I keep visiting Spotivibe at sporadic intervals to find out what some of the new genres are that I have explored. A few names that I have found out are ‘Bubblegrunge’, ‘Permanent Wave’, ‘Neo-Pagan’, ‘Chillwave’, etc. Don’t take me for a connoisseur, just a nerd. These were genres that were new to me and made me realise that good music didn’t kick the bucket with Pink Floyd’s departure. There’s so much to learn. But how was I able to do that? A big shout-out to my new pairs of QHM SoundShot-1 which till now has helped to uncover new beats and gives me the kick to immerse myself more and more into music. The Bluetooth Neckband is tbh, quite awesome with amazing pitch control and treble. My go-to song (Hotel California, MTV Live, 1994) sounded so different when I upgraded to SoundShot. Anyway, I was talking about the genres you can find out.
Well, many melophiles today are obsessed with Post-Rock and Dream Pop, which have undoubtedly emerged out of various indie movements (and accumulated angst) over the years. Here we’ll discuss 5 popular genres that you would like to explore.
Freak Folk
Also a metonym for ‘Psychedelic Folk’, the genre is said to have originated in the late 1960s and recites the ballad of the hippies. The most popular name and face in the genre is the English singer and songwriter Vashti Bunyan, who is exalted as the ‘Godmother of Freak Folk’. Her debut album Just Another Diamond Day (1970) is regarded as a cult classic in modern times but had failed to make an impact post the initial release which coaxed Bunyan to abandon her musical career for more than 3 decades. Modern folk virtuosos like Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom have revived the Freak Folk movement. The sound is defined by acoustic instrumentation with elements of lyrically evoking mythical, psychedelic sounds invoking the romanticism with neo-hippies and the spirit of the flower culture. Other artists include Linda Perhacs, Anne Briggs, Shirley & Dolly Collins to name a few.
Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6BjFznpsyrxCFMpp3hzlD2
Nu-Gaze
You might be familiar with genres like Dream pop or Shoe Gaze which although originated in the 1980s but have gained abysmal popularity in recent years. Nu-Gaze is a very similar subgenre entrenched out of the aforementioned names. The US and English bands which formed or gained popularity post 2000 like My Vitriol, Silversun Pickups or Maps have proclaimed to be Nu Gaze bands or artists. The Oxford Student defines Nu-Gaze as “The droning riffs, subdued vocals and walls of distorted, messy guitar or synth are what you should be looking out for”. Popular bands like The XX and The Big Pink with their trans-Atlantic appeal have popularised the genre over the years. The XX’s ‘Crystalized’ is part of Gossip Girl’s soundtrack. The grand brewing of Shoe Gaze and Synthpop gives Nu-Gaze sombre escapism from the mainstream sensibilities.
Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/album/7stl61dcgosLIzP9v421Xi
Cloud Rap
If you haven’t heard names like ASAP Rocky, Lil B, you must be living under a rock. It’s a brilliant concoction of Southern Rap, Trap music and Lo-fi beats. Lil B is popularly accepted as the founder of Cloud Rap. Yung Lean is another name who has made some dope additions to the genre. It is attributed for creating a high narcotic fever dream effect. While the genre has faced flak from eminent rappers, it did find a vantage in contemporary hip-hop. The etymology of ‘Cloud Rap’ should be credited to Lil B himself who got inspired from a CGI image of a castle in a cloud and said, “that’s the kind of music I want to make”. The hazy chillwave sounds have had contributions from Post Malone, XXXTentacion, $uicideboy$, Bones and Lil Peep.
Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1lishk8i5ATCioX1YZikMM
Cute Metal
Cute Metal is more widely known with the moniker Kawaii Metal. To put it simply, it’s an ethereal blend of Thrash Metal, Power Metal and J-pop. Such amalgamations have been happening for decades now but the fun is in realising what new sounds are being created with each coalesce. The Thrash metal factor brings in aggressiveness backed by heavy vocals, growls and screams. The power metal factor chips in with progressive melodies and high-pitched sounds. Complex guitar riffs and double-bass drumming are critical aspects of a Cute Metal composition. Songs in the genre mostly speak of Japanese aesthetics and lore. Usually, the metal scene is male-dominated but Kawaii Metal is known for having a frontwoman or all-woman bands with non-cis inclinations. Bands like Babymetal and Ladybaby have earned a significant reputation for their style of music.
Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6phW442kV1QOslVbdOQ3aT
Simpsonwave
Simpsonwave is a typical expression for ‘ahh… the internet happened’. For those who love to listen to trippy, lo-fi genres like Vaporwave and Black MIDI, this is a microgenre of a microgenre that helps you detour from your regular buzz. Like you don’t find memes — memes find you, Simpson is one such genre which is a truly audio-visual experience. Finding a Simpsonwave track is easy; they are basically a collage of Simpson clips with groggy, psychedelic Vaporwave/Lo-fi sounds, giving it a contemplative trip. The edited clippings from the longest-running animated show are given an 80s VHS feel which is often misconstrued as stoner’s music. The genre is evocative of surrealistic overtures and bequeaths the listener with a relaxing feel. I personally believe that the series deserved a musical genre of its own and that too, in such vein. After all, with all those shockingly correct predictions over the years, it did deserve something like this.
Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2FwpHEi27eBXUzyZWlCrBK
Honourable mentions:
● Zouk
● Glitch Hop
● Witch House
● Blackgaze (Post-Black Metal)
● Hypnogogic Pop
● Darkwave & Coldwave Industrial Gothic
● Horror Punk and Psychobilly
● No Wave
● Rocksteady
● Nu Rave
Exploring music can be on the most enthralling journeys you can forge via the internet and the more you know, the better are your search recommendations. But do get cool audio products that will help you in your traversing through the different genres of music. I have a thing for headphones and last year I got myself a pair of Zinq Erupt 4155 BT headphones which undoubtedly has amazing bass that doesn’t hammer your drums and quite a nice balance of audio performance with volume-optimised EQ. I do like paying the Himalayas timely visits but not without my trophy headphones. In the end, I would reiterate, that I’m no musicologist but I occasionally strum my strings which inspires me to find music. If you like this piece of writeup do share it with your homies who are looking for some cool beats to play for house parties. And remember — Music will find you, find you well.
Credit - https://rajkeshari.medium.com/5-cool-musical-genres-that-can-help-you-to-squish-the-earworm-48af70e3f505
