Function is the key...

LIVE 105 changed their name to the New Alt 105. I guess it is time to rename rock music?
It is interesting to me  that popular (and semi-popular) music gets re-categorized as it ages. Led Zeppelin was once hard rock and now it is classic rock.  There are old school funk, soul and R&B radio stations that play music that  at one time did not have the term "old school," in front of it.
Unlike music that is often categorized as "classical."
This is a total side note, but I do not like that term, since there is an accepted time period of music called classical, which Mozart is part of and it can be confusing, because the "classical" art period is WAY earlier. Anyway...that is another blog post entry... Classical music or art music, or whatever it is called is often defined by the era for which it was written.
Middle Ages
Renaissance
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
Etc...
Now don't get me wrong, I am completely aware of the issues with this classification. There is a hierarchy, it is linear, and it often disregards non-written music. Again, another blog post entry.

Dang, my mind is wandering. What was my point?
Oh yeah, rock music is changing.

During my youth, there was underground or college rock and modern rock. The difference was that some music was only played "left of the dial," and some was only played on the Live 105s or KROQs. Now to be clear, I am only delving into one area of rock music. The one that sides on the New Wave (another genre) or bands with synthesizers and the second British Invasion, which moved back to the states and into alternative, and then pivoted to indie rock.

I think it is interesting to see where this all going. It seems with technology anybody can self-produce and put something on youtube, bandcamp, and soundcloud. So if the indie production part is not where the distinction comes in, where is it?


Music genres have long been a mind map of cluster tomatoes in describing a sound. I taught a class a few years ago and I asked my class to shout out genres of music. It was incredible. There wasn't a spot left on the board.
So taking in the rock genres that are inspired by the 1980s/90s rock bands by the likes of Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr., My Bloody Valentine, Fugazi, Bikini Kill, and like a million other bands what is the new definition?

Is there one?

Could it be in the promotion?

Is there an app for that?