My youngest daughter has gone country all of a sudden, and so has just about everyone in her Middle School. Just this year, the music of choice has swiftly become the current pop-country. Usher, Eminem, Green Day? Feh! That is so, like, yesterday! The last school dance featured far more country music than the normal rap, hip-hop, and pop. The kids have even added the Line Dance to their spontaneous mass-coordinated dances (y’know,like that “Clap, Clap, Jump, Jump” song that replaced the Macarena).
Is this a local phenomenon, or is country music making inroads at other schools in your area?
Something really strange happened to me about a week ago, I was browsing a used CD and game shop in a strip mall with the specific intention of (on the off chance) finding a Drive-by Truckers CD. There were three youngish teenage boys and one girl browsing and blocking the “D” secticon, while I waited patiently. They were talking and goofing like teenagers do and one says, “It would be cool if they had Drive-by Truckers!”.
It was pretty strange considering that’s exactly what I was looking for and compounded by the fact that they are a Country act (albeit, Alt Country) and not exactly what I would imagine these kids to be into.
My Og, let’s all hope so!
Well, I’m in semi-small town Texas, so there’s always a country element here. I assume you’re somplace that’s usually a little less countrified?
My thought exactly. I could expect such a thing in places like Pellucidar or even The Great Black Swamp…but I’ve yet to witness this phenomenon in the Blue State I live in.
How about Baltimore.
My daughter lives in Baltimore and when I went back there over Thanksgiving she put a country CD in the car’s CD player. Something called Rascall Flats. It sounds kindof folkey but my daughter says she used to hate country music but all her friends were listening to it so she got to like it. She’s a senior in high school.
Well, I guess it is better than polka.
Christ. It would be. Not that I’d expect a bunch of today’s kids to get really, really excited about Hank Williams, Sr. - but I’d be settle for Hank III.
Have you heard tejano music. It’s polka in Spanish.
My thirteen-year-old has been listening to **Big and Rich ** more than anyone else lately, and Connecticut is a very Blue state…
Interesting stuff. I switched to country a few years back after being disgruntled with rock that was taking hold. I’m glad others have made the switch as well ;).
Unless it’s old school country like Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn, I’d say this is an unfortunate trend. But, middle-schoolers aren’t exactly known for their great taste in music, i.e. Britney Spears, NSync, etc.
New country makes my ears bleed.
You know, Jack White from the White Stripes produced the latest Loretta Lynn CD. I’m not saying there’s a direct correlation, but… it’s a sign. Ain’t half bad, either.
New Country is simply up-tempo adult contemporary, or down-tempo boyband/girlband pop. Add a little banjo or some slide guitar and presto it’s a country hit. I was wondering when kids would demand a little bit of melody in their music. I loathe today’s pop country, but surely it’s better than Usher. Then again, listen closely (if you can bear it) to the lyrics in Big and Rich’s songs: they’re just watered down redneck gangsta rap with banjos. Sort of the yang to Kid Rock’s country-rap-rock schtick. Not that much actual singing, just sort of rapping tunelessly while people shout over your chorus. And with all the money, women, and cars they brag about having, and they’re… country? What happened to losing women, losing trucks, dead dogs, railroad tracks, and being flat-ass broke? If you doubt me, think carefully: did Willie Nelson ever use the words “bling bling” in any of his songs, even as a joke?
To me, it’s like the ironic trucker hat (popular via Miss Hilton) : sure, you’re being ironic. But you still look effing stupid. 
Before too many people criticize Big & Rich for their “watered down gangsta rap” I’d just like to point out that Big & Rich are part of (actually co-founders of) Muzik Mafia. The point of Muzik Mafia is:
“… to advance the acceleration of Greatness in music by combining creative peoples in a loving non-territorial celebratory environment of total respect and acceptance regardless of genre or format of musical style. Simply, we get together, play music, make art and have fun without limits.” - from the Big & Rich website.
The whole point is to combine genres to create an interesting, unrestrictive type of music. Rollin (the ballad of Big & Rich) combines country and rap in one song. It’s actually really good. The rest of the songs on the CD are funny, sad, insightful, and just plain fun.
Change is good. I personally love most music. I don’t like Gansta Rap (swearing, guns, drugs, rape etc…) and U2 (repetitiveness) but those are some of my only limits. I think that most people could stand to be a bit more openminded when it comes to music. It’s nice to actually have some variety. My fiancee refused to listen to Country for the first 4 years we were together because he was stuck on the old stereotypes. I finally got him to listen to some pop-Country and now he loves it. I’ve even introduced him to Bluegrass and traditional Country. Pop-Country opened the door for him and now he’s much more willing to listen to something besides classic rock.
Besides, if my classical music obsessed mother can own, ACDC, Ozzy, Metallica, and Guns 'N Roses CDs, everyone can be flexible.
Even if you discount Big & Rich because they’re not very “Country”, most Pop-Country artists create music which is much more healthy for young people than other forms of popular music. Pop-Country artists very seldom swear in their songs. They don’t sing about killing their mothers or raping their bitches. They don’t sing about drugs (although they sing about alcohol a LOT). You may not like the music because it’s an affront to traditional Country. But, you have to admit that it’s better than most of the alternatives.
In any case, you really do need to cut us young’uns some slack. We didn’t have the benefit of growing up with really good music. I grew up in the dark ages of New Kids on the Block :eek: . The area of MA I live in has no oldies station, no classical station and only 2 classic rock stations. Unfortunately, they don’t even really know what classic rock is. Just today, I heard one of them playing Prince. We’re kind of limited on the type of music which is available free (and legally). Kids who can’t afford to buy CDs of all their favorite bands are restricted to what’s on the radio. With the exception of early Sunday morning, you can’t really hear Traditional Country on the radio in Western Massachusetts. So, with these restrictions, wouldn’t you rather have your kids listening to Country than Eminem?
Good point. I live in the Washington, DC metro area.
I played some traditional country music for my daughter and some of her friends. They didn’t care for Dolly Parton, Hank Williams and Merle Haggard were “OK”, they loved Johnny Cash!