(ir)relevance of genre

[funeralcrasher]

I agree that good music defies the notion of genre.  Music itself defies genre.  Genre is just as subjective as music if not more so. 

So is it wrong to admit enjoying a genre, or using genre to describe a certain style of you enjoy?

The word genre is derived from the Latin word genus, which is defined as "A group with common attributes" ( genus - Wiktionary).  If genre didn't exist we'd have to wax biblical and write pages and pages of lists of bands who begat bands just to relay to others our appreciation of and expertise in Jazz.

Genre is just a helpful shortcut to a complex matrix of music theory, social interaction and aesthetic.

Imagine record stores without genres.  Or record label & club advertisements without descriptions to attract would-be patrons.    Choosing to avoid using genre to describe styles of music won't stop such classification from occurring.  Nor should applying genre detract from the music itself.  Genre is less than music, but that alone doesn't make it irrelevant.

Purposefully avoiding (and criticizing) the use of genre in order to make ourselves seem more refined is to me, just as stupid as goth bands plastering the word all over their merchandise so they appear just a shade darker than the rest.

Somewhere in between there is a happy medium.

Comments

[radargrrl.livejournal.com]

I've never saddled or pinointed what style of music I like. Mostly, I like it all. But when it's something I don't like, I _really_ don't like it!