Pet Peeve: the term "Americana" music - what precisely does it mean?
The term "Americana" gets used more pervasively on this site than does "billion" by our congressmen, and I tend to wonder if either word is truly understood. "Americana" appears to include a billion different things and exclude very few. The more I read and
One-Man Band Series, #12: Possessed by Paul James
Almost every artist involved in the one-man band movement does things his own way, making his endeavor wholly individualized. He selects the type of instrumentation he is going to use, develops a sound often by combining more than one musical style with his own, and then slaps some sort of
Review: Jerry Reed - Explores Guitar Country (RCA Nashville, 1969/2008)
Jerry Reed - Explores Guitar Country (RCA Nashville, 1969/2008)
Long before Jerry Reed became a music star, breaking through with 1970’s “Amos Moses” and 1971’s “When You’re hot, You’re Hot,” and before he became a television and film actor, he was an in-demand A-list Nashville
Introducing the XXX Movement
I know what you're thinking, but, no, I'm not writing about porn. Instead I'm writing about a group of people who have been marginalized by the music industry for the past 25 years or so. You know the type. The guys who won'
THOUGHTS ON BOB DYLAN AND ALTER EGOS
If you could change your whole life around, from beginning to end, and make it a completely different story… what would you do? What would you say? Envy is such a complicated thing. It’s easy enough to wish you’ve done what others have accomplished, been where others have
A few thoughts on country music's ultimate rebel
In the early part of last year, I wrote a few blogs detailing historical artists whom I felt had been overlooked by the worlds of country music and Americana. Among those I highlighted were The Big Bopper and Rick Nelson. I sat down at the computer this morning with hopes