I stumbled upon this video on YouTube and it was like Chris Williams was speaking directly to me. I’m a huge country fan but am on Chris’ bandwagon and HATE “douche country” (AKA bro country, tailgate country, pop country, stadium country, etc.). This video kind of explains what’s wrong with most of today’s country songs and is a super interesting watch if you're a music nerd like me .
Country Music: The Beat That’s Killing The Genre
- Thread starter jc4cy
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Awe... Country is music is dying? That's too bad...
There are some extremely talented country artists. I have a lot of respect for the guys and gals who write their own music and lead their own bands.
Often, the studio has already recorded the instrumentals and are just waiting for an artist to buy the song for their record and show up to add the vocal. For those "cookie cutter" artists, I have no respect.
Often, the studio has already recorded the instrumentals and are just waiting for an artist to buy the song for their record and show up to add the vocal. For those "cookie cutter" artists, I have no respect.
Couldn't have said this any better myself. On that note, I'm counting down the days until I get to head to Omaha for the Eric Church concert!
So this might explain why, when I get subjected to pop country muzak, every freakin' song sounds the same.
"Every song sounds exactly the same", they are just now figuring that out? Thats always been a trademark of country music and rap for that matter.
And every other kind of music, popular music anyways.
They say country music speaks to the heart. Unfortunately, it has to go through your ears to get there.
Step 1: be from small town or small pop state
Step 2: move to cities or More populated states and completely live a non “country” lifestyle
Step 3: any time a country music concert comes to town completely pose out. Take off those Nike quarter zips and Steve Madden shoes and put in a flannel and a some “cowboy” boots
Step 4: try to genrify a genre because you need to make yourself feel like it’s cooler than it is.
Result: if the fans of a genre are all posers then the music will reflect that.
Step 2: move to cities or More populated states and completely live a non “country” lifestyle
Step 3: any time a country music concert comes to town completely pose out. Take off those Nike quarter zips and Steve Madden shoes and put in a flannel and a some “cowboy” boots
Step 4: try to genrify a genre because you need to make yourself feel like it’s cooler than it is.
Result: if the fans of a genre are all posers then the music will reflect that.
My wife asked me if I wanted to go to Luke Bryan at the state fair and I just laughed. I used CW's line that I don't want to go see douche country. I heard CW mention something about this the other day too, Luke used to be OK when he first came out as he first few albums were pretty good then he sold out to the pop/douche country which are my thoughts on him too.
In the car I listen to mostly Prime Country and Y2Country stations on my XM radio. Seems like sometime around 2010 the "mainstream" country really turned more into 90's pop music. One of my favorite's is Big & Rich who when they first came on the scene everyone was saying "that ain't country" but if you go back and listen to their early stuff now it sounds way more like country music than anything today does. They actually started their own label because they were tired of music labels telling them what they can and can't put on an album or when so now if they write something they really like they have the means to record and release it right away as a single on their label if they want. CW had a segment on his show the other year where he explained the different kinds of country artists to Ross that was a pretty good listen.
The 80's and 90's country is probably what I listen to the most. 92.5 FM actually does a classic country show on Sunday mornings we usually have on in the car on the way to church. I can't even stand to watch the country music award shows anymore. We usually DVR it then fast forward through all the douche country which pretty much leaves Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, and maybe a couple other older artists that haven't sold out as the only parts we watch.
In the car I listen to mostly Prime Country and Y2Country stations on my XM radio. Seems like sometime around 2010 the "mainstream" country really turned more into 90's pop music. One of my favorite's is Big & Rich who when they first came on the scene everyone was saying "that ain't country" but if you go back and listen to their early stuff now it sounds way more like country music than anything today does. They actually started their own label because they were tired of music labels telling them what they can and can't put on an album or when so now if they write something they really like they have the means to record and release it right away as a single on their label if they want. CW had a segment on his show the other year where he explained the different kinds of country artists to Ross that was a pretty good listen.
The 80's and 90's country is probably what I listen to the most. 92.5 FM actually does a classic country show on Sunday mornings we usually have on in the car on the way to church. I can't even stand to watch the country music award shows anymore. We usually DVR it then fast forward through all the douche country which pretty much leaves Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, and maybe a couple other older artists that haven't sold out as the only parts we watch.
Nope legit country just doesn't get played on the radio anymore. Still plenty of talented artists out there who play at least a version of country music. The "country" everybody hates on is this ******** florida georgia line, luke bryan piss poor pop excuse for country music. Fortunately you don't need the radio to make it these days.
Interesting post. I'm a country music fan (can actually enjoy almost all genres to a point), but lyrics and stereotypes have seemingly come to a point for most artists that make me want to scratch my eardrums out. I did find the song below as a funny relief that kind of plays fun into this idea though.
Nashville country is pop country. Texas country for the win.
Tell that to Josh Abbot, Cody Johnson, and all the other TX artists signing with Nashville label to try and make it big time.
I agree with the slap at "Country", but Hip-Hop's been a drum-loop beat for the past 20 years and nobody's complained.
I haven't been able to listen to hardly any country in years, mostly because of bro country and the monotonous sound coming out of Nashville. Anything that sounds different is usually relegated to the lower depths of the country songs charts, if they chart at all.
When I was a kid, the first 'current' music I was exposed to was country when I'd be out in my dad's machine shed. This was in the latter half of the 70s. Since the mid 70s, country has changed its overall sound four times:
Leaving the old-school sound of the 60s and early 70s behind for a more pop flair, culminating in the Urban Cowboy pop-ish sound of the early 80s. As that grew stagnant, the neo-traditionalists grew in popularity [Reba and George Strait were the early artists], with the doors being blown open by Randy Travis's "Forever And Ever, Amen," which led to the 'class of 89' - Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Lorrie Morgan, etc., and the dominance of the genre in the 90s.
Then the "Shania-ization of Nashville," which began in 1995 when "Any Man of Mine" took off, and peaked around 1999-2000 when she was the biggest artist on the planet and Faith Hill had Billboard's number one Hot 100 pop single of the year 2000 ("Breathe"). The pop sound, especially for women, was pervasive. As audiences tired of that, a traditional sound returned once again that ran through the first decade of the 21st century, before giving way to the bro-country sound (and lame snap/clap that is frequently mentioned in the video above) that we still have today.
What's the next sound in country? I don't think we've heard it yet, but we may not even realize when "it" arrives, because it usually takes a few years to change the atmosphere of Nashville.
I love country. I know some people don't and that's fine. When they say they hate country, I mostly agree with them today. To me, it's terrible, save a brave few who dare do something different. But sometimes, they get rewarded for their efforts (Kacey Musgraves scoring an upset win with "Golden Hour" for CMA album of the year in November). I keep hoping country will find its way back to being fun and have a big enough tent for more than one production style.
What I love about the country that I've known for many decades now is that not all of it sounds like the stereotype country haters (or simply the uninitiated) expect to hear. I'll play songs for college students where I work from decades ago and often their reaction is "THAT's country?" That's what I love - the unexpected surprise. Something that catches your ear and fits the genre, but comes out of someplace unique. That's missing today from MOST popular music, I think.
When I was a kid, the first 'current' music I was exposed to was country when I'd be out in my dad's machine shed. This was in the latter half of the 70s. Since the mid 70s, country has changed its overall sound four times:
Leaving the old-school sound of the 60s and early 70s behind for a more pop flair, culminating in the Urban Cowboy pop-ish sound of the early 80s. As that grew stagnant, the neo-traditionalists grew in popularity [Reba and George Strait were the early artists], with the doors being blown open by Randy Travis's "Forever And Ever, Amen," which led to the 'class of 89' - Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Lorrie Morgan, etc., and the dominance of the genre in the 90s.
Then the "Shania-ization of Nashville," which began in 1995 when "Any Man of Mine" took off, and peaked around 1999-2000 when she was the biggest artist on the planet and Faith Hill had Billboard's number one Hot 100 pop single of the year 2000 ("Breathe"). The pop sound, especially for women, was pervasive. As audiences tired of that, a traditional sound returned once again that ran through the first decade of the 21st century, before giving way to the bro-country sound (and lame snap/clap that is frequently mentioned in the video above) that we still have today.
What's the next sound in country? I don't think we've heard it yet, but we may not even realize when "it" arrives, because it usually takes a few years to change the atmosphere of Nashville.
I love country. I know some people don't and that's fine. When they say they hate country, I mostly agree with them today. To me, it's terrible, save a brave few who dare do something different. But sometimes, they get rewarded for their efforts (Kacey Musgraves scoring an upset win with "Golden Hour" for CMA album of the year in November). I keep hoping country will find its way back to being fun and have a big enough tent for more than one production style.
What I love about the country that I've known for many decades now is that not all of it sounds like the stereotype country haters (or simply the uninitiated) expect to hear. I'll play songs for college students where I work from decades ago and often their reaction is "THAT's country?" That's what I love - the unexpected surprise. Something that catches your ear and fits the genre, but comes out of someplace unique. That's missing today from MOST popular music, I think.
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There are a lot of talented artists playing in Nashville bars these days trying to get discovered that are probably better than a lot of the mainstream crap on country radio right now. Problem is their kind of music is not what the record labels want to sell right now. It is kind of sad to think that Nashville was were artists had to go to get discovered and make a living and now it's a place where more dreams are dying unless they sell out and conform to this pop country sound too.
and their legacy will be that they sold out and started playing pop to make it big time. Meanwhile, Sturgill Simspon told Nashville to **** off and he's doing just fine.