Live Music Blog

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

Pop Country

This category may really be referred to as “Nashville Country.” It hosts might about 90  percent of the country music out there. I frequently find individuals not wanting to admit in conversation that they’re listeners of this category. They prefer to talk about how they love Willie Nelson and mouth the words to Merle Haggard songs 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 little wrong with that, prefer what you prefer. Nashville record labels choose remarkably talent ed, frequently attractive singers that perform with some exceptional bands. They likewise 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 musicians in both the Rebel and Texas sub categories (see below) with songs booing Nashville and praising the old timers. Every now and then this gains them popularity and they get so popular that they land a large contract with a Nashville record company and for some reason everybody is perfectly comfortable with this phenomenon. This is what I prefer to refer to as “Pat Green Syndrome”.

Rebel/ Rock and Roll Country

Very liberal people are who you tend to find in this category. These artists just do whatever they feel prefer doing, and consequently there are not many of them, or at least not many of them that stay popular following their initial shock worth wears off. They are ofttimes independent and prefer letting it all hang out. A good 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.

Every now and then 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 final month there was a large three day Texas music festival in Colorado). It’s popularity started off with the likes of Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Gary P. Nunn. What really sent it off in recent years was 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 divergent direction, new artists like Max Stalling, Mark David Manders, and Ed Burleson have started to take their place. If you ever watch this development, it’s easy to see that the Texas music industry is rising so fast that it will could soon be just as ample as Nashville’s.

Old Country

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

Real Old Country

Many individuals in this category know how to yodel. They’ve probably witnessed an individual performance the bones, If 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 enjoy 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 stimulates as well.

If you are like me, you probably have your preferred category and then like 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 probably never will be. One thing that doesn’t change though, no matter which category, you could still dust of your boots and take just about any country song to the dance club with you.