New Impressionists are a generation of musicians reacting to their impressions of what
rock music was when it was still the most viable genre (1950s-90s in all of it'
s forms from shoegaze to
noise to rockabilly). Some might incorrectly
call this reaction post-rock, but that would imply somehow being past or being "over"
rock music. Though New Impressionism is different from traditional rock music, it is not about being past or "over" anything. Far from it, the unifying theme is a musical reflection on what New Impressionists perceive the reasons and influences of rock music to be, whether it be concious or
sub-concious. Some may even go so far as to live their lives as rock musicians were supposed to have, and to emulate the song structures and instrumental tambres they dabbled in. However, New Impressionist music can actually be quite different or strange, as New Impressionism is about a reaction, not about directly copying - it is an impression of what rock music was, not a snapshot of its exact
reality, though some artists do get literal in their reactions and interpretations.
The Black
Lips, showcasing New Impressionism, emulate the recording style and
song structure of garage rock and the antics of punk
heroes of the past.
