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Alternative Singer / Songwriter

With the explosion of alternative rock in the early '90s, a new kind of singer/songwriter emerged. While there were elements of introspection and personal politics held over from the early-'70s era of singer/songwriteres, the alternative singer/songwriters were also influenced by the loud guitars of punk and hard rock, inspired by the rootsy approach of the burgeoning Americana movement, and informed by the indie-rock attitude of "anything goes," both lyrically and sonically. Unlike contemporary singer/songwriters, who followed the trends of mainstream pop, alternative artists like Liz Phair, Will Oldham (in his many guises), and Elliott Smith garnered widespread acclaim, and even a measure of mass popularity, but remained firmly rooted outsde of the mainstream.