country music in need of a revival? - or genre clarity?

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country music in need of a revival? - or genre clarity?

Post by funsongs » Thu Jun 05, 2014 7:41 am

just ramblin':
Didn't watch it, cause I was out at a music thing... but reading just a few comments this morning on a news blog:
seems I'm not the only one disappointed with what gets presented as "country" music; particularly when it comes to the too-oft awards shows.

When "new country" comes across a radio in passing... mostly it's fuzzy, noisy guitars, and
throw-away riffs and hooks (that don't). Since when did instruments like fiddles, pedal-steel guitars, and saucy B3 Hammonds cease to be utilized to make country music pleasant and easy on the ears?

Kudos to the Taxi folks who endeavor to compose, craft, post, and share music that reaches higher;
the best music I hear all week comes from y'alls' SC pages, etc.
More and more, radios seem to work best as trash-can liners. Can I get a witness?! :shock:

Keep making great music, Amigos.
Cheers.
Peter
Last edited by funsongs on Sat Jun 07, 2014 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by Kolstad » Thu Jun 05, 2014 7:50 am

I think the country format is being revived right now, by influences from Rap and EDM. According to Jai Josephs country is about 20 years behing in adopting trends in music, and it seems this still rings true, just about..
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by VanderBoegh » Thu Jun 05, 2014 8:31 am

My brother and I often talk about how we think country music has entered it's "hair metal" era. Meaning that it is trending to become no different of the big-haired glamorous rock of the late 1980's and early 90's. There were a few trendsetters in that mix, but there was also a LOT of copycats just trying to outdo the other guys. Remember bands like Slaughter, Winger, Trixter, Skid Row, Ratt, etc?

Everything about hair metal focused on style over substance. Song lyrics were about nothing more than partying, hot girls, and living the good life. Today's country seems to be focused on the same insubstantial stuff... how many times can you hear about a damned pick-up truck's tailgate, or Georgia mud, or domestic beer?

And the music... well, the hair metal was all big guitar hooks and over-the-top production. Modern country is doing the same thing. And just like hair metal, all it will take is one or two new country acts to come along (like Nirvana) to totally scrap the current trends and return to something more simple, and when that happens we'll see a huge shift away from what's currently topping the charts. Guys like Eric Church and Miranda Lambert are already kind of doing this, but haven't gone full-scale yet. So, we'll just have to wait it out.

I could keep going on and on here, but I guess I'd better write some music instead. I've got a song about a tailgate party in Georgia with a keg of Keystone and hot chicks dancing on the hood of a Ford F-150. Should be a hit.

~~Matt

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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by funsongs » Thu Jun 05, 2014 8:53 am

Kolstad wrote:I think the country format is being revived right now, by influences from Rap and EDM.
Revived?
'wouldn't consider either of those as influences; rather: coffin nails.
What have either of those two have to do with country... or music... as a genre?
They should play in their own yard... :lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMDq-MnpbTo

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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by 2lane » Thu Jun 05, 2014 11:29 am

Matt and Magne made some good points.
My take is, people like you Peter, that have listened to country a long time
(at least, it seems you have), will never accept the change from the, George,
Hank, Loretta, Tammy days. But I could be wrong :D
I knew country was turning more modern back in the late 80's when I first started to listen to it. I remember the frist time I saw the Alabama video "in a Hurry", and saw the drummer in that open field, playing like Tommy Lee, I knew it wouldn't be long!
I know you won't buy it, but when Garth, Alan J, Travis Tritt came onto the scene, they drug country way out in the mainstream. It was making it into movies, there were many more country radio stations, Shoot, little old Gainesville Fl had at least 4 or 5 line dancin bars.......all gone now!!
Magne's right about the rap like stuff out now....personally, i like some of it.
maybe they are just trying to drag country back out to the mainstream again?
There's still some very heartstrong and cleverly worded songs out there, at least IMHO!
If you don't like the guitar sounds and stuff today, blame it on the studio musicians that wanted to refine some outdated sounds. If you ask me, a guitar player, It would be a boring world with just clean Tele licks everywhere.
Don't get me wrong....love chickin picking, just doesn't need to be in EVERY country tune.
What I find weird, how many Taxi listings there are for country, and few on this forum try to write it. We'll try hip hop to polka, but country.....too specialized! So the inference that it's gone to pot, and somehow now easier
and less true than the old guys......I disagree! But you're welcome to set me straight ;) :D
Love threads like these! :D

Steve
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by Kolstad » Thu Jun 05, 2014 11:51 am

funsongs wrote:
Kolstad wrote:I think the country format is being revived right now, by influences from Rap and EDM.
Revived?
'wouldn't consider either of those as influences; rather: coffin nails.
What have either of those two have to do with country... or music... as a genre?
They should play in their own yard... :lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMDq-MnpbTo

R.I.P. George Jones.
I understand where you're coming from, but think about it.. lyrics are as important in Rap as they are in country. Rap is the most lyric driven genre around, besides country (and after all, the first country artist was recruited in NY). And electronic elements in music are as natural to contemporary audiences as any wooden box with steel strings has been to the pioneer audience, so it's real enough. That's just the wrapping, if country doesn't change it won't be real to young people anymore, and after all, country's claim to fame is about being real, however fake that is. But "real" is a relative term to culture at any given moment, it doesn't mean traditional in a conservative sense.

Anyway, that's the no good cents from an overseas cowkid. I don't have a red neck, and I don't know muck from stink :D
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by funsongs » Thu Jun 05, 2014 12:03 pm

Ok... here's another take; it used to be that Country & Bluegrass influences were making their musical way into folk, rock, etc. resulting in a huge wave of singer-songwriters of the CSNY era (too many to list)... i.e. Chris Hillman-types, who infected and intrigued writers like Stephen Stills and Don Henley. Most of that, imho, was due to the tonality and sonic "beauty and romance" those instruments brought
to those lyrics and melodies.
It wasn't the other way around, much: Monroe-ites and Jones-ites and Hank-ites weren't terribly swayed away from what they'd created.
(shameless plug: I posted this song awhile back, titled "Bluegrass Blasphemy"...
though there's a typo in it... the link works):
https://soundcloud.com/funsongs-1/bluegrass-blashemy

Cheers.
Last edited by funsongs on Thu Jun 05, 2014 12:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by funsongs » Thu Jun 05, 2014 12:07 pm

2lane wrote: So the inference that it's gone to pot...
Love threads like these! :D
Well... here's to that sentiment!! :lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDQANmQO2g0
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by funsongs » Thu Jun 05, 2014 12:11 pm

calling rap words "lyrics" is like calling that funny-looking walk-running thing "racing"... :lol:
they go by fast...
ya caint help but notice...
then wundirt what the heck that was...
then wisht ya hadn't lookt in the first place! :lol:
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by themichaelscott » Thu Jun 05, 2014 2:03 pm

I grew up in west Texas and even back then (80's-2000) it wasn't really cool to be country. There was always the small crowd that would rodeo on the weekend, but they never got any praise for it. I remember how shocked I was to learn that a classmate won a huge truck from team roping. He must have been more accomplished than any football player. Now, with shows like Party Down South, I think it's become cool to be country. It's a trend that will rotate again.

I personally think the new country rock is so popular now because radio/tv seem to be ignoring rock at the moment. Other than Imagine Dragons I can't think of a real band off the top of my head that writes their own music and plays their own instruments that gets any TV or award show time.

Fortunately I live in Oklahoma so there are plenty of great local country acts that don't need a studio to make them sound good.
Michael

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