going back to cali - and author page

I have found that when one expresses their fondness for country someone invariably says something like, “Really? You like Taylor Swift?” To which I have to reply, “No… I mean, yes, actually, I do like some of her songs, but I don’t really consider her music country. She’s more, as they say, ‘pop music with banjos.’” When I say I like country I’m saying I like more what might be considered outlaw country - Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, David Allan Coe etc. And the even more prehistoric genre of traditional country (trad-country) which holds Hank Williams and bluegrass close to its breast.

Now I know what you’re thinking: “Whazzat? Pop country? Outlaw country? Trad-country? Americana? How do you keep this genre straight?” And I hear you. Country is a discombobulated form of music, splintered into different sub genres whose proponents are often at odds with each other.

One need look no further for evidence of this than the recent controversy kicked off by current country crooner, Blake Shelton. Shelton stated:

“If I am ‘Male Vocalist of the Year’ that must mean that I’m one of those people now that gets to decide if it moves forward and if it moves on… Country music has to evolve in order to survive. Nobody wants to listen to their grandpa’s music. And I don’t care how many of these old farts around Nashville going, ‘My God, that ain’t country!’ Well that’s because you don’t buy records anymore, jackass. The kids do, and they don’t want to buy the music you were buying.”