Through the posting of blogs and comments, i’ve realised this site gives automatic reference to other posts that may be talking of similar topics. So i took word press’s sugestions up and checked out a couple. One I saw interested me as it spoke about how the digital age is effecting country music, and how over the years of the introduction of the digital age, country was holding its own and being the strongest in physical sales. The blog is from businessweek.com and titled “Fine on the media” it mentioned how, and which seems quite obvious now that i look at much of the research that is coming together, how country is based on loyalty to an artist and thrives on the community aspect and relationship between artists and fans, which can be lacking in other genres. I thought this was kinda of nice see, although not good difital age effecting music.. but how coutnry has been one (until recently) to stay strong in the digital age and only recently have sales start to decline. Its a score one for the country music genre!
This thing called country May 15, 2008
After reading all the recent blogs and comments, I’m thinking more and more as to what is considered country music with intodays society and media Also, country music is great, the soul, the subject, the hybrids so where are the gaps and why do they exisit that country still finds it hard to get through to pop culture. Country has showed its head occasionally over the years in the top 40, and yes there are many gaps in the top 40 charts that dont include “country” I went in search of what is country music, because I thought maybe country music is being over looked as people are so aware of the stereotypes maybe people arent aware they listen to country. Just a thought i had. So in my search I found and artcle titled “quest for country music, the” by Neal, Jocelyn R.
The article was quite interesting in how it spoke of country music today, what it was and how its staying. Looking at the cycle in which country music seems to be in. It mentions how as soon as country music starts to cross over to mainstream top 40 or considered radio freindly commercial country pop with such artists as Shania Twain seeming to bridge gaps getting country music more coverage, there are those who stick to the roots of country and go back to the honky tonk twang of stereotyped country. Even such well known country artists are seen to critisize their own industry with in their lyrics. Dixi Chix released their succesful song “long time gone” with the lyrics portraying the irony “We listen to the radio to hear what’s cookin” / but the music ain’t got no soul.” The article had previously stated how country music industry, represented by faceless record labels, radio stations, and the abstract notion of commercial enterprise, is painted as the culprit who interferes with and threatens the heartfelt honesty and artistry of the country musician. Showing how some stations etc wont play the country music which are getting more media coverage and attention due to it not staying closer to the roots of country and elaborating and creating hybrid styles of country. It seems to me, and I wondered if any one else had these thoughts that country music doesnt get the recognition it deserves out sides its own mainstream popular country industry becuase it likes to keep it that way.
It seems it likes having the associations of the stereotypes and thats what it thrives on. Also mentioned within the article what seems to happen when the country industry does start to cross over “hybrid style faded from prominence, country retrenched itself in the sounds and styles of its own past.
I also see how country should be rewarded in staying true to its self but the gaps with in the media and top 40 charts is that they like it that way…
Country Thunder May 15, 2008
So I would say that I listen to a decent amount of country music, especially since it seems to be bigger in the United States than here. With this said, I was very surprised when I came across a country music event that takes place in the US called Country Thunder that I have never heard about. It has been taking place for 16 straight years in Arizona and Wisconsin, and recently added in Texas, and is described as four days of top-tier country music entertainment where about 25,000 people turn up each day. I was exploring the website and I came across a lineup of who would be performing and I did not know most of the artists. This shows how under expressed country music is. Since it is such a big event, they are going to have big acts there and not all artists that are just starting out. The festival owner said, “unlike other music festivals that come to town each year boasting C-level talent, Country Thunder has always managed to bring in A-list acts.” Since I thought I listened to a lot of country music, I was surprised to see all the artists I had never heard of!
In an article about this event, Fans Keep Country Thunder on a Roll by Chris Hansen, a country music radio DJ states, “Country Thunder is more than just the music. Sure, the entertainment is the main focus, but Country Thunder is also about bonding and having fun with other country fans. Country music is a lifestyle — many fans camp for all four days and live the experience. Country music is about family, good friends, patriotism, caring for others, great music and damn good times.” I find it interesting that everything about country music always seems to come back to the fact that it is about family, friends, life, and patriotism.
**I had a picture to post, but I couldn’t get it to work any way that I tried it. It was a picture of the ‘banner’ for this event, so if you want to see it click here .
As well, I found a you tube video that talks about the family, friends, and life aspect of the country music and it gives a lot of examples of songs and explains the content. Watch it now!
-Natalie Boyce
Blue Grass – A Different Style Of Country May 15, 2008
When I was at the Tamworth Country Music Festival I heard mention of this sub-genre in country music called “Blue Grass”. I sort of shrugged it off, mainly because everyone talked about it in relation to Kasey Chambers who would have to be my least favourite musician, however when I looked at the CMT website a few days ago I noticed a blog on Bluegrass. It detailed some great new music from a hand full of Blue Grass musicians but it didn’t really satisfy my curiosity. After all, what is Bluegrass? There are so many Bluegrass bands but until recently I had never even heard the name, never mind even hearing the musical style. So, with this in mind, I have set out to try and shed a little lite on the country sub-genre that is Bluegrass.
Bluegrass is a form of American roots music, inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as jazz and blues. In bluegrass music, each instrument takes a turn playing the lead and all the rest take up the role of backing music, as opposed to most music where the instruments work in conjunction to make a joint melody. Bluegrass is distinctively acoustic in instrumentation, not using electrical instruments of any kind. It relies on stringed instruments such as fiddle, five string banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, and upright bass and are often joined by the resonator guitar.
There is a wide debate among musicians, fans, and scholars though, over what instrumentation constitutes a bluegrass band. Since the term ‘bluegrass’ came from Bill Monroe’s band, “The Blue Grass Boys“, many consider the instruments used in his band to be the ‘traditional’ bluegrass instruments. The instruments used in this instance were the mandolin, the fiddle, guitar, banjo and upright bass. Besides instrumentation, a distinguishing characteristic of bluegrass is vocal harmony featuring two, three, or four parts, often featuring a dissonant or modal sound in the highest voice which is often described as the ‘high lonesome sound’.
This form of music was originally played by rural ‘black’ dance bands but then was turned down in favour of jazz and blue forms until being re-discovered by ‘white’ musicians.
It developed during the 1940’s mainly with “The Blue Grass Boys” who were thought to be the very beginnings of the Bluegrass style. The style however, remained solely with “The Blue Grass Boys” until the late 40’s when other Bluegrass bands began to emerge. Throughout the late history of Bluegrass there have been a few different generations with their own style. The first generation of Bluegrass music (1940‘s) was very pure and was considered the ’Golden Age’ of Bluegrass. The second generation emerged around the 1960’s and was mainly consistant of musicians who were somewhat involved in first generation Bluegrass but were now producing a more mature sound. However, in 1980’s Bluegrass took a fairly large leap into the third generation. Now Bluegrass had an increased availability of high-quality sound equipment. Due to this large change, an electric bass became a generally, but not universally, accepted alternative to the traditional acoustic bass, though electrification of other instruments continued to meet resistance outside progressive circles.
Since the late 1990s, several mainstream country musicians have recorded Bluegrass albums and Bluegrass has gained wider publicity through movies such as George Cloonies “O Brother, Where Art Though?” and even “Cold Mountain”.
I actually quite like the Bluegrass style, and I have actually heard that Kasey Chambers is a lot more interesting with the Bluegrass style in her music. It is a very twangy style but it is one of those styles that you can’t help to tap your foot down. To me, it seems like typical ‘hoe-down’ music and I kind of want to organise a barn dance now. It has a truly distinctive country sound and is a really fun style of music to listen to.
By Jacki Tipton
A Different Way to Think About Country Music May 15, 2008
Emma B. Miles wrote in a poetic gush, of country music:
“Crude with a tang of the Indian wilderness, strong with the strength of the mountains, yet, in a way, mellowed with the flavour of Chaucer’s time – surely this is a folk-song of a high order. May it not one day give birth to a music that shall take a high place among the world’s great schools of expression?”
The extract above is from ‘Lap Dancer or Hillbilly Deluxe? The Cultural Constructions of Modern Country…’ (Lewis 1997). I wanted to draw your attention to it separately as I think it is an important way to look at country music from an historical point of view, it is worthwhile to read the extract, and apply it to what we now know and think about country music…
I for one, have not heard allot of country music, when I have heard it, it’s mostly been comedic and silly, which is one reason why I am not a fan, the other is just that I don’t really enjoy the sound; in fact, I would pass up listening to country music for most other forms of music. However after reading the extract, I’m more willing to give country a listen, as there’s something about the wild natural description of country music by Miles that leaves me wondering and wanting to know about the elements of country music that I haven’t heard…
What does everyone think about the extract?
Post by: Ryan Witt
Take Your Pick! Are you a hillbilly, a lap dancer or bluegrass picker? May 15, 2008
Take Your Pick!
I recently read an article entitled ‘Lap Dancer or Hillbilly Deluxe? The Cultural Constructions of Modern Country…’ by George H. Lewis, I decided for my first Blog entry I would review the article and draw out and talk about the important facts.
Country Today
It would seem that in America today country music is far more popular than in the Australian country music scene, as the article suggests that ‘by the mid-1990s, had annual commercial sales of close to 2 billion dollars, and leading music radio format in the united states’. I think that this would suggest that in America country music is somewhat main-stream for the aging population; therefore the majority of listeners are likely to be older in age, as the younger crowds tend to be influenced by the Pop charts.
History & Culture
Lewis suggests that country singers such as Jimmie Rogers and Maybelle Carter, ‘obtained a good deal of their formative musical knowledge and style form African American street performers’, this is interesting as he goes on to suggest that the white Americans find this difficult to accept, due to their strong ideas of the genres white heritage. Two interesting historical facts that are noted by Lewis, these are that Cowboy hats were introduced into the country genre through the singing cowboy movies that Hollywood made in the 1930s, and funnily enough acoustic/steel guitars were not a part of the genre until after the First World War; Lewis takes note of Malone whom suggests that ‘these instruments began nudging the barndance fiddle aside’.
Themes of Country Music
Within the article Lewis also suggests some of the themes country music singers write about, for instance the traditional and central theme of loneliness. A theme that has appropriated in the past 50 years for many female country singers is their expression of feminism in their music, to address the need for the change of standards and ethics for women within society. One interesting song ‘To Daddy’ by Emmylou Harris 1978 is noted in the article as the song depicts a time, when men had the tendency to treat women badly; the song is about a women that is ‘Ignored over the years by her husband, endures quietly until the children have finished school – then leaving behind a short note, slips out into the night, never to return’ (Lewis 1997, p.168). Another common theme has been ‘concerns for community, home and family values’ and more recently country has been the facilitator on environmental views one such example in the article is ‘pass it on down’ by Alabama.
Change/authenticity
Cultural change and authenticity of country music is discussed quiet thoroughly in the article, Lewis suggests that ‘country music – as in other cultural endeavours – taste is a socially constructed matter that, indeed, shifts and changes with the time and the cultural audience’. The article goes on to talk about how country’s authentic culture may be far too bold for new listeners, as the ‘hillbilly, white trash image and attitude’ culturally ghettoizes them, thus Lewis suggests that ‘to enjoy country music, then, is to be letting a little too much “hillbilly show”’. This may suggest why country is not easily picked up by younger listeners; the article goes on to propose the ‘bumpkinesque images and themes of country are embarrassing and/or obnoxious’ therefore these new listeners are far more likely to support artists that steer away from the crude stereotypes of the country genre; however as stated in the article Barbara Ching suggests that for the traditional audiences, the comedic functions of country ‘has never been mistaken as authentic ’.
The article also puts forward two forms of country music that have been questioned as inauthentic by listeners, these being ‘bumpkin’ and ’the new Woman-In-Me/Achy Breaky brand; Lewis suggests the these listeners are moving to either “new traditionalist” or “folk/bluegrass revival” while new/younger listeners are reconstructing their own ideas of country.
The inauthentic elements of country music caused by the emergence of new age, mainstream and the over comedic forms are highlighted in the article through a statement made by Country singer Steve Earle whom particularly attacks the mainstream creation of country music. Earle expresses the following: “I don’t even wear cowboy boots anymore, let alone hats, because I don’t want to be identified with the ‘country’ scene… You’ve got Shania Twain… I saw her on the CMA Awards and it dawned on me – she’s the highest paid lap dancer in America.” This would imply that mainstream music has helped only to stereotype country and perhaps ruin the elements of its culture as Earle feels ashamed to be a part of the scene.
We can develop a picture in our minds of the change in country music over time, from its folk roots to hillbilly/comedic, to the development of bluegrass, to the mainstream spin on country (the lap dancer)…
Which form of country do you see as authentic?
The ‘Lap dancer, bluegrass picker, or hillbilly deluxe?’ (Lewis 1997)
Reference:
Lewis, G H 1997, ‘Lap Dancer or Hillbilly Deluxe? The Cultural Constructions of Modern Country…’, Journal of Popular Culture, vol. 31, no.3, pp.163-173.
Post by: Ryan Witt
