Last Updated on January 10, 2026 by Christian Adams
It’s a slow week for Rock Genres Explained. Not a lot of action over here in the letter K, but these three genres pack an interesting punch. At least one of these genres had a massive influence on the development of post-modern rock music as we know it. Keep reading to learn more!
Rock Genres Beginning with K
Kawaii metal
| Origin: | Japanese pop and progressive metal |
| Peak popularity | 2010–present |
| Defining artists: | Babymetal, Ladybaby, Deadlift Lolita |
| Exemplary album: | Babymetal, Babymetal (2014) |
Kawaii means “cute” in Japanese, so, ostensibly, Kawaii metal (also known as J-pop metal, or kawaiicore) is “cute metal.” The genre was pioneered in Japan in the early 2010s by Key “Kobametal” Kobayashi, the producer behind the group Babymetal. The genre combines Japanese pop melodies with various subgenres of (extreme and progressive) heavy metal, incorporating a Japanese pop idol aesthetic inspired by visual kei, a subgenre of Japanese rock that emerged in the early 1980s, characterized by extravagant stage costumes.
At its core, kawaii metal presents an intentional juxtaposition of growling guitars, blast beats, and death metal breakdowns against sugar-sweet hooks and bubblegum choruses. They sound like Mayhem or Emperor, but they’re singing about puppies, candy, and having fun, somewhere between Cannibal Corpse meets Hello Kitty. Some metal purists roll their eyes, but it’s a fresh, theatrical take that pulled in fans who might never otherwise listen to metal.
Kindie Rock
| Origin: | 2000s children’s music and indie rock |
| Peak popularity | 2000–present |
| Defining artists: | Dan Zanes, They Might Be Giants (kids’ albums), Laurie Berkner, Frances England, Alphabet Rockers, the Pop Ups, Lucy Kalantari, the Okee Dokee Brothers, and Lisa Loeb |
| Exemplary album: | They Might Be Giants, Here Come the ABCs (2005) |
Historically, kids’ music has been equal parts education and entertainment, used to teach children skills and facts about culture, good manners, and moral behavior. Since the emergence of popular music in the 20th century, children’s music has been folky, patronizing, and bound by commercial formulas. Kindie rock (aka indie rock for kids) is no exception. It doesn’t matter if it’s Sheryl Crow singing “Polly Wolly Doodle”. When indie rock reached critical mass, campfire sing-alongs were soon to follow.
The kindie scene bloomed in the 2000s as indie musicians who had kids of their own realized there was room between Barney, Raffi, the Wiggles, and Top 40 radio. Dan Zanes’ family-friendly folk rock set the standard for kindie with his first album of kids’ music, Rocket Ship Beach (2000), while They Might Be Giants turned their offbeat humor toward alphabet and science songs that work as catchy indie pop.
Kindie rock doesn’t pretend to be “cool” in the hipster sense. Children aren’t ready for “Paranoid Android”. Instead, it celebrates imagination, silliness, and education, with a rock edge. In other words, kindie music is intended for kids but geared toward parents, which is a brilliant marketing gimmick, if you ask me.
Krautrock
| Origin: | Late 1960s German electronic and experimental rock |
| Peak popularity | 1970–1980 |
| Defining artists: | Can, Neu!, Kraftwerk, Faust, Tangerine Dream, Popol Vuh, Amon Düül II |
| Exemplary album: | Can, Tago Mago (1971) |
In late 1960s West Germany, a group of musicians rebelled against the rhythm & blues roots and song structure found in traditional Anglo-American rock music. A wave of experimental bands built something new from psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, musique concrète tape editing techniques, and electronic music. A new sound emerged: hypnotic drones, motorized rhythms, sprawling improvisations, and alien textures. This became “krautrock,” also known as kosmische Musik, German for “cosmic music.”
The “Motorik” Beat
Despite similar approaches and generational aesthetics among artists, early Krautrock bands sounded nothing alike. The freaky sound pastiché of Faust sounded nothing like the dreamy synth soundscapes of Tangerine Dream or the frantic space rock of Amon Düül II. However, a common feature is the “motorik” beat: the 4/4 beat pioneered by Jaki Liebezeit, drummer of Can. It’s not everywhere, but you’ll know it when you hear it.
Massive Influence
The genre never had mainstream appeal but proved highly influential on a litany of other musical styles like ambient music, art rock, techno, post-punk, new age, and post-rock. Can’s Tago Mago (1971) is not an “album” but a funky, minimalist, and strange musical experience that’s influenced everybody from Joy Division to Radiohead. Tago Mago is one of those records that sounds like itself and nothing else.
Meanwhile, Amon Düül II opened the Pandora’s Box of progressive art rock and space rock with Phallus Dei (1969), inspiring Hawkwind and Gong. Neu! stripped rock down to the endlessly propulsive “motorik” beat, a groove that bands like Stereolab and LCD Soundsystem later adopted. And Kraftwerk pointed the way toward electronic music’s future with albums like Autobahn (1974).
Like several other genres on the main list of rock genres (e.g., jangle pop and college rock), the Krautrock label was a term created by a record label and embraced by the media. Many artists associated with the Krautrock label distanced themselves from the genre.
If you know of any great 2000s rock bands that I might have missed, let me know in the comments!
