Genres

Why Genres?

There are genres upon genres in the music world; including the hundreds of subgenres out there. While it can be hard to compartmentalize an artist or a song, there is some value to giving music a category to call home. For example, when someone strikes up a conversation and they ask the golden question: “What’s your favorite kind of music?” Naming a genre would help them identify the sounds that make you soar. Is it the electric and bass combo in Lo-fi that flows to your vibe? Or maybe it’s the combination of acoustic guitar, mandolin, and banjo in folk music that sets you free. Maybe it’s both! Either way, genres give a name to the sounds you love and those definitions can help you discover new music with a similar sound and/or create common ground with a stranger.

Defining a Few

Here are just a few genres that I've defined through my own lense:

Lo-Fi

The strict definition is Low Fidelity. Meaning there are organic imperfections in this genre. That’s just scratching the surface of Lo-Fi. Lo-Fi is usually paired with Hip-Hop because it usually has a constant rhythm. This genre can be very beat-centered in a calming way. Lo-Fi makes some incredible study music.

Bedroom Pop

Typically, artists that fit into this genre literally make their music in their bedroom. It’s nothing too fancy. It’s raw and it has an element of lo-fi because the sound isn’t over produced. Bedroom Pop isn’t just a type of music, it’s a chill aesthetic. It’s a beautiful marriage between a singer-songwriter and the wonders of imperfect Lo-Fi.

Surf Rock

Remember the Beach Boys? Well, they are the founding fathers of Surf Rock. A main element in this genre is the surf guitar. With it’s clean reverb-y guitar, simple melody, and distinctive drum beats, Surf Rock makes you feel like you’re having fun in the sun.

Indie

Indie artists produce their music independently from commercial music studios. Commercial producers usually make music that will be enjoyed by the general public, so a lot of the time Indie artists have an extremely unique sound. They don’t like to be told what will sell records. They want to make abstract art with audio. However, there are several artists that fit the technical “Indie” description (as described in the first sentence) that you may not consider unique. So don’t be surprised when you see that Ed Sheeran is technically defined as an Indie artist.