MUSI 406: Final Exam Study Guide
Gretchen Wilson
"Redneck Woman" -- considered the song that put working-class women back in country music and women back on top of the charts -part of MuzikMafia where John Rich discovered her bartending at a club in Nashville -shaped her identity as the trash-talking, trailer-park living, working-class antithesis of the polished, classy country-pop singers
Brooks & Dunn
-American Country Music duo -made up of Kix and Ronnie -contained influences of honky-tonk, mainstream country, and rock music -First song, "Brand New Man" released in 1991
Alison Krauss
-Bluegrass fiddler, Americana vocalist, country star, and producer -one of the most formidable stars of the current Americana scene -career flows between bluegrass, mainstream country, and Americana -participated in the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack
Garth Brooks
-Certified as the highest-selling (number of albums) solo act and second highest music act of all time -music singlehandedly changed country music -First album was released in 1989 and established him as a major star (particularly in his ability to connect with his fans) -fused neotraditionalism and honky-tonk with the entertainment aspect of a big stadium show
No Depression
-Famous magazine
Urban Cowboy
-Famous movie -became another name for the era in the mid 1980s -fans and writers referred both to the time period and to the urbanization of country themes (countrypolitan)
MuzikMafia
-Founded in October of 2001 -collective of musicians that were disfranchised by the mainstream country music industry -Began to host the Tuesday night "happenings" at the Pub of Love where they explored new artistic directions -Original members included (Cory Gierman, Jon Nicholson, John Rich, and William Kenny Alphin) -advertised themselves as the "outsiders" of the mainstream music industry
Miranda Lambert
-Icon of the alt-country era but became famous when mainstream country became more roots oriented -has both roots in Nashville and Texas -"Gunpowder and Lead"
Dwight Yoakam
-Kentucky native-was not accepted in Nashville during the 70s because he was considered "too country"-moved to Los Angeles and combined Bakersfield twang with electric guitars in an album recorded under Reprise Records alongside a friend-eventually, his revivalist attitude and retro music had found acceptance in the new era of commercial country
Gillian Welch
-Moved from the folk revival scene into country music -Her album "Revival" focused heavily on acoustic folk music -Expressed little interest in commercial country, but an alt country fan base adored her. -involved as both a performer and a producer on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack
Music Row
-Nickname for Nashville's 16th avenue which is the location of many music publishers and recording companies offices -home to record label offices and radio stations -the iconic RCA studio B is located here, where artists like Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley recorded
Taylor Swift
-Started her career off as a country singer -Eventually moved into the pop genre
Whiskeytown
-The original band of Ryan Adams -Their sound grew out of Adam's interest in Gram Parsons -edgy punk attitude that the members layered over honky tonk music -added distorted electric guitar mixed with fiddle and steel sounds
Carrie Underwood
-Winner of American Idol in 2005 -widely regarded as a pop star moving into country just to capture and audience -"Jesus, Take the Wheel" was her first singer -by 2006 she was considered an accepted part of country tradition -in 2017, with the release of the song, "The Fighter", with Keith Urban, she had built a huge career as a country singer with high standing in the pop music community
Zac Brown Band
-a band that built a country career while enjoying parallel successes in the pop and rock worlds -formed in 2002 from Georgia -musical identity is linked closer to indie rock -similar to Taylor Swift in their crossover acts
Americana
-adopted the term to describe a new format in the mid 1990s -described the new music that was popular among alternative country fans -represented simplicity, native identity, originality, and a homegrown, noncommercial authenticity -artists use this term when they want to avoid calling themselves "country" because of its commercial association
Uncle Tupelo
-alternative country band -combined rock with old country music -played with electric guitars, drums, electric bass, alongside country-style fiddling and steel guitar -presented a "live" and "raw" sound
Faith Hill
-an artist in the 1990s that shed the "housewife image" -reappeared in 1998 from a three year hiatus -always sang from the perspective of a frustrated, heartbroken married woman experiencing midlife concerns -moved into the pop genre and also began acting in major Hollywood films (while also recording soundtracks for Hollywood movies)
Darius Rucker
-best known as the lead singer for the band, "Hootie and the Blowfish" -Became extremely successful, and brought the image of race back in with country music (has not happened since Charley Pride) -"Wagon Wheel"
Alan Jackson
-displayed unprecedented allegiance to his fans and felt a sense of obligation to them-released debut album in 1990-emulated a honky tonk style
Lucinda Williams
-drew on her Texas country roots to create music that was strongly indebted to the outspoken female country stars of the 1960s and 70s, but with an indie rock twist -earned critical acclaim and widespread attention for her 1998 alt-country album "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road"
Brad Paisley
-established himself as the voice of tradition within the roots of revival movement -while he is one of the biggest country artists, he has been able to balance the role of staunch traditionalist with songwriting that abandons conventional country topics for commentary on pop culture -2005 to 2011 he incorporated ideas into his songs from the pop culture era (not tied to country's traditional ideology) -many of his songs relate directly to the daily lives of the middle and upper-middle-class suburban demographic
Ryan Adams
-frontman for the band, Whiskeytown -when the band was no longer, broke out on his own in the alternative country genre -after that, he left country roots behind and became a rock artist -did a cover version of Taylor Swift's album, 1989 in 2015
Reba McEntire
-neotraditionalist artist-participated in many cross over acts-consistent in her musical style, and has been around for more than 4 decades
John Rich
-part of the famous duo alongside "Big Kenny" Alphin -became the hottest songwriter in Nashville -wrote and co-wrote new material for both new and established singers (ex = Faith Hill) -became one of the judges on the show Nashville Star
Line dancing
-participants performing a sequence of steps, turns, and other dance moves in unison -takes between 24 and 96 beats of music -does not involve dance partners leading one another -any number of men and women can participate, and there is no concern over gender roles or the skill of the dancer
George Strait
-representative for traditional country music in the contemporary era-established as the honky tonk and Western swing revivalist-rarely wrote his own material-occasionally dipped into pop crossover sounds
Shania Twain
-responsible for bringing country music into modern relevance -former pop singer from Canada, outsold every other female country singer -First album was released in 1993 -wrote songs with many feminist themes -Known for "Man, I feel like a woman"
Dixie Chicks
-trio (Natalie Maines, Emily Robinson, Martie Maguire) that performed bluegrass and commercial country music in the Dallas area -caught the attention of the pop audience as well as country -took a brief hiatus for a few years -by 2000 they moved their music so far into the pop direction -Sparked major controversy in 2003 when Natalie Maines made a comment about the current President (George W Bush) -"Wide Open Spaces"
Toby Keith
-worked in Nashville throughout the 90s but did not score his number one song until 2000 -had a very public feud with the Dixie Chicks -released "Courtesy of the Red White and Blue" in response to the 9/11 attacks
Martina McBride
-wrote songs about social justice (child abuse, domestic violence) -represented the perspective of the strong-minded, middle-aged female country fan -known for "Independence Day"
To what country singer does Neal refer in this quote? "[S/He] has ... become a highly polarizing figure. [S/He] has legions of fans who loyally declare [his/her] music the essence of country and the soundtrack to their lives, but equally vocal are those who believe [s/he] threw country music off its traditional course, corrupted the music's authenticity, and sold out to commercial interests."
Garth Brooks
The Dixie Chicks incited backlash for comments made about what President?
George W. Bush
Role of technology in the development of country music
It has made it easier for cross over acts to become successful
Big and Rich, Gretchen Wilson, and Cowboy Troy are associated with what group that felt disenfranchised by the mainstream country music industry?
MuzikMafia
Which of the following artists released a CD in 2004 in three separate mixes for the country, pop, and international markets?
Shania Twain
Which of the following is not offered by Neal as a stimulus for the emergence of alt-country in the 1990s?
Stronger THC levels in pot made performers more laid-back and lethargic on stage
Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red. White, and Blue" was written in response to:
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
Innovation v. Tradition
country has very traditional themes, and it is not very accepting of those who become innovative and cross over to different genres, or combine two together. This back and forth of these two ideas is the reason why Carrie Underwood was not accepted as quickly in the country world
Role of women in country music
they have become much more prevalent as the decades go on. They have created a certain image for themselves, and they did it on purpose to steer away from traditional house-wife looks. More rebel like
Country Music values from 1950s to present day
very similar, still talk about drinking and love.
