moment.
Now…
by A friend of Leo (Vinyl Motherfuck)
Vinyl Head is a LP made by Vinyl Motherfuck, the songs of the album talk about problems and thoughts Leo (aka Vinyl Motherfuck) had since his last (good) work, the “Spring Is Out There” EP.
This record has 11 songs written and composed by Leo, and this songs are (in his own words) “good, catchy, and a little mature” compared to his previous work.
In 1986 it all began near Cologne (Germany) in a little town called Kerpen Sindorf. For me, it was clear that it would be a long journey, and it still is. Now 33 years later and after 33 released albums, it is still something special and every day something new to create music.
Right now, we just released the album “Laughter filled with pain” – eight acoustic songs with some electronic elements here and there. It is a very personal album reduced to the essentials.
In 2018, I completed my first LP album as a solo artist. It is called Kriya and features ten tracks (in 37 minutes). I later realized that even though I spent a lot of time and energy on the album, most people wouldn’t be able to listen to it from start to finish in today’s hectic times. So, I decided to tell the story of finding our center (relevant to each of us!) in the form of a shorter 3-track EP, where each song represents a different genre, a different sound, and lyrically offers a diverse point of view. The Hara EP (10 and a half minutes) was born.
by Rob Sheppard
As somebody who enjoys making music, I often find myself getting lost in a series of questions when writing and producing. The overriding thought being “What value does this have?”.
It is easy to deter ourselves from creating art, and putting ourselves in a vulnerable position, simply by talking ourselves out of finishing or sharing a creation in fear that it doesn’t add anything of value to the world, or worse; detracts value.
Due to these thoughts and conversations within my own mind, I haven’t shared an entire song or idea for many months, perhaps even years now.