Country music question...

paulnice

It seems as though it's one genre of music that's pretty much localized to the US.In other words, you don't see too many country music tours in Europe or Japan.Or do you?I do keep hearing however that it's actually very big in Australia.Why is that??

lucero

re: Australia, I think its probably related to the grand idealistic visions of european (mostly english) settlers going back 180+ years, the romance captured by 'the man from snowy river', the horse riding man of the land with a big hat .. that kinda shaped part of the country's culture .. the same sort of romance captured in 'waltzing matilda' which doubles as the unofficial national anthem

just a few years back the mountain country men were outraged when licenses for cattle grazing in alpine highlands weren't renewed for environmental reasons - hundred of them came into Melbourne with their horses, dogs and oilskins ..

on a loosley related note, the redneck thing could be a factor too - there has been press this week about a town called Tamworth initially opposing the settlement of 5 refugee families from Sudan because there weren't enough resources in the town to support them - Tamworth, which is having its annual 50 000 people + country music festival this week, reversed that decision today after the media spotlight swung that way

hcrink

I've heard it's big (or was big) in Germany too.

Flomotion

Country music is big all over - at least it is Africa, Europe and Asia. Not sure about South America and Antartica but I bet those penguins like a bit of gittar pickin' and stories of sad truckers on the QT.

piedpiper

I've heard it's big (or was big) in Germany too.

not really. there is (and was) some Schlager with country influences though

The big thing (and somehow the German variety of "Country") is "Volksmusik", which is a crappy version of folk music.

vajdaij

Isn't most new country music really just new pop music with a twangy vocal anyway? Aside from the vocals, there's not much difference (to my ears) between groups like Creed and singers like Trace Adkins. Am I disconnected from Nashville for saying this?

tirefire

Isn't most new country music really just new pop music with a twangy vocal anyway? Aside from the vocals, there's not much difference (to my ears) between groups like Creed and singers like Trace Adkins. Am I disconnected from Nashville for saying this?

I would say that the main of Nashville's current output is most akin to hair metal power-ballads and Jovi-styled wuss rock.

DocMcCoy

It seems as though it's one genre of music that's pretty much localized to the US.
In other words, you don't see too many country music tours in Europe or Japan.
Or do you?

I do keep hearing however that it's actually very big in Australia.
Why is that??

It's quite big in Scotland and the North of England, particularly amongst the Irish communities or those of Irish extraction. Commercially, it doesn't carry much weight, though.

I can see how it'd be big in Oz, though - lots of wide-open space and uncharted territory over there, which would appeal to an o.g. c&w aesthetic.

yoigotbeats

I would say that the main of Nashville's current output is most akin to hair metal power-ballads and Jovi-styled wuss rock.

EXACTLY. A lot of Styx/REO influenced mid-tempo ballads.

keith Urban's from Austrailia and is touring all of Europe in June-July this year as well as his homeland.

And a fair amount of country ladies are from Canada and the genre does quite well there. the place I work at does a fair amount of touring with Country artists in Canada.

johmbolaya

Isn't most new country music really just new pop music with a twangy vocal anyway? Aside from the vocals, there's not much difference (to my ears) between groups like Creed and singers like Trace Adkins. Am I disconnected from Nashville for saying this?

There was an article I read last week which described today's country as "the worst of late 80's pop music, but with a twang".