The Comsat Angels

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 rock is a subgenre of rock and a branch of alternative rock that coalesced in the early–mid 1980s around independent labels and DIY practices in the United Kingdom, the United States, and New Zealand.

Grunge is a guitar-driven subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-to-late 1980s in Seattle, United States. It fuses the raw aggression and DIY ethos of punk with the weight and riff-centric power of hard rock and heavy metal.

Jangle pop is a guitar-centered style of pop and rock defined by bright, chiming tones—often from a 12‑string electric (famously the Rickenbacker)—playing arpeggiated or open‑chord figures with minimal distortion. The sound emphasizes treble clarity, shimmering sustain, and tight compression…

Big music is an anthemic strain of 1980s alternative/rock that blends the driving pulse of post‑punk and new wave with widescreen arrangements and spiritual, windswept lyricism.

New wave is a broad, pop-oriented umbrella for styles that emerged in the mid-to-late 1970s as a sleeker, more melodic outgrowth of punk culture.