Bands that defy category

[63dot]

I am older and grew up with Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, Eagles, Earth Wind and Fire, Diana Ross, Ramones, Clash, REM, Metallica, etc. and for '60s, '70s, '80s bands, they were easy to put into categories. Recently I have been trying to listen to bands from more recent years (2000-present) and while I like a lot of new stuff, I can't get my head around those bands who defy genres.

For instance, I got a Papa Roach CD, and while at times metal, or pop punk via Green Day, or sometimes a pure cross between them, I can't find a category and neither could the music store who sold them to me.

 

[rhett7660]

Alternative

 

[ComputersaysNo]

Nu-metal?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nu_metal

 

[63dot]

Alternative

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090307214229AARbYU9

They seem to think so. Is "alternative" a genre by itself, or a catch all for bands/artists who defy category. When I first heard the term, REM was called alternative.

Before grunge had a title, it was deemed alternative.

The first time I read an article on the newer "Southern Rock" revival, REM and the Black Crowes were at the top of the list, yet in Wikipedia, they are merely mentioned as from the south, but really much wider than just that tag, maybe as being liked by so many in many genres that they are simply, "pop".

And when I want to hear a southern rock sound, who can argue with England's Rolling Stones and "Honky Tonk Woman". But long after that and other British bands like Bad Company adding to the sound which was now deemed British, Lynard Skynard comes out, just happening to be from the south, as really an American band borrowing licks from the British sound. Around this time Eric Clapton becomes the king of Tulsa/Texas rock so there's a lot of cross-pollination. Even founding members of Skynard admit they considered themselves a British sound band and harken back to Mick and Keith more than to the Allman Brothers. I agree and I hear that classic Les Paul through a Marshall stack thing with totally upfront rock guitar coming through.

I suspect Papa Roach is a clever and well done hybrid of a lot of types of music. Another band, kind of similar to me, who I like is NOFX.

 

[OutThere]

I've been listening to a lot of Stateless lately...they draw on a lot of different musical styles to create a particularly enjoyable blended style. I'm not sure they 'defy category', but their sound really appeals to me.

 

[63dot]

I've been listening to a lot of Stateless lately...they draw on a lot of different musical styles to create a particularly enjoyable blended style. I'm not sure they 'defy category', but their sound really appeals to me.

Wow! ... they are my next purchase. Thanks for tip.

 

[OutThere]

Wow! ... they are my next purchase. Thanks for tip.

Their first (self-titled) album is 100% worth the $8 on iTunes. I can listen to the whole thing on repeat all day long.

 

[rhett7660]

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090307214229AARbYU9

They seem to think so. Is "alternative" a genre by itself, or a catch all for bands/artists who defy category. When I first heard the term, REM was called alternative.

Before grunge had a title, it was deemed alternative.

The first time I read an article on the newer "Southern Rock" revival, REM and the Black Crowes were at the top of the list, yet in Wikipedia, they are merely mentioned as from the south, but really much wider than just that tag, maybe as being liked by so many in many genres that they are simply, "pop".

And when I want to hear a southern rock sound, who can argue with England's Rolling Stones and "Honky Tonk Woman". But long after that and other British bands like Bad Company adding to the sound which was now deemed British, Lynard Skynard comes out, just happening to be from the south, as really an American band borrowing licks from the British sound. Around this time Eric Clapton becomes the king of Tulsa/Texas rock so there's a lot of cross-pollination. Even founding members of Skynard admit they considered themselves a British sound band and harken back to Mick and Keith more than to the Allman Brothers. I agree and I hear that classic Les Paul through a Marshall stack thing with totally upfront rock guitar coming through.

I suspect Papa Roach is a clever and well done hybrid of a lot of types of music. Another band, kind of similar to me, who I like is NOFX.

NOFX is another band and they are pretty good too!!!

 

[63dot]

I was originally partial towards hard rock over punk then switched my liking the other way later into the '80s. However, today there's no line between the two and the insistence of early hard rock/punk fusion bands like Slayer saying they were more punk now makes total sense.

Papa Roach is really so much both types of music and throws away the old adherences to one or the other. Certain hooks or beats were once just one or the other but it's refreshing to see the fusion of both pretty complete and used as a basis for creativity. It seems like it took more than 20 years.

What I used to see more often for the fusion of two styles was the marriage of punk and pop (Billy Idol and Clash) or hard rock and pop (Poison, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Def Leppard). I don't know if the hard rock/punk fusion stuff I am now listening to more is considered pop or not but it certainly can fill that void.

Another band I like, though this one really blows any idea of categorization is Animals as Leaders. It does share the downtuning licks of a Papa Roach (low D, low C#), and even lower.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmfzWpp0hMc