Alternative R&B

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Leader: Machicodi
Join Policy: Open
Created on: 11 Jun 2010
Description:

A group dedicated to a new wave of artists, singers and producers, trying to do something new and innovative with R&B and soul music.

There is also a blog: http://indiernb.tumblr.com

Weekly Top Artists

Overall Unique to this Group

1	The Weeknd	67
2	Drake	64
3	Kanye West	63
4	Beach House	55
5	Frank Ocean	49
6	ASAP Rocky	40
7	Radiohead	38
8	The xx	35
9	Lana Del Rey	35
10	SBTRKT	34

Connected Artists

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Machicodi

The connected artists consist of: the artists usually grouped into this new wave of independently produced alternative R&B, neo-soul artists and artists within other genres that have influenced the former mentioned new wave, as well as billboard artists (and/or producers) who've pushed the boundaries of their commercial sound and influenced the new wave of alt-R&B. As simple as that!

20 days ago
greenstring

hmmmm... What Laugh2Love2Live said.

21 days ago
Machicodi

Yes, really! Their R&B influence is even more apparent live.

last month
janelesque

Really? CocoRosie in Connected Artists?

last month
Machicodi

Nice selections!

last month
DigitalTender

I've just made an AltRnB playlist on spotify. Hope you like. http://open.spotify.com/user/digitaltenderness/playlist/5tahlOKpVXLrPTtwOgblgM

last month
Nicoprados

http://teenpalaces.tumblr.com Slow Jams / RnB / Fast Food

January 2012
Klash2def

in case anybody is in Toronto... Rochelle Jordan live from Harbourfront Centre Toronto.. http://www.facebook.com/events/339667339390474/

January 2012
Laugh2Love2Live

If you really want to distinguish "Alternative R&B" from other sounds you need to identify the specific sounds, genres, lyrical themes, band construction etc that describes it. For example, what most of the bands you're cataloging here have in common is that they don't use live instruments as their primary sound. Looking through most of the names, they also aren't known for recording one-takes. I.e., they let engineers slice and paste multiple recordings together to form the finished product. Most rely on drum samples, keyboards etc. They also stay at the mid range sounds, rather than the deeper/lower freq attributed to Soul. Now if you can start to define things in this way, you begin to legitimize things a bit. So it doesn't just seem like you're trying to segregate certain artists. 2 cents.

December 2011
Laugh2Love2Live

I get where you're going, but it seems you may be trying to "cap off" Neo Soul's growth. Many of the groups that you're listing as "alternative R&B" are actually Neo-Soul, Urban Contemporary or Soulful Pop, all of which are genres exist and continue to grow. For example, The Dream isn't alternative. He's commercial. In fact, he's straight R&B, which is usually defined as "I'm saying love, but I'm talking about Sex." litmus. The only thing that sets him apart is that he's comfortable saying the N-word on a ballad. Unfortunately, that's been done too - about 40 years ago. lol What you've really begun to do is catalog music that is pop, urban or electronic that is influenced by Soul music. There's nothing wrong with what you're doing, so long as you're not implying that any of those other genres from which you're borrowing to catalog the sounds you like are dead or dying. Neo Soul and Urban Contemporary (which I think is garbage by and large) continue to grow and evolve.

December 2011
Machicodi

That's beside the point. The point is neo-soul has influenced what today could be called alternative R&B, most likely because itself was an alternative genre, born from soul and R&B, inspired by jazz, hip hop and other types of music.

December 2011
Piratesquid

I agree that the genres are closely related and you can easily draw lines to how they're related from father genres but their vocal styles and the genres themselves are pretty distinguishable.

December 2011
Machicodi

Genre definition isn't always so black and white. Neo-soul is(/was) very influenced by R&B and many of the artists within this "genre" have influenced the current "alt-R&B" wave, therefore they are relevant in this group. Also, soul and (contemporary) R&B are two related and very closely connected genres, so the line between them is often blurred.

November 2011
Piratesquid

Also, why are the majority of these artists not R&B? Like, 80% of them are neosoul or sing in a soulful style.

November 2011
Piratesquid

People should check out Cocaine 80's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEYweKYXkuY

November 2011
Timppa2000

Blood Orange is amazing. [2] it's great late night music

November 2011
SofieVandepitte

Blood Orange is amazing. ;)

November 2011
zukaus

Thank you for helping me find Quadron. I'd like to pimp out Ava Luna in return. Really liking this little niche.

October 2011
Machicodi

Yes?

October 2011
interpersonalny

?

October 2011