Rock Music Fiction

Looking for something different to read? Tired of the same old chick-lit, thrillers, romances, and teen vampire books? If you're like most people you listen to rock music-on the radio, on CDs, and at concerts. Believe it or not, there is a growing genre of fiction devoted to rock music and rock musicians.

They aren't all just about sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll (although a generous sprinkling of these ingredients doesn't hurt!). Many rock music novels strive to capture something about the creative process, the everyday life of a musician, or the impact that rock music has on listeners. Here are a few choice examples of works of fiction that are based in the punk, pop, heavy metal, or rock genre.

The Best in Rock Fiction (June Sawyers and Anthony DeCurtis, editors. Hal Leonard, 2004). This engrossing collection features short stories including T. C. Boyle's "All Shook Up" and Tom Piazza's "Burn Me Up," plus more than a dozen excerpts from published novels. Authors include Nick Hornby, William Gibson, Sherman Alexie (with an excerpt from Reservation Blues), Don DeLillo, Madison Smartt Bell, Jeffrey Eugenides, Rick Moody, and Scott Spencer. In "Ground Beneath Her Feet," Salman Rushdie explores the Orpheus and Eurydice myth in a rock 'n roll context.

Carved in Rock: Short Stories by Musicians (Greg Kihn, editor. Thunder's Mouth Press, 2003). A collection of short stories written by some of the biggest names in rock including Joan Jett, Kinky Freidman, Jim Carroll, Richard Hell, Ray Davies, Graham Parker, Eric Burden, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, Exene Cervenka, and Wayne Kramer. Given the success that many of these legends have as songwriters, it's no surprise that these engaging and varied tales open new doors of literary experience.

Pistonhead (Thomas A. Hauck. Something.hot Communications, 2009). My own entry into the rock fiction arena. Pistonhead reveals the daily life of Charlie Sinclair, a struggling Boston musician who works in a factory by day and plays guitar for his band Pistonhead at night. He's stressed-out, confused, oversexed, underfed, has an apartment full of mice, and can't get rid of his overbearing ex-girlfriend who tries to make booty calls. When his life can't get much more depressing, he faces a personal crisis and it looks like his dreams of a career in music are over. They aren't--he just has to change his idea of success.

High Fidelity (Nick Hornby. Riverhead, 1995). Although the protagonist is the owner of a record store (remember record stores?), this classic novel is the most successful of the rock music genre. We meet Rob Fleming, owner of a vintage record store in London, whose girlfriend, Laura, leaves him for another man. Rob realizes that he lives not for sexual conquest but for the monogamy that he, until now, dismissed as hopelessly square. The 2000 movie version starred John Cusack and Danish actress Iben Hjejle, and was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Noise: Fiction Inspired by Sonic Youth (Peter Wild, editor. Harper Perennial, 2009). A collection of stories inspired, as the title says, by the music of punk rock legends Sonic Youth. The all-star contributors include Hiag Akmakjian, Christopher Coake, Katherine Dunn, Mary Gaitskill, Rebecca Godfrey, Laird Hunt, Shelley Jackson, J. Robert Lennon, Samuel Ligon, Emily Maguire, Tom McCarthy, Scott Mebus, Eileen Myles, Catherine O'Flynn, Emily Carter Roiphe, Kevin Sampsell, Steven Sherrill, Matt Thorne, Rachel Trezise, Jess Walter, and Peter Wild.

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French Rock Music

This rock music form is produced mainly in the region of France and it is French, primarily. In around 1970 Alan Stivell's Breton folk rock had arrived in France along with French punk rock which came from various bands Metal Urbain and Stinky Toys. Along with this progressive rock bands some of which included Shylock, Magma, Pulsar, Ange and so on were also present. But this course of French rock music went through an alteration in the 1980's. the political culture changed along with the change as well as the boom of the youth culture. Although there were various bands which were present at that time certain ones like Telephone, Noir Desir and Phoenix had taken the music to a completely different level.

In 1976 a band called Telephone was formed by Jean Louis Aubert, Corine Marienneau, Richard Kolinka and Louis Bertignac. In 1977 they released their very first self titled album and at the end of the decade they found themselves as one of the biggest French rock bands which were around. they spent their free time opening up shows for Rolling Stones, Quebec and the band managed to stay in the spotlight for quite sometime before they broke up in 1986.

Just as Aerosmith has been called the greatest rock band in America, Telephone was the greatest rock band which was present in France. When you take a quick look at the band you will think that they are trying to copy a sort of British rock meets American rock type of music. But then this band hasn't really become one of the most successful bands just for nothing. Aubert is a completely gifted songwriter and his lyrics consist of metaphors as well as images and puns. Plus his voice is also very characteristic which gives the entire band their identity.

Another brilliant French rock band was Noir Desir which came from Bordeauz. This band was extremely active during the time of the 1980's, 1990's and also the very early 2000's. this band has managed two albums which went double platinum and also three which were certified as gold. This band consisting of Bertrand Cantat, Jean Paul Roy, Denis Barthe and Serge Teyssot Gay disbanded in 2010. This band was a complete committed as well as indie rock band, the band itself was surprised at the success which they had attained in the mainstream. But despite all of the massive sell outs their music was always committed, abrasive and in a way experimental.

One of the top alternative rock bands in French rock music was Phoenix. This band is actually a Grammy award winning band. This Versailles band which was founded by Deck d'Arcy, Thomas Mars, Laurent Brancowitz and Christian Mazzalai was formed in 1999. They released their two singles, "If I ever feel better" and "too young" from the album Untitled in 2000. "Too young" was actually the soundtrack for the award winning movie "Lost in Translation". Their latest album was released in 2009 which was titled "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix".

Rock Music

The term rock music is an extremely popular genre of music which has its roots, deeply embedded in rock and roll, country music and blues music. Centered on the guitar, it has many subgenres like the ones mentioned below to name a few.

>> Alternative rock

>> Art rock

>> Baroque pop

>> Beat music

>> Britpop

>> Emo

>> Experimental rock

>> Garage rock

>> Glam rock

>> Grunge

>> Hard rock

>> Heavy metal

>> Instrumental rock

>> Progressive rock

>> Psychedelia

>> Punk rock

>> Soft rock

>> Symphonic rock

Characteristics:

One of the main traits of the rock music is the eternal sound of guitar which may or may not be electric in nature. Apart from guitar, this form of music also has two more elements to it namely the percussion and electric bass guitar. Normally, the rock band consists of 2 to 5 members that include the main vocalist, lead guitarist, guitarist to play the rhythm, the bass guitarist, the drummer and sometimes another person to play any other instrument. The lyrics of the rock form of music deal with varied issues unlike the Blues music which revolves around melancholy and sadness. In fact, it is difficult to define rock music as it has a tendency to absorb a lot from the other form of music and hence does not have a rigid definition to it.

Social effects of this revolution:

Rock music has been associated with rebellion and a desire to break free form of the prevalent customs and norms of the society. This rebellion is not only against the social scene but also the ongoing political scenario during those. Perhaps this was the reason why the rock scene was perceived as a medium to divert youth and encourage non cooperation and disobedience of the prevalent societal norms. This form of music is also associated with the rising awareness of gender bias prompting equality. This was a major source of ideas especially for the world of fashion and cinema where one could clearly see the outright influence of the rock revolution.

Rock culture in the new millennium:

Coming to the new millennium, it is a term that encompasses a lot more than the traditional form of this type of music. In fact, it is used for all genres of music which are even remotely influenced by the rock movement. Popular additions are as follows:

>> Contemporary heavy metal, metal core and retro metal

>> Garage rock/post-punk revival

>> Digital electronic rock

The world famous contributors to this culture are Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix to name a few. Beatles, Eagles, Rolling stones and the Beach boys are the bands that stormed music scenario and were almost a cult movement during their hay days. Even today, very few rock bands or solo artists can claim even half the popularity that those group or solo performers had.

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Rock Music - The Popular Type of Music

Rock music is a well accepted form of music, which is a combination of drums, guitars and bass. This music uses keyboard instruments like piano, synthesisers, organ, etc. There is a band of musicians who focus only on rock music and they are called rock band. Rock music is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world. Hard rock is specially liked by the western youth.

Today, people are crazy about music. They want to listen their favourite music whenever they have leisure time. Music is created to give you pleasure. The fascinating world of music lets you enjoy music in one form or other. There are various types of music these days: pop music, folk music, jazz music and rock music. All these type of music are enjoyable to hear. The songs take you through different emotions. Rock music is loud and fast than anything you've heard before.

In 1960, British and American rock bands became popular. Bands like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Queen, Black Sabbath, etc. are some of the famous bands. In 1980,the genre that was quite popular was glam metal. The various artists like Twisted Sister, Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, Queen, Kiss, Sweet and the New York Dolls were the artists of 1980's.

This type of music became popular in the 1950s in America and Europe. This famous music is mainly based on older musical styles like the rhythm and blues music originated by African American performers such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard. The music has a heavy focus on guitar, drums and powerful vocals. The most popular artist of rock music in the early days was Elvis Presley. His dance and powerful music can surprise anyone. "The Beatles" became successful in the 1960's. This group was inspired by Blues and rhythm.

Rock music is evolving itself and coming in a variety of styles. Other music forms like heavy metal are also a form of rock music. Some of the heavy metal bands include Metallic and Megadeth. Rock music comes in a wide range of forms like soft pop and heavy metal. This "Rock 'N Roll" type of music became popular in 1950s and 1960s. This new sound came from many musical styles.

In the initial days, this music was admired only in small clubs and on radio. Afterwards, it became famous with the programs like American Bandstand. Then, people could view their favourite bands on the television. Many people criticised about this type of music as they did not like the loud and fast lyrics.

Rock music began with jazz music, blues tunes, etc. It also featured electrically amplified guitars, drummers and harmonicas. By the mid-1950, performers like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Joe Turner became famous with the white audiences. Radio disc jockeys named this music rock 'n roll.

One of the best musical album, "Sticks and Stones" has everything from fun to catchy guitar riffs. It covers a range of emotions and depicts the depth of their talent. The album grabs attention with the song "Cathedral.". The catchy rock beat combines with a variety of instrumentation. The title track "Sticks and Stones" is also worth listening. The hard to resist lyrics would make your day. The instrumental track "ZOZ" is a classic jam track with brilliant double guitar interface. Another noteworthy feature of this track is the striking beats. Another beautiful track is "All Roads Lead to Home". This track shows the fast and catchy style of the band. Lastly, there is a song that most college students can appreciate. "Raise a Glass", an old Irish folk song has people singing along in the background. The album is a mixture of a broad variety of the music in the history of rock. This rock album is definitely worth listening and deserves a space on your iPod.

You can find a variety of rock music videos online and find the top tracks in the rock music charts. Don't wait, just browse the internet to get your favourite rock

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Significance of Guitar Amplifiers in Rock Music

Guitar amplifiers simply amplify the sound signal fed to it from the guitar and it in turn drives the guitar loudspeaker. Electric guitars are considered a very passive instrument. Main reason behind it is that they do not need any direct power supply. Very few of them are powered by an onboard battery. Actually it's the vibration of strings which produces signal in coil. A guitar amplifier is basically called a combination amplifier, which consists of a speakers and amplifiers. Its cabinet consists of processors, knobs, dial, buttons, which control the volume set.

In case of the guitar player, an amplifier helps to play one role it only makes the guitar louder. It equalizes the signal and removes distortion or any other effects. The essential task of the guitar amplifier is to produce boosted sound volume with clarity. The increased amplitude of output wave leads to the proper functioning of guitar.

Everyone is fully aware of what the amplifiers do; it takes the guitar's signal and makes it audible by boosting it to such amplitude which is enough to drive a speaker. There is some difference between amplifiers of electric guitar and that of stereo systems. The amplifier used in stereos, reproduce and amplify sound with minor distortion. Whereas with electric guitar amp, musicians need both distortion and also clean sound. What distortion means, it is produced whenever the signal is too powerful for that circuitry of amplifier. It is always there with the sound signal and electric guitars have the option to control this distortion. The various types of guitar amplifiers available in the market are electric guitars, acoustic guitars bass guitars and many others.

If the sound that comes out of the amp and speaker is loud enough, it will automatically cause guitar's strings to vibrate. It depends on whether the signal fed to the input of the guitar amp works or not otherwise the signal might be fed to the preamplifiers whose output is fed to the guitar amp. With the recent advancements in the technology adopted by musicians, the electric guitar still has a prominent place. It helps to inspire entirely new type of music. Since its invention in 20th century, electric guitar is considered the most prominent instrument in rock music. Rock band is really incomplete without it.

All the above information is just a brief introduction about guitar amplifiers, there is lot much to know about it in-depth.

The author is an expert in writing articles on audio equipments such as Amplifiers and Tube Amplifiers.

Rock Music and Its Genres

Rock music comes in a range of forms so the chances are good that everyone on this planet will be able to appreciate at least a few songs. Having said that, rock music is not a style that appeals to everyone. It can be a bit hard and loud for those who prefer their music light and airy. The lyrics can also be on the dark side and depending on the genre, a little depressing. Those who love rock have their particular genres and tend not to stray too much. Those who love soft rock for instance, won't spend much time or money on the punk rock or metal scene. Likewise, metalheads wouldn't be caught dead cruising the pop rock aisle. Alternative rock is a genre that encompasses many others, some of which are included below.

Punk rock is one of those fiercely anti-establishment music genres that your parents hate. It developed between 1974 and 1977, mainly in the US, UK and Australia. Punk rock moved away from mainstream 70s rock by stripping down the instrumentation, playing faster and harder and writing more political or nihilistic lyrics. Writing also confronts sex and relationships in a manner that was scandalous at the time for its anti-sentimentality. It struck a chord with rebellious youths of the time who adopted a particular style of dress and developed their anti-authoritarian philosophies. It was a scornful answer to the political idealism of the time and strongly rejected the flower-power hippie movement. Punk resulted in a total cultural revolution, which gradually led to the development of the alternative rock movement.

Alternative rock serves as an umbrella term for all underground music that has come about since the mid 80s. Its characterised by its rejection of mainstream culture and materialism. Those who feel cast aside by society or who feel like they don't fit in anywhere else often embrace it. It has no set musical style and ranges from grunge to gothic rock. Lyrics are often concerned with social issues like drug use and depression.

Pop punk combines punk rock and pop music and is thus known as a fusion genre. Pop influenced punk has been around since the 70s. It has a faster rhythm than hardcore punk, from which it mainly originated. Their approach is more positive and sarcastic than other punk genres and this is their distinguishing characteristic. Their brattiness also provided many punk fans with relief from the moodiness and nihilistic lyrics of the grunge and hardcore punk bands.

Heavy metal, or simply metal developed in the 60s and early 70s. Vocals vary widely from a multi-octave theatrical approach (Bruce Dickenson from Iron Maiden), to a gruff style (James Hetfield of Metallica), to screaming and growling and a phlegm-clogged, possessed style. Lyrics most commonly revolve around sex, violence, death and the occult. They also feature fantasy inspired themes.

Thrash metal emerged in the early 80s, with a sound that was faster and more aggressive than traditional metal bands. Lyrics dealt with social or political issues or were nihilistic in content.

Death metal came about as thrash evolved into more extreme genres. It is characterised by lyrics that emphasise blasphemy, aggression, violence and Satanism. Vocals tend to include guttural "death grunts", high-pitched screaming and various other hardcore techniques.

Emo is a sub-genre of hardcore punk. It began in the mid 90s and was used to refer to the indie scene. These days the term has expanded to include such a wide variety of bands that very few of them have anything in common. This expansion makes the term very difficult to qualify. It has become so broad, in fact, that many bands and fans of the bands have rejected the "emo" label as it does nothing to distinguish them from hundred of others. It merely lumps them into a single category because they may dress in a similar fashion to other bands, or some of their songs may be popular within the "emo" scene. However, those who identify strongly with the "emo" scene and label are severely offended when the term is applied loosely to so many bands that don't fit the profile. Guy Picciotto of Fugazi and Rites of Spring was once asked how he felt about playing an instrumental role in creating the emo genre. This was his reply, " I don't recognise that attribution. I've never recognised "emo" as a genre of music. I always thought it was the most retarded term ever. ... every band that gets labelled with that term hates it. They feel scandalised by it. But honestly, I just thought that all the bands I played in were punk rock bands. ..."

Some other famous rock stars have their say.

"We weren't too ambitious when we started out. We just wanted to be the biggest thing that ever walked the planet." -- Steven Tyler

"... I don't want you to play me a riff that's going to impress Joe Satriani; give me a riff that makes a kid want to go out and buy a guitar and learn to play- ..." Ozzy Osbourne

"We never thought of ourselves as a 'heavy metal band' we've always regarded ourselves as a rock band. The big difference we've always thought we had a lot more feel for rock, we always went out for songs, not riffs or heavy, heavy sounds. But every now and again it does come on like a sledge hammer." -- Angus Young, guitarist with AC/DC

"Whenever society gets too stifling and the rules get too complex, there's some sort of musical explosion" - Slash/Guns 'n Roses

Recommended sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk_rock

http://www.musicwithease.com/rock-quotes.html

http://www.ducksdeluxe.com/quotes.html

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Rock Music News rock music news [http://www.rock-music-news.info] one of the leading site indexes for rock music news.

The Development of Rock Music

Rock music is a kind of music (music genres) that began to be popular in the mid 50s. Its root was derived from rhythm and blues, country music from the 40s and 50s as well as the other various influences. Furthermore, It also took a variety of other musical styles, including folk music (folk music), jazz and classic music.

The distinctive sound of this music often revolved around the electric guitar or acoustic guitar, and the use of a very subtle back beat in the rhythm section on electric bass guitar and drums, and keyboards like organ, piano or synthesizers since the 70s. Besides the guitar or keyboard, saxophone and blues-style harmonica were sometimes used as a solo instrument. In its pure form, the rock music had three chords, a consistent and striking back-beat, and attractive melody.

In the late 60s and early 70s, it evolved into several types. Rock music that mixed with the folk music (local music in the U.S.) became folk rock, the music that mixed with blues became blues-rock and the one that mixed with jazz became a jazz-rock fusion.

In the 70s, rock combined the influence of soul, funk, and Latin music. Also in 70s, rock evolved into various sub-genres (sub-categories), such as soft rock, glam rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock. The sub-categories of rock that were popular in the 80s were the New Wave, a hardcore punk, and alternative rock. In the 90s, there was grunge, Britpop, indie rock and nu metal.

A group of musicians who specialize in playing this music is called rock band or rock group. Many rock groups consist of guitar player, lead singer, bass guitar player, and drummer. In this case, they form a quartet.

Some rock groups take one or two positions above or use the main singer as a music player in addition to singing. In this case, they form a duo or trio. Another group has additional musicians like two rhythm guitars or a keyboardist. Somewhat less frequently, the rock group uses stringed musical instruments such as violin, cello or blower, such as saxophones, trumpet or trombones.

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