There was a time when great up and coming rock bands littered the cover of Rolling Stone or conquered the radio airwaves. Every local band you knew wanted to be the next Strokes or White Stripes. And the most surprising part is that this wasn’t even that long ago. Now it seems that pop music has once again taken over.
If you’re listening to the radio in 2016, you’re going to have a hard time finding some quality content. Most of my local rock stations don’t exist anymore. I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing. For the most part, great rock music is still finding its way to present itself. With the help of social media and new music platforms popping up every day, your next favorite rock band is just waiting to be discovered – by you, and not the cover of some magazine.
There have been so many great decades of rock music. As someone who went through her formative years during one of them, I feel very connected to the idea of a great rock and roll band saving the world, one song at a time. The early 2000’s saw countless bands at their beginnings like Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand, Muse and The Killers, to name a few. These bands were defined by the music they created, not how many followers they had on Instagram. It was a very different time with a lot less technology. Your favorite music blog would be exploring the themes on a band’s new album instead of what they posted on Snapchat that day. The culture has shifted and actual great music has been put on the back burner in mainstream media.
However, it’s still out there. And even better, the focus is on the music. What a concept! There are, of course, many disadvantages to the way music is presented in general. Alternatively, I think this is a wonderful time for a fan. Not only can you find quality music on your own without it being thrown in your face, but also it’s much easier to communicate with bands (and media!). With social media, your favorite artists are right at your fingertips. Photos on the road or writing in the studio, in real time, are bringing us closer together and making us feel like we’re right there with them, every step of the way.
I can’t even imagine what the music world would look like right now if social media was where it is today back in 2003. And I’d rather not, because our favorite bands are currently using social media in a smart way. They are getting to know their audience better and making smarter choices about what direction to take their music. With the success these bands had in the early 2000’s, most of the well-known ones are still together and still have the same fan base they started with. The fans are intellectual and desire that song that will change the world, or at least their world. We’re not looking for a celebrity. We’re looking for a great musician and songwriter.
My experiences with music have definitely changed through the past ten years. But my interests haven’t. My favorite songs aren’t being overplayed on the radio. I can enjoy a concert without screaming, crying fan girls by my side (well, for the most part). Indie rock is a genre that’s very personal to me. Partly because of its decline in mainstream music, but I think a great deal of that it due to the fact that it’s instilled in my brain. It’s what I grew up on. So I’ll be following my favorite artists with whatever way they choose to communicate with their fans.
I, of course, will always think it’s time for indie rock stars to be back on the cover of magazines (I mean, come one Rolling Stone. The Killers still never had one?). But for now, I’m ok with my own personal experience.
Here's the ideal Killers Rolling Stone cover. We can all dream!
