Jumping Ship: Reflections on Americana Music

My only question is how you suggest they go about re-integrating americana with country? Country radio programmers seem to have decided as a group that their audiences can’t handle anything that is intelligent, mature, groundbreaking, socially relevant or interesting.

Unfortunately, that’s not true and they are merely reinforcing their own stereotype (and losing fans), but I can’t see them changing their minds.

As a member of the AMA I’d like to point out that the work that makes up todays Americana playlist didn’t leave country music, like the majority of Americans that call themselves independents these days because they feel their part has left them, country music booted these artists and influences out of the door. who wants to stay where they’re not welcome?

There were points when the establishment was challenged Willie, Waylon, Kristofferson and Shaver in the 70’s Yoakam, Lovett and Earle in the 80’s but the opportunities in the established order are few and dwindling.

Radio monopolization and tighter playlists leave little for experimentation and rock radio is no solution (but satellite might be.) Americana did what Willie did to Nashville, went off to make a place for himself to do it his way and pulled the industry to him.

Sub-genres are a way of life for today’s music, Seriously, Google metal or techno and have a look at the dozen varieties to choose from. I think it allows bands as diverse as Hank III, the Drive By Truckers and Robert Plant/Allison Krauss to find a niche to make great music. Eventually it will influence the Nashville machine directly or indirectly.

Americana may never make the short-term money mainstream country does but I believe that the success of the Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack and the recent efforts by Plant/Krauss, Levon Helm (Grammy) and Steve Earle (Grammy) makes it clear that there is a public out there that wants something more substantial.

The music is leading by example, I don’t give a damn about the labels.

It is probably true that one hugely successful Americana artist would bring Nashville running, perhaps changing the landscape in Nashville and hopefully the Top 40 for the next ten years. We know Nashville will not do this on their own, they are scared, they have always been scared of holding the banner up for Real Country Music. However, the point Ben brings up is an important one…with the Americana designation…is it even possible for such an artist to gain such popularity?

It is a real possibility, given Ben’s argument that it cannot. Americana is not given the visibility that a Country Music is given, they have taken themselves out of the running to even be considered country music. And as a result the definition of Country Music has CHANGED! It no longer means what it did ten years ago and that is because anything bordering previous authentic Country was given a new designation: Americana.

This is unfortunate: how is it possible that Rascal Flatts gets to proceed with the label of Country–the same label given to Hank Williams and Johnny Cash and yet Hank III…HANK III! does not? What would it have looked like to have a group of devoted country fans say “NO” we are taking this back, you do not get to call yourself Country.

Country Music can look and sound and feel very different, I know it is not just one specified thing, and yet it is like pornography: I know it when I see it. There is some essence of Country Music that we recognize in “Americana” and yet cannot in Country Music Top 40. People would disagree: but i’m in law school, words MATTER, and soon it will be too late to take it back Country Music, to define it as it has been since The Carter Family, Jimmy Rogers and Hank Williams.

Lynn
It’ll be a tough fight at this point. A lot of ground has been lost. I don’t think any one tactic, or one big push by any individual record label or independent artist is going to do it. But I think that a good start would be for a current major, established artist like Gary Allan or Blake Shelton to release something striking and uncompromising. Much like The Byrds “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” album, commercially it may wobble at first, but it’ll eventually not only serve as a career record for that artist, but a major star can gain in one record the ground that 15 independent artists working for years would have to fight tooth and nail for.

Rick
We are of like mind sir. I don’t think Americana folks have sway either and I liked your observation that the lucky cast-offs end up in the “Americana bargain bin”

Baron Lane
You and I are not of like mind.

“country music booted these artists and influences out of the door. who wants to stay where they’re not welcome?”

People who are concerned with the integrity and continuation of country music as a current (not merely historical) genre. People who would like a career within genre that has a built-in (and hard won) audience as well as an infrastructure that includes radio, television, print publications, existing festivals, venues, and award shows. People who would prefer to not accept their exile, and object to being forced to build a brand new infrastructure and fanbase out in the wilderness while the genre and tradition they love is abandoned to carpet-baggers and profiteers.

“There were points when the establishment was challenged Willie, Waylon, Kristofferson and Shaver in the 70’s Yoakam, Lovett and Earle in the 80’s but the opportunities in the established order are few and dwindling.”

Using Shaver as an example, the Nashville establishment did not roll out the red carpet for him at any point. He had to ride a motorcycle on Harlan Howard’s front porch to get a publishing deal, he had to threaten to kick Waylon Jenning’s ass in front of a cadre of Hells Angels to get songs cut, and Waylon has to put all of his credibility as an established artist on the line to get the record cut. I think that it’s wrong-minded to consider there to be a number of opportunities that can dwindle or increase. Billy Joe taught us that opportunities have to be made.

Americana did what Willie did to Nashville, went off to make a place for himself to do it his way and pulled the industry to him.

I disagree. Willie left to establish himself as a viable artist in the country genre with or without Nashville. Americana disassociated itself from the country genre, thus locking themselves out of the country infrastructure for good.

Americana may never make the short-term money mainstream country does but I believe that the success of the Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack and the recent efforts by Plant/Krauss, Levon Helm (Grammy) and Steve Earle (Grammy) makes it clear that there is a public out there that wants something more substantial.

The success of those records/artists have absolutely nothing to do with the Americana genre.
Oh Brother was launched by a major motion picture.

Robert Plant is from one of the biggest bands of all time .Allison Krauss was put on the map by mainstream country and Oh Brother.

We can thank the bold spirit of Rock and Roll for Levon.

And Steve Earle is almost a poster child of why we need to keep fighting for the spirit of country music.

Furthermore, I suspect that if you pull soundscan on the Earle and Levon records, that despite Grammy’s, they wouldn’t be very impressive commercially.

In fact, without the Americana genre, I’d argue that Steve would still have a chance at country radio, and thus serious sales numbers, not to mention increased visibility for quality music.

The music is leading by example, I don’t give a damn about the labels.

I do. I think that what is currently considered “R&B” and “Soul” should serve as a dire warning for people who care about country music. The fact of the matter is that the genre, the tradition, is only relevant so long as it is current. Once “mainstream country music” becomes wholly disassociated with the country tradition, the book on country music is closed. No further contributions matter.

As an example, if an artist came out playing incredible 50’s style R&B, he may build a fanbase, he may make a living at it, but he wouldn’t matter. One can’t contribute to a historically fixed genre.

The country tradition stretches back to the dawn of recorded music and it contains a string of geniuses that have had a profound impact on all of our lives. Assumably, there are additional men and women of genius waiting in the wings and we stand to lose the impact of their contributions.

Oh and when I mentioned “opportunities re: Shaver et al I meant it more as the big boys weren’t paying attention or had their feet held to the fire more then there was any red carpets being rolled out. But point taken…

Chip,

I do presume that at some point, someone would break through. I don’t think that country music is lost yet. I don’t think it’s time to abandon country to the carpet-baggers and profiteers. You seem to have such certainty that Nashville wouldn’t have played these guys, a view which the founding interests of the AMA shared with you, but remember, a defeatist attitude is often a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Baron,

If an artist like Buck and Haggard from Bakersfield and Willie in Texas makes great music then the audience and the money will follow. Only then will Nashville pay attention.

I see Americana as a roots/alt.country/bluegrass/etc. breeding ground that will add to the health of country music. Of course there’s always a chance that Nashville will kill the golden egg laying hen�then maybe the hen becomes a phoenix�or something.

If I understand you correctly, you’re saying that Americana serves as a sort of farm league/testing lab, where acts can be 100% true to their art without the pressures of having millions of dollars invested in them from the major Nashville labels. This will encourage innovation which can then be adopted, packaged, and marketed by Nashville.

The proof is in the pudding. As I stated in the article, “Eight years later, with all the great new innovators screened out beforehand, we have Joe Nichols as a traditionalist, Bon Jovi as pop country, and Keith Urban standing with Tim McGraw squarely in the middle as mainstream “country music”.”

Combine the discouraging loss of ground for traditional country music with the lesson that R&B has taught us (that a genre can be truly lost and banished to the pages of history), and it seems to me that the path of least resistance (murmuring to yourself “I know when I’m not wanted, I’ll just shuffle over here and try to set up a 30 min a week show on the local public radio….”), is the path of greatest peril for Country Music.

The problem is that in the main country music is now seen as bland, scmaltzy sentimental crap, McDonalds music by numbers for the white trash generation; while Americana is seen as original, rootsy and cool, shot through with quality. Ladies and Gentlemen, on the one hand I give you Garth Brooks; on the other I give you The Felice Brothers. Doesn’t take a genius to work it out does it? Stop whining, and start addressing what is wrong with country music.

It depends on how you define “country music”. Since there wasn’t much if any difference between mountain folk music and early rural stringband music. Alma Gluck’s Carry Me Back To Old Virginny” dates back to 1915 and there were some rural recordings from before then and nemrous “pop” singers who sang songs that became part of the country canon.

Main stream country is all about pop music and payola, and nothing about country . Most country stars want to sound like Britney or some rock band, the main stage at Stage Coach in Indio CA was witness to that. They even had that awful rap country group , whatever they name is, when sadly Alt. country stars like Mike Stinson, Rancho Deluxe, and Alt. bluegrass like Cliff Wagner from Next Great American Band go largely unnoticed. In an industry that is losing $$ every day , mainstream country and rap are the only paydays left, maybe… Americana and Alt. country don’t have the exposure or the bucks to pay off the radio goons to play their music..Sad but true.

Ryan Adams is all hype… It’s what people who don’t really know what really country sounds like, think is good alt. country or Americana. Another, self obsessed drunken writer… That’s original.

Where do I start? With quotes such as, “The artistic haven they set out to build has ended up to be nothing but a ghetto where old acts go out to pasture, and new acts lanquish as non-starters” and “If the AMA cares about the future of Country Music as much as they care about their own self interest, they would immediately try to re-integrate Americana artist back into the Country Music mainstream”. First of all you seem to think that Mainstream Pop music is the pinnacle of success. I, as an Americana fan don’t. I see it as a road leading to, and a breeding ground for greed and manipulation. I don’t see music legends and established artists once again connecting with their roots as out to pasture. I see it as maintaining their musical integrity, after maybe some clouded years of misjudgement. Also, If it wasn’t for these new “non-starters” the roots of not only country music, but all music would be gone. You certainly are selling off a lot of great artists with talent and a love for the music because they’re not Mainstream. Pop music is not a specific genre, it’s an industry, and if Americana re-integrated itself into Pop Country(or Pop Music in general), it would no longer be Americana Music now would it? I’m not going to speak for the AMA, but as an Americana music fan, I care about maintaining the integrity and the roots of music based on the tradition of many genres including Country Music, and not on how many spins it received in a day, or how many units it sold in a year. I accept Mainstream Pop music for what it is, as do I accept Americana Roots Music for what it is. I know what they both represent, and I prefer to support, promote, and defend Americana Music.