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Manic Pop Thrill
Ten years ago, a phenomenon labeled "alternative music" defined a broad genre of cutting-edge rock-and-roll that attracted a small cult following. Today, so-called alternative bands such as Pearl Jam and Jesus Jones sell millions of records around the world and claim an enormous fan-base. Manic Pop Thrill gives a thorough and satisfying account of the alternative music industry - its roots, its vast range of bands, and its considerable impact on fashion and culture. Questions of why and how key bands such as Nirvana and My Bloody Valentine have influenced their fans are addressed with the conversational ease and obvious experience that marks Rachel Felder's contributions to Rolling Stone and other state-of-the-art music publications. It is often the case that deep-seated social and political problems trigger radical artistic responses. Felder notes that, whereas top-40 culture tends to ignore and anesthetize problems with simplistic lyrics and glitzy production hype, the response of alternative musicians is immediate and raw and draws fans who are dissatisfied with status-quo musical expression: "Alternative music makes congruent statements: pop music doesn't have to be safe and lightweight and disposable - it can roar and seethe with real emotions and problems; it can envelop diverse musical and social influences; it can writhe with addictive fervor." Felder broadly defines "alternative" as a twisting of musical conventions (and listener expectations) in a variety of ways. She explores this variety band by band, and categorizes them by recognizable sound patterns: Miasma bands, British and American Guitar bands, Grebo bands, Feedback bands, Art, Industrial, and Goth bands, and other associated sub-genres. She discusses regional differences under each category and the societal forces that affect the evolution of alternative sound trends. Discussions of punk bands from the 70s such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Smiths provide historical context for the
- GenresMusic
180 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 13, 2020
Whoo ... what a trip down memory lane. I just wish the book was better. A lot better. And more accurate.
Chapter Two: Miasma Bands should have just been called the My Bloody Valentine chapter. Most of the chapter is all about MBV with just a cursory review of other shoegaze bands the last few pages. Also, I cannot forgive Felder for being so dismissive of Slowdive's Just For A Day LP.
Chapter Three: British Guitar Bands. Kitchens of Distinction is a shoegaze band, not a Guitar Band.
Chapter Four: American Guitar Bands is one of the more balanced chapters, but could also have been called the "Sonic Youth is Art" chapter. C'mon, they're a fucking rock band.....
Chapter Five: Grebo Bands. What the fuck is a Grebo band? I read the chapter and still am not sure. The odd thing is, I like many of the bands she references. Grebo? Hrm.
Chapter Six: Feedback Bands. Should have just called it "The One About The Jesus and Mary Chain." What the fuck, she literally reduces Spacemen 3 to one sentence.....
Chapter Seven: Art Bands. The 4AD chapter. I love 4AD but this could have been more well rounded. Oh, and The Sundays are not an Art Band.....they're great, but not an Art Band.
The book was short, but just poorly written. If I hear the word "postmodern" one more time, I'm going to shit. The Cocteau Twins sound is literally described as "....floats like the most buoyant dream soundtrack to a diaper commercial." What the fuck.....?
The discography at the end was nice, and actually a pretty good '90s rock primer for the uninitiated. I also thought the city-by-city listing of hip clubs and record shops to go to complete with addresses and phone numbers was adorable......
Chapter Two: Miasma Bands should have just been called the My Bloody Valentine chapter. Most of the chapter is all about MBV with just a cursory review of other shoegaze bands the last few pages. Also, I cannot forgive Felder for being so dismissive of Slowdive's Just For A Day LP.
Chapter Three: British Guitar Bands. Kitchens of Distinction is a shoegaze band, not a Guitar Band.
Chapter Four: American Guitar Bands is one of the more balanced chapters, but could also have been called the "Sonic Youth is Art" chapter. C'mon, they're a fucking rock band.....
Chapter Five: Grebo Bands. What the fuck is a Grebo band? I read the chapter and still am not sure. The odd thing is, I like many of the bands she references. Grebo? Hrm.
Chapter Six: Feedback Bands. Should have just called it "The One About The Jesus and Mary Chain." What the fuck, she literally reduces Spacemen 3 to one sentence.....
Chapter Seven: Art Bands. The 4AD chapter. I love 4AD but this could have been more well rounded. Oh, and The Sundays are not an Art Band.....they're great, but not an Art Band.
The book was short, but just poorly written. If I hear the word "postmodern" one more time, I'm going to shit. The Cocteau Twins sound is literally described as "....floats like the most buoyant dream soundtrack to a diaper commercial." What the fuck.....?
The discography at the end was nice, and actually a pretty good '90s rock primer for the uninitiated. I also thought the city-by-city listing of hip clubs and record shops to go to complete with addresses and phone numbers was adorable......
August 1, 2009
As quickly as the musical landscape changes (particularly the "alternative" musical landscape), it seems almost futile to write a book about it. However, Ms. Felder has done an admirable job in chronicling a scene (or two or three) in its moment.
Written before Kurt Cobain's death, the book presents a fine introduction to that present state of alternative music by not only introducing bands from diverse alternative schools--bands like My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana and Ned's Atomic Dustbin to name but a few--but also by comparing their approach to making music with the approaches of artists in other fields like film and painting, as well as literature.
If, at the time of this book's publication, you were trying to help someone unfamiliar with the alternative scene understand its stance and roots, this book would be a fine start, for Ms. Felder writes with the gusto and excitement (if not the defensiveness) of a true fan. Sadly, that time is now past, and this book is inevitably out of print.
Written before Kurt Cobain's death, the book presents a fine introduction to that present state of alternative music by not only introducing bands from diverse alternative schools--bands like My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana and Ned's Atomic Dustbin to name but a few--but also by comparing their approach to making music with the approaches of artists in other fields like film and painting, as well as literature.
If, at the time of this book's publication, you were trying to help someone unfamiliar with the alternative scene understand its stance and roots, this book would be a fine start, for Ms. Felder writes with the gusto and excitement (if not the defensiveness) of a true fan. Sadly, that time is now past, and this book is inevitably out of print.
June 27, 2016
While this book provides an excellent overview of "alternative" music in the 1980's and 1990's, Felder's writing style leaves a lot to be desired. She often repeats the same points over and over (sometimes verbatim), utilizes vague, half-baked references to other art forms to make her point, and relies on tired cliches about how "real" and "authentic" rock music is compared to pop. Felder also tends to dismiss bands and genres she doesn't care for as culturally or musically insignificant, as if she is simply being "objective" and pointing out the facts to her audience.
Much of her argument deals with how "alternative" music is an expression of the "postmodern," as it was conceived of by the social critic Fredric Jameson, but she rarely fleshes out the how or the why of this point, often assuming that it is apparent why this postmodern quality of the music is important and often contradicting something she wrote a few pages back.
Overall, a disappointing read, considering the author's credentials and experience as a rock journalist and critic.
Much of her argument deals with how "alternative" music is an expression of the "postmodern," as it was conceived of by the social critic Fredric Jameson, but she rarely fleshes out the how or the why of this point, often assuming that it is apparent why this postmodern quality of the music is important and often contradicting something she wrote a few pages back.
Overall, a disappointing read, considering the author's credentials and experience as a rock journalist and critic.
May 29, 2007
A nice entry level work on shoegaze, noise pop, grebo bands of the early 90's. Worth a look if you missed it the first time around.
May 5, 2016
Like a quickly-written term paper, this book is often monotonous and in some places just flat- out wrong in its facts. There are a couple pf decent moments but overall it's just not very good.
May 8, 2012
Drinking game: take a swig from your favorite adult beverage each time the author uses 'Miasma' or 'Miasmic' to describe My Bloody Valentine. You'll be in a drunken miasma in no time.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews