Special Subject InvestigationIntroduction

One of my favourite genres of music is Alternative. I Probably spend most of my time listening to some form of Band or artist who produce this style of music. Alternative Music started as Alternative rock which intern was formed around underground music in the late 1980s. Typical Instruments used in Alternative tracks are Bass, Drums, Vocals, Guitars, Synths and Keyboards. Alternative Music Also has many Sub Genres such as:

-Brit Pop-Indie Pop-Grunge -Alternative Dance-And many more

Alternative Music is a very broad genre of music. It can vary from bands such as The Artic Monkeys to my personal Favourites London Grammar. So the whole Point of my special Subject Investigation is to inform you of Some up and coming alternative Bands as well as some more well known artists which I like. So Alternative even though a Major genre in the music industry does not usually get many songs in the charts mainly due to the fact that it is not a mainstream genre. This is part of the reason why it is called alternative as though it has links to some chart topping pop music it differs and this is part of the reason why I like it. It takes the good elements from some more popular Genres and mixes it with all kinds of different elements this is how the subgenres are created.

History

Alternative Music although popular these days was not always as like that. The Alternative genre in fact was popularised in the early 90s by Bands ,that were all in different sub genres, Some of these Bands were:

-Nirvana (Alternative Rock/Grunge)-Oasis (Alternative Britpop)-Blur (Alternative Rock)-And Many More

After the Peak in popularity of the Late 1980s and early 90s the Genre slowly died down in the Mid 90s due to a number of things such as Kurt Kobains Death (Lead Singer of Nirvana). This was extremely unfortunate as Nirvana had changed Music and effected many people across the globe. They were the first of their kind to be internationally known and this tragedy lead to a decline in popularity of the genre. Bands like Blur and Oasis were listened to less and therefore the genre definitely fell short with only a handful of survivors remaining. However with the help of some New talent later promoted the genre with new bands such as Interpol, Franz Ferdinand and Coldplay. To this day The alternative genre continues to grow and show promise with upcoming artists and Bands. This is what I want my investigation to be about showcasing the talent well known or not. That is one Problem with music in society is that a lot of bands and artists do not get the credit or fan base they deserve due to the lack of variation of genre in the charts in this modern era. In 2014 you would be very fortunate to find more than a few Alternative Artists in the Charts. In most cases the charts is made up of Mainstream Pop music, Rap/ Hiphop and The occasional Electronic Track. Hopefully this will change so that Talent can be showcased throughout all genres so that the actual music can be what makes it popular not the Image or real big names. The Bands

London GrammarLondon Grammar are an alternative Band which comes under a few subgenres as they are very unique. They are Generally Classed As alternative with some elements originating from Electronica, Indie Pop and Trip Hop. So London Grammar Originate from Nottingham and were formed in 2009 and have already had a great impact on music Winning an Ivor Novello for there hit song Strong and also Being Nominated for a Brit. Most of their songs are slow paced and are heavily based around lyrics while also giving an ambient feel.

The 3 Members of the Group are Dominic Major, Hannah Reid and Dan Rothman. They all met at the University of Nottingham and because of Reid and majors London Roots they Named their Band After the Multicultural city so that it gave them a broader international feel. They first Unveiled there track Hey Now which Received an overwhelming response through YouTube and this is how London Grammar Started off. They then not long after released many EPs and their First Album If you wait London Grammar have a very Unique style and are very classical influenced and this goes hand in hand with the powerful and moving voice of Hannah Reid. They are My Favourite Band due to this. Their First Album in fact went Platinum in multiple countries making their accomplishments even more sensational. My favourite Song Called Sights which was recently released is in my opinion is there best song yet. London Grammar keep showing Amazing potential and with only a few Years in the industry and they are already making award winning track, the future only looks bright for London Grammar.

The Wombats The Wombats are a alternative band that are more based around the Punk side of the Subgenres. They cross a few subgenres such as Indie Rock, Alternative Dance, new wave and Punk revival. The Wombats who are from Liverpool started out in 2003 and are again a Trio. The Trio are made up of Matthew Murphy, Dan Haggis and Tord Knudsen. The wombats were formed after they met at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. They started to release Many E.Ps during 2004 and 2005 but it was 2007 when they really hit it big releasing Singles such as Backfire at The Disco, Kill the Director an Lets Dance to Joy Division which reached number 11 in the charts. After that they played at many Festivals such as Glastonbury, T in the park and Reading. They supported other well-known bands such as Baby Shambles.

My Favourite Album of theirs has to be This Modern Glitch, which in total contained 38 songs as well as 16 videos. They priced this album at an unbelievable price of 4.99. Some of the songs are outstanding such as Techno Fan and Tokyo which where the bestsellers of the album. But of course most people purchased the album, as it was an unbelievable price. Some of the so-called B-side tracks were comparable to the best sellers such as Wonderful Distraction and Dear Hamburg. They Have also released A new single Named Your Body is A Weapon which sounds amazing one of my favourite songs to date and took Years to produce but didn't disappoint!

Band of Skulls

Band Of Skulls have been together since 2004 their take on alternative rock is unique they blend alternative with an almost blues feel. They are originally from Southampton and are signed to the Electric Blues Recording Label. Their debut album was amazing, one of the best albums I have heard in a long time. With every song being different and interesting,Which is always a plus as many modern albums sound the same with very little variation between song. Band of Skulls got the Balance perfectly by not making each song completely different as if you are listening to two different artists which some people do not like but still keeping the listener entertained. With Many Albums I listen to only a few songs or in some cases I just buy singular songs from albums via iTunes but Baby Darling Doll Face Honey Their debut album was too tempting to refuse.

They Started under the name of Fleeing New York while gigging around London but soon changed their name to Band Of Skulls in November 2008. They gained many fans after their Single I know What I Am Was chosen to be iTunes single of the week. Many other Things Promoted their music such as they Appeared in a Guitar Hero game, They also supported Black Rebel Motorcycle Club who are also a Band that I enjoy listing to. They Played at the SXSW Festival in 2010 at Austin, Texas.As Well as this they opened for Musse in September 2010 and also they covered Goldfrapps Strict Machine for radio. They Also Recently released A second Album named Himalayan which also looks very promising recently on March 31st 2014.

Swim Deep

Swim deep are originally from Birmingham and formed in 2011. They are signed with Sony and The Chess Club record labels and They are made up of 5 Members Austin Williams Tom, 'Higgy' Higgins, Zachary Robinson, Cavan McCarthy, James Balmont. Swim deep make Alternative music that is under the sub genres of Indie and Dream Pop. They fall under these categories because they play a more relaxed style. They Released their First Album on the 5th of August 2015 and it was named Where the Heaven Are We?. My favourite songs from this album have to be Honey and She Changes the Weather. The way the lyrics fit with the music gives off an almost soothing feel. Early last year in February they toured alongside Bastille and Two door cinema club. Compared to those two bigger names in the alternative scene Swim deep got a lot of publicity via their work with Two door cinema club and Bastille. The reviews they received on their first album really helped the growth of the band and a lot of their work was again critically acclaimed. One of their earlier single called King City releases is probably one of their most well known songs. The main reason why I love Swim deep is because of how original they are mixing this Dreamy style of theres with the good elements of alternative music. They are easily one of my favourite Bands and their quality is shown not just throughout their music but also through the feedback and reviews they receive. Many of Their EPs are critically acclaimed and its unbelievable how they haven't got more of a fan base hopefully if they continue making quality music they will get more exposed in the alternative scene.

Half Moon Run Half Moon Run are another Alternative band that formed in 2010 made up of 4 Members who are Devon Portielje, Dylan Phillips, Conner Molander, Isaac Symonds. Half Moon Run mainly take a more Psychedelic take on alternative Music. Most of their songs have a lot of reverb and song very open and are also slightly more chilled than other bands in the genre. Their Biggest Song is Full circle which is a brilliant example of this. Which demonstrates how open their style of music is. Much Echo and Reverb is added to the Drums and Guitars. As Well As this the lyrics of the song tell a story and fits well with the music. Their debut album named Dark eyes has been received well and shows a lot of potential with some songs hitting the charts such as Full circle previously mentioned. Call me in The afternoon was also again a very good song in the album and shows more of Half Moon Runs Folk influences and how they blend it with the typical Alternative track. The Album also went Gold in Canada which is a great achievement for a debut album. They toured Europe and Australia and have played at many prestigious festivals such as The South by Southwest festival and more famously Glastonbury. They have got a fair amount of exposure through having their song being picked for iTunes single of the week and also having their music video for full circle reach 1 million views which is incredible as that is almost 10 times the size of their fan base right now which is a great achievement. It is always good to see lesser well known bands get some credit and exposure to showcase their talent, and thats what Half Moon Run were able to do.