finding it hard to smile

Alternative rock is a broad umbrella for guitar-based rock that emerged from the independent and college-radio scenes as a counterpoint to mainstream, commercial rock.

Indie pop is a melodic, DIY-rooted branch of alternative music that blends the immediacy of pop songwriting with the independence and aesthetics of underground scenes.

Pop rock blends the hook-focused immediacy of pop with the instrumentation and drive of rock. It prioritizes catchy melodies, concise song structures, and polished production while retaining guitars, bass, and drums as core elements.