Music Board: Country fans help me out here.

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THAT is what gets called country music nowadays?

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It's all pop music now anyway.

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THAT is what gets called country music nowadays?

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I didn't listen to that song but I consider them Pop Country.

There still is some good pure country out there, but the radios are playing less and less of it. Hopefully just a fad.

Ok the argument over whether a band is "country" or not is stupid. Music changes. It always does. Country music 60 years ago doesn't sound the same as it did 40 years ago, 20 years ago, or now. It changes. You want to consider something more "traditional" country, that's fine. I like it, Jamey Johnson plays to this crowd. But country music has changed just as any other genre has over the years and it doesn't make it any less "country".

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But country music has changed just as any other genre has over the years and it doesn't make it any less "country".

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Yeah, it does. When you try to cross over too much, it does become more pop than country. But crossing over did start in the 90's somewhere.

And that song that was linked was atrocious.

Definitely has similar features to "Wrapped Up in You", just a bit faster and more pronounced sounds.

"Is it folk or rock or country, whoa! seems like everybody cares but us"

I think deciding for yourself is the way to go. I’m all for genre labels to give you an idea of what an artist sounds like, but slavish devotion to the conventions of the genre just ends up being needlessly exclusive. I’m all for the big tent – it’s all country (or rock n roll) to me.

And in every genre and subgenre, there’s good stuff and bad stuff. To stick with pop country, I think Alan Jackson is a terrific songwriter and I really enjoy his stuff. While they have since lapsed into self-parody, I kind of liked the concept of hick hop with Big and Rich, and they had some catchy tunes. I still listen to Garth Brooks. It’s like arena rock, only for country music. To write off all pop country as too pop is certainly a fan’s right, but you might miss out on some good stuff.

Though you do have to wade through a lot bad songs to get there, admittedly.

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Garth's first 3 albums were solid.

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Absolutely.

My problem with country I guess is what it has evolved into. The movie Pure Country was so foretelling it was amazing. And there is even a shot taken at modern country in the movie Crazy Heart. The state of modern country isn't some secret. Country now is so commercial and unauthentic it is insane. It is all about a twang in your voice and how good you look. Why is it that Carrie Underwood so easily transitioned into country? Because she won a popularity/beauty contest and that is right up country music's alley right now.

Really the last generation of country artists I really enjoyed were Garth, Clint Black, Travis Tritt, Alan Jackson, Confedarate Railroad, George Strait, Brooks & Dunn and Randy Travis from the late 80's and early 90's. Once artists like Tim Mcgraw, Kenny Chesney, Shania and Faith Hill became the norm I pretty much gave up.

What's funny is listening to a modern country song and there is always some reference to "Old Hank" somewhere. I'd be willing to bet good money that 90% of your average 18-24 year old "Rockin' Rodeo" attending country fan has never heard the first Hank Williams song.

Hank was authentic. My two favorites Kenny Rogers and Randy Travis are authentic. I haven't heard much from country music lately that compares.