From: leroy@socs.uts.edu.au (Leroy)
Subject: Re: Alternative Mainstream
Organization: Computing Sciences, Uni of Technology, Sydney.
Distribution: aus
Date:  9 Oct 92 01:51:40 GMT

Brian May says:

>True, this country does have a posessive love for American Orientated Rock.
>It is mainly a blind love affair ;-) Mention music and sampler/synth/sequencer/
>drum machine/etc in the same breath to some people and their hair literally 
>falls out!  Or "What?!  No percussion _at all_?? That's not music!?"

I was surprised how acceptable the Headless Chickens have become. 
Gaskrankinstation - which has to be one of their best known songs - is 
entirely built around a synth riff. And if that wasn't horrific enough, this 
riff is playing _all the time_ - even through the obligatory noise bit!

>It is good when something different enters the mainstream.  The only problem 
>comes after the fact, when 1/2 the world's musicians copy that change.  The 
>enormous success of Nirvana will have opened a few musical minds, but on the 
>whole I would dare to say, it just changed the mainstream focus from one 
>genre to another.

The same thing happened during the Pixies brief "next big thing" status. Ditto
for dance music (look at Diesel - that's mainstream?), REM and, I guess, 
Sinead O'Connor, Suzanne Vega and everyone else. 

There's been a lot of crossover. It seems to have incresed dramatically in
the last few years - since '88, I'd say. (Although I'd be hardpressed to back
that up.)

>|> In the past few months, the "big" releases have all had substantial shifts in
>|> sound, or in commerciality. It started with Achtung Baby, I think, then 
>|> INXS to some extent, and seems to include most recent releases.

>Hunnas have changed mightily too. Their horn section sounds progressivly 
>ridiculous through each recording of their new songs (the few I've heard).

The concert wasn't mind-expanding. Head Above Water is fantastic live. The other
new songs were bland and disapointing. I can't help thinking that, had they 
kept refining their original sound (or even the Human Frailty sound), they'd be
huge now - rather than struggling to second guess their audience.

Look at Pixies (again.) They started with something newish, and 
developed it without any real attempt to court big audiences. They aren't as 
"successful" as Bryan Adams but they live extremely comfortably. Their
audience gets wider and more loyal. The Hunnas audience may keep buying records if the band dramatically changes sound - but they might not.

Whatever people may think of the last few Pixies records, everyone who's heard
Dolittle - or any of the others - will buy their next album. No matter how
different it sounds. Pretty soon, they'll be considered mainstream.

>The main problems with the mainstream (IMHO) are bandwagoneering, blatant
>commerciality, stagnation.

I'll go for overproduction here. Even a Richard Marx song is redeemable if
you fix the lyrics and the arrangement. And get a more listenable vocalist.

We can thank Andrew Denton for proving this.

>The main problems with the 'alternative' scene (IMHO) are bandwagoneering,
>exclusivity, stagnation 

IMO, the worst problem with the indie scene is the idea of "selling out." 
The whole concept - that to become successful is bad - is just ridiculous.

Actually, the real definition of selling out is "becoming more successful
by making your sound palatable to radio." Is it so bad to release a 
hummable single if it allows you to make a great album? Are hummable singles
really that bad? I like them - well, some of them.

>Many commercial artists couldn't care less wether they are perceived as
>'different' or 'fresh'  (on their income - would you? :-)

I'd like to think that on their income, I'd have the time and money
to do something interesting - at least on the side.

>Many 'alternative' artists should extract their heads from their rectums before
>shooting off about originality etc.

Is it the band, or the fans? I had someone blasting me for singing along to
Club Hoy (as they're unoriginal, boring - just a girlie band). This mystery 
person (Hi Carol!) is going to L7. Hah.

--- G M Heinrich  ( leroy@socs.uts.edu.au )
The truth is that "alternative," like "left of centre," "independent" and other
such labels grabbed at by young radicals, is a black-hole term. It has no
sound of it's own and no useful definition, except as a series of negatives:
not Kylie Minogue, not Richard Marx, not Warrant, not the mainstream pop
formula.
" 
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