Call for Abstracts!
\n&rsquo\;00s Alternative and Philosophy: Every Thought in its Right Place
\nEdited by Joshua Heter and Richard Greene
\nFor a follow-up to &rsquo\;90s Alternative and Philosophy: Modern Rock Meditations\, abstracts are sought for a collection of essays to be published with Wallace &\; Jacobs Press on any philosophical topic related to alternative rock in the 2000s (i.e.\, 2000 through 2009)\, including but limited to subgenres such as post-punk (revival)\, garage rock\, emo\, (pop-)punk\, nu metal\, post-grunge\, indie rock\, indie folk (i.e.\, stomp clap hey music)\, synth pop\, etc. Potential contributors may want to examine previous volumes from Heter and Greene: Punk Rock and Philosophy: Research and Destroy (2022)\, Post-Punk and Philosophy: Rip it Up and Think Again (2024)\, and the aforementioned &rsquo\;90s Alternative and Philosophy: Modern Rock Meditations (2026). Abstracts (with an approximate length of 100 &ndash\; 500 words) and eventual essays (with an approximate length of 3\,000 &ndash\; 3\,500 words) should be written for an educated but non-specialized audience. Potential topics include\, but are not limited to&hellip\;
\n- Why do we listen to such sad emo songs?
\n- What exactly is &ldquo\;indie&rdquo\; music? Is it the type of thing that can be defined?
\n- How did the rise of the iPod and MP3s change fandom and the listening experience? Was it for the worse or for the better (or was it neutral)?
\n- Much of the garage rock in the &rsquo\;00s was stripped down and simple (e.g.\, The White Stripes\, Modest Mouse\, The Strokes). Does that make it a lesser art form?
\n- Is it morally wrong to listen to (e.g.\, pop punk and nu metal) songs with misogynistic lyrics?
\n- How should we think about music protesting the Bush administration/war in Iraq (e.g.\, by Green Day\, Radiohead\, NOFX\, etc.)? Did it do any good?
\n- Can screamo be beautiful? Or does screamo challenge the idea that art is always aimed at beauty?
\n- How should we think about &ldquo\;alternative rock&rdquo\; in the 2000s\, when the genre had been mainstream for a decade?
\n- Is &ldquo\;What really matters is what you like\, not what you are like&rdquo\; (Rob&rsquo\;s life philosophy from High Fidelity) at all\, in any way\, defensible?
\n- Is it ethically problematic to consume the art (e.g.\, the alt-rock music) of artists we know have done bad things?
\n- What does it mean to &ldquo\;sell out&rdquo\;? Is selling out inherently bad?
\n- Why does everyone hate Nickelback (and do they deserve the scorn)?
\n- Why do so many people hate Coldplay (and do they deserve the scorn)?
\n- Can heavy metal be alternative? Where are the boundaries of the genre?
\n- What is authenticity\, and does it make for better music?
\n- What are the moral implications of using file-sharing services to download MP3s (e.g.\, Napster\, LimeWire\, Kazaa)?
\n- What are Millennial values and how is that reflected in (or by) the music of the &rsquo\;00s?
\n- What would prominent philosophers from history think about alternative rock in the &rsquo\;00s (and everything that came with it)?
\n- Did feminism take a step back in &rsquo\;00s alternative rock?
\n- Why did the supergroups of the &rsquo\;00s (e.g.\, Audioslave\, Velvet Revolver\, Them Crooked Vultures\, The Bens) fail to make a cultural impact (or did they)?
\n- What led to the resurgence of (indie) folk acts (e.g.\, Mumford &\; Sons\, Fleet Foxes\, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros) in the &rsquo\;00s? Are these bands really alternative?
\n- Did the post-punk revival of the &rsquo\;00s honor or appropriate the bands that came before it?
\n- Was the rise of Coachella a bad thing for music (or music festivals)?
\n- Was the &rsquo\;00s the last great decade for rock music (alternative otherwise)? Why?
\n- Some have classified the &rsquo\;00s as the last (culturally homogenized) decade. Is that true? Is it a bad thing?
\n- What exactly is a hipster\, and should I be concerned if I am one?
\n- A number of punk bands entered their 3rd (or 4th) decade in the 2000s. Can punk in middle age (and beyond) still have the same force\, or is punk a young person&rsquo\;s game? What does punk&rsquo\;s longevity say about it?
\n&hellip\; and many more!
\nContributor Guidelines:
\nMail abstracts (and any questions) to: 00salternativeandphilosophy@gmail.com
\n\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; 1. Abstracts should be between 100 and 500 words.
\n\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; 2. Potential contributors must include a resume/CV for each author/coauthor.
\n\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; 3. Initial submissions should be made by e-mail as either a Word doc. or a PDF.
\n\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; 4. Deadlines:
\n\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Abstracts due by November 16\, 2026
\n\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; First drafts due by March 1\, 2027
\n\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Final drafts due by May 4\, 2027
\n\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; (Early submissions are encouraged and welcomed!)
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