Friday, April 18, 2025

La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: How Do You Say "What's in a Name" in Yiddish? Edition

So the other day I became quite insufferably pleased with myself.

Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

Basically, it started when I was reading about the recent mini-brouhaha over country music mega-star Morgan Wallen walking off-stage during the final credit bow of the episode of Saturday Night Live he had just appeared on. (In case, mercifully, you're unfamiliar with the guy, here he is with one of his performances from the show.)

Anyway, I was trying to characterize the music the guy does, in a way that would sort of sum up my disdain for pretty much all current commercially successful country music, which frankly kinda sucks IMHO.

And then it hit me.

Auto-Twang.

Thank you, I'm here all week. And like I said, insufferably pleased with myself.

Which leads us, inexorably, to today's business. To wit:

...and your favorite or least favorite genre appellation for an offshoot of pop/rock/country/folk/soul music is...????

No arbitrary rules, but the more obscure the better, as far as I'm concerned. And whether you enjoy the genre itself is irrelevant -- we're talking strictly the name (which was, if truth be told, probably originated by some putz rock critic).

Discuss. (Also: A coveted PowerPop No-Prize© will be awarded to any reader who coins a genre name as memorable as my new one).

Oh -- and I'l tell you my two least favorites for free.

Death Metal (ugh) and Kraut-Rock (yuck).

And yeah, my favorite is Power Pop, but you obviously already guessed that. 😎😎

Anyway, have a great weekend, everybody!!!

23 comments:

Cleveland Jeff said...

Isn’t K-pop just the new Bubblegum?

Cleveland Jeff said...

Cloud Rap? WTF?

steve simels said...

Hadn't heard that one...😎

Sal Nunziato said...

I'm a little tired of the whispery, maudlin, monotoned female with a guitar that always seems to get four and five stars reviews in Mojo. I call it Iron Poor Bloodrock.

steve simels said...

HAH!!!! 😎

edward said...

Yacht Rock
Pub Rock
Soft Rock
Hard Rock
Fusion

Not sure if there is a thing called Snot Rock, but there should be

steve simels said...

Don't get me started on Yacht Rock.

Alzo said...

Psychobilly (a la the Cramps)
Robot Pop (as Kraftwerk described themselves)
Jangle (you know this one well)
Shoegazer (My Bloody Valentine et al)
Bedwetter (Coldplay, of course)

As for Wallen and company- yeah, commercial country music sucks and has for some time now. Better to listen to neo-traditional acts like Neko Case and the Handsome Family.

paulinca said...

Several years ago, my students asked if I'd heard of "Hick Hop." Really, it's a thing. Baby Metal is also a WTF? thing...

ChrisE said...

One of my favorites: Marshall Crenshaw, in his 1994 book "Hollywood Rock", reviewed an early 60s movie in which several music acts of the time appeared. He described Johnny & The Hurricanes, one of the acts, as "letting rip with a blast of sax-driven THUG-ROCK." That is just a perfect and hilarious description :-) :-)

Allan Rosenberg said...

I want to know what the FUCK "Indie Rock" is? Seriously, besides the fact that it almost always sucks, what exactly is it?

As always confused Captain Al

J. Loslo said...

The Wikipedia entry for Heavy Metal Genres makes for a very entertaining read. There are more metal genres than there are Protestant denominations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_genres

Anonymous said...

Egg Punk!

BG said...

Negligee Pop

Anonymous said...

Oooh…haven’t checked the Wiki death-metal page yet but I like to call it “Cookie Monster Rock” AKA Screamo which of course features Atonal Screaming. I’m generally NOT a fan of that sort of stuff, but there are exceptions. Check out Flyleaf’s I’m So Sick.
https://youtu.be/iWIADZKU9dw?si=AicIZLtLf-0x7-To

M_Sharp said...

Bro Country might be the same as Auto-Twang.
Alt-Country
Punk Funk must be a contradiction.
Mumblecore, Sadcore, and Shoegaze might all be related.

Anonymous said...

Country Pop
Nu Metal
Trap
Industrial
Greebo

Sal Nunziato said...

Indie Rock is when you don't have any adults with knowledge and money telling you to take your shitty demo back home and try again, so you put it out as is.

Anonymous said...

The kdrama “The Potato Lab” on Netflix has the male romantic lead identify his favorite genre as “shoegaze”

Alzo said...

Forgive my oversight: Neo-traditional country music is more properly identified as Americana. Don't call it Alt-Country or even Cowpunk.

Rob B Mullen said...

Just watched a Lee Sklar interview specifically speaking about his JamesTaylor years. He classified that style of music per Time magazine - The New Rock, Bittersweet And Low.
rbm

Anonymous said...

Wimp Metal Rap (See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MozmAUo8CY)

Anonymous said...

I'm a big fan of Americana think Gillian Welch and Jayhawks as examples.
rs