Article Response: Cowboy Dreams

this is the only interesting piece of writing I've ever read anywhere about new country. thanks, anthony.

agreed. what i told anthony:

- highly informative about an area of music i know nothing about (indeed perhaps one of the few genres i feel a genuine antipathy towards.)

- good that the subject matter - seen as "light" by even the music industry - is taken so seriously. in a free weekly or some similar venue this would have been played as either mocking hipsterism or anti-consumerist drivel. either way for cheap laughs.

so thank you anthony.

Very nice piece, Anthony!

Im not sure I agree with the lack of crossover from pop or rock to country. I am struggling to think of examples from the last few years but Alberta's KD Lang still stands out in my mind as a counterpoint, Id say Stompin Tom as well but he fails to get radio airplay on any station that isnt CC. In a few years their was a horrible bastardization of country be it from Nashville or otherwise, Steve Earle took perhaps the best route musically of those that I can think of and Garth Brooks the cheapest. Write an adult oriented pop song, add a slide guitar, leather pants or cowboy hat depending on the sex and you have new country.
I feel bad as that doesnt seem to be the point to his article but its the part that I seem to hang up on.
More to the heart of Anthony's article Id be interested to see who actually wrote those songs, much like pop music Nashville has had a huge bank of writers to draw upon in times gone by and I somehow suspect the new country is simply a style change, spin for the consumers. Well I do not know for sure I strongly suspect those artists or the vast majority are the puppets we've accepted from NSync, Sugar Jones or SClub and mickey mouse pals.

Wilco!

kd lang never got airplay on country stations , still really doesnt
I wanted to write about who wrote the songs, ALice Randall for one but there is so few space

Most thoughtful indeed. Well done, sir! Quite well-written, I have to say. :-)

Well i still dont quite agree with KD not getting radio play on country stations, mostly thinking the Shadowland and Inguene (not country but what the hey) but doesnt mean its still not a well writtne piece, dont get me wrong.

Good stuff. A pleasure to read, and told me lots I didn't know about the themes of/ politics behind country songs... but what about the music? A follow-up on the notes/chords and the arrangements is Urgent & Key, I think.