in defense of genre-hating
so maybe sasha frere-jones, who is probably my favorite music critic, doesn't find it becoming when someone can summarily dismiss popular country music, and i get the impression that a lot of people feel the same way. maybe what he (they) really don't like is the rejection of an entire (sub-)genre of music, especially one with apparent cultural import like country. i don't find genre-hating any much than artist hating, and i can honestly say that i feel the same way about contemporary pop radio-friendly country (henceforth, "country") that i do about nazi march music (from which it is not far removed, thematically)... that is, i find it "largely unlistenable"...
i'll also admit that i'm rather smug in my dismissal of country, since i've had more than my fair share of exposal over the years. at a very young age, i was occasionally babysat by country music star tracy byrd. also, i remember a few occasions when clay walker sang at the church that i was coerced into attending by my mom. at no point during the 18 years that i lived in texas did i find any compelling reason to listen to more country music than that which was forced upon me in public places and at social events.
what am i missing?
i'll also admit that i'm rather smug in my dismissal of country, since i've had more than my fair share of exposal over the years. at a very young age, i was occasionally babysat by country music star tracy byrd. also, i remember a few occasions when clay walker sang at the church that i was coerced into attending by my mom. at no point during the 18 years that i lived in texas did i find any compelling reason to listen to more country music than that which was forced upon me in public places and at social events.
what am i missing?
COMMENTS:
said: i am really ignorant about country music, but surely there is good stuff being made? it seems inconceivable that out of the ridiculously large number of country records produced (say) last year that you'd hate them all...
maybe sort of a parallel situation: i had been dismissing/ignoring the twee/freak folk revival for a while (because, jesus, why would you not want to...), but then the reissued vashti bunyan lp blew me away. not that i really want to listen to that much more music in that vein, but that record was good.
so i guess i have to ask what you've listened to and hated recently. and what records have s-fj, kogan, eddy, etc positively reviewed that you've not liked?
said: haha oh yeah, way to keep it classy and drop a nazi analogy...
said: so maybe the nazi comparison was a little harsh and a lot off base... and maybe the themes aren't really that similar except for the revolting macho nationalism. the country people seem to at least have some idea of fun that doesn't involve uniforms and salutes.
it isn't so much that i've heard songs that i don't like as much as i haven't heard a (country) song (released in the last decade) that i do like... granted, i haven't tried hard to get into anything, but i haven't been actively avoiding it lately.
i should mention that i actually did like some of christin's dixie chicks music that came out in 2002 give or take a year.
said: like i said, i know almost nothing about country, but you may want to check this thread if you're interested. it seems to be one of those few little ghettos on ilm where actual intelligent discussion still takes place...
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