Alternate

Reference from the Mandela Catalogue
Someone who looks off / almost doesn't look like a human.

Alternative is not a label which you can give to one 'group' of people. alternatives are non conformists who have no social group. you cant recognise an alternative person by what they wear or look like, so dont try to. they dont all wear the same clothes (like moshers, chavs, goths, indies or any other group of people who try to be individual but all seem to like the same stuff, wear the same clothes and only listen to music which their friends like). alternative people enjoy listening to whatever the hell they like, because they dont just like one type of music, they may just enjoy music on a whole, or it may just depend what kind of a mood they are in to what kind of music they listen too at that time. although this term is based around mysic it also applys to clothes as i said above many groups try to all wear the same stuff in order to fit in, alternatives wear whatever they like, if its designer, and they like it, they will wear it. if its got the name of a band on, and they like it, they will wear it. if there is a song which is by slipnot, and they like it, they will listen to it. if there is a song, which is by eminem, they will listen too it.

A label for the label-less

A person who doesnt really fit under any other tag. An alternative person will listen to any music, as long as they like it. E.G. Rock, indie, Rap and or opera aslong as it is to their preference.
Alternative people also differ in what they wear. Bright colours, dark colours, skinny jeans, baggy jeans, hoodys or leather jackets its whatever the alternative person (lets call him Dave) feels like.
Alternative people often get mistaken for a different stereotype such as mosher or emo.

Alternative people are basically themselves, most also do not stereotype others, they just cannot find a stereotype that they themselves fit into

1)Someone who listens to what they like. if they like a song, they listen to it. if it is RnB but they like it, they listen to it. if it's heavy metal, and they like it they listen to it. if it's bubblegum pop but they like it they listen to it. they also wear what they like. if they like a designer shirt, they wear it, if they like a bright pink pair of trews they'll wear it. (even the boys) basically, someone who really is their own person, and not the hypocritical non-conformists
2)The label used in schools for people who are nots chavs, goths skaters or emos

alternative is someone who does whatever the fuck they want and doesnt care about what anyone says.
they could listen to rock,punk,metal ect, but not care about the baggyness of trews, and wear short denim and scally clothes.
its up to the person really. it isnt someone trying to set up a new "thing" at all.

Both a genre of music and...something else.

The music: Alternative and indie are similar, and both came from college rock, which is what happened when goth became more mainstream (and goth was what happened when punk became more mainstream). The difference between alternative and indie is simple. Indie bands are on an independent label (or unsigned) and alternative bands aren't. Thus, alternative is more 'mainstream' than indie.

The...other thing: Like most music, people who listen to it are sometimes labeled by it. Alternative and indie are once again similar, but often times indie kids are contemptuous of alternative kids because they're mainstream, which is stupid because the whole point is the music, and is also the reason that punk and goth etc. died because they became 'mainstream'. Thus, sometimes indie kids are obsessed with not becoming mainstream, and consider bands that sign with a major label and the people who listen to the sellouts. Alternative kids usually care less about that (even if they listen to indie bands) and listen to the music that they like, even if it isn't indie or even alternative or rock, the music they like is the music they like. Like indie kids though, alternative kids will never label themselves that way, and no one will ever label them that way either, except to say 'people who listen to alt'. If you label yourself that way, you're probably just like someone who labels themselves punk or goth, trying to be 'unique' instead of yourself.