Sarcastic wrote:mac5155 wrote:canaan wrote:Most contemporary country acts are generic pop fiascos. Rascal Flatts is pretty sissified pop acting as country. The kid that performed at the CMAs that played the piano in the middle of the crowd is in that same category.
The country scene nowadays is pretty lame. I'm not even looking for Alabama-type country, I'd settle for joe diffie. This pretty boy pseudo-country stuff is tiresome.
I think that's why most people like Eric church. He really emulates the old style country with a new twist.
canaan is right and it's actually what Blake Shelton said on The Voice a few weeks back. That Country needs to go back to its roots because it's gotten way too poppy these days.
I have a friend who's all into country and the kind of stuff she listens to is, I think, more pop or even rock than country, which is pretty freaky. I'm not a big country fan (bluegrass, yes please), but if I do listen to something country, I like the older stuff a whole lot better. It's just more genuine and more distinctive as a music form.
I have no problem with country drifting from traditional roots. All country has done it in each generation. The 70s sound way different than the 80s. The 80s then showcased more southern rock. The 90s featured Alan Jackson, George Strait, and the "traditional" country you're citing, even though it would be outrageously pop if heard in the 70s. The 2000s are closer to "pop" than ever, and I really don't have a problem with that. I like Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, the newer Brad Paisely (but I loved the older one), and all of these guys have a more pop sound than a country sound.
I think Eric's outrage is not in country music sound. Eric admits he's a rock artist with a little country flavor. His disdain is the extent to which the industry pushes people to stardom instead of having artists build their own stardom. Church toured 300 days a year in 100 person bars for years. I started following him right when his first CD came out when I stumbled into a 300 person show in Chicago. The crowd's energy blew away any big name artist's arena show -- everyone knew every word. So I was hooked. And I have seen him 6ish times, traveled to do so, connect with the others at each show. Only now has he started to receive recognition. His sound isn't "traditional," but his ascension to the top is.
That's why he hates The Voice and American Idol. Industry literally picks a winner and there a star. Carrie Underwood has worlds of talent, but he doesn't like how she got to the top. When Julianne Hough beat Luke Bryan (Church's friend) for new artist of the year, Eric said "you become a star by touring, not by dancing," which was the original controversy regarding these comments.
And that's what I hate about the CMAs, as much as I love them. Industry votes and industry picks winners to push them, not to recognize them. That's why The Voice star is entertainer of the year even though he didn't put out an album and he didn't tour. What a joke.
Can you believe Toby Keith has only one CMA? (Two after Thursday)? He commented in an interview that he hates the CMAs because they look for the crossover hits and push them.
I'm not undermining every CMA winner, not at all. I'm a big supporter of the Paisley MVOTYs, the Chesney EOTY, I have never taken issue with the FMOTY winner over the years. But every now and then there is a choice that just stinks of unmeritocratity. As we've noted, ZBB has been losing to crap pop cross over choices for several years in a row now, despite putting out the most refreshing sound on recent country radio.