I grew up listening to quite a bit of folk music, and once I got a bit older I found out about country music legends like Johny Cash and Hank Williams that I instantly latched onto. I like down home kind of music, songs about people and landscapes, about the good things in life and the bad, but especially I enjoy banjos and acoustic guitars and the like. I really love old country music, but I definitely have a bad taste in my mouth that has been left by so called country music stars who are generally nothing more than generic pop singers who happen to have a slight twang or an extra acoustic guitar on an album.
I was recently reminded of Old Crow Medicine Show and I forgot how much I love them and their sound. This group from down south sounds like they just crawled out of some moonshine powered time machine from the 1930's and grew up inspired by the hillbilly legends that most people barely remember to this day. Country, folk, bluegrass and more, there's always something inspired that comes from listening to this group, case in point their version of Wagon Wheel which is one of my all time favorites.
This being said, I have already been introduced to the new Taylor Swift song and I can safely say I am not a fan of it, and wonder how Swift especially can even remotely be considered country music. First impressions of the song We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together was actually that it was a new Avril Lavigne song, and then I was informed that it was in fact Swifts new song. I understand I'm not the target market, but it is hands down one of the most generic pop songs I've heard in a long time and doesn't remotely qualify in my opinion as a country song. Yet, she will still have a cross over appeal and people will love her which is fine, but what bugs me is that artists like Old Crow will still be overlooked and are making infinitely greater country music than Swift ever has.
I'll definitely continue passing on Taylor Swift, but I can't wait to track down some more reinvented country classics that is for certain.
1 comment:
I'm glad I read this post! As you know I am a liker of Taylor Swift, though the more of her music that comes out the less country it feels, and the more I feel like a 16 year old teenager again, so we can agree on one part, Taylor Swift is not all that country. But I am digging this song that you posted. I'll have to look up some more of their music. I love the acoustics in it, probably why I love sitting around the campfire and singing, even if we don't always sound so great:) Keep the posts coming, and I'll be reading!
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