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Modern "Country"

#21
Well thats actually what I was wondering. Is the slick Nashville stuff actually popular (I know it doesn’t get commercial airplay around here), or does if fall into a gap where it is met with disdain by pop fans, because its country music, and disliked by country fans because its to pop?
 
#23
bigboy_78 said:
Well thats actually what I was wondering. Is the slick Nashville stuff actually popular (I know it doesn’t get commercial airplay around here), or does if fall into a gap where it is met with disdain by pop fans, because its country music, and disliked by country fans because its to pop?
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Dunno man. Maybe take a wee look at who did good at Tamworth fest this year/last year to see what the state of play is. I don't know jack about it because I listen to good music. I know Taylor swift is or was considered 'country' because they mixed reso and banjo in to the back of her pop songs. Maybe that's where it's at these days?
 
#24
The funniest thing is that in five-ten years people will be talking about how "modern country sucks" and how old-school, REAL country like Taylor Swift was soooo much better.

How many of you in modern country bands are playing "Wake Me Up" and "Timber", btw?
 
#25
It's just weird you hear distorted humbucker guitars through marshals over hip hop beats and samples on the "country" stations.

And nothing but four on the floor bass drum, banjo, mandolin, and acoustic guitar on the "alternative rock" stations (Mumford and sons, the lumineers, etc.)

Music is just in a strange place now.
 
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#27
Hi,

The modern country has been very, very good to me. Sure, some of it is crap but some of it is pretty dang good 80s rock with a fiddle. Check out some of the threads I've started in the "Bass Humor & Gig Stories" section. I chronicle most of my band's gigs. Click the link to our website below. We also do some classic rock (Journey, CCR, Eagles, Doobies), some vintage country (George Straight, Patsy Cline, Merle, Buck), and pop (Lady Gaga, Adele, Ke$ha, Katy Perry) but mostly modern country (Miranda, Lady A, Little Big Town, Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Thompson Square, Thomas Rhett, Jerrod Niemann, Zac Brown). In the 90s there was a lot of variety in country music, elements of rock, swing, jazz, etc. A lot of today's country music is very cookie cutter, over produced, and uninspired. But there are still a lot of tunes worth covering and there is a huge market for it in my area. I'm having a blast and working my butt off this summer. Break a leg!

CLICK HERE to see our promo video. It's over a year old so we'll probably be doing a new one after we're done with our summer schedule.

Does the video embed? Let's see....



That's us, live at our favorite night club, The Ranch in Anaheim CA.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
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#31
Swizzledoop said:
That stuff isn't really country, it's re-packaged pop music. Check out Sturgill Simpson for some authentic new country music. Unless you're looking for pop... In that case, carry on.

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Thats a great video. I remember when you didn't have to sing about being country or a being a redneck to make country music.
 
#32
buldog5151bass said:
Every generation of every genre of pop(ular) music always complains that the newer music isn't "authentic", whether Sinatra, Elvis, Beatles, Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, and on and on. Same thing here.
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Not really the case here. Country music lost its identity. The stuff they are making today is either Rock sang with a fake southern accent, or pop sang with a fake country accent. If you take the vocals out of the mix you can't tell it is country music. Country used to have a style all its own, the modern stuff is not authentic. Rock is still rock, pop is still pop, jazz is still jazz. People may complain about the quality of the music being produced but it still fits the genre. Country is not country anymore.
 
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#33
fourstringdrums said:
I've never disliked a style of music more than modern country. Lyrically, it's like musical mad libs, only with a set list of approved words. "Girl" "Truck" "Pickup" "Listening to the Radio" "Listening to the radio with my girl in my pickup truck." It's completely uninspired garbage. I was watching the Tonight Show a few months back and some male country singer was on (it literally doesn't matter which one it was) and I turned to my girlfriend and said "I bet the first words out of his mouth are the above mentioned words." The first line of the song "It's just a beat up truck..."

There are plenty of other formulaic musical styles out there, but I really think that modern country is one of the worst.
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Couldn't agree more. There's this whole redneck chic thing that swept the country powered by the awful music you describe. The only thing you forgot to mention was cheap beer references, and well placed liquor ads in the songs. It is the latest awful fad that people will probably look back at and laugh about in some years, much like 80's hair rock.

Every song is exactly the same too. You can sit there hearing a song for the first time and think, OK here comes the well timed harmony...here comes the bridge, etc.

Pop stars in plaid - it's in for now.
 
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#34
And

Coltrane wasn't playing real jazz. Or Miles.
Sinatra (and Elvis) was just mugging for the ladies.
The Beatles were just a bunch of talentless long hairs.
The Dead was just a bunch of dope smoking hippies.
The Eagles were called sellouts by both rock and country critics.
Garth Brooks was accused of defiling country when he first became popular.
And on. And on.

Rock and pop haven't changed? Most of the guitar solos are gone.

Not saying the new country is the same as what we call classic (or even that I listen to it much).

Music changes, or we would still be listening to C-Am-F-G7 rock, country would be I-IV-V, and jazz would be quarter note swing.
 
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#40
Diamond_Dave said:
You have a flautist in your modern country band? Are you sure? :D

Yeah, I think modern country is just pop rock with some twang and redneck subject matter. (And that's not a derisive comment toward the musicians or rednecks...I'm just sayin'.)

I'm really more of an alt-country guy.
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We did it with a trombonist....a good one. You should hear the solo in George Jones's "He Stopped Loving Her Today". It'll bring tears to your eyes.

Riis
 
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