Tyler Childers' new album revives question of what defines Americana music
The intrigue: Both albums earned critical acclaim, while challenging critics how to categorize the music.
Why it matters:"Snipe Hunter" creates a golden opportunity for a refresher on what defines Americana music, the umbrella genre that has its roots in the Nashville music industry.
Driving the news: Steven Hyden, one of the preeminent rock music critics, propelled the discussion forward with his column in which he lauded "Snipe Hunter," while also expressing disdain for the use of the term "Americana" to categorize it.
Hyden says Childers' latest release is good old-fashioned heartland rock.
"On my list of pet peeves, it's up there with people who spell 'whoa' like 'whoah' and 'rock star' like 'rockstar,'" Hyden said of the term Americana. "I've conceded [defeat] on those other two fronts, but I continue to fight for heartland rock. It partly stems from my distaste for 'Americana,' which I always type out reluctantly because it's part of the common nomenclature, even though the 'sepia-toned old-timey small-town folk' connotations are corny and kind of gross."
State of play: For a refresher on the term Americana, we went to the expert, Jed Hilly, who's executive director of the Americana Music Association.
We asked Hilly to read Hyden's column and then called him up for a history lesson.
Flashback: First, the history lesson from Hilly. On the heels of the unprecedented chart-topping domination of country artists like Garth Brooks and Shania Twain, Music Row record labels began to chase their successors, Hilly says. The search for country stars with pop appeal left artists like Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell somewhat on the outside looking in.
At the same time, those artists felt out of place in country music, Hilly points out bands like Wilco, the Jayhawks and the Old 97s were making alt-country albums that bled into multiple genres.
A group of music industry stakeholders met at the 1999 SXSW festival to discuss carving out a new trade association to give those artists a home. About 30 people, including Harris and Crowell, convened in Nashville that fall for three days to brainstorm ideas. Out of those meetings, the Americana Music Association was created.
Zoom out: Advancing Americana music is a professional passion of Hilly. Over the last decade, Americana Fest has grown into one of Nashville's preeminent music festivals, and its awards show is consistently one of the best concerts all year in Music City.
Hilly was instrumental in getting the definition "Americana music" added to Merriam-Webster's dictionary in 2011, and two years before that, the Recording Academy created a best Americana album Grammy Award category.
What he's saying:"The truth is Americana is not a vertical genre, it's a horizontal genre," Hilly tells Axios. "It goes through gospel, rock, folk, blues, bluegrass."
Zoom in: As a demonstration of how wide-reaching the genre is, over the years the Americana Music Awards have honored blues artist Buddy Guy, the Fisk Jubilee Singers and John Mellencamp (Hyden favorably compared Childers to Mellencamp in his column).
More recently, Americana has expanded to include bands typically described as indie rock like Waxahatchee, Big Thief and Hurray for the Riff Raff.
The bottom line: Over his discography, Childers ventured from squarely a country artist to a rock-leaning singer-songwriter in the mold of Mellencamp. For Hilly, it's all Americana music.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
7 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
3 highlights from this week's issue of The Envelope
If you're feeling a little peckish as you open this week's letter from the editor, our latest cover subject, 'Hacks' star Hannah Einbinder, has a recommendation for you: a breakfast burrito from Historic Filipinotown's Doubting Thomas, home of her favorite in the city. And while you wait for those eggs to cook up, let's unwrap the foil on our Aug. 14 issue and chomp down on some highlights. No, 'Hacks' is not over. As of this writing, Season 5 is not even officially its last. But with a stand-up comedy special under her belt, Jane Schoenbrun's 'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' in the can and another hush-hush project already underway, it's clear that the 'Hacks' star isn't planning to rest on the laurels of four Emmy nominations. As former competitive cheerleader Einbinder tells Margy Rochlin in this week's cover story, the prospect of leaving the 'Hacks' nest is 'emotional,' but the novelty of new challenges scratches its own itch: 'I'm an adrenaline seeker,' she says. 'I just have always liked the feeling of flying.' Accompanying the story online is the debut of our new short-form series 'In the First Place,' in which we ask cover subjects about life and career 'firsts' — including, in Einbinder's case, her first stop at the Americana, the first comedy album she listened to on repeat and more. As a result, perhaps, of my particular lens — former high-school teacher here — it wasn't the destabilizing premiere, the wrenching finale, or Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty's riveting two-hander that left me most awestruck when I watched Netflix's 'Adolescence' this spring. It was only after the second episode, which weaves a murder investigation into a chaotic school day, that I found myself muttering under my breath, 'I need a diagram of how they did that.' Thanks to Emmy-nominated director of photography Matthew Lewis for obliging my curiosity (see above), and for speaking to contributor Bill Desowitz for his story about the extraordinary choreography required to piece a fire drill, a police chase and a drone shot into a single continuous shot, all with 350 young extras to corral. For logistical stress, that puts even chaperoning prom to shame. And trust me, I'd know! 'Somebody Somewhere's' Jeff Hiller is having the time of his life — and not just in the photo above, snapped last month in the courtyard of his Manhattan apartment building. As Tyler Coates writes in his profile of the first-time Emmy nominee, the surprise and delight of the announcement allows Hiller to keep basking in gratitude for the role of lovable queer Kansan Joel even though the series ended its three-season run last fall: 'If I could play a role like that for six weeks once a year, for the rest of my life? I'd be more than fulfilled.' It also allows him entree to HBO's vaunted after-party, though my fingers are crossed that 'Somebody Somewhere' doesn't inspire any trays of 'St. Louis sushi.'
New York Times
11 hours ago
- New York Times
Ralph Lauren, ‘The Gilded Age' and Black Affluence
This summer, Ralph Lauren expanded the lens of its aspirational take on Americana with a collection inspired by the Black legacy of Oak Bluffs, a town on Martha's Vineyard. Featuring collegiate sweatshirts, patchwork jackets and coastal-inspired attire, the line, released in July, is of a piece with other portrayals of the Black elite that have recently permeated culture. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' exhibition, the basis for this year's Met Gala, had a section on respectability and fashioning the elite. HBO's 'The Gilded Age,' in its third season, contrasted two fictional Black families: the Scotts, a newly wealthy family from Brooklyn, and the Kirklands, New Englanders who are even more entrenched in high society. These projects have highlighted the social and economic divisions among Black Americans that have existed since at least the early-to-mid-19th century, when westward expansion, industrialization and the rise of tourism in America opened new paths to education, riches and visibility. (At least for some.) And, like the Met's exhibition examining dandyism and Black men's fashion as a form of cultural power, the Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs line and 'The Gilded Age' have started conversations about elitism and exclusion within the Black community. Online, some praised the Oak Bluffs collection ads, which feature breezy beach scenes and impeccably dressed families, for offering a vision of Black life not centered on hardship. Others saw the romanticized portrayal of Black vacationers in a rarefied enclave as out of touch. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Fox News
a day ago
- Fox News
Sydney Sweeney's Dolly Parton-inspired Western will benefit from ad backlash: expert
Sydney Sweeney is channeling Dolly Parton in her new Western heist movie "Americana," set to be released on the heels of the actress's American Eagle "Good Jeans" ad. In the film, debuting in theaters Aug. 15, Sweeney, 27, stars as Penny Jo Poplin, a small-town diner waitress who is obsessed with the country icon and dreams of following in her footsteps. "Dolly is definitely her biggest aspirational role model," Sweeney said of her character during a June interview with Entertainment Weekly. She continued, "Dolly is almost like a godlike figure to Penny Jo, and I really wanted to make sure that we had the aspirations of being Dolly, but then, she doesn't have the resources." "It's trying to find that in-between place of who Penny is and what she has," Sweeney added. "But then also who she wants to be. Penny Jo dreams of being able to have Dolly's outlook on life because her world feels so gray, dark, and trapped. [Dolly has] this beautiful big personality and energy that makes everything have color again, and that's what she wants." In "Americana," Penny Jo, who is also an aspiring country music singer-songwriter, joins forces with lovelorn military veteran and ranch-hand Lefty Ledbetter (Paul Walter Hauser) to procure a rare Native American artifact — a Lakota Ghost Shirt — after it lands on the black market in their South Dakota town. However, Penny Jo and Lefty's pursuit of the valuable artifact "puts them in the crosshairs of a ruthless criminal working for a Western antiquities dealer, and soon, others, including the leader of an Indigenous group and a woman fleeing a mysterious past, join the battle for the Ghost Shirt," according to a plot synopsis for the movie. "She finally sees something that can be her ticket to Nashville," Sweeney told Entertainment Weekly. "It's her ticket to be able to go and chase her dreams. And she's past the point of waiting for it to happen." "Americana" marks the directorial debut of screenwriter Tony Tost, who also wrote the screenplay. The movie also stars pop singer Halsey, Eric Dane, Zahn McClarnon and Simon Rex. Though "Americana" originally premiered at the 2023 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, the movie's worldwide release date comes as drama continues to swirl over Sweeney's July American Eagle ad campaign. However, PR expert Eric Schiffer shared his view that Sweeney's character will be a big draw for audiences, and the timing of the release will prove to be serendipitous for the production. "She plays Penny Jo, a waitress who worships Dolly; that disarming sweetness offsets the AE edge and broadens demo reach," the Reputation Management Consultants CEO told Fox News Digital. He continued, "Country-curious teens and red-state moms will test-drive the movie; coastal critics bring pitiless scrutiny — perfect storm for sales." Last month, the clothing retailer debuted their ad campaign titled "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," which received a mixed response on social media. Some dubbed the campaign as "tone-deaf" due to the alleged racial undertones, others have praised Sweeney for killing "woke" advertising. In a promo video posted to the brand's Instagram, Sweeney was seen walking toward an AE billboard featuring her and the tagline "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes." Sweeney crossed out "Genes" and replaced it with "Jeans" before walking away. In a second ad, Sweeney was seen laying down and fastening her jeans while saying, "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color." The camera then panned up to her blue eyes. "My jeans are blue." The ad's detractors have suggested that it has shades of "eugenics" and "White supremacy." According to Salon, the term "great genes" was historically used to "celebrate whiteness, thinness and attractiveness." American Eagle released a statement on its social media on Aug. 1, which read, "'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone." Sweeney has yet to publicly comment on the ad or its reception. While speaking with Fox News Digital, Schiffer explained how controversy could potentially turbocharge the actress's career along with her net worth. "The AE firestorm shoved Sweeney into toxic culture-war crosshairs — exactly where attention monetizes fastest," he said. "Backlash may spook a few 'safe' brands, but risk-tolerant studios will ruthlessly overpay for her heat. "American Eagle's denim blitz could jam an outrage cocktail of $5 million more in Sweeney's wallet before Labor Day," Schiffer added. "The viral jeans spot is a ruthless napalm-grade cash cannon — every click fires fresh royalty checks at her $40 million pile. Critics rant, but controversy drives denim sales — she's riding a volatile tornado straight to the bank." Schiffer also explained that the backlash the actress has received could lead to an influx of career opportunities for her. "Outrage addicts labeled the ad 'eugenics' but Hollywood execs smell radioactive buzz and cast her faster," he said. "Hollywood forgives denim puns; it rewards controversial cash." Schiffer continued, "She proved she can take heat and directors love an actress with fierce armor. Her blend of bombshell and backlash is near lethal catnip for producers. Hollywood loves a polarizing star with a merciless marketing punch that sells." However, PR expert Steve Honig voiced his opinion that the backlash was unlikely to affect Sweeney's career. "Regardless of which side you are on, the ads have undeniably gotten the actress, and the company, more attention and publicity than they have ever had. Judging by the public's split opinion, I don't think this will have much, if any, impact on Sweeney's career or upcoming projects," he said. "She is a popular, up-and-coming talent with a bright future ahead of her." Honig went on to cite other ad campaigns that saw great success by courting controversy. "Historically, ads for jeans have been provocative," he noted. "Look back to Calvin Klein's advertising campaign in the early 1980s featuring Brooke Shields; there was a lot of criticism about how a 15-year-old girl was being portrayed. The ads turned out to have a positive result for both Klein and Shields, and in many ways put the actress/model on the map." Honig continued, "As far as the Sweeney ads being too sexual or aimed at 'male gazing,' I would point to the highly successful Pepsi ad campaign with Cindy Crawford, which was recently rebooted. Gloria Vanderbilt's advertising campaign was all about her name being on a woman's backside." "The bottom line here is that American Eagle decided to push the envelope in much the same way Klein and Vanderbilt did," he added. "Like it or not, the campaign is sparking discussion and getting a lot of notice, which is likely what they set out to do." In addition to "Americana," Sweeney also has several other projects in the works. The actress is set to return for the third season of the hit HBO series "Euphoria," which is aiming for a 2026 release, according to Deadline. Sweeney is also starring as real-life former professional boxer Christy Martin in the upcoming biographical sports drama "Christy." The Washington native produced the film through her company, Fifty-Fifty Films, along with several other production companies, including Anonymous Content, Yoki, Inc., Votiv and Black Bear Pictures. The actress will next be seen starring alongside Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, and Michele Morrone in Paul Feig's upcoming film "The Housemaid," which is based on Freida McFadden's 2022 novel. "The Housemaid" will be released in theaters on Dec. 25.
