| |
| |
|
Music Information |
|
|
|
The Various Countries - A Rant About Country Music
It is no secret that over the past couple decades country music has struggled with it's identity far more than any other genre in the industry. At this point nobody can really claim to be a country music fan without being questioned what kind of country fan? The answers being seemingly endless, I've broken them down into a few main categories (but really, there could be so many more). Pop Country This category could really be referred to as "Nashville Country." It hosts probably about 90% of the country music out there. I often find people not wanting to admit in conversation that they're fans of this category. They like to talk about how they love Willie Nelson and mouth the words to Merle Haggard songs even though it's obvious their faking it. Then they get alone in their cars and unwind by driving down the highway, blasting Shania Twain on the radio, and singing along at the top of their lungs. Let me just say, there's nothing wrong with that, like what you like. Nashville record labels pick very talented, often attractive singers that perform with some great bands. They also have some of the top songwriters and composers in the industry working for them. One criticism I would have against this category?In recent years, there has been a rebellion of sorts against Nashville music from musicians in both the Rebel and Texas sub categories (see below) with songs booing Nashville and praising the old timers. Sometimes this gains them popularity and they get so popular that they land a big contract with a Nashville record company and for some reason everybody is perfectly comfortable with this phenomenon. This is what I like to refer to as "Pat Green Syndrome". Rebel/Rock Country Very liberal people are who you tend to find in this category. These artist just do whatever they feel like doing, and consequently there are not many of them, or at least not many of them that stay popular after their initial shock value wears off. They are usually independent and like letting it all hang out. A good example currently in the limelight is Gretchen Wilson. Others that haven't quite reached her popularity level, but have been around for a while include Ray Wylie Hubbard and Todd Snider. Sometimes the guys in this category derive quite a bit of their rebelness from incorporating rock into their music. Good examples of this are Robert Earl Keen and James McMurty (I highly recommend both of them). Texas Country This category has developed into somewhat of a music cult, and it stretches all over the United Sates. (Note, this last month there was a huge three day Texas music festival in Colorado). It's popularity started off with the likes of Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Gary P. Nunn. What really sent it off in recent years was the popularity of Robert Earl Keen, Cory Morrow, Pat Green, and Jack Ingram. It plays extremely well in frat houses across the Lone Star State. While the guys mentioned earlier have taken off in a different direction, new artists like Max Stalling, Mark David Manders, and Ed Burleson have started to take their place. If you ever watch this development, it's easy to see that the Texas music industry is growing so fast that it will probably soon be just as big as Nashville's. Old Country If you can sing the words to three or more Willie Nelson, George Jones, and Johnny Cash songs please come in. If you can sing along to Patsy Cline, Charlie Rich, and Hank Williams please take a seat. If you can croon all night with Bob Wills please let me get you a beer, I'm glad we met. Welcome to the old country category, sadly a lot of people find it boring here. Real Old Country Most people in this category know how to yodel. They've probably witnessed someone play the bones, if they do not already know how to play them themselves. The people in this category refer to each other as "folks" and recognize that country's roots derived from folk music. This category requires being able to enjoy sitting on a front porch sipping ice tea in the middle of the summer while some old man plays "Streets of Laredo" on an old Gibson. Indulging in campfire banjo playing helps as well. If you're like me, you probably have your favorite category and then like some things out of each one. There's not really any one way to define country music, and with it being an ever-changing industry there probably never will be. One thing that doesn't change though, no matter which category, you can still dust of your boots and take just about any country song to the dancehall with you. Sarah Francis This article, written by Sarah Francis, was first published at MusicShopper.info - a great resource for music lovers. Providing information and resources about music shopping, it also has an extensive range of music reviews, music competitions and giveaways, and a popular discussion forum. It is also an important music reference source with a music website directory of more then 1,000 hand-picked sites listed. MusicShopper forum and newsletters subscribers are entered into monthly draws for Amazon voucher.
MORE RESOURCES:
Music - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Review: Audioslave - Out of Exile Every once in a while a band comes along that really changes the way you perceive music, for me one of these bands was Rage Against the Machine. I'll be the first to admit that I, like most angsty teenagers was lured into Rage's music by their anti-authoritarian songs, and honestly dude, they said "fuck" a whole lot. Form - Giving Shape to Your Music Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so, good. This has its place in music making and in new age piano playing in particularly. How To Make Money On A Music Website Through Pay-Per-Click? Interested in making money while you're asleep, or making money while you're not even on the computer? Well here is a way that you can do that, clicks!! Once you have gone through godaddy.com and purchased your domain name for a cheap $9. Guitar Players...Get a Balanced Guitar Practice Diet Do you have a wide variety of things that you practice. Or do you like to binge? (You know. Independent Music Promotion on the Web: 3 Steps to Success Let's face it, the wildfire spread of web-based portals designed to introduce independent music to the world has created a bewildering array of opportunities and costs. So where do they all balance out? When does the cost of signing up to yet another music promotion service yield results? What results are we looking for anyway?The key is to make your web promotion targeted, systematic and rich. How to Download Music From The Internet Most of you have probably heard of the RIAA's quest to crush online music piracy. The illegal sharing of copyrighted songs via the MP3 format over the Internet costs the music industry billions of dollars. Guitar Players...Learn About The Point Of Discipline Have you ever started learning a lick or exercise and stopped practicing it before you had mastered it? Now I don't know you, but my guess the answer to the question is yes! Why is that? Why did you stop, when it was something that you REALLY wanted to learn?There are quite a few reasons for it, but the one I would like to mention now is what I call the "point of discipline". This is the point when the initial enthusiasm of learning that new lick/exercise wears off. Music to Echo Your Mood In what way do the kinds of music (rock, rap, classical, instrumental, etc.) change or alter our mood and in what way do our moods effect what music we listen to?Music has been present throughout the history of man. How To Play The Violin This article gives the essential basics for how to play the violin. Generally violins are quite commonly available instruments and it is reasonably easy to rent or buy a violin. Closet Monsters London Spicoluk Way back in November I found myself at the Casby Awards after party trying to socialize with whomever I came across. One person who I chatted with that night was a guy named London Spicoluk, from the band Closet Monster. The Irish Harp The harp that once through Tara's halls the soul of music shed, now hangs as mute on Tara's walls, as if that soul were fled. So sleeps the pride of former days, so glory's thrill is o'er, and hearts that once beat high for praise, now feel that pulse no moreTo tell the history of the Irish harp is to tell the history of the Irish people. Sheet Music - Violin and Other String Instruments The violin is a bowed stringed instrument and is the highest pitched member of the violin family. It sits along side its cousins - the other members of the violin family - the viola, cello, and double bass. Acclaimed Songwriter and Performer Michael Alan Releases New CD: Searching for the Heartland: New York born singer songwriter Michael Alan, who records with the Indie-label Global Fish Records in Seattle, is an artist who creates without a prescribed musical formula. His approach to writing is purely straight from his heart, lyrically poetic and honest, and void of any sound-alike comparisons. How to Compose Your Own Music Using 8-bar Phrases Some people think composing is this miraculous thing that only genius's do. What a myth! It's a skill that can be learned. How Has Eminem Risen to the Top? How is it that a little white boy from Kansas City has become the most well known rapper in the world? Starting from nothing and eventually moving up to a multi-millionaire, Eminem over the past seven years has been in the eye of the public everywhere you look. He has essentially entered a black man's business and gone to the top over the course of a few years, but how?On October 17, 1972 Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born in St. A Guitar Lesson to Help You Develop Your Vision Have you ever done any of the following?1. Made excuses for not practicing because you "didn't have time"? 2. How to Improvise Using a Few Chords When a painter is getting ready to paint, a color palette is usually chosen first. For example, if a forest is to be painted, the artist may choose browns, greens, and blues for the sky. A Guitar Lesson To Help You Test Your Note Knowledge In this guitar lesson we look at a great way to test your note knowledge of the guitar fretboard. But before we look at that, why even bother learning the notes?Knowing the notes on your guitar fretboard is an essential skill. Greg Koch Fender Guitar History The Greg Koch Fender guitar began to take shape all the way back when Greg Koch was in the third grade. Greg cut out cardboard Fender Stratocaster guitars, then Koch used his sisters sewing machine pedal as a wah-wah. Beginner Guitar Tips: How to Get a Feel "I don't like to go into the studio with all the songs worked out and planned before hand?. You've got to give the band something to use its imagination on as well.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
