The rebranding and revival of ’90s rock is at its largest apex lately, with several minor and major groups re-forming to cash in on their viability as innovators and originators.
Bands and artists such as Outkast, Slowdive, Lush, My Bloody Valentine, HUM and Cowboy Mouth recently released music or began touring to establish a new fan base and retain their original audience.
However, during the ’90s, when the genre was at its peak, bands as a whole were overshadowed and ejected from the span of popular magazines and criticism as grunge and britpop took, such as the infamous Nirvana.
My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless” is the classic example of an album ahead of its time that influenced an entire generation of songwriters some 20 years later, with critical acclaim and controversy still surrounding it today.
Much like The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Psychocandy,” “Loveless” ushered in a distinct response to the stagnant climate of ’80s music, yet MBV was unable to recreate a new sound until 2013 with its release of “M B V.”
In a similar vein, Slowdive’s cult status has followed them to a recent string of tours and venues, despite its initial lack of success and marketability.
The string of tours increased the spread of interest and love toward bands of the genre, regardless age group. Bands such as Nothing, Beach House, Whirr and DIIV have established their sounds by playing with the constraints that older bands such Cocteau Twins, MBV and The Verve put forth in the ’90s.
The growth and influx of young 20 and 30-somethings looking up to and, in some cases, imitating the techniques and antics of shoegaze bands is a positive step in the right direction for rock music as a whole.
I believe the ability of current rock musicians to stand on the shoulders of their heros and be able to understand and assess the slow payout and reward their idols received is a valuable lesson in the world of professional music.
Some of these younger bands within the genre have received critical acclaim while others have nearly destroyed their careers with foolish and rash decisions. Many pop groups incorporated elements of shoegaze to captivate or lure in the indie or dream pop market.
Although some may peg the various washes of distorted guitar as direct copies or ripoffs of a previous band’s sound, this cult of imitation is what’s saving rock today, however apathetic and dissonant it may seem.
Joshua Bartholomew is a 20-year-old English sophomore from Castro Valley, California. You can reach him on Twitter @JAB_Reveille.
OPINION: Nineties bands saving rock in today’s music industry
November 30, 2015
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