My proposal for country music
 

My mom and grandparents are and always have been huge country fans. I was raised listening to it half the time, and though my tastes generally tend to sway toward the rock/metal side of my upbringing, I still enjoy country music. What bothers me is putting artists like Trace Adkins, Shania Twain and Rascal Flats in the same group with Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn and The Oakridge Boys. Country of today is nothing like real country. With country having its roots in Gospel music, the subject matter of today alone shows that it isn't real country. You can argue that it is the evolution of country, but there are still elements missing. Staple instruments of country are now used as a gimmick rather than the base of the music. Fiddles, banjos and steel guitars are rarely heard and if they are, they aren't at the forefront of the music anymore.
My proposal is to stop bastardizing country music by calling the garbage of today country. Bands that sway to far from what country music should be should now be referred to as "southern pop". When you look at the fan base, artists, styles and sound of most "southern pop" acts, they have more in common with pop music than country music.
Any arguments?

Sounds to me that you would like to see the Country field divided between let's call it "Traditional Country", Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, etc., and the new "Country Pop" phenomenon which is more Pop oriented than the classic definition of country music you provided. I feel the same way, it seems that many artists have migrated to the country label to access another market for their pop music and in doing so have diluted the meaning of country music in general.

mmmmm,....i completely agree with you, but nashville is catering to the market,.......its the masses, not the industry,....most country artist start in smokey little dive bars, and when they 'make it big' its hard for me to begrudge them what they are doin, as i feel like they are just tryin to feed their family like everyone else......

if mainstream country is not your thing, then support those artist that are,......if we as listeners demand a change in the 'product' then the record companies will take note and change alont with it,.....

i rarely find myself listenin to country radio anymore, though at times i do,....and there are a million amazing artist out there, sittin around, playin accoustic at your favorite dive bar on a wed night,.....go see them, buy a tee shirt, buy them a beer,.....get the word out, thats the only way you'll see a change in things,......

I really miss country artists that can tell a story. If you look at the older generations of country artists and their style of music, there was a good amount of story telling. It wasn't a bunch of unrelated verses, they were combined to tell one story. A few examples would be The Gambler, Young Love or even Cocaine Blues. I want a current country artist to tell a story with some passion in their voice. I want to hear at least one of the staple instruments of country music in that song. I want to believe that story when I hear it.

they are out there,...youre just lookin in the wrong places,...

james mcmurtry
mike mcclure
stoney larue
son volt
uncle tupelo
django walker
cory morrow
aaron watson
reckless kelly
scott miller

I'll look those up. I can't bring myself to dig through the garbage to find a few decent artists. How long would I have to listen to country radio to find anything worth hearing. I mostly listen to satellite radio and there is only 1 station that I can always count on for good country music. Unfortunately, it doesn't play anything new.

Thank you and I'll let you know if I like any of it.

mmmm,......country radio down here is different,....we have the main stream stations and then we have stations that play nothing but TEXAS musicans,.....and thats where i get most of my really good stuff,....

let me know if you dig any of it and i'll try and hook you up as best i can,.....

oh and jerry jeff walker,....he's my favorite

and chris knight,....

See, I'm stuck in shitty hippie Portland. The only country stations here play the same shit that appeals to the kind of people that worked the county fair one year so think they are cowboys now. Mention the song "Redneck Girl" and they want to correct you to "Redneck Woman". Umm, I don't have much to draw on to find decent country music.

uhhh,...redneck girl is a bellemy brother's song,......i'm just sayin,.....lol

Yes, which is pretty damn good when compared to Gretchen Wilson's hunk of crap.