Rolling Country 2021

re pop engagement in Americana-tagged albums.

https://genius.com/artists/Mickey-guyton

Here are some Guyton lyrics. Not sure they’re any more generic than most other women or men country singers but yeah each may have our own take.

Maybe we need some pickup truck songs from a female perspective! Or maybe they’re out there and I have missed them or forgotten them

Whitney Rose has written some, like the early one w "I locked my keys inside your truck, like I locked my days inside" our relationship, or something to that point. Later she's running away with another local in his truck, knowing it's wrong, trying to sedate herself w the miles and miles going by etc, most famous is "Trucker's Funeral," where two of the deceased's families meet--but he's a longhauler, def not a pickup guy, except maybe when he's at home(s).
Surely there are more? Could have "Slow Down, Nascar," Rough Rider," "He Ain't Worth The Gas," "Flatbed Moon." A cover of "Hotwire My Heart," since a lot of mainstream pop country is based on old rock anyway.

Agree that Guyton's stuff is paper thin.

Went back to The Marfa Tapes this weekend. Put it on while sitting outside with the sun going down and had a whole experience there for a bit. Special album. Will be listening to it for a long time.

I'm enjoying the debut from Margo Cilker, Pohorylle. Gives me classic Lucinda Williams vibes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx8A86D4Nns

https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/nashville-scene-abruptly-cancels-20-year-country-critics-poll/

“Following Geoffrey Himes’ Paste column on “Afro Americana” (which has since been heavily edited and redacted), we decided to part company with Himes on the CMCP, and told him he could take it elsewhere if he liked. The Scene will keep on championing quality country music.”

After receiving the email from Geoffrey Himes, Saving Country Music offered to run the poll in 2021, but with the complex weighted scale the poll uses and the sheer number of participants, it wouldn’t be possible to put it together properly for this year. “Knowing how much work is involved in the few remaining weeks, I’ve given up on doing a poll this year,” Himes replied.

huh

Did anyone follow the implicit controversy around this article? News to me.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/americanafest/nashville-americanafest-rhiannon-giddens-charley-c/

Editor’s Note: Due to a breakdown in our editorial process, a previous version of this piece contained racially insensitive language that fell short of Paste’s standards. We sincerely apologize for the oversight, and will retain the updated piece to serve as a reminder of our intent to recognize reader feedback and accept responsibility when we falter.

Here's a response Paste published:

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/afro-americana/the-insidiousness-of-afro-americana/

Maybe we need some pickup truck songs from a female perspective! Or maybe they’re out there and I have missed them or forgotten them

― curmudgeon,

I wish you'd stop posting this crap.

Ouch. But you holding Guyton up as worse than anything else seems like an opinion that many might differ with.

You keep insisting on my defending truck songs vs Guyton when I've done no such thing.

The link: https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/afro-americana/the-insidiousness-of-afro-americana/

Weird. It's not working either. Try here:

I'll miss taking part in the Nashville Scene country poll (as I've done for several years) and reading its results (as I've done for much longer). But I made that decision months ago after Geoffrey Himes' outrageous essay. I doubt I'm the only one. The Scene made the right call.

— Charles L. Hughes (@CharlesLHughes2) December 2, 2021

Looks like Paste has taken down both links.

https://web.archive.org/web/20210922050157/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/americanafest/nashville-americanafest-rhiannon-giddens-charley-c/

https://web.archive.org/web/20211011051918/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/afro-americana/the-insidiousness-of-afro-americana/

Heh, was starting to wonder where the ballot was.
Oh well, I'll just post my Best Of on RC 2022, using the basic ballot format with my own categories added, as always. Yall do that too.

Dear Voters,

As you may have heard, the Nashville Scene has decided to discontinue the Country Music Critics Poll. This sudden, unilateral decision was made against my wishes—even without an opportunity for me to argue on the poll’s behalf. This is a sad development for arts criticism in general and for country music criticism in particular.

I would have sent out this note earlier, but I was hoping to find a new home for the poll. Alas, I haven’t succeeded, though I will try again next year. For 21 years, the poll was a terrific arena for thoughtful and emotional arguments about country music—thanks to your contributions. I hope it will have a second life, but its first life was pretty amazing. Geoffrey Himes
According to Indexed's pasted quote above, the way Saving Country Music tells it,
After receiving the email from Geoffrey Himes, Saving Country Music offered to run the poll in 2021, but with the complex weighted scale the poll uses and the sheer number of participants, it wouldn’t be possible to put it together properly for this year. “Knowing how much work is involved in the few remaining weeks, I’ve given up on doing a poll this year,” Himes replied.
Credible, but now he makes it sound like nobody wanted us.

Guess he means he didn't find a new place in time to do it.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/afro-americana/the-insidiousness-of-afro-americana/

This was a response to the Himes article.

That's a very measured & thoughtful response.

The Himes article was odd. He lumped a bunch of artists together as Afro-Americana (rather than just calling them Americana), took a shot at some attention he said they were getting, hailed a few and dissed many others strongly (Alison Russell) , and then added odd phrases about how some black artists need the opportunity to fail first before they can release good records (tone-deaf re what Black folks face in life)

Thing I don't get is why Himes is the only one who can conduct this poll. You'd think Nashville Scene -- after making the decision to end their partnership with Himes -- would just figure out how to do a poll. According to Saving Country Music, it's a much bigger lift than one might expect, but I don't really buy it. It doesn't have to come out on Nov. 28th. Just do it now and put it out when it's done?

Yep. He might have done the heavy lifting for the poll, but one would think a Nashville Scene editor could take the lead , and they get interns to help count the ballots and put the results out in January. But since it was his baby they decided to give it to him and he couldn’t find another site to handle it.

I started thinking about responses to the article, as it's described by curmudgeon---then remembered some of his year-end Scene Poll commentary, and realized that I might be over-thinking it...is this piece still available anywhere?

Indeed provided a web archive link to Himes' piece upthread.

INDEXED

Thanks! I'd tried the others, but overlooked the Web Archive save. He does a good (better than expected) vivid and carefully detailed description of the albums he likes, incl. the obvious observation about extended range of Giddens' latest---but to say that the albums he doesn't like are up for awards and how can such things be, must be inverse racism---is the most kneejerk-at-best default---it figures that Trigger/Saving Country Music jumped right in there, not that it isn't a good story, newswise. There are sites that would never say a bad word about any of these artists, but they wouldn't say a bad word about almost any other artist, not in reviews; more like, It is our sad duty to report that So and So has been charged with/arrested for this and that---at most.

I'm digging the fuck outta the Lainey Wilson album several months later.

― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, October 29, 2021

I fully expect the same to be true for me, now that I've finally checked out Sayin' What I'm Thinkin'. In the wake of that, Spotify is floating "Two Story House," which isn't on the album, but goes w many of its sufficiently poignant tunes, though not as much their usually rock-inclined guitars: the album's a primo example of how to do that in service of accessibly expressive pop mainstream country, with that voice, them tropes, and "Small Town, Girl" even goes toward psychedelic crossroads while making its point, "Straight Up Sideways" is truthfully titled, like all the rest, like romantic ballad "Dirty Looks"("good on you boy, good on you boy, good om you.") "WWDD" is Stonesy if not Ac/DC-y intro with rueful musical question, "What Would Dolly Do?"--followed by vibe-y, Dolly-worthy "Rolling Stone." Rec to fellow fanz of Maren and Miranda.
How the hell did I miss her previous? Also good?

The opener,"Neon Diamonds," so far seems clunky, but I always appreciate getting the duds out of the way right away(and it may grow on me).

Now I'm getting the memo on her duet w Cole Swindell, "Never Say Never": uneasy sex drama ballad w guitar shadow imperative, "I told my mama when it comes to you, 'Never agaiiin"--"Should say that none of this is inflationary;the album is 12 songs in 38 minutes and change.

Her music always conveys a sense of people singing while getting undressed and dressed, or at least getting ready to thinking about it (in "Sunday Best," by the sound of it), never dropping whatever tempo, can't afford that.

Speaking of wakes, I was wondering if I should audition Willie Nelson Family right after Lainie, and thinking I might just be relieved if it wasn't too marginal, but enjoyed it pretty much, in a calm December way. Religion-associated themes overall, but 7 out of 12 are very Willie originals, and the rest fit. Also wondering of offspring vocals might be too duffuse, but no they mostly lend good enough, unobtrusive support (ditto bass, drums, occasional harmonica) to Dad's vox & guitar, Bobbie's keys. Lukas sounds okay lead-singing "All Things Must Pass" (couldn't tell you how compares to orig. track, sorry George), also Keep On The Sunny Side," and, although not seeing his credit,think also "I Thought About You, Lord," which seems like Willie might be reworking the presumably secular shuffle of almost the same name (good Willie picking here and all over). Dad sounds just as hale on penultimate "Too Sick To Pray" as he does on the rest. although it's about no longer being like it says in the title, so now checking in (while he can, is the inevitable read-in at this late date, of course) Upfront, no tarrying (12 tracks, 31:55)
But I can't listen to the closer, "Why Me; Lord"; it really is too much of a tearjerker for me. and I was scarred at a tender age by KK's original vocal. Sorry, son Micah.

Always discover at least a few new gems on this list. Not a fan of his writing or his brand but his selections are often undeniable.

https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/saving-country-musics-2021-album-of-the-year-nominees/

Thanks! Not seeing Capps' I Love San Antone anywhere, incl. his site---???

It's on Spotify for me?

D'oh! I was looking for Grayson Capps---in my defense, they look alike and so do their albums. Anyway, I went on to Billy Strings, put a brake on that halfway through, went to Melissa Carper's Daddy's Country Gold--title in part re her sonic sense of humor about her retrophilia,I take it---music folds and flexes bits of western swing, freight train boogie, bluesy inflections, in what is, yes, still trad country gold: tight, but didn't know there were drums 'til saw credits--steel and pedal steel are most prominent, answered by fiddle---no banjo, no uke, no horns (though accordion and guitar can fill in for those, passing through), occasional piano and/or organ, moving right along, following the boss's cute, slightly worn little voice---some Texas dust in the pipes, Appalachian hardness at ends of lines, sometimes: it's a tad more simple-subtle than Sierra Ferrell, but one for her fans (and she contributes harmonies).
"Back Then" reads kinda bleak, but the person who recalls workin' and wishin' and hopin for one who accepted her marriage proposals "now and then" ain't sorry.
The exploiter and appreciator of "My Old Fashioned Gal" has no regerts either: "I do as I please" while MOFG writes a letter, and on paper, puts it in an envelope, puts a stamp on that. takes it to the mail---also makes violet jam, lots of other things: the song has so much calm fun with the prismatic detail of the classic early 20 Century styles--slightly undersold, just slipping in there, as always.

Yeah, I can see how the Capps gets played in the SCM office a lot: it moves right along in an agreeable way, not distracting, because singing and some of the songs are agreeably limited, though always detailed, thoughtful---modelling your approach this close to Doug Sahm, a miss is as good as a mile, because normie Doug still sounds more intense than this, and is gonna go somewhere else pretty soon---a good faith offering, though---I'll listen some more, but right off seems more Hon. Mention than Top Whutever. (Does make me want to visit San Antone, which Doug never did.)

The opener,"Neon Diamonds," so far seems clunky, but I always appreciate getting the duds out of the way right away(and it may grow on me).

― dow, Tuesday, December 7, 2021

It's the weakest song, yeah

Went back to The Marfa Tapes this weekend. Put it on while sitting outside with the sun going down and had a whole experience there for a bit. Special album. Will be listening to it for a long time.

― Indexed, Monday, November 29, 2021 9:26 AM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

been kinda dabbling more in country over the last handful of years and just dropping in to say i love the marfa tapes release. love how raw and unpolished the whole thing is.

yeah that's a really good album that i've revisited a lot throughout the year

here is a really good article about a song that i doubt anyone here likes and which will certainly not be getting written up in any of the year-end lists we're reading lately (i checked to see if anyone had posted it on rolling worst music 2021) but which nonetheless managed to be kind of an interesting phenomenon this year (walker hayes "fancy like" -- co-produced by shane mcanally if that matters to anyone)

i find the song a bit painful to listen to -- it really does sound like it was spawned from the ad, rather than the other way around. nevertheless hayes seems pretty self-aware and has a few surprisingly insightful quotes in there. it must indeed be odd to have toiled as a mid/low-tier artist for years and years waiting for that first 'real hit' to come, only to finally come across one whose success was so obvious and sudden that the so-called 'mainstream' (radio) gatekeepers weren't sure whether to trust its demonstrated appeal

I think we have a lot of people rooting for us because the norm is, you release a song that maybe isn’t your favorite song, but you think it plays the game well, so you put it out there. And you’re not surprised that the reaction is lackluster, but you agree that it’s safe and that it’s not polarizing. And then it hits radio and again, it’s vanilla — but no one changes the station, they just leave it on. Do they stream the song? Not really. And then you sit and you wait for 50 weeks and you get a No. 1 and everybody cheers, but you know what it took to get there. You know it was a political process and product. It wasn’t the public driving the train, responding to something great. You hit a bullseye, and the bullseye was the perfect level of mediocrity.

again i shudder at the implication of this song being 'great' (though it is certainly great in the way that industry hacks use the term) but his incredibly sad and unfortunate description of how music must very slowly gain favor w/ the upper echelon of broadcast gatekeepers nowadays, and be tailored for that process, is accurate -- and not just for country radio. the broadcast format landscape for current music in general is now so atomized/siloed/whatever that even outlets chasing the attention of a putatively 'mainstream' audience tends to be suspicious of a song's success if it seems to emerged from the wrong type of mainstream and/or comes too quickly. tbh the suspicion, i suspect, when a song cracks open on streaming or social media first is that the audience, while 'mainstream', is a little too young and possibly-not-white for programmers' comfort, b/c frankly the artists that have this 'problem' (to the extent that it is one -- radio is becoming more irrelevant when it comes to hitmaking every year) tend to be black artists vying for top 40's attention

As Miranda just now reminded me, with a tap on the shoulder and a brunchnog, this is tonight at 7 Central--might try to watch, if Fecebook doesn't harass me out of the building for not being a member:

Pistol Annies plans to go live.
December 13 at 6:53 PM ·
It’s gonna be a hell of a holiday...special! 📺 December 15th, Pistol Annies are performing songs off the 'Hell of a Holiday' album, sharing some memories and chatting with host Blair Garner.

Watch it right here on Facebook!

The special benefits an incredible organization that keeps the music community healthy, Music Health Alliance.Facebook dot com slash Pistol Annies

I thought this piece about the/a state of country (pegged to Isbell but about more than just him) was really good:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/elaminabdelmahmoud/jason-isbell-ryman-country-music-mickey-guyton

related:

wild how many people I’ve spoken to — music fans! — who flat-out do not know who Morgan Wallen is, let alone his controversy or the fact that he has by far the most popular album of the year — as in like 500k more than Olivia

— Joe Coscarelli (@joecoscarelli) December 17, 2021

December 16, 2021—“Music For Paradise: A Benefit For Western KY Tornado Relief,” a concert event supporting the Muhlenberg County Disaster Relief Fund and Team Western KY, will take place Saturday, January 1 at The Burl in Lexington, KY with a simultaneous livestream broadcast presented by Oh Boy Records. The fundraiser will support those affected by the devastating tornado that crossed the region last week and feature performances from artists with close ties to the area, including Abby Hamilton, Brit Taylor, Brother Smith, Cole Chaney, Eric Bolander, Grayson Jenkins, John R. Miller, Justin Wells, Kelsey Waldon, Leah Blevins, Logan Halstead, Magnolia Boulevard, Nicholas Jamerson, Scott T. Smith, Senora May, Wayne Graham and Wolfpen Branch.
Tickets for both the livestream and in-person concert go on-sale today at 2:00pm ET/1:00pm CT. Details for the livestream can be found HEREhttps://boxoffice.mandolin.com/products/music-for-paradise-livestream-ticket and the concert https://theburlky.com/event/music-for-paradise-a-benefit-for-western-ky-tornado-relief/.
Of the event, Oh Boy Records’ Jody Whelan shares, “We are heartbroken at the devastation that has hit Muhlenberg County and so much of Western Kentucky. It’s a place that the whole Prine and Oh Boy Records family holds dear to their heart. But it’s been incredible to see how many people have come together, so quickly, to help in any way they can. In particular, John’s fans have continually shown us how willing they are to honor him by their acts of generosity for those in need. ‘How lucky can one man get.’ The folks at The Burl have put a lot of work into putting this show together, and we’re really grateful to be able to help out in any way.”
In continued support of the community, Oh Boy is offering several additional ways to raise money for Kentucky Tornado Relief including new merchandise—such as Muhlenberg County and “Kentucky Is Pretty Good” t-shirts and “Paradise” prints—as well as a limited number of 7-inch vinyl bundles featuring John Prine signing with Kentucky’s own Tyler Childers and Kelsey Waldon, all of which have been signed by Childers and Waldon. Additionally, a raffle to win a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl of “The Kentucky Sessions,” signed by Prine and Waldon, is now live—full details here:https://go.rallyup.com/kentucky2021/Campaign/Details

Hope they add some better-known performers, though Kelsey Waldon may be enough for my livestream ticket.

Miranda also reminds me:
Don't Forget To Love A Shelter Pet!
Miranda surprised 3 lucky animal shelters in Nashville with donations from her MuttNation Fueled by Miranda Lambert pet collection at Tractor Supply!

If you’ve got a fur baby in your life, treat them to food, treats, toys or another product from the MuttNation collection! Proceeds from the line benefit MuttNation Foundation.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/brand/MuttNation+Fueled+by+Miranda+Lambert

If you’ve volunteered, fostered, or adopted a dog this year, you could get a $1,000 grant for your local shelter from MuttNation Foundation!
https://muttnation.com/sharethelove/

I liked every song on the Hayes EP more than "Fancy Like."

I bought Wallen's album before the news broke; still think it's the freshest beer-bro album in ages. The first six or seven songs bury the genre as far as I'm concerned.

Did anyone read the original Himes piece on "Afro-Americana" in Paste? The first one, before it got edited after it blew up?

A couple of thoughts on the Himes-Nashville Scene contretemps.
I can't speak for the Scene. But I would think they simply don't have the staff to do their own poll.
The paper has been angling to coverage of country that basically advocates in favor of more diversity in country. It hasn't covered mainstream country, except negatively, for a while. Basically, the paper writes about Americana.
I think Jake Blount's reply to the Himes piece says a lot about what's going on in country-Americana and provides a clue to why the Scene cut ties with Himes. Obviously, the paper had to think practically about the situation. Even if you think the reac

Ah, sorry. My post continues.

Even if you think the reaction to Himes' piece was out of proportion to its actual tone or import, it seems like the paper had to make the call as they did. This isn't the climate in which you can make a stand that would prove so unpopular.

As to Blount. How he takes Himes to task is by citing a book from the 1960s that says Black music uses disconnected verbal material, and that the artists Himes critiques do the same thing.

It's as if Blount somehow believes theory from 60 years ago is relevant to a discussion of a commercial art form. I attended an Allison Russell show in Nashville. The audience was 99 percent white. They were there to see a hyped, rising star. They may have known about the theories of a long-ago writer on Black music. However, I doubt it.

The essential fact about both country and Americana is commerciality--pop. The Scene doesn't cover country because it's considered disposable pop music. The Scene does cover Americana because they think, like Blount, that it's the necessary antidote to country itself. The real outrage the detractors of Himes feel arises from their dislike of pop. Yet Russell functions as a pop star. As usual, the earnest, outraged proponents of Americana get to have it both ways: popularity and meaningfulness. Russell deserves her popularity, but she's also a hype--her white audience (I'm sure she has a Black audience too, but I didn't see it in Nashville, a city where young well-heeled folk are marginalizing its Black citizens day by day via help from the people who run a real-estate bonanza) wasn't at Third Man's Blue Room.