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Colonial
Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual songs, over the years gave way to a form of
music that was popularly referred to as the ballad. The narrative ballads
usually dealt with historical or legendary people and events. English
and Scottish Ballads formed the basis for "Folk Music", while seepages
from African tones, as well as the concept of minstrels wove their way
into the music form. The fiddle, the banjo, the guitar and the autoharp
were the main instruments in the lineup. Anglo-Celtic immigrants brought
Hillbilly music, which evolved from folksongs, ballads, dances, and instrumental
pieces, to North America. It was only a matter of time before a conflation
of these various folk and regional arts gave way to the broader genre
called "Country Music".
Country
music is a traditional genre of music whose simple form lends itself to
endless variations on similar themes. Country music is like blues, very
simple at its core. Most songs are built around three chords and a plain
melody, and these basic forms allow for many different styles. Country
music grew out of American Southern folk music, both Appalachian and blues,
and old-time country was simple and folky, with just guitars and fiddles.
As the genre progressed, old time music evolved into the rhythmic guitar-and-fiddle
driven traditional country that became the foundation of modern country
music, from the gritty sounds of honky-tonk to the jazzy improvisations
of Western Swing and the pop-oriented Countrypolitan and rock-inflected
Bakersfield Sound.
Alternative Country
Like alternative rock, Alternative
Country exists outside of the mainstream and strips country to the basics
and then subverts it, both musically and lyrically. The music is hardcore
country, and whatever traditional country merely suggests, Alternative
Country spells it out explicitly. It is the work of non-conformists, and
covers many different styles, from alternative country-rockers to simple
singer-songwriters.
Contemporary country
Contemporary Country is the mainstream
country and country-pop that evolved after the slick country-pop of the
Urban Cowboy movement in the early '80s. At the outset, Contemporary Country
incorporated subtle pop production techniques, such as synthesizers, and
it often sounded slick and polished. At times, the country roots of contemporary
country were fairly well hidden beneath pop trappings, but new traditionalists
like George Strait and Randy Travis began returning country to its honky-tonk
roots. After the first wave of new traditionalists the genre became a
bit slicker and demonstrated a more overt rock influence, paving way for
the New Country led by Garth Brooks, who skillfully positioned himself
between New Traditionalism and rock-influenced country-pop.
Country Pop
Country-Pop was essentially country
music that had country instrumentation and song structures, yet it emphasized
pop melodies and lush, orchestrated production, in order to win a larger
audience. The most familiar and popular form of country-pop was the Nashville
Sound, which later metamorphisized into Countrypolitain emphasizing pop
production flourishes. Featuring layers of keyboards, guitars, strings,
and vocals, countrypolitain records were designed to crossover to pop
radio and they frequently did. The sound dominated the country charts
in the '70s and stayed popular until the early '80s, when Urban Cowboy,
a country-pop genre that was explicitly influenced by rock, replaced it.
Honky
Tonk
Honky Tonk is spare and direct with driven acoustic guitars, steel
guitars, fiddles, and a high, lonesome vocal. Ernest Tubb was the first
honky tonk musician to popularize the genre, but Hank Williams, George
Jones, and Lefty Frizzell became the definitive artists in the '50s. As
the genre aged, it essentially remained the same, but there was one notable
permutation of Honky Tonk: the Bakersfield Sound. Bakersfield was the
first genre of country music to rely heavily on electric instrumentation,
as well as a defined backbeat — in other words, it was the first
to be significantly influenced by rock & roll. After Bakersfield,
Honky Tonk would forever rely on electric guitars as much as acoustics,
yet at its core it remained faithful to the sound pioneered by Ernest
Tubb and Hank Williams.
Progressive Country
Progressive country developed
in the late '60s as a reaction to the increasingly polished and pop-oriented
sound of mainstream, Nashville-based country. Inspired equally by the
spare, twangy, hard-driving sound of Bakersfield country, the singer-songwriter
introspection of Bob Dylan, classic honky tonk and rock & roll, progressive
country was the first anti-Nashville movement to emerge since the dawn
of rock & roll. Progressive country was rootsier and more intellectual
than many of its contemporary genres; it was more concerned with breaking
boundaries than with scoring hits. The genre was also songwriter-based.
Progressive country also provided the basis for outlaw country. After
Outlaw's five-year reign in the late '70s, progressive country continued
to exist, until it eventually metamorphosized into alternative country
in the '80s.
Traditional Country
Traditional Country is a nebulous
term, which evokes a specific sound, namely the long-standing tradition
of simple country songs delivered with simple instrumentation and a distinct
twang. The era of Traditional Country didn't begin until the early '30s,
when Jimmie Rodgers became the first national country music star. Rodgers
brought the formerly rural music into the industrial era by making streamlining
the music and lyrics; in the process, he made the genre a viable commerical
property which gave birth to Traditional Country. For the next 40 years,
most country music fell under the Traditional Country umbrella, regardless
if it was the big-band dance music of Western Swing or driving roadhouse
honky tonk.
Western Swing
Western Swing was the most eclectic
form of country music and in its free-wheeling diversity, it set the stage
for rock & roll. Based in tradtional string band music, western swing
also incorporated traditional pop melodies, jazz improvisation, blues
and folk, creating a wildly entertaining and eclectic form of American
music. Bob Wills and Milton Brown popularized the genre in the '30s and
Wills became known as the father of the genre, since he remained popular
for several decades, during which he had a remarkable string of hit singles.
Although it sometimes faded away from view, western swing remained popular
throughout the 20th century, occasionally experiencing upswings in popularity,
such as the early '70s and the early '90s.
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