[Grislygus]

The latest editorial submitted to the paper, by a self-declared expert on music. I assume this is what the majority of mainstream people think.

The type of music a person listens to not only reflects their personal style, but also their values and life experiences. Consider what you listened to four or five years ago as opposed to what is currently on your playlist. A particular musical genre reflects where you are in your life as well as shows what values you feel are most important. For example, the probability of the average high school freshman listening to Manu Chao is about as low as a 35-year-old woman listening to Slipknot. There are always exceptions to this rule as you may identify in examples listed below.

Indie Rock
The stereotyped explanation of this genre is as follows “Usually a favorite among pasty college students in the Pacific Northwest, it is known for its lack of integrity in instrumentation.” While I am a pasty college kid from the Pacific Northwest, not everyone who likes indie is. There is a lot to indie rock that makes it appealing to a large group of people. First, the emphasis on being a mellow and fully realized person is higher than in a genre like post-alternative (a.k.a. hard rock) where one is encouraged to thrash about in a textbook outcry of angst. Second, it is a type of music that appeals to geeks and nerds who don’t fit the image of the Incubus masses.
It is easy to see why indie is popular during college, as it is a time for learning not only about the outside world but learning about oneself. Indie itself is very experimental and comes in many forms. Some bands that have hit the mainstream, but still maintain some relationship with their indie roots include The Shins, Modest Mouse, and Death Cab for Cutie.

Post-Alternative Teens, and their Twenty-Something Counterparts
Think Staind, Mastodon, and Linkin Park. Those you normally associate with this genre wear band t-shirts, have greasy hair and generally walk around with a less-than-jubilant attitude. However, many people from various walks of life listen to the angst-driven mainstream rock artists that are popular today. A big reason why post-alternative is so popular is due to the fact that it provides a catharsis for people who are dealing with personal problems such as dysfunctional families or problems at work. For some, it is just a good way to be aggressive in a socially acceptable manner.
Many fans of this genre are usually in a transition and offshoots of post-alternative are good avenues to mellow their musical preferences a bit. System of a Down is hard rock but has social commentary relevant to modern life, and even older artists such as Nirvana can provide a new outlet while introducing a new sound and technique to expand one’s musical horizons.

“Scene” Rock
People who don’t quite buy in to the indie scene or identify with post-alternative turn to another genre within rock. Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and The Killers are all examples of the all-important image is everything scene. This genre does not speak to people who are contemplative about certain aspects of society but appeals more to those who stray slightly from the mainstream so as to create an identity separate from the whole. You think of Scene kids as the ones who shop at Hot Topic for pink and black striped t-shirts to match their new shoes, but that isnt always the case. The best part about this type of music is that it is fun, upbeat and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It isn’t crying out for an explanation and it is relatively easy to listen to. Don’t kid yourself when you say you’ve never liked a HelloGoodbye song, because everyone you know does too, they just refuse to confess.
Music preferences change, and you may find yourself asking a few years from now why you would have ever been caught dead llistening to a certain genre. People ask me all the time once they look through my CD collection. I never throw anything out and I am certainly not above listening to Lit or Buckcherry if the mood strikes me. It is the same for a portrait, once you like it for one reason, you will always see a certain quality in it, even if you change.

These are the only existing genres of music, by the way.