Bringing Country to the Snowys May 27, 2008

In March this year the Country Music Channel (CMC) is brought country music to the Snowy Mountains. There was 20 hours of live country music and many different artists. The artists included:

John Butler Trio

Gary Allan

Sugarland

Adam Harvey

Patty Griffin

Brian Cadd

Catherine Britt

Steve Forde

The McClymonts

Morgan Evans (my new favourite)

Shea Fisher

Mia Dyson

Jim Lauderdale

Shannon Noll

Even though it is called ‘CMC Rocks the Snowys’. It is interesting to see that the headlining act is not actually known as Country Music. The website does however say that it is a country and roots music festival. To me it looks like it would be a very good festival and one that I wouldn’t mind going to in the future. Even if it does have other types of music mixed him I’m gald that it is recognized as a Country Music type festival and is helping to get the genre back out there to the wider community.  During May and June the Country Music Channel will be ‘reliving’ the event so if your interested turn on the TV and have a look. Its a shame the CMC is only available on pay TV though as this limits peoples access and shadows Country Music.

Anyway I’d be very keen to attend the festival next year. Its in a great location and has a fantastic range of artists.

 Check out what the festival that was held this year contained!

By Rachelle Fenning

Music culture and society how does country fit?? May 27, 2008

Looking at “Music, Culture and Society: changes in perspective” By Derk B. Scott, through this reader, the connections between music, popular culture, art, entertainment and consumption of pop culture I found quite relevent to the cracks and gaps in mainstream music top 40 charts. There is much more interesting aspects in the country music industry than can be seen in mass produced top 40 industry developed to entertain the masses, and the masses seem to consume what is thrown at them. With in the reader, Scott discusses sociological theorists who point out where modernity has had its effect on culture and what is considered mass-culture and consumption of music with in society. Looking at what is important to the music industry as an art form maybe shouldnt be associated with what should or is seen to be mass or mainstream culture. The idea of mass or mainstream culture as said by Scott, is “Mass audiences passively consuming the mass produced commodoties of a culture” This sparked the idea in me that, is “mainstream” or “Top 40″ just that, what is mass produced and directed at an audience to passively consume? Another quote I found interesting by composer Schoenberg “If it is art, it is not for all, if it is not for all it is not art” a confusing quote, yet made me think about country music, and as good as it is and what we have found out about it how diverse it is, but as well as what makes it great, it isnt for all, that then to an extent makes it an art form, what music was orginonaly!!! a performing art as I know it is defined as to an extent.

It was interesting to read the connections of art and society. Music I feel is an art form, one in which country may not be understood by all, but it should be appriciated by all, for what it is and what it does.

 

Sophie Adams

Whats in it for them May 27, 2008

After looking through out all our blogs and posts ( I admit ive been very quiet in my contributions to the blogging on this site (stupid technology not doing what its told) however, in reading over every thing thats been said, researched and displayed about country music and, yes it is a shadow industry and I must say as ive mentioned previously how, now that we’ve mentioned it, country music is all around trying to break through into the mainstream. I then thought about, it is an industry just like any other industry, though although country music is there to entertain, people are still there to make money.

Searching through cmt.com I came across “The Top earners in Country Music”

Toby Keith Tops Forbes List of Country’s Top Earners

May 22, 2008

Toby Keith tops the list of Forbes magazine’s list of the top-earning country music stars. With an estimated gross income of $48 million in 2007, the magazine notes that Keith’s earnings are maximized with a major endorsement deal with Ford trucks, involvement in his I Love This Bar & Grill chain of restaurants and ownership of his record label, Show Dog Nashville. Others on the list and their estimated incomes in 2007: Rascal Flatts ($40 million), Tim McGraw ($23 million), Kenny Chesney ($22 million), Brooks & Dunn ($20 million), Brad Paisley ($16 million), Faith Hill and Keith Urban (tied at $12 million each), George Strait ($11 million) and Alan Jackson ($10 million).

Taken directly from the cmt.com site, when looking at the small article, I had only heard of three of the artists on the list, Keith Urban, Faith HIll and Tim McGraw, who although they are still doing quite well for them selves, arent the top of the lists. I think here is where the cracks in country music appear to an extent. Although they are the industry’s top earners, from some ones point of view for sees more top 40 charts and what is main stream and pop culture, these people arent recognised to their full extent! I understand that alot of the top earners are producers and what not. But I still feel they need more recognition in regards to their contributions not only to the country music industry, but to the entertainment and music industry alone!!!

 

By Sophie Adams

Rock Hilbilly May 27, 2008

So looking at recent and past blogs and my own researching and searching for country with in the media, I came across well known (well at least what i think) Kid Rock, who to an extent I think can be seen a bit of a country rapper.  I came across him through my search through CMT.com, I had always heard of the Kid, but purely through tabloids, dating Pamela Anderson and his images and purely a red neck in music. It wasn’t until I decided to look at more of his background. I thought it was interesting looking at purely to see his musical contributions to the country music scene. Very alternative type country style that goes very much against the norms of country, especially seeing as hes from Detroit and has mainly a gangster rap rock image to start with.

his image was always what stood out the most. He played up on the white trash image with in a white raprock emerging industry being heavily influenced by such artists like the beastie boys, yet Rock’s lyrics were seen to be more obscene and in turn there was a $20 000 radio fine for one of his songs titled “Yodeling in the vally” which had close references to oral sex. Yet this image and Rock producing most of the work him self is what pushed him through the boundaries of the industry. HIs album “Devil with out a cause” released in August 1998, ten years after he initially attempted to break into the music industry, is what shot him to success, his song “Cowboy” and “Bawitdaba” of the album shot him to a superstar with a Top Five, seven-times-platinum album and a gig at Woodstock ‘99. His success was due to his alternative genre which was infused with raw rock of country with rap.

Now although I initially didnt really consider Kid Rock, although I thought he was a red neck hilbilly and I never really liked his music, its interesting to see he all over cmt.com through links to radio, video clips and bios and pics. He was/ kinda still is I guess a success with a country style rap rock. Although he’s still up there with red necks like limp biscit with the rap rock style, the fact that kid rock, although from detroit and has a primarily rap background, draws heavily from country not only for his hilbilly image but for his music i thought was quite cool.

However, I also find it funny how most of his image, and alot of what I knew about him before I researched further was his marriage/divorce relationship with Bay Watch star Pam Anderson!

 

Sophie Adams

The Dolly of country!! May 27, 2008

I Just wanted to say I think Dolly Parton is great, she looks like Barbie (not naturally) but none the less she is a Blonde bombshell who has built her image up through movies, music and the country music spirit!!!! Which I feel has been greatly positive, yet could be seen as detremental to the country music scene and genre……

Born on Jan. 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tenn., into a poor family that would eventually include 12 children, Dolly Parton learned early to escape the hardships of life through her vivid and far-ranging imagination. Before she learned to read and write she was making up her own songs. Hows that for the positive country spirit, she provided laughter, entertainment, fun and a positive spin on what could be seen as a not so great situation. She then got her first guitar age ten and started singing on a radio station age 11!

Shes had her fair share of country music awards as well as grammys and oscers for numerous songs she has written and performed. Opened her own themepark named Dollywood in Tennessee and has also written many childrens books! Not bad for a woman who is 62 and who’s first single was called “Dumb Blonde”.

Despite the jokes of Dolly Parton inregards to the barbieish figure she seems to have maintained for quite sometime, she defenetly has made a mark in the entertainment world, but never really strayed from her country roots.

Although she isnt quite mainstream, country music and the coverage with in the media wouldnt quite be the same with out her and the contributions she has made both in the spot light and behind the scenes. One thing I found most interesting is the fact she co-wrote and produced “I will always love you” from the soundtrack to the movie “Body Guard” which was performed by Whitney Housten. There is a country music star contributing to a hit song with in the mainstream (of the time) industry.

 

Guess Blondes have more fun!

 

By Sophie Adams

The Cyclical Changes of Country Music May 27, 2008

The following includes a summary of Keith Negus’ chapter called’ The Corporation, Country Culture and the Communities of Musical Production’.

  Throughout this blog site the history of Country Music has been looked at on a number of occasions. However, I do want to bring it up again this time to discuss how technology has effected the emergence of the genre and the cyclical changes Country Music has seen over the years. According to Negus (1999) Country Music can be traced back to the movement of people from Scotland, Ireland and Northern England to the ‘new world’ and their subsequent meeting with the musical styles of African-Americans and immigrants from other parts of Europe. The music that resulted was known as ‘country cutlure’ and ‘Hillbilly style’. Country Music operated as a commercial business long before the modern recording industry and radio broadcasting was around to produce and distribute music. The introduction of new technologies such as the radio and phonograph did however offer a new way of cultural production and communication. ‘These new forms of technological mediation were used together as a way of discovering, refining, modifying, organizing and ultimately bringing about the standardisation of country music’. (Negus, 1999, p. 104). Radio and Phonograph allowed country music to be widely distributed and the first country records date from the 1920’s. Performers such as Jimmie Rogers, who was known as the father of country music, brought popular appeal to the music and it was seen as more than ‘ethnic’ regional music.  His commercial success, that was during a time economic hardship in America, was evidence that country music was both creative and a commercial phenomenon. The radio performance event ‘ The Grand Ole Opry’ was of crucial importance to Country Music. It was a radio variety show and helped to form the link between country music and the city of Nashville. Studios, label offices and promotional teams were set up in Nashville.

   After the introduction of radio came sound in the cinema. It was important for the dissemination of Country Music and also helped to form the western and cowboy images adopted by performers.

   During the 1960’s the entire US music industry underwent a period of corporization that involved a number of merges and takeovers. By the 1970’s country music was incorporated into an expanding and controlling music industry. Changes occured in music radio and cross-overs began occuring. Artists including Olivia Newton John, Ann Murray and John Denver moved from the country charts to pop charts and back again.

It is suggested that country music reached one of its lowest points with the Film ‘Urban Cowboy’, featuring John Travolta. According to critics the film threatened to reduce country music to ‘a little more than superficial pastiche’. 

However, just a few years later country music was booming. This was due to rock influenced music and music videos. Artists like Garth Brooks who performed stage shows similar to rock tradition and Shania Twain who used sexy pop glamour marketing techniques in her videos. With the pop charts declining and country music having more stations than any other genre of music, newspapers were proclaiming that country music would become the new mainstream and Nashville would be as significant as Los Angeles. Yet, this was not to happen. 1994 was the peak of Country Music and 95 to 96 were seen as the levelling off period. Sales began to fall again by 1997. This boom was in many ways was the latest stage of the county music cycle.

The Book was written in 1999 so I believe that Country Music is still going through the cyclical stage and maybe soon we’ll see another boom for this genre.

Negus, K. (1999). ‘Music Genres and Corporate Cultures’, Routledge, London.

By Rachelle Fenning

We’ve Done Us Proud May 27, 2008

We have put a lot of effort into bringing country out of its shadow and into a new and brighter light and I believe we have been very successful. Therefore, I thought I would do one of my last blogs on the success and progress country music has already achieved throughout the past to where it is now.

Before Tamworth got involved about four decades ago, country music was in a completely different world. There were only a few artists who ‘worked’ as country music artists. This is very different from the flourishing industry that is seen today. So even if country music isn’t as mainstream as we believe it should be, it has still made a huge success from where it originally started.

When “Country and Western” music started to emerge more, the media belittled it and people did not take it seriously. “Country music artists and writers weren’t given the recognition or respect they deserved and there was little thought given to anyone to helping new talent and building new opportunities for artists” (Ellis 2007). Since country music got this bad media coverage, it was very hard for an artist to get a gig at any club, restaurant, or bar, let alone a venue bigger than that. As well, no national event or organization brought country music together, so artists didn’t even really know each other.

Once Tamworth became involved, country music started to see changes. The first Golden Guitar Awards in 1973 brought a “powerful magnetic effect, pulling artists, fans, and media into a compact and focused environment where country music was not just a sideshow but dominated the entire scene” (Ellis 2007). This festival that started everything for country music is now rated in the top 10 music festivals in the world. A survey showed there were 75,000 visitors at the 2007 Festival and at least 31,000 of them going through the Information Centre. These numbers exclude the tens of thousands of local/regional fans who attended the festival.

From the beginning of this festival, a new country music industry grew rapidly. People, including media and record companies, started to look at country music differently and take it seriously. “By 1999, some 20 percent of adult Australians in a national survey said country music was their favourite music, while 37 percent said they enjoyed listening to it” (Ellis 2007). By this time, country music had grown from a genre that was considered a joke to a genre that was respected.

Many organisations, like ‘Tamworth Regional Council and Tourism Tamworth’ and ‘the Chamber of Commerce’, are now investing huge amounts of money into country music to keep it growing. As well, the CMAA started up because of the Tamworth people giving it a secure base to start out on and the College of Country Music is still very successful. Other small events have also flourished to help support country – Star Quest, Tamworth Songwriters Awards, Tamworth Independent Artists Recognition Awards, Country Capital Music Association Talent Quest, People’s Choice Awards, Telstra Road to Tamworth, Bush Laureate Awards, Golden Harmonicas and Golden Fiddle Awards, and many others. The Golden Guitar Wax Museum and Walk A Country Mile are exhibits that also help preserve and promote country music. Furthermore, we must not forget all the radio stations, magazines, bulletins, and internet websites that have come about for country music.

“It’s time to salute Tamworth and Australian country music. In the words of Graeme Connors iconic song which Slim sang with such feeling, “We’ve Done Us Proud!!!”” (Ellis 2007).

I was very surprised to find out that the Tamworth Festival is the biggest country music happening in the southern hemisphere and far bigger than any American event. This surprised me because based on all the research that I have now done on country music and just talking to other students I got an impression that country music was bigger and covered more by the media in the United States. As well, the Golden Guitar Awards are one of the longest running music recognition systems in Australia. It is even “acclaimed as one of the media events of the year” (Ellis 2007). However, with the festival and Awards program being so big in the world, I still wonder why country music does not get more media coverage in Australia – I still feel that it could be hi-lighted so much more.

Ellis, M. 2007, ‘We’ve Done Us Proud’, History of Country Music in Australia.

http://www.historyofcountrymusic.com.au/wevedoneusproud.html

-Natalie Boyce

Newcastle to Nashville May 27, 2008

Telstra Road to Tamworth is a national competition which has been providing an outlet for aspiring country music stars since it began in 2004. The competition traverses the nation with twenty heats in various regional locations throughout the year, coming to a close with the grand final series at the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival with the finals held at at the Toyota Country Theatre.

I first took notice of this competition yesterday when I saw a brief advertisement searching for competitors. Seeing as we have been researching Country Music I thought I would take a look at it. On the website where entry details are submitted is a video of a young man singing a song. He was the winner of last years competition and I instantly loved the song. I definatley want listen to some more of his music!!

   It turns out the guy singing the song is Morgan Evans and he is from Newcastle! Out of 700 entrants he was the winner. As part of his prize Morgan gets to record a single, perform in Nashville and produce a video clip.

Newcastle generally seems to be a very patriotic town. The radio stations, for example NXfm, are always talking about locals on television shows such as the Biggest Loser, Big Brother and Australian Idol and they will always try to get the towns support behind them. I’m sure that when Morgan won the competition it was on the local news channels and papers, but why haven’t we heard of him since?? Why aren’t the local radios getting behind him and playing his music? I really enjoyed his song and I think many other people will as well.  

Click on the link and have a listen.

Morgan Evans ‘Big Skies’

 

By Rachelle Fenning

Live Performance – Keith Urban Concert 2007 May 27, 2008

I know I keep coming back to this guy, and I know that he has now branched out into the more mainstream popular music culture, but the fact of the matter is that he is one of the best country musicians I have ever had the privilege to see. Yes I am of course talking about Keith Urban.

This man is not just a singer, but he is a real musician. He plays every instrument under the sun. I saw his concert in Acer Arena last year and let me just say…wow. I knew he played guitar but I didn’t realise that he was practically a one man band. Every now and again he would just stroll over to a new instrument and pick it up and just wow the audience over and over again. He was spectacular. And if you saw his performance with a guitar at the Arias last year, with the John Butler Trio, you would know exactly what I mean. he is just so at home with a guitar, its effortless. I can see why he got best live act by the Country Music Critics Poll (Discussed previously in “Nashville Ramblings” post).

I wasn’t always a Keith Urban fan. I bought a CD for a friends birthday once and gave it a listen before I gave it to her…then I kept it and bought her a new one. I just loved it. I couldn’t give it away. And from there I bought all the Keith Urban CD’s, even the old stuff back when he was in “The Ranch”. He is a terribly talented artist, however its only been the last few years that he ahs really achieved ‘mainstream’ success.

So when I heard he was coming to Sydney on tour, I went straight to ticketeck and, well they were sold out of course, so I went to good old eBay and bought the best tickets ever! 10^th row, section A, next to the catwalk. I shook Keith Urban’s hand…twice!

Heading into the concert I was expecting a great show, but what I got far exceeded my expectations. From the very start it was loud and bright and entertaining, everything a concert should be. He entertained the crown and spoke to us on our level. He wasn’t all high and mighty but really spoke to us, like we were his friends. When an artist does that you really get drawn into the show and it makes the experience so much more personal. It takes a very talented artist to realise this and actually employ it without coming over as too cocky. He gave people the opportunity to take photos and he sang not only on the stage but half way down the catwalk (in front of me) and also at the end. This way he reached the maximum number of audience members. An he wasn’t afraid of the audience. He bent down and high fived everyone. I have been to a lot of big name popular artists concerts and this is a rare thing. Its like they are either too good or they are scared of us. Keith Urban really wasn’t. he wasn’t there for the money but to put on a show for us! That, to me, is what is so appealing about all country artists. They seem like they are working for us. Like it’s a privilege to do what they do, and they try not to take it for granted.

Not only was Keith a spectacular musician, but his band members were equally as good. And not just those backing bands that stand and do nothing, they were entertainers too (a few were actually from Keith’s old band “The Ranch”). after all, we are there to see a show, not just people playing instruments, if you wanted to see that you could go to a music shop. Here is a little snippet of the last few seconds of “Shine”. This was actually filmed at the concert I attended, and you get to see a little of what I mean when I say how amazing the concert was, and how amazingly talented hi is.

You know what was the most amazing thing though. He could sing. That right, the singer could actually sing. No lip syncing or singing off tune. It was as clear as the CD and had just as much life and emotion, if not more. That is such a rare thing these days, with artists such as Ashley Simpson and Avril Lavigne you truly being to wonder how much work is theirs and how much is fake computer generated stuff. Its really nice to know that when you buy a CD, the artist can actually sing. After all, they are meant to be singers.

Even though Keith Urban is semi-mainstream now, I really thinks he deserves it. He lugged the man hours before he was famous and he is the real thing. A musician and an entertainer. So why am I doing a blog about him if he has infact made it into the mainstream? Well firstly, because the concert was spectacular, to spectacular not to share. I have never been to its equal. And secondly, no matter how much he merges over into the pop/rock genre, he is still mostly a country music artist. He plays a banjo like no one else (and has actually inspired me to one day learn it). He embodies everything that I have been saying is ‘country’. His songs are so emotional and they tell such amazing stories, and they make people happy. I cant help but smiling when I hear “Days Go By”. There is something about it that makes you beam and makes you forget your worries and just have fun. That, to me is what country music is.

So, since this is my last topical post for this blog assignment, I thought who better to drive home my idea that country music is an amazing genre than Keith Urban. And because he has broken into the mainstream music area, he is then bringing more publicity back into country music. People can hear him and try to find bands like him and perhaps explore a little more of this less publicised genre. To me, he is sort of like an ambassador for Australian country music, here and internationally.

Finally, I found these two videos that are also from the concert I attended. They don’t really show how good Keith was but I think I am actually in the videos. I was sitting right on the catwalk, only 10 rows from the front, and as you see here, Keith walks out for a few songs in the middle of the catwalk and he stops in front of me. In this first video you can see a blonde taking photos right in front of him. I think that’s me! In the second video you only see me for a split second (on the right of the screen), but half way through the song a girl puts her arms up and screams. I was beside her and in front a bit. I have to say, I’m pretty impressed at You Tube for having these videos. Of all the places in the concert that they filmed from they happened to be behind me. that’s pretty cool!

 

By Jacki Tipton

 

Star Maker May 27, 2008

The most successful and prestigious talent search in Australia for country music singers is Star Maker. BAL Marketing, a division of Radio 2TM, started Star Maker in 1979. Along with this, they were also already in charge of the Australian Country Music Awards. With the start of the talent quest, they wanted to focus on giving emerging artists a chance to emerge and enhance their talent and move away from recognising already established artists. It is now held on the first weekend of the festival in January at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre. The winner receives 12 months of promotion, both to the fans and music industry. This promotion includes their own 2 track CD that is released through ABC Music, a chance to perform at major country music events, and since 1998, Toyota, the sponsor of Star Maker, gives the winner a new vehicle for those 12 months. Many winners go very far in the country music industry. Some of the winners from past years have included Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Gina Jeffreys, James Blundell, Beccy Cole, Brendon Walmsley Grand Junction, and many others.

Star Maker sounds very similar to Australian Idol and Nashville Star in the United States that was previously discussed by Rachelle, but yet just a shorter process. When Rachelle talked about Nashville Star she stated that she was surprised there wasn’t anything like this in Australia and I don’t believe anyone else respond saying that there was. Since a festival that is very similar to these TV shows is so popular and successful, I think that it would also be very successful as a TV show.

It was also very interesting to me that it isn’t more well known, at least as far as I know, since so many major country artists have come from this show, like Keith Urban who is a huge success all over the world.

‘History of Star Maker’, History of Country Music in Australia.

http://www.historyofcountrymusic.com.au/starmaker.html

-Natalie Boyce