Music Sound

Musical collective is a phrase used in reference to a leaderless entity that is predisposed to performing music that may be considered experimental. The sound becomes the focus, as opposed to having the outfit become a stepping stone for potential cynosures. Such entities have transitioned from the traditional hierarchical configuration that features either a frontman (e.g. The Cure's Robert Smith, or Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails), or a plurality of band members in tension for dominance (e.g. Louise Post & Nina Gordon of Veruca Salt, or The Beatles' John Lennon & Paul McCartney.) Collectives are seen as an alternative to more ego-driven, combative paradigms of group music-making.

Musical collectives allow for flexibility in their rosters. As such, most of the members are free to rotate in and out of the line-up.

List of Notable collectives

Acappella
Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
Belle and Sebastian
Bomb The Music Industry
Broken Social Scene
Chicago Afrobeat Project (CAbP)
Desert Sessions
Early Day Miners
The Elephant Six Collective
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
In Support of Living
Living Legends
Ozomatli
Silk Road Project
Soulquarians
Streetlight Manifesto
The Mountain Goats
The New Pornographers
Reindeer Section
Tanakh
The Arcade Fire
Wu-Tang Clan

See also

• Leaderless resistance — Collectives often share the anarchic streak associated with such entities — without their malevolent tendencies.

External links

• All Inclusive CBC.ca examination of the proliferation of musical collectives
• Collective Souls This Magazine article on musical collectives