From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V9 #147 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Wednesday, August 22 2007 Volume 09 : Number 147 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [RS] Not So Fast Folk ["kunigunda" ] Re: [RS] Not So Fast Folk ["kunigunda" ] Re: [RS] Not So Fast Folk [Rongrittz@aol.com] Re: [RS] Not So Fast Folk ["Tom Neff" ] Re: [RS] Not So Fast Folk [Adam Plunkett ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:53:12 -0500 From: "kunigunda" Subject: Re: [RS] Not So Fast Folk RG - thanks for the giggle. carrie in kc >>> but when he's done all of that, and it's 2014 and RIACHUELO is >>> everyone's pick for Folk Album of the Year << > > Let's see, 2014. That would make RIACHUELO the follow-up record to "South > of Delia." ;-) > > RG ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:59:41 -0500 From: "kunigunda" Subject: Re: [RS] Not So Fast Folk Good question Adam. I think Wikipedia explains the distinction.....sort of... American folk music, also known as Americana, is a broad category of music including Bluegrass, country music, gospel, old time music, jug bands, Appalachian folk, blues, and Cajun. The music is considered "American" because it is either native to the United States or there varied enough from its origins that it struck musicologists as something distinctly new; it is considered "roots music" because it served as the basis of music later developed in the United States, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and jazz. Go here to read more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_folk_music carrie in kc And I don't care how many people use it - you can't make contemporary singer-songwriters a catagory. That is way too vague. Anybody who writes songs and sings them can be there. And while I understand what it means, who came up with the term "Americana"? I cringe every time I hear it. What makes that more American than any other facet of American-made music? Adam ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:15:44 -0400 From: Rongrittz@aol.com Subject: Re: [RS] Not So Fast Folk >> The music is considered "American" because it is either native to the United States or there varied enough from its origins that it struck musicologists as something distinctly new << Hmmmm . . . I've always considered Richard to be more like an Irish balladeer than a traditional American folkie . . . much closer to those origins than something completely new and "American." RG ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 09:28:41 -0600 From: "Tom Neff" Subject: Re: [RS] Not So Fast Folk Americana was an attempt to serve and encourage the rootsier, folkier, more old-school side of Country, at a time when plastic, synthetic, rhinestones-and-pyrotechnics "junk Country" had seemingly taken over Nashville completely. It's a place for Lucinda and Merle and Eliza Gilkyson and Johnny Cash and a little bit of Bluegrass and a little bit of Rockabilly and so forth. It was invented as a radio chart. It's survived as a (successor) chart and an annual conference. It's not just USian - there's good Canadian Americana too. As for the name, I think energy spent cringing at it is energy wasted. It was intended to connote a genuine American roots aesthetic as opposed to the frenetic urban song-mill Country-Pop that people really WERE cringing at. It's also supposed to be a recognizable brand so the chart gets noticed. I wouldn't overanalyze it. (After all, why call it Country music, isn't all music written in some country or other? lol) I agree that "contemporary singer-songwriter" is not a well defined category for radio or retail purposes. What tends to happen is that *within* each category that can support it, a singer-songwriter "subcategory" settles out. Within that subcategory, the focus is placed on the genius writer/performer and his or her songs. A good example in indie rock would be Colin Meloy of The Decemberists. You have them in pop, reggae, country, etc, and of course plenty in folk. On 8/21/07, kunigunda wrote: > Good question Adam. I think Wikipedia explains the distinction.....sort > of... > American folk music, also known as Americana, is a broad category of music > including Bluegrass, country music, gospel, old time music, jug bands, > Appalachian folk, blues, and Cajun. The music is considered "American" > because it is either native to the United States or there varied enough from > its origins that it struck musicologists as something distinctly new; it is > considered "roots music" because it served as the basis of music later > developed in the United States, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues, > and jazz. > > Go here to read more > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_folk_music > > > carrie in kc > > And I don't care how many people use it - you can't make contemporary > singer-songwriters a catagory. That is way too vague. Anybody who writes > songs and sings them can be there. And while I understand what it means, > who came up with the term "Americana"? I cringe every time I hear it. What > makes that more American than any other facet of American-made music? > > Adam ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:23:10 -0700 (PDT) From: Adam Plunkett Subject: Re: [RS] Not So Fast Folk Tom - I fully appreciate what "Americana" is and listen to quite a bit of the music labeled as Americana. I remember the days when it formed and a distinction needef to be made. I guess my issue was more from a linguistic aspect. But then again, this is not the first example of the language being minipulated for marketing purposes! And yes, you are very much correct about Country music being as silly as Americana. I guess I never thought of that because the term has been around a long time. :-) Tom Neff wrote: Americana was an attempt to serve and encourage the rootsier, folkier, more old-school side of Country, at a time when plastic, synthetic, rhinestones-and-pyrotechnics "junk Country" had seemingly taken over Nashville completely. - --------------------------------- Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel. ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V9 #147 ***********************************