There are two kinds of music: Good music, and the other kind – Duke Ellington
Recently, a listener asked: “What’s with all the country music all of a sudden on the Rhythm & News Service?” Is there? In many ways, it’s a difficult question to answer, but it’s a fascinating topic that deserves some attention.
The term “country music” has come up often in music circles lately. Major publications, late night TV shows, blogs of all sorts, and even NPR Music is celebrating the “resurgence of ‘country music’” in recent years. At the forefront of this movement are a couple of important artists. I’ll get to them in a bit.
One reason the listener’s question is challenging to answer is because it’s honestly very difficult to define what “country music” actually is. One dictionary definition reads as:
“…a style and genre of largely string-accompanied American popular music having roots in the folk music of the Southeast and cowboy music of the West, usually vocalized, generally simple in form and harmony, and typified by romantic or melancholy ballads accompanied by acoustic or electric guitar, banjo, violin, and harmonica.”
That sweeping generalization could be applied to all manner of music heard on JPR over the years: bluegrass, folk, old-timey, singer-songwriter, back-porch, etc.
Are we going country? No, of course not.
Compounding the problem is that Country Radio plays an entirely different style of music that many have come to accept and understand to be country music. Think Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert for starters. Is that stuff country music as defined above? Hardly. In fact, this particular style is often referred to by detractors as “Pop-country,” “Nashville Pop,” “Bro Country,” or even far more derogatory monikers. But it’s hugely popular. In fact, it’s the most listened to music format on the radio in the United States. It’s also big business, with hugely successful tours and solid record sales. But it’s not really country music, is it? Interestingly, of the top 25 albums on the Billboard Country chart for week of August 8th, 23 of them were by male singers. Perhaps “Bro Country” is an adequate description?
Muddying the waters a bit more is another musical genre name that has been lobbied about in recent years: Americana. The Americana Music Association defines the style as:
“…contemporary music that incorporates elements of various American roots music styles, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues, resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw. While acoustic instruments are often present and vital, Americana also often uses a full electric band.”
Americana is a rising format in radio. It seems to be backfilling the void left by country stations not really playing country music in favor of the much more popular and lucrative country-pop. It feels very much like someone is just moving the goalposts – re-branding with little substantive change. Alison Krauss & Union Station is a perfect example. What started as a bluegrass band crossed over a bit into mainstream country, and is now soundly positioned smack dab in the middle of the Americana genre. Yet her fans probably don’t notice and don’t care what label is placed on her.
So all of this leads back to JPR. What IS with all the country music all of a sudden? To be sure, country (or roots or Americana or whatever you want to call them) elements are permeating music right now. It’s due in part to the rise of Americana music as a new avenue for artists whose music is covered by the blanket descriptions above, but have no hope of ever receiving attention by the mainstream music establishment. But it’s not just a new path for country. It’s also a path to success by artists formerly known as “folk singers.” That genre, too, is in flux/decline, so many artists are boosting their sound a bit with the help of a rhythm section in hopes of catching the ear of someone in the Americana world.
In recent months, three artists have risen to very top of the pile. They deserve mention, and, we believe, airplay. Rolling Stone recently published an article asking if country singer Sturgill Simpson was country music’s savior.
Though he’s now becoming so popular and buzzworthy that the mainstream music world is finally starting to take notice, for years Simpson has been creating a genuine traditional throwback country sound that eschews many of the stylistic clichés found in today’s pop country. His latest release Metamodern Sounds In Country Music is a fantastic release, and one we’re not only happy to have discovered, but one we’re excited to share with you. Another notable recent arrival is the album of Daniel Romano called If I’ve Only One Time Askin’. If you can remember back to the sound of country music in the late 60s and early 70s, complete with a sweeping string section, you’ve got the idea. Other folks right now with a distinctive country/Americana leaning include Nicki Bluhm, Lindi Ortega (Dolly, anyone?), Robert Ellis, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle, Eilen Jewell and Kacey Musgraves (Hello, Loretta Lynn!) and many other JPR staples. Perhaps as a sign that times are changing, Jason Isbell, whose new record Something More Than Free landed atop the Billboard Country Charts the week I’m writing this, led critically acclaimed musician Todd Snider to write on Facebook:
JASON ISBELL HAS THE NUMBER ONE RECORD ON THE BILLBOARD
COUNTRY MUSIC CHART
AND
NEVER THE LESS HE IS STILL
GATHERING CRITICAL ACCLAIM
TO RIVAL THAT OF ANYONE IN ANY GENRE
EVER
AND THAT MY FRIENDS
AT LEAST FOR ME
IS THAT
THATS WHAT WEVE BEEN WAITING FOR
THATS THE THING
“nashville”
WOULDNT LET ANYBODY DO.
WELL SOMEBODY DID IT
AND NOBODY STOPPED HIM
WITHOUT CHANGING HIS MUSIC
AND WITHOUT CHANGING HIS CLOTHING
JASON ISBELL
DID IT.
Over its 25 year history, JPR’s Rhythm & News Service has consistently tried to toe the leading edge of musical trends. From the era of acid jazz to the days of “O, Brother” old-timey tunes, to the rash of echo chamber folk-rock the likes of Bon Iver, and the crunchiness of bands like The Black Keys, we’ve always looked for the best music we can find from a wide variety of styles and genres to blend together into a mix that we hope appeals to your curiosity and general love of musical discovery. At its core, JPR’s primary musical tenet is best summed up by the quote of Duke Ellington that began this writing: Is it “good?”
Are we going country? No, of course not. But as always, we’ll continue to try and unearth interesting and important music and artists to share with you each day you’re with us. Some of them might even bring a little twang into the conversation. Y’all OK with that?
Eric Teel is JPR’s Director of FM Network Programming and Music Director.
