Music trend review

August 30th, 2007

Comedy rock is a term used to describe rock music that mixes the music with general comedy. This tradition can be traced back to the earliest days of rock n roll itself, the most notable early examples being Stan Freberg and The Coasters. Some comedy rock groups, such as Frank Zappa and Tenacious D, often poke fun at the norms of different rock genres through their lyrics, actions, or imitations of the other genres. Most comedy rockers, however, mainly just create rock and roll with amusing, witty, or over the top lyrics about topics usually not covered by mainstream rock artists. Rock has been the target of many spoofs and several spoof bands have gone on to have actual hit records and perform live, most notably The Hee Bee Gee Bees and subsequently Spinal Tap in the U.S. and Bad News in the U.K.
Electronic music refers to music that emphasizes the use of electronic musical instruments or electronic music technology as a central aspect of the sound of the music. Historically electronic music was considered to be any music created with the use of electronic musical instruments or electronic processing, but in modern times, that distinction has been lost because almost all recorded music today, and the majority of live music performances, depends on extensive use of electronics. Today, the term electronic music serves to differentiate music that uses electronics as its focal point or inspiration, from music that uses electronics mainly in service of creating an intended production that may have some electronic elements in the sound but does not focus upon them. Contemporary electronic music expresses both serious or academic music forms including electronic art music, experimental music, musique concrete, and others; and popular music forms including multiple styles of electronic dance music such as techno, house, trance, electro, breakbeat, jungle, drum and bass, industrial music; synth pop styles of the 1980s; and styles that are intended more as experimental styles or for home listening such as electronica, IDM, glitch, ambient and trip-hop. A distinction can be made between instruments that produce sound through electromechanical means as opposed to instruments that produce sound using electronic components. Examples of electromechanical instruments are the teleharmonium, Hammond B3, and the electric guitar, whereas examples of electronic instruments are a Theremin, synthesizer, and a computer.
Folk. The original meaning of the term “folk music” was synonymous with the term “Traditional music”, also often including World Music and Roots music; the term “Traditional music” was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the other definitions that “Folk music” is now considered to encompass. Folk music can also describe a particular kind of popular music which is based on traditional music. In contemporary times, this kind of folk music is often performed by professional musicians. Related genres include Folk rock and Progressive folk music. Folk songs are commonly seen as songs that express something about a way of life that exists now or in the past or is about to disappear (or in some cases, to be preserved or somehow revived). However, despite the assembly of an enormous body of work over some two centuries, there is still no certain definition of what folk music (or folklore, or the folk) is.