Quote:
Originally Posted by TboneFrank
And you don't have to be American to do American roots music. Mumford & Sons are blokes too and they came away with Album of the Year for an Americana album.
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I object to them being nominated in the Americana category. I think that record kind of has some irish folk roots with the banjo & the strumming, which some Americana may share, but the song arrangements aren't Americana, the melodies aren't Americana... I just don't think it stands up to scrutiny. The melodies are like a contemporary christian take on Dave Matthews, & the arrangements are like Coldplay with a stomp beat. And the lyrics are like a particularly self-righteous take on U2/Coldplay. And they pull all of emotional strings that the Vineyard worship bands do (the strings, those big piano chords on the diamonds, the big crescendos & the drop outs), which is the church the guy's parents started.
It's about as Americana as Taylor Swift is country, only less. They're really just dressing the part, & adding in a couple of Avett Brothers harmonies & calling it day. It's pop music masquerading as Americana. And I think a lot of great Americana records could've gotten some exposure in that category when Mumford & Sons were already all over the show.