Whats the offical name for this new sort of rock?

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A friend said it would be "... Americana" after much thought. I proposed the question as, "As soon as they NAME it, it will start to disappear..." The bands in question are Creeper Lagoon, Wilco, Coldplay, Old 97's, etc. Obviously, Coldplay is not American, so it can't be called "Americana". Some would probably be content to call it pop or pussy rock or grunge light... but, I think it's something even the likes of Dave Matthews is a part of. It's a sort of new pop-rock revival, almost classic or folk rock.

So, I figure if we name it now, we can pat ourselves on the back for years to come. Imagine being the one to have coined the phrase "electroclash". Ooh, now that's somethin'!

― Scaredy Cat, Sunday, 9 March 2003 00:17 (twenty-three years ago)

um, "indie" perhaps?

― M Matos (M Matos), Sunday, 9 March 2003 00:22 (twenty-three years ago)

No way! Indie doesn't fit, at least in my book. Of course, everythingis relative, but I hardly think standard rock music professionally played, produced and recorded for the typical "sweet spot" of stereophonics that panders to "everyman" can be considered indie rock. But, maybe that's just my almost rock-snobbish perception? I mean, it is honorable and independent... it's just that it's also very mainstream, popular and accessible.

― Scaredy Cat, Sunday, 9 March 2003 00:30 (twenty-three years ago)

ok whats the official name of the emo-math-metal that is so huge (and annoying) right now like The Used, etc?

― chaki (chaki), Sunday, 9 March 2003 00:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Emo-math-metal is good enough of a name for me.

― Scaredy Cat, Sunday, 9 March 2003 00:39 (twenty-three years ago)

indie-adult-contemporary

you heard it here first, so where is my fucking book deal?

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Sunday, 9 March 2003 00:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Americana was one of the olde time music styles wasn't it? People like Mercury Rev and Wilco get that named as one of their influences.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Sunday, 9 March 2003 00:48 (twenty-three years ago)

but is "indie-adult-contemporary" still a name that will be relavant in 20 years? Contemporary? I'm thinking of something more along the lines of "Indiepro" or some crap. Like, grunge, punk, metal, new wave, etc. will still make sense in some way years from now. Contemporary doesn't make much sense considering the nature of time.

― Scaredy Cat, Sunday, 9 March 2003 00:52 (twenty-three years ago)

(...relevant, I mean)

Yeah, I agree Americana is the wrong label. It needs to be open-ended and almost generic, but not offensive (in order to appeal to fans of the genre)

― scaredy cat, Sunday, 9 March 2003 00:54 (twenty-three years ago)

rock and roll?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Sunday, 9 March 2003 00:55 (twenty-three years ago)

I agree. It is simply rock n' roll! But, SOMEBODY is going to pidgeonhole it and then it will become "uncool". As soon as genres are given a name, I believe they are identifiable as the "enemy of innovation" or something. I get tired of genres, too, like anyone else, but I almost think it's when I can put my finger on it, generically, that I decide it's "old news"... at least for now.

― Scaredy Cat, Sunday, 9 March 2003 01:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Progenericforgettablerock?

― Venus Glow (1411), Sunday, 9 March 2003 01:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Venus, that's a good name, but it lacks the ambiguity that are standard with genre names. The only exception I can think of is "wank rock", which is not really an official term as much as "cock rock" or "glam rock".

― Scaredy Cat, Sunday, 9 March 2003 01:14 (twenty-three years ago)

One of my pet peeves is the haphazard way the british press
uses the word "Americana." For one thing, that term precludes
all music with drums or electric instruments.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Sunday, 9 March 2003 01:29 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.melaniesemporium.com/americana%20rooster.jpg

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 9 March 2003 01:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Tracer, maybe the phrase "proud as a cock" should replace "proud as a peacock" in the near future.

― Scaredy Cat, Sunday, 9 March 2003 01:36 (twenty-three years ago)

indie + adult + americana = ALDA

― g.cannon (gcannon), Sunday, 9 March 2003 02:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Didn't we already agree that "dadrock" is the right label for any genre involving Coldplay?

― Nick Mirov (nick), Sunday, 9 March 2003 07:34 (twenty-three years ago)

First, unless you settle on old fashioned "rock" as your description, I don't think Coldplay belongs in the same genre as Old 97s. Coldplay sound like one of those sensitive britrock bands that never quite has enough oomph to ring yer bell. You can also tell that Chris Martin thinks of himself as a "songwriter". Old 97s, country influence or not, sound like a real good power pop band to me, a rarity in itself. Their songs are better than Coldplay's and far less self-conscious.

― phil wise (beachbum), Sunday, 9 March 2003 08:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Colplay doesn't fit in with the others, as they are not at all influenced by C&W. Coldplay are sometimes lumped in with the "new grave" movement, other times with the "new accoustic" movement, both of which are mainly English-based trends.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 March 2003 11:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Btw. I have seen that some US radio stations have started a format called "adult alternative". Those stations mainly play grunge-wannabe bands like Dave Matthews Band, Matchbox 20 and Hootie & The Blowfish, but I guess actually good bands like Coldplay and Travis would also fit into such a format.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 March 2003 11:42 (twenty-three years ago)

How about Crock?

― slutsky (slutsky), Sunday, 9 March 2003 17:07 (twenty-three years ago)

crap

― jess (dubplatestyle), Sunday, 9 March 2003 17:09 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't think it's right to lump Wilco in with these other bands. Wilco's excellent, the others are not. I'm sure there will be lots of snobbish dismissals of Wilco, but so what - they are a great band and seeing them at Lupo's(Providence)was a highlight moment. Yeah, 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' got all the critical accolades, and yes, it's good, but 'Being There' is better. Lot's of bitterness towards them and for what? Getting recognized?

― Davlo (Davlo), Monday, 10 March 2003 03:53 (twenty-three years ago)

indie-adult-contemporary
you heard it here first, so where is my fucking book deal?

Didn't Nabisco coin that on Pfork?

― jaymc., Monday, 10 March 2003 05:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Old 97s = cowpunk isn't dead
Coldplay = fall semester rock
Wilco = po-faced rock

― Lee G (Lee G), Monday, 10 March 2003 19:10 (twenty-three years ago)

From my pazz & jop comments: Take a tip from the technoids and call it Intelligent Adult Contemporary.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 10 March 2003 22:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Mike Taylor's is close to mine (when did you think yers up Taylor?), but "intelligent" lets you ignore the whole major-label-or-isn't-it quagmire of indie.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 10 March 2003 22:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Take a tip from the technoids and call it Intelligent Adult Contemporary.

I prefer 'Contemplative Adult Contemporary,' or CAC.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 10 March 2003 22:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Anthony is OTM.
'Americana' is a radio format that was briefly promising in the US in the mid-to-late 90s. Jayhawks, Wilco, Sun Volt, Kelly Willis, etc...

Anytime anyone asks for an official name, tho, I prefer the generic answr of "The Rock with No Name"

― bucky wunderlick (bucky), Monday, 10 March 2003 22:30 (twenty-three years ago)

When discussing Coldplay, Turin Brakes, Zero 7, etc with my housemates, I've been referring to it all as 'sob rock'.

Is that fitting enough? I like the amusing double-endedness of it.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Monday, 10 March 2003 23:22 (twenty-three years ago)

No, I really doubt I "coined" indie adult-contemporary. In any case, I think of that as something sort of different from this stuff: Wilco fits, yes, but some of the others not so much. (To be fair, "indie adult-contemporary" probably has as much to do with the home a record finds among listeners as the sound of the record itself.)

Most of the stuff mentioned here strikes me as working in the traditional "singer-songwriter" mold, with the actual "genre" of the bands and arrangements leaning slightly in one direction or another: jammy, trad British guitar-pop, vague roots, etc. Either that or you can think of them as the area where all of those genres get so traditional-pop that they start to run up into one another: they all have one foot in the same trad-pop circle, but they're coming into it from different directions. (Which is why it's maybe a bad idea to construct a genre around these guys other than "80% pop, 20% some other thing.")

Imagine being the one to have coined the phrase "electroclash".

I hope to spend as little of my life as possible imagining being Larry Tee.

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 10 March 2003 23:46 (twenty-three years ago)

How about adult indie pop?

Too bad the adult term has to be in there, though, because the kids should also listen to Travis and Coldplay rather than Eminem and Destiny's Child

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:19 (twenty-three years ago)

I would call it Adult Rock Sans Energy or ARSE.

― kevin brady (groeuvre), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 08:50 (twenty-three years ago)

"Indiepop" means something, damnit! (I guess so does "pop," which is what the indiepop kids call indiepop, so maybe on some level it's just returning the favor to steal "indiepop" from them as a generic term ... but then what will we call indiepop? Pop? We can't do that.)

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 15:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Music is music. If you don't believe that, then you can suck my dick.

― Ice T, Tuesday, 11 March 2003 16:24 (twenty-three years ago)

If my kids listened to coldplay instead of destiny's child then it might be time to reconsider corporal punishment as an option.

incidentally the next time i hear c***play or travis described as "indie / alternative" i will officially give up.

― kieron, Tuesday, 11 March 2003 18:19 (twenty-three years ago)

coldplay and travis are indie/alternative

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 18:39 (twenty-three years ago)

um... i give up.

― kieron, Tuesday, 11 March 2003 18:47 (twenty-three years ago)

No way! Indie doesn't fit,
Exactly! Indie died back when Husker Du broke up. In fact, I'd be so bold as to say "INDIE...DOES...NOT...EXIST (anymore)"

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 12 March 2003 04:47 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

...and the sad part is, nobody tried to jump in and prove I was wrong.

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Saturday, 19 March 2005 08:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Regarding Coldplay (who has a lot of contemporaries in the same genre), someone on Rateyourmusic proposed "Soft Indie", which may be a good neutral name for the genre.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 19 March 2005 10:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I prefer 'Contemplative Adult Contemporary,' or CAC.

hahahaha

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Saturday, 19 March 2005 10:15 (twenty-one years ago)

"I would call it Adult Rock Sans Energy or ARSE."

This or "CAC" did seem to resolve it nicely 2 years ago. Handy acronyms, no unfair value judgements...

― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Saturday, 19 March 2005 11:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Stodge Folk
A&R man's girlfriend rock
Suffocation Blues

― A / F#m / Bm / D (Lynskey), Saturday, 19 March 2005 12:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Secretary Rock

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Saturday, 19 March 2005 12:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Piffle

― A / F#m / Bm / D (Lynskey), Saturday, 19 March 2005 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)

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