I love Music. Possibly the most overstated sentence in the English language, as well as one of the most untrue. Typically followed by “except country” or “except rap” the statement “I love music” then becomes defunct. Now don’t get me wrong, everyone is entitled to their preference however one cannot simply dismiss an entire genre from having any good tunes because “I don’t listen to/ like that genre.” Likewise, “I love music” is a dangerous blanket statement that is perfect for queuing up genre trivia because of the absolute absurd amounts of musical genres people don’t typically discuss or think about. These are the most criminally underrated music genres that deserve to be commonplace in music discussions .
1.Big Band
Big Band music, often lumped together with Swing, is a genre of music typically defined by including 10 or more instruments. Building off of jazzy undertones and often lacking vocal contribution, Big Band music erupted in the early 20s- 40s however the genre still lives on and is growing today! Groups such as Snarky Puppy infuse the jazz style of traditional Big Band groups with modern instruments. Big Band is the absolute perfect background music for social events or small parties.
2. Japanese Surf Rock
Groups like The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean popularized Surf Rock in the mid to late 1960s. In a classic case of, anything you can do, I can do better, Japanese music groups took the Surf Rock genre to the net level. With a sound that can only be described as a surf-rock guitar being unlocked to its full potential, groups such as Takeshi Terauchi And Bunnys revolutionized the possibilities of the Surf-Rock genre. Honestly, I encourage everybody reading this blog to check out some Japanese Surf Rock, you will not regret it!
3. Space Rock
Yeah, you heard me right, Space Rock. I cannot stress enough how much Space Rock needs to make a mainstream resurgence! The objective of Space Rock is to obtain an other-worldly sound, typically this is accomplished by the use of distortions, wild amounts of reverb, and instruments including guitars, synthesizers, and even the occasional thereon. Popularized n the 1960s as space and cosmic intrigue was at an all-time high, these early effects-heavy tracks create almost an eerie feeling of intrigue! My bandmate put it best describing the sound as the music equivalent to playing the hit game Destroy All Humans.
4. Psycedellic Space Rock
Like Space rock? Well, we’re breaking it down into a subgenre now! Psychedelic Space Rock takes the eerie unearthly feeling of space rock and combines it with the detached mindset of Psychedelic Rock. Emerging in the late 60s to mid-70s, This genre can serve as a much-needed alternative to the Lo-Fi and Classical music many use to kick back, unwind, relax, or study!
5. Western
Now before you anti-country die-hards click away allow me to clarify, WESTERN MUSIC IS NOT THE SAME AS COUNTRY MUSIC! You can consider it a predecessor to Country or even Bluegrass for that matter but Western music is its own entity. Comprised of Spanish guitar and often upright bass, the key to Western music is the storytelling. Possibly the richest in backstory of all the musical genres, Western music goes into great detail describing stories, events, folklore, and tales of tragedy. The absolute best genre in my opinion for long road trips or sitting around a fire, Western music focuses on the story rather than any eccentric musical accompaniments. The unappointed King of the Western Balled, Marty Robbins.
-Style
Style's Rebel Radio 