the alternative music scene has grown to the point where it’s no longer the alternative anymore; it has in fact become part of the mainstream.
Which is both good and bad. No, rock isn’t dead–if it were, there wouldn’t be much point in this magazine-but it is, as Paul Westerberg said in our Soul of Rock’n’Roll issue, going underground. True innovation is being pushed farther and farther from the mainstream, while the mainstream itself expands to encompass fringes it once scarcely noticed. Five years ago the thought of Sonic Youth being on a major label would have been as unthink. able as it would have been undesirable; today it would seem a gross injustice if they weren’t. And hell, why not- seems like the majors these days are buying up anything that moves, or at least moves noisily, as long as the band in question has some sort of independent credibility and/ or following. This is good for the bands in the short run, and for some even in the long run, but the overall effect is hardly salutary, especially as it concerns the health of the independent system, which until now has developed and nurtured these bands.
Most likely, this mainstream bloat will deflate somewhat in the next couple of years as the majors realize that it’s probably not a good idea to sign every half assed jangly guitar rock band that comes their way.
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