Is Country Music becoming a parity?

[Mr Peabody]

Ok, I always like music and my parents were into Country so that's what I grew up on until I was able to get my hands on my own radio, so I have an appreciation, or I've been deep seeded brain washed and never have totally been deprogrammed even with all the R&R I've consumed. We all know for several years Country music has been getting further and further away from what anyone would recognize as Country music. Now you have Jessica Simpson singing Country on the Grand Ole Opry, Darius Rucker has a solo Country album out with a #1 song, what the hell is going on and is it too late, is the genre gone forever? On the internet and HD radio you can catch some "Classic Country" stations but regular FM Country seems to shy away from what they are supposed to be. Did Country evolve into another kind of commercial genre that replaced real Country. I hate to put anyone down but the fact that a commercial hype machine can sell this slop, who are the brainless zombies who buy it? I mean it's like any has been or no talent name can dorn a cowboy hat and become a Country star. Man, if I was GQ, I'd head down there myself, yee-hah.

I don't know, maybe Country is behind. When I think of all the off shoots of basic Rock-n-Roll from Pop, to Metal, to Punk, Grunge, Alternative etc. I'm sure some one has said, "that's not R&R". This sort of happened when Grunge broke so big, all the sudden on the radio that's all there was, gone was all the "Big Hair Metal" I was so enjoying at the time. I was digging the Nirvana and Pearl Jam but I had to retreat into the album collection for some serious hits of what I thought was "regular Rock".

Anyway if you can make any coherency out of this stream of thought just chime in.

[emesbee]

If anyone ever asked me, I would have said that I don't like country music (ie: "we play both kinds of music, country AND western"). Well, I don't like the Garth Brooks style of country music, anyway. Truth is, though, that country music crosses into the likes of jazz, blues, rock and roll etc. A lot of the early Rolling Stones material has a strong country feel to it, for example. There is also bluegrass, which has its origins in traditional Irish music (and I love Irish music).

Actually, I think that bluegrass is the real country music. Its much more honest and down to earth than some of the over-hyped stuff that has been coming out lately.

[02audionoob]

Seems like the old-school rockers must have thought hair bands weren't real rock music, too. It's the natural course of things. Music might be an art form, but radio is first and foremost a business. That's what FM radio is supposed to be. Sure...Jessica Simpson's country album is weak. But her label is just trying to sell the stuff, not make art. I think the key to enjoying country music is to tune out the tripe and find what you like.

[Slosh]

New mainstream country does have parity with new mainstream pop in that they both suck, I guess.

To me it has always been a parody of itself. I do like me some alt-country though.


NP:

[Davey]

I agree, modern country is great party music. Especially the stuff with all the wailing guitars, and the "so moronic they're almost funny" lyrics. Never gets old, even though it sometimes seems to be the same song over and over and over and ...

Or wait, maybe I misread this one. Let me start over ...

I agree, country music has become a parody of itself, almost as if all of the players are part of some exaggerated SNL skit. Surely they realize? No one in the country business takes it seriously anymore.

Or wait, maybe I misread this one. Let me start over ...

I agree, country music artists have moved into a sort of parity, where none stand out from the pack, all playing (or maybe pandering is more accurate) to the middle, not caring to be unique or wishing to rattle the cage. One big yawn

[Mr Peabody]

Good point to keep things inperspective, music and radio is a business. Country has mimmicked the Pop biz where nothing is art any more and an artist may put one album out make every one a few bucks and never be heard of again.

Too bad they weren't smart enough to think of Jessica Simpson a long time ago, imagine the hype her album would have gotten if it coincided with the release of The Dukes of Hazard.

[02audionoob]

I'm a fan of female country singers, but the real talents are probably not on the radio. I don't know for sure, since I don't listen to radio. But through local concerts, Austin City Limits, GAC cable TV channel, YouTube, Rhapsody and other sources I've found some really enjoyable country music by the likes of Kelly Willis, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Nanci Griffith, Shelby Lynne, Allison Moorer, Chalee Tennison, Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Rosanne Cash, Linda Davis, Trisha Yearwood, Chely Wright, Patty Loveless, Emmylou Harris, Tanya Tucker, Ashton Shepherd, Danni Leigh, Heather Myles...and the list goes on - and crosses into alt-country, of course.

[Mr Peabody]

Yip, I've got some of that stuff. You might also add Mindy Smith and Patty Griffin, although I don't know if they exactly are Country, closer to Alt C or Americana.

[Auricauricle]

Although I too think that Country Music today is indiscernible from the music that composed in its heyday, I will assert that it is a genre that is highly derivative and has always been in a state of evolution and development that characterizes any great musical style. As you are aware, Country Music's elements: Folk, Celtic, Western European, etc., intermingled with other styles of the time that were vying for legitimacy on the airwaves and the hearts and souls of movie watchers and radio listeners.

Country Music has been variously applied to the "hillbilly" music of Appalachia, and Elvis Pressley and others, whose rock-and-roll was itself informed by African-American rhythms and forms, did much to successfully bridge the ever narrowing gap between Country and "Popular" categories.

In the meantime, Country Music was not only an Appalachian/Celtic phenomenon, but was also informed by German and Czech settlers' music that was developed in Texas and fronteir neighbors. Listen to Dvorak's New World Symphony, which is full of Negro Spiritual and Eastern European styles that intermingle together in a way that some Country Music listeners as very disarmingly familiar.

By the end of World War II, country music encapsulated a wide range of subgenres, from Cowboy Country, to Appalachian Country and so forth that all intermingled to create that sound that we call Country today. Country so continues with elements that are as far removed from country as one can imagine--whether its Chet Atkins playing a few Country licks while he plays "Summertime" or Dire Straits putting a few Appalachian riffs into their oeuvre--that's just the nature of the beast.

Having said that, I think that your assessment of country being a parody of itself is broad but not inaccurate. Despite their affiliation, some musicians who call themselves Country should know that Country is more than jeans, boots and a buckle....

[emesbee]

I think it is possible to get too hung up on labels when we talk about music. There are times when I've listened to a song and thought, "that's country, no wait a minute, its blues, er, no, its rock and roll, but then again maybe its jazz, or even swing, oh what the hell, its just music and I like the song anyway".

[Auricauricle]

That's pretty much it....I hear that the Country Scene Downunder s'pposed to be jumping. What say you?

[emesbee]

Country music does seem to have a bit of a following here. The thing about it that I don't like, though, is when Australian country performers try to sound like Americans, even down to putting on the accent. (Please, I am not having a go at Americans by saying that. American accents are fine, if you are American.) Thankfully, though, it is not all about imitation. There is certainly a distinctive Australian flavour to quite a bit of the music being produced here. Paul Kelly, for example (I don't know how well known he is in the US) has a reputation as a great singer/songwriter here, is very distinctly Australian. Many of his songs have a country feel to them, and he performs these days with a bluegrass band.

[Mr Peabody]

I think it is possible to get too hung up on labels when we talk about music. There are times when I've listened to a song and thought, "that's country, no wait a minute, its blues, er, no, its rock and roll, but then again maybe its jazz, or even swing, oh what the hell, its just music and I like the song anyway".

That must have been a hell of a song

What do the Austrailians think of and classify Keith Urban as?

[emesbee]

Keith Urban would probably be considered a Country artist here. Can't really say that I've really listened much to him though myself. I think he is quite popular here.

[emesbee]

This might be a bit off track, as I'm not sure if you would call this album country, but there is a new CD out by a blind aboriginal performer, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, called simply Gurrumul. I bought a copy recently, and I think its terrific. He has a great voice, very melodious, and sings all the songs in his native aboriginal language. Well worth a listen, if you can get a hold of it. (I'm not sure if its available in the US.)

[Auricauricle]

Just listened to a couple of Gurrumul's songs a moment ago...What a beautiful voice! I listen to quite a lot of African music: Wasis Djop, Selif Keita, Henry Dikongue, etc...Guess I'm going to have to include Aborigine music to the mix!

Now, if I could just master this diji....

Thanks for the recommendation!

[Swish]

I agree, modern country is great party music. Especially the stuff with all the wailing guitars, and the "so moronic they're almost funny" lyrics. Never gets old, even though it sometimes seems to be the same song over and over and over and ...

Or wait, maybe I misread this one. Let me start over ...

I agree, country music has become a parody of itself, almost as if all of the players are part of some exaggerated SNL skit. Surely they realize? No one in the country business takes it seriously anymore.

Or wait, maybe I misread this one. Let me start over ...

I agree, country music artists have moved into a sort of parity, where none stand out from the pack, all playing (or maybe pandering is more accurate) to the middle, not caring to be unique or wishing to rattle the cage. One big yawn

...but yours did the trick.


Swish - parity animal

[Auricauricle]

Waxing a bit cynical today, Swish, Old Sport?

[Swish]

Waxing a bit cynical today, Swish, Old Sport?

I had a rather unpleasant altercation at the Old 97s show last night, and woke up in a foul mood. It's lingering still, so let me know if there's any ball-busting I can do for you.

Swish

[Auricauricle]

Thanks. I have my own nutcracker handy....

Old 97s?

[bobsticks]

Country music is becoming parrot-ty.

[bobsticks]

I had a rather unpleasant altercation at the Old 97s show last night, and woke up in a foul mood. It's lingering still, so let me know if there's any ball-busting I can do for you.

Swish

Did you have to show them punk kids who's the boss? Or mebbe some redneck security guard was gettin' heavy-handed and you had to lay the smack down.

...hhmmnn, bouncer made fun of the Eagles?...attacked by T.O.?

C'mon, ol' sport let 'er rip. Inquiring minds wanna know.

[Swish]

Did you have to show them punk kids who's the boss?

C'mon, ol' sport let 'er rip. Inquiring minds wanna know.

The Chameleon Club is a small, but fun, place to see bands. Some shows are all ages, some are 21 and up (Paul Westerberg was in that category), and some have a 'dry' downstairs for the u-21 crowd while the upstairs has a decent bar on the patio as well as one inside, and we almost always stay upstairs as the floor downstairs is SRO and gets quite crowded, as it was last night.

The odd thing was, they figured on an older crowd, so U-21 was switched to upstairs since it's smaller and the bar was downstairs. Since we all wanted a few pints we decided to stay downstairs. When the Old 97s came out, we stayed pretty much io the back to watch but were getting jostled quite a bit from people trying to get a better view. My wife was getting ticked off because she kept losing her view of the band (she's all of 5'1" while I'm a foot taller). One guy was coming out and basically pushed her out of his way and gave me a slight shove, with so much as an 'excuse me', so I turned around, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and pushed him about 10' or so with an angry look on my face. Some other guy kind of told me to back off and to take it easy because people were only trying to get by us. I told him that this guy was rude and shoved my wife and pushed me in the back, so he got what he deserved. He was a bit cocky and I more or less told him to shut the f*** up because I wasn't in the mood for his crap.

Needless to say, it will be the last time I stay on the 1st floor for a show their. This was my first and last time.

Swish - not going to take it any more

[bobsticks]

Swish - not going to take it any more

Clearly you learned nothing about the spirit of peace from your now-reformed Twisted Sister bretheren. I can see it now, you and Eddie Ojeda on one side of the bar and Dee and Mark Mendoza on the other...and all the shiny people over here and all the happy people over there...

But, that does suck. I have a preference of not going to anywhere that's "all ages" or feels it necessary to have a metal detector at the door. Doesn't always work out, so it's not a rule, but a definite preference.

[Auricauricle]

Parrot-ty....

The Crackers!