| Geek rock | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Nerd rock |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late-1990sgeek culture andnerd music, United States |
| Typical instruments |
|
| Derivative forms | |
| Other topics | |
Geek rock (also known asnerd rock) is asubgenre ofalternative rock that draws influences fromindie rock,college rock andnerd music. Characterized by traditional rock instrumentation combined with synthesizers, unusual instruments and song structures, as well as lyrical references togeek culture and specialized yet mundane interests, whimsy, and offbeat humor in general.
Geek rock is characterised by strong use of bothelectronic instruments and more atypical musical instruments, such asaccordions orukuleles.[1][2]
Lyrically, the genre is generally characterised by subject matter that covers topics such as geek mediapop culture (includingscience fiction,comic books andvideo games), academia, technology and related topics. Kyle Stevens, co-founder of Kirby Krackle (along withJim Demonakos), expands this to include any passionate interest, saying in a 2013 interview: "To us now, what we consider or genre of 'nerd' or 'geek' rock means anything we are really passionate about, whether that be traditionally geeky subject matter or a song about how we're really into tacos. In essence, they're love songs directed to whatever we're really passionate about."[3]Irony,self-deprecation andhumour are major elements.[2]
While mainstream rock music tends to be aspirational, representing things the average male audience member wants or wants to be, geek rock celebrates the mundane, common things that its audience members would find familiar.[4]
The term "nerd rock" was first used as the title of a 1977 sketch on the American sketch comedy seriesSaturday Night Live, named by writerAnne Beatts afterElvis Costello appeared as the musical guest star. She is on record as thinking, while watching his performance, "this isn't punk rock; this is nerd rock." The sketch was the first in their "The Nerds" series following the same "nerd" characters.[5][6]
The label "proto-geek rock" covers both similar musicians performing before the term was established and those that were adopted by geek culture but were not strictly part of it themselves.[7] Alex DiBlasi contends thatFrank Zappa is the archetypical geek rocker and antecedent of geek rock.[4][8][9][10]Pitchfork notesJonathan Richman'sthe Modern Lovers as "nervousnice-guy geek-rock that presages theTalking Heads".[11] Other early influences includenew wave acts such asDevo,[12][13][14] Talking Heads,[15]Robyn Hitchcock,[16]Oingo Boingo,[17]Elvis Costello,[18][19]Thomas Dolby,[20]the Dead Milkmen,[21] andXTC, as well as Kansasart-punk bandthe Embarrassment who were described as forerunners to "geek-punk".[22][23]
The first band to describe themselves as "geek rock" is believed to beNerf Herder.[7] The success ofThey Might Be Giants' 1990 albumFlood may have begun making geek culture and geek rock more mainstream.[7]Billboard has referred to They Might Be Giants as "Nerd-Rock Kings".[24] Similarly,"Weird Al" Yankovic has been called the king of nerd rock.[25]
Earlierfilk music was based around fans performing atscience fiction conventions. Geek rock, however, is not necessarily connected to conventions in the same way and, while often still connected to fandom, is more adjacent to the fan community than an out-growth of it.[7] Geek rock musicians are professional rather than amateur and band members need not be fans themselves. For example, ChicagoDoctor Who-based bandTime Crash was started byDoctor Who fan Ronen Kohn but the band's drummer, Andy Rice, had not seen the TV series until some time after the band started.[7] This was made possible by equipment becoming more affordable and the growth of the internet.[7]
Geek rock, and related genres, have grown large enough to supportmusic festivals such asRock Comic Con. In 2024, a multimedia project titled,Generation Blue, was published, and focused on documenting the movement and rock bandWeezer's influence on the scene.[26]
Some subgenres and derivative forms of geek rock are focused around specific parts of geek culture and fandoms. Others are based onsubgenres of rock music.
Nerd punk (also known asgeek punk) is a fusion ofnerd music andpunk rock. It shares the characteristics of geek rock with the fast-paced songs, hard-edged melodies and singing styles of punk. Bands includeThe Descendents, Guigui & the Tech Leads andThundering Asteroids!.
Twi-rock (or twirock) developed fromTwilight fandom with bands such as the Bella Cullen Project.[7][27] While initially successful, and entering into a rivalry with wizard rock, the twi-rock genre turned out to be short lived.[28][29]
Time Lord rock (or trock) was developed by British bandChameleon Circuit in 2008. It was directly inspired by the existence of wizard rock.[2][7][30][31] Time Lord rock was initially dominated by British and Australian bands but the genre has spread to the United States with groups such asTime Crash, Legs Nose Robinson[32][33] and singer Allegra Rosenberg.[34][35]
Wizard rock (or wrock) developed fromHarry Potter fandom in the United States withHarry and the Potters in the early 2000s.[7] The subgenre has since expanded internationally with hundreds of bands and established its own music festival, calledWrockstock.
Not so with Weird Al Yankovic, the true, unabashed and remarkably enduring king of a now growing genre of nerd rock – a man who's had a pretty remarkable 30-year career wearing his uncoolness on his accordion strap.
