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
• Ambiances Magnétiques
• Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
• Bomb The Music Industry
• Broken Social Scene
• Bugz in the Attic
• Chicago Afrobeat Project (CAbP)
• Desert Sessions
• Diggin' in the Crates Crew
• Dufay Collective
• Early Day Miners
• The Elephant Six Collective
• Godspeed You! Black Emperor
• In Support of Living
• Lansing-Dreiden
• Living Legends
• Ozomatli
• Silk Road Project
• Soulquarians
• Streetlight Manifesto
• The Mountain Goats
• The New Pornographers
• Reindeer Section
• Tanakh
• The Arcade Fire
• Trummerflora
• Wu-Tang Clan

See also

• Collective
• 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

Musical groups | Music