Noots Letter: y'allternative
August 2021
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Earlier this month, I moved down to Georgia to work on a new folk musical by Kristian Bush, former member of the band Sugarland. It’s an extraordinary project with incredible people, and I won’t shut up about how much I enjoy Atlanta. But it’s also been a bit of a culture shock. After three consistent years in Brooklyn, it’s hard to come here and fully process the humidity, the genuine politeness of people, the sea of men wearing dri-fit polos, and the catastrophically low price of cereal.
Because I’m perpetually surrounded by the sound of banjoes and Appalachian accents, I’ve been thinking a lot about my own Southern upbringing, something I rejected growing up but began to embrace upon moving away from NC. In last month’s newsletter, I discovered that the only corner of music I disliked was Rascal Flatts-style pop-country à la Disney’s Cars soundtrack. And this has really continued to weigh on me. I claim to deeply love and respect folk music, so what makes country so easy to disparage? And what even ARE the defining differences among genres of roots music? (Short answer: genre is a scam)
After posing these thoughts/questions on my Instagram story, I was floored by the amount of responses and DMs I received. Finally, I’ve ascended to level of thirst-trapping insta baddie by sparking regional discourse. Turns out many people shared the same feelings of hatred turned appreciation. Many shared the same questions about genre distinctions, provided valuable insight, and gave recommendations of absolute bangers (playlist below, of course). And SO many recommended the Chicks episode of You’re Wrong About (we love!)
Musicmap does the best job of visually clarifying the timelines and unique attributes of all these subcategories (with accompanying examples!), but if you don’t want to waste several hours of your life exploring this absolute labyrinth, here is my very scholarly summary: Folk is the umbrella under which many subcategories of country, rock, and pop fall. Classic country began as Hillbilly, music of Appalachia popularized by Jimmy Rodgers and the Carter Family. Western Swing is for dancers, Western Country is for cowboys. Honky Tonk is for bluesy binge-drinking. Bluegrass emphasizes string instruments and religiously swears off electrics. Nashville commercialized Countrypolitan in the mid-century. Country Rock or West Coast Rock is what your dad listens to (think “Hotel California” and “Wild Horses”). Progressive/Outlaw Country is what your college boyfriend listens to (think Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson). ‘80s and ‘90s country artists like Randy Travis, George Strait, and the Judds reverted back to the hardcore tradition, dominating radio stations in our youth. Americana is the alternative category, the one that often feels more political or punk, which is hopefully what your current partner listens to (i.e. hot!).
Contemporary country, like much of mainstream music, is easy to dislike because it is mostly white, straight, and trite. Like how pop music claims “tonight’s the night”, except “tonight” is “a pickup truck” and “the night” is “a dirt road”. It also represents a group of people with whom we attach certain (often political) associations, especially since the post-9/11 cultural shift towards patriotism. Country is obviously not so attractive to a group of people whose most recent patriotic act was wearing this Old Navy t-shirt in third grade.
But discounting an entire genre feels like I’m discounting the entire South, a highly nuanced and eclectic region with rich, resilient history! One I’m very much still a part of! I do have a bone to pick, but I am genuinely appreciative of how country artists have carried on these distinct traditions! And because of the relative minimalism of this genre, country artists often must rely on strong vocals, instrumental abilities, and authentic songwriting! And Dolly Parton is my/the nation’s personal hero!
Upon pressing play on a Top Country Hits list this week, I still gagged. Partially because I can only imagine how drastically my Discover Weekly will be thrown off next week. Mostly because it wasn’t until that moment, mid-dry heave, that I realized my distaste for country originates from my own experiences with it. Being a teenager at a high school football game, at a NASCAR event, at a Waffle House, in a truckbed, in a church, at a homecoming dance, absolutely terrified that this was all I’d ever see or do or listen to or be. It’s incredibly restrictive to be defined by a singular idea of what “country” means. Unlike other categories of popular music, which frequently embrace a broad range of new faces and sounds, artists like Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Blake Shelton have been leading charts and awards events for nearly a decade. While they’re not unworthy of these accolades, this demonstrates the genre’s reluctance to progress. This New Yorker piece on Mickey Guyton, singer of “Black Like Me”, is an especially refreshing look at the racist past and hopeful future of mainstream country, one that challenges preconceptions and shares new perspectives on the Southern American identity.
And for the more niche crowd, thankfully the internet has recently provided us with a new term, a place where sadness and southerners converge: y’allternative. It’s goth gal in a pickup truck. It’s bluegrass “Mr. Brightside”. It’s me getting into Kacey Musgraves just in time for her album release next month. It’s this Depop post. There really is something for every body when y’all means all! <3
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y’allternative, August ‘21 - Some contemporary country-inspired somber slappers.
Rhinestone Cowboy - All the recommendations from IG participants + a few other classics, titled after my !new favorite song!
Before You Gotta Go - For awkward goodbyes and new surroundings and getting older.
the millennium can have a beer now - She’s absolutely out of control.
And a few more I didn’t personally make but fully support…
you don’t hate country music you hate the patriotism which like…same by Alyssa Bedaine
Rainbow Opry by Country Queer
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Laura Stevenson, Lauren Stevenson: If you like literally anything I’ve just written about, you’ll love this sack of sad shit! It’s like Boygenius meets The Weepies meets Adult Mom meets Waxahatchee. Good for staring longingly out windows while driving down the interstate.
Indigo De Souza, Any Shape You Take: I’ll say it! She’s the coolest, hottest person to come out of North Carolina. I love songs that irreverently throw around the concept of death. Just girly things that Indigo and I have in common! I’m going to have an extremely difficult time selecting oNLY one favorite track to highlight on forthcoming end-of-year playlists. For now, I’ll be imagining this music video is footage from my birthday party in two weeks that I won’t be having because ~global pandeezus~.
The Killers, Pressure Machine: LOL I wasn’t expecting it either, but I think I’m ironically obsessed with this? Sounds like Brandon Flowers is really leaning into his Springsteen era. Or he just got stuck living with his parents in his hometown this past year. But good for them! Getting back to their roots! “Quiet Town” feels like an opening number of a musical that I was once in. “Runaway Horses” features Phoebe Bridgers, so I’m legally required to like it. And “In Another Life” instantly incites nostalgia, which is really their whole purpose at this point, right?
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If you are interested in furthering your knowledge of Southern history/presence/art, you are encouraged to check out The Bitter Southerner and Southern Fried Queer Pride (they have newsletters too!). And, if you’re able, please consider donating this week to hurricane relief funds in the Gulf coast like Imagine Water Works and Mutual Aid Disaster Relief. AND if you have anything more to share on this topic, please do so; my inbox’s limit does not exist. :)