So you went on a date with this cute girl last weekend. Everything went great, but something kept puzzling you. When you asked her what kind of music she listened to, she just shrugged and said she likes alt. Alt what? What does this mean? You hear this term all the time, but nobody’s ever explained it to you. Is it a fashion? Is it a lifestyle? Didn’t someone once call you alt in high school, and all you could do was stare back dumbly, because you couldn’t tell if they were making a dig or not?

Well, today, I’m here to help you get a further grasp on what “alternative rock” is, so you can finally put that silly little mystery to rest. The most basic way of defining what “alt rock” really is just any form of rock that doesn’t rely on “traditional” models of the genre. It kind of goes hand-in-hand with indie, although alt tends to be more broadly defined than indie. Ultimately, an alt-rock band is alt-rock because it’s literally an alternative from traditional rock.

The post What is Alternative Music? Alternative Music, Explained appeared first on The Mary Sue.