Live Music Archive

It’s no secret that over the past couple decades country music has struggled with it is identity far more than any other genre in the industry. At this point nobody might really claim to be a country music fan without being questioned what type of country fan? The answers being ostensibly endless, I have broken them down into several main types (but really, there might be so many more).

Pop Country

This category may really be referred to as “Nashville Country.” It hosts might about 90 % of the country music out there. I a lot of the time find individuals not wanting to admit in conversation that they’re fans of this category. They like to talk about how they love Willie Nelson and mouth the words to Merle Haggard tunes even though it’s apparent their faking it. Then they get alone in their cars and unwind by driving down the highway, blasting Shania Twain on the radio, and singing along at the top of their lungs. Let me just say, there’s virtually nothing wrong with that, like what you like. Nashville record labels select remarkably skill ed, a lot of the time attractive singers that perform with some excellent bands. They also have some of the top songwriters and composers in the industry working for them.

One criticism I would have against this category…In recent years, there has been a rebellion of sorts against Nashville music from artists in both the Rebel and Texas sub categories (see below) with songs booing Nashville and praising the old timers. At times this gains them popularity and they get so popular that they land a big contract with a Nashville record company and for some reason everybody is perfectly comfortable with this phenomenon. This is what I like to refer to as “Pat Green Syndrome”.

Rebel/ Rock Country

Very liberal individuals are who you tend to find in this category. The artists just do whatever they feel like doing, and consequently there are not many of them, or at least not many of them that stay popular after their initial shock benefit wears off. They are a lot of the time independent and like letting it all hang out. A nice example currently in the limelight is Gretchen Wilson. Others that haven’t quite reached her popularity level, but have been around for a while include Ray Wylie Hubbard and Todd Snider.

Sometimes the guys in this category derive quite a bit of their rebelness from incorporating rock into their music. Good examples of this are Robert Earl Keen and James McMurty (I highly recommend both of them).

Texas Country

This category has developed into somewhat of a music cult, and it stretches all over the United Sates. (Note, this last month there has been a huge three day Texas music festival in Colorado). It is popularity started off with the likes of Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Gary P. Nunn. What really sent it off in recent years has been the popularity of Robert Earl Keen, Cory Morrow, Pat Green, and Jack Ingram. It plays extremely well in frat houses across the Lone Star State. While the guys mentioned earlier have taken off in a varying direction, new musicians like Max Stalling, Mark David Manders, and Ed Burleson have started to take their place. If you ever watch this development, it’s simple to see that the Texas music industry is growing so fast that it will might soon be just as large as Nashville’s.

Old Country

If you could sing the words to three or more Willie Nelson, George Jones, and Johnny Cash tunes please come in. If you could sing along to Patsy Cline, Charlie Rich, and Hank Williams please take a seat. If you could croon all night with Bob Wills please let me get you a beer, I’m glad all of us met. Welcome to the old country category, sadly many individuals find it boring here.

Real Old Country

Virtually all individuals in this category know how to yodel. They’ve could witnessed someone performance the bones, Assuming that they do not already know how to performance them themselves. The individuals in this category refer to each other as “folks” and recognize that country’s roots derived from folk music. This category requires being able to find pleasure in sitting on a front porch sipping ice tea in the middle of the summer while some old man plays “Streets of Laredo” on an old Gibson. Indulging in campfire banjo playing advocates as well.

If you’re prefer me, you could have your preferred category and then prefer some things out of each one. There’s not really any one way to define country music, and with it being an ever-changing industry there could never will be. One thing that does not differ though, no matter which category, you might still dust of your boots and take just about any country song to the dance club with you.