Americana Music - What the... ?

If you plan on visiting my site regularly then you will be reading about Americana Music. I have taken it upon myself to be a unofficial advocate.

Let me start off by saying that I (like most music artists) am not real thrilled about the whole "genre" thing. Artists do not like to be put into a box and I feel the same way about my listening preferences. To me, a genre's main purpose is to assist radio stations in defining themselves. However, how many of us still listen to the actual FM/AM radio? I do for about 45 minutes per week in my car but just because Nashville has a great independent radio station, Lightning 100 (You can listen online here). Typically I listen to music through Spotify, MP3 downloads or Youtube where genre formatting matters much less.

2013 Americana Music Honors & Awards
Photo by Tacy Judd

However, I adore the idea of Americana music. The Americana Music Association may disagree with my definition but this is my opinion. Americana music encompasses many other genres within it including but not limited to folk, rock, blues, bluegrass and alt-country. It is current/relevant music that is derived from musical roots. Some would say that all music comes from roots because it all starts somewhere. True, but no. In Americana music the sound is more raw. You won't hear a synthesizer, drum machine or any electronically manufactured sounds. It definitely will NOT be auto-tuned and chances are songs on the album will not be pieced together during recording. What you hear on the album will be what you hear at the live show. For artists that we call Americana, good inspired music comes before anything else. Their shows are not elaborate productions because the music can and does speak for itself. The definition of Americana music baffles many because we are not used to such broad definitions but for me, that is another reason to embrace the genre. The genre itself does not want to be boxed in just as much as artists don't either. It is real, raw, relate-able and full of emotion. Now that's Americana.

All photos are press photos received from the individual's artists' "people".
From L to R - 1. Jim Lauderdale and Buddy Miller 2. The Mastersons 3. Sarah Jarosz 4. Mumford & Sons 5. The Lumineers
6. Carolina Chocolate Drops 7. Elizabeth Cook 8. Wanda Jackson 9. Robert Ellis 10. Shovels & Rope