Country Music Listing Confusion....?!

[ljweber70]

I've gotten the same form letter numerous times as well, but without the Keith Urban recommendation. Larry

[jchitty]

Being a country songwriter is the toughest thing in the world right now....Nashville is always evolving, and it was tough enough to write a good Neo-traditional song....now, you have to figure out how to make a country song sound like a pop song as well, thus, 'modern country.' It's very tough grunt work as far as I'm concerned, but worth every minute of it.

[jimmynashville]

How about this, let's all write actual Country music and not pop, because pop belongs on bubble-gum radio and Country should not be bubble-gum. I want to hear Country that makes me want to have a beer.There is actually a so-called "Country" station here in Nashville that includes in their playlist such timeless Country hits as "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton, "I'm on Fire" by Bruce Springsteen, and "End of the Innocence" by Don Henley. Not that I have a problem with any of those artists or songs, I actually like them. They're just obviously not Country. Since there's a bunch of people from California invading Franklin, TN, we need a bunch of people from Texas to invade Mt. Juliet and even them out.

[jchitty]

Quote:How about this, let's all write actual Country music and not pop, because pop belongs on bubble-gum radio and Country should not be bubble-gum. I want to hear Country that makes me want to have a beer.There is actually a so-called "Country" station here in Nashville that includes in their playlist such timeless Country hits as "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton, "I'm on Fire" by Bruce Springsteen, and "End of the Innocence" by Don Henley. Not that I have a problem with any of those artists or songs, I actually like them. They're just obviously not Country. Since there's a bunch of people from California invading Franklin, TN, we need a bunch of people from Texas to invade Mt. Juliet and even them out.I agree in some sense here....I just chuckle to myself when a country listing says "nothing too hillbilly please." I always think to myself, 'well, don't you mean this should be a POP listing then? 'Coz no matter what they say, we're not pitching to a country listing."Unfortunately, that's the way Nashville is. I don't particularly like writing commercial country right now....it's not very sastifying or challenging. I LOVE the hard core stuff.Man, I grew up on Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, "Loretty", Tammy and George, Kitty Wells, Doc Watson, JC (no, not Jesus, but Johnny Cash) Kris Kristopherson, etc.To me, the Greeks couldn't write better poetry or lines than "you better move your feet if you don't wanna eat a meal that's called Fist City." That song is so over the top funny, it works. Loretta was the best and still is.I like the Neo-traditionalists too....folks like Jon Anderson, Alan Jackson and Vince Gill.I really don't know what the answer is in Nashville....on one hand, you don't want people to feel unwelcome....you want that big tent atmosphere....and on the other hand, I fear that REAL country music is in trouble. But it always has been until another movement like the Neo-Tradionalists come back to claim it. (like they did in the early 90's and 80's) A lot of folks still think Neo-Traditionalists are going strong, but I see a new trend developing....retro Southern 70's rock like the Eagles as you say. I guess it's because teenagers are the market now, and they don't like the hard core stuff, and I always hear that adults don't buy much music anymore, although I find that hard to believe. I don't think some music execs realize just how soulful and authentic country real music is, so they wan't to sanitize it for the masses. I do see a few bright spots lately....I like a group called "The Old Crow Medicine Show" because they are rootsy, bluegrass country and I like Chris Young's song "Drinking Me Lonely." That song is one of the best out there right now if you're talking the real deal.Other than that, I think pop country will be the thing in the future....doesn't mean I like it, just means I have to write for it. I do have some really old traditional style country I've written, and it seems to go nowhere. But from an artistic point of view, that's the stuff I love.The Eagles now have a new video on CMT as well.

[horacejesse]

Quote:That song is so over the top funny, it works. Loretta was the best and still is.Have you heard "I Miss Being Mrs. Tonight"? It is a wonderful song.

[jchitty]

Quote:Quote:That song is so over the top funny, it works. Loretta was the best and still is.Have you heard "I Miss Being Mrs. Tonight"? It is a wonderful song.I'll have to check it out, Horace. That's one I haven't heard. I own Loretta Lynn's "The Definitive Collection" CD, but that song isn't on there. Good stuff like "You're Looking At Country, "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin, "The Pill" and "Coal Miner's Daughter" is there though. Oh, and "One's On the Way" and her duet with Conway...."Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man."When I start talking about Loretta, I go overboard a bit. I just love her.Hmm, wait a minute, maybe I have heard 'I Miss Being Mrs. Tonight' once....it was on a documentary about Loretta I believe....is that the song she wrote after Doo Lynn died? I'll have to admit that I haven't listened as much to her newer stuff, including her work with Jack White.....gotta get with the program.

[ddusty]

jimmynashville,you make some good points, but your frustration is focused on the wrong people. It's not TAXI's fault for the state of country music, the listings (and what gets forwarded) is always going to be a reflection of the music business (a perfect place for frustrations)Remember, the screeners know more about what the client is looking for then you do, there is a good chance that if they say somehting like "Listen to Kieth Urban" that the song you were pitching may have been FOR keith Urban. if not, it was for someone who wanted to rip off Urban's sound.Worrying about "hippies form california" is wasted energy. Music is music, and this is the 21st century.If you received identical critiques, and you didn't find them helpful (especially if they were different screeners) by all means, call up TAXI (ask for Sebastian) and let them know. They are top notch in customer service. Sometimes it helps to post the original listings, the songs you submitted and the critique. you will get a lot of feedback from the taxi veterans letting you know if they agree with you or taxi.

[jimmynashville]

Thanks for the reply, Taxi. The thing I'm really trying to say is that Taxi is a filtering mechanism, absolutely not the only one, there are hundreds, but the problem is that real country is being filtered out in favor of pop country. The reason that Nashville likes pop stuff is that they're not marketing to the real country audience anymore, it's all focus-grouped marketing to what they call a "wider fan base". What that means is, let's put out adult contemporary with steel guitar on it, call it Country, then market it to a "fan base" that includes people who have never even heard of Willie Nelson. This kind of crap is ridiculous to me.Texas Country is a lot closer to what it should be, listen to Deryl Dodd, James McMurtry, etc., but these people have marginal success outside of Texas, not because they suck, but because they're being filtered out! That's because Nashville hates the "redneck" or "hillbilly" image right now, because rednecks and hillbillies don't run the town anymore! They're so scared of putting out something that makes a redneck holler a rebel yell and makes a yuppie shake in their Bally shoes because they're trying to be all things to all people, and that don't work...

[sgs4u]

FYI - Jimmy Nashville, it wasn't Taxi that replied to you. It's been forum members, who also care about your views, as well.I agree with you that Nashville is promoting country to focus groups' recommendations. However, when you quote Willie Nelson as one of the people this new fan base might never have heard of, your debate points become moot, IMHO. Mr. Nelson spent a few decades being labelled, "not country," branded as "not what Nashille was interested in." And they still aren't interested in promoting him to HIT Radio. Taxi finds out what labels/artists/libraries are looking for. Then, Taxi screeners filter out everything that doesn't fit the description of what has been asked for. If Taxi screeners are copy & pasting critiques of our music, I'm sure it'll be looked at. I am also a recipient of the exact same wording, but in my case, it was understandable that the screener chose those phrases to tell me. Here's an analogy for you. If you're say you want a new pair of size 10 brown cowboy boots, Taxi will find you some that fit. They'll be the right color & size, but they still might not be exactly what you're looking for. Taxi won't even look for women's shoes, or kids' runners. Taxi has no reason to adopt your version of what country "oughtta" sound like, unless someone asks for it. Bring your argument to the right people (country music record labels, & country radio conglomerates), and then get them to agree. Or get some lawyers to carry your torch, who are willing to take on the country music empire! Then I'd be willing to bet, you'd start seeing a lot more listings, seeking your version of the "right kind" of traditional country music, in Taxi opportunities. Convincing me, or Taxi to adopt your perspective, is career & business suicide. I also, have loved country music, all my life. My speaking and singing voices don't sound like it, because I wasn't raised in the USA. Quote:Worrying about "hippies form california" is wasted energy. Music is music, and this is the 21st century.nice Rob!

[jimmynashville]

I know, you're right. It's really not Taxi. So how about I take it out on Nashville then?Here's my beef:1. Country originated as, and still is to a point, ethnic music.2. The fact that it is, or was at one time, Southern white ethnic music makes some people in Nashville think it needs to be changed into some kind of universalist nonsense in order to make it politically correct, since "Southern" and "White" said in the same sentence implies stereotypes to these people that are as bigoted as the images those stereotypes evoke.3. Not everyone in Nashville is like this, but a lot are. Examples of artists not buying into this b.s. are Montgomery Gentry, Toby Keith, and VanZandt. However, even these artists are compelled to compromise somewhat in order to get radio play. 4. "No hillbilly" means that whoever is shopping tunes is not only marketing to the "wider audience", meaning the lite rock audience, but it also means that they're bigoted against Southern people based on deeply rooted stereotypes, and this is the only type of blatant bigotry still acceptable in our society. If I put out a listing for "blues songs that don't sound n-word", how would that go over? I can't even use that word, nor do I want to, but I can use the word "hillbilly". I am a "hillbilly", and we're only allowed to call each other that.All types of music evolve, and I'm not against that. They incorporate new influences, experience innovations, etc. What I am against is a small group of people who are not traditionally connected with a specific genre of music invading it with their own focus-grouped, money grubbing agenda and attempting to irreversibly alter it into something unrecognizable. Especially when I'm an ignorant redneck trailer-park hillbilly and they don't put out much music that I like. Forget writing for others, I'll just go play the stuff myself for better or worse.