Genres are great, but have you ever taken the time to explore subgenres instead? Breaking genres down into smaller and narrower classifications is a delightful task for those who are dedicated to learning more about what’s happening in music right now. In that vein, here are four subgenres that are gearing up for a resurgence.
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Bedroom Pop
Bedroom pop is pretty much exactly what it sounds like—pop music made in someone’s bedroom. This subgenre usually involves purposefully low production value and limited instruments. Typically, it’s an acoustic guitar or a midi-keyboard. Bedroom pop stems from lo-fi, which has been around since the 90s, but adds vocals and typically deals with confessional lyrics. Think of Clairo, Alex G, or Steve Lacy.
True bedroom pop is part of the DIY scene, which often necessitates distributing cassettes or posting music on Bandcamp because of the high costs involved with PR. However, there’s been a surge in artists involved in the music industry being marketed as bedroom pop. The entire spirit of DIY—including bedroom pop—is decidedly anti-industry.
War Metal
War metal is a subgenre of death metal, specifically blackened death metal, that’s having a bit of a moment. Death metal is usually on the fringes of the mainstream where it likes to stay, but sometimes its subgenres breach containment and gain mild popularity.
War metal is categorized by its chaos, aggression, fast tempo, low-register vocals, and lyrics involving war, violence, and Satanism. If you’re thinking of getting into war metal, consider bands like Beherit, Revenge, or supergroup Blasphamagoatachrist, which features members from the bands Blasphemy, Antichrist, and Goatpenis.
Canadian Punk
According to locals on Reddit, Quebec, Canada is having a punk resurgence. Specifically, skate punk and melodic hardcore are blowing up, with Quebec punk label Thousand Island Records putting out music that’s exciting the local scene.
Bands like Bring The Light, Call Me Steve, and Capable! are emerging in the Quebecois punk space. When one commenter expressed ignorance of the punk boom, the original poster replied, “All I see are nonstop shows and festivals all over the place, and when I go to them, it’s always packed full of people.” All in all, a pretty good endorsement of the Canadian punk scene.
Newgrass
Bluegrass and jam bands are having a comeback in the form of the subgenre Newgrass. One particular artist who broke through into the mainstream is Billy Strings, who brings a modern flair to old-school bluegrass. Newgrass isn’t a recent subgenre, but it is having a moment once again with the inclusion of artists like Mason Via and Max Wareham.
Featured Image by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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