“That rock’n’roll, eh? That rock’n’roll, it just won’t go away.” I’ve always personally felt there was something off about the hatred of that statement, and the artists I saw at Treefort Music Fest on Day 4 gave me a brief insight as to why. See, there’s this theme among most of the criticisms that have been leveled against that statement in the past ten years that what Arctic Monkeys were celebrating a victory of was not “real” rock music. Yet isn’t that always determined by the public listening consciousness? This has a point and relates to Treefort, I promise.
See, when I watch an artist like Shamir, a self-identified “DEMON,” his sound is what I’ve always thought would be classified as rock. He classifies his own music as a blend of “lo-fi indie rock, country, and witty electro-pop.” He’s been writing music along these perceived genre lines for his entire life, as he told the Treefort Main Stage crowd that he wrote “The Beginning,” one of the singles for his most recent album, Homo Anxietatem, when he was fourteen years old. In my notes, I wrote: “He could make a great punk record.” Shows how much I knew going into the show because one of Shamir’s first bands was a punk band when he was sixteen. I’ve only really sat down with his 2022 album, Heterosexuality, but after that set yesterday, I’m deep diving as soon as possible.
Or how about Liza Anne? Though their most recent album, Utopian, touches more on what most people would consider pop music or indie folk (which is another genre classification that makes no sense to me), a track like “Utopian,” the title track of the album, is absolutely something that should be classified as rock music. Going back a couple of albums to 2018’s Fine But Dying, if someone told me that was not something that could fall under the sphere of rock music, I would never trust their opinion on music again. They took the Hideout Stage by storm by themselves, with just their voice, a guitar, and pre-recorded tracks. As they explained where Utopian came from within their lives – their understanding that they’ve been lying to themselves for years about their sexuality as well as getting sober and revisiting old journals – they acknowledged that “There’s a comfort in the knowledge I showed up on time and I couldn’t skip anything,” before dedicating Utopian’s closing track, “Thank You For Your Time,” to their girlfriend. Liza Anne’s set was at once uplifting and cathartic, allowing us in the audience into their world and letting us know where the songs came from while also getting us into a place that would make anyone rage against the “status quo.” Is that not rock music?
Dry Cleaning, the post-punk band from London, took Treefort’s Main Stage in the middle of the day, and they brought the London weather with them. The day had started rainy, but it cleared up before most of the music started, and somehow, against all odds, there was a short, yet heavy, downpour that started towards the end of Dry Cleaning’s set. Vocalist Florence Shaw had one of the most emotive faces I’ve seen from any performer in a festival setting in a long time. Though she was the one who acknowledged that they had brought the London weather with them, she also appeared to be speaking to a higher power, staring off into space while reciting her lyrics, sneering at and taunting whatever or whoever could be out there. The rest of the band – guitarist Tom Dowse, bassist Lewis Maynard, and drummer Nick Buxton – were engaging the audience and playing off of each other on stage, and when the rain came down, it seemed like it was a given. Dry Cleaning live in a similar vein as Guided By Voices, Slint, and Kim Gordon, and do we not consider those acts rock music?
The only artist I saw yesterday who I might – emphasis on the word might – agree isn’t necessarily rock music is Madi Diaz. And yet, even in her folk/country-adjacent music, her voice carries the weight of the songs. Her physical singing voice is crystalline and powerful while remaining welcoming. Her lyrical writing voice is intimate and self-assured, even in its occasional confusion and conflict. Her latest album, Weird Faith, came out in February of 2024, and though the production isn’t necessarily loud and over-the-top, keeping it minimal allows Diaz’s lyrics and voice to power through. Her live shows are similarly minimalist, consisting of herself on guitar and vocals and Adam Popick on “everything else,” which amounts to drums, samplers, occasional keys, and backing vocals. The D.I.Y spirit shines through Madi Diaz’s songs and live shows, and that can also be attributed to rock music.
To close out the night, Briston Maroney took the Treefort Main Stage. We’ve had our eyes and ears on Briston’s work for a while, and I enjoyed his Outside Lands set in 2022. That being said: it is apparent how much he has been working and maturing over these past two years. His stage presence is still charming in its slight awkwardness, acknowledging that after two months of touring, “I’m losing my f*****g mind actively. You’re watching it happen.” And yet, the moment never once felt too big for him. Throughout the week in Boise, I’ve heard so many locals talk about how excited they were for his set specifically, and it felt like a good majority of ticketholders were at the Main Stage. Briston Maroney took it in stride and delivered what I’m inclined to consider one of the best sets of his career so far.
But why did that remind me of the Alex Turner quote? Because it seems like over the past ten years, the need to be hyper-specific in genre definitions has gotten worse. There are parts of every piece of music that can be categorized, sure, and there are specific traits of subgenres that aren’t found anywhere else in the overarching bubble, but at the end of the day, music is art. To categorize art down to an obscenely minute degree leads to commodification and gatekeeping. These five artists I’ve mentioned today from our Day 4 of Treefort 2024 all have their unique spin on what could be classified as rock music, because at the end of the day: “That rock’n’roll, it seems like it’s faded away sometimes, but it will never die. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Our final day of Treefort is about to begin, so be sure to follow along on our Instagram and catch back up on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3! Let’s close the long weekend strong!