The Music Maven

      What on Earth is alternative rock? It's only the best music in the world, of course (in my definitively correct opinion). Honestly, the term 'alternative' is a tricky one to define. I recently read a book by author and professor Adam Caress called The Day Alternative Music Died. In this book, Caress attempts to answer this question. He defines alternative rock as a diverse music scene that formed in opposition to the commercial aspirations of mainstream rock and that has a focus on making substantive artistic statements. I definitely agree with this definition; however, for me the term 'alternative' is defined not necessarily by a list of qualities, but by certain bands. There are so many amazing alternative bands who each contribute to the qualities that make up Caress's definition: diverse, anti-mainstream, artistically-focused, and a part of a scene more than a genre. To really be familiar with what 'alternative' rock is, you have to be familiar...