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Axios
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Tyler Childers' new album revives question of what defines Americana music
Similar to Beyoncé's "Country Carter" a year ago, Tyler Childers' new album "Snipe Hunter" kicked up conversations about how we describe 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.
CBC
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
CBC Day returns to the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival
Social Sharing The SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival returns to Saskatoon's Victoria Park this year for 10 days of music and fun. The first two days (July 3 and 4) will consist of breakout programming around Saskatoon, followed by four days of free programming at Victoria Park (July 5, 6, 7 and 8), and then the ticketed lineup (July 9, 10, 11 and 12). Tickets officially go on sale on Monday, March 10. There will also be other programming happening around Saskatoon throughout the whole 10 days. CBC is proud to be a presenting sponsor on their first ticketed day, Wednesday, July 9. Come join us at Victoria Park! Here's who's performing during CBC Day: Since the release of her first solo album two years ago, self-taught singer, songwriter, poet, activist and multi-instrumentalist Allison Russell has redefined what artistry means in the 21st century. Outside Child, her often devastating, deeply moving, cathartic celebration of survivor's joy, has received near-universal acclaim since its release in 2021, with honours including three GRAMMY Award nominations, the Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, the 2022 Americana Music Association's Album of the Year Award, two International Folk Music Awards, three Canadian Folk Music Awards and four UK Americana Music Awards. Julian Taylor Julian Taylor is a Toronto-based, award-winning independent singer-songwriter, radio host and label owner. Over 20-plus years as the leader of Staggered Crossing and the Julian Taylor Band, and with his solo work, Julian established himself as one of Canada's great troubadours. He has earned four JUNO nominations, a pair of Canadian Folk Music Awards, five Native American Music Award nominations and a nomination for the Polaris Music Prize. William Prince Guided by a practical yet profound gratitude, William Prince's songs convey the power of wonder and humility. A masterclass in skilful simplicity, Prince's songwriting strikes a balance between the personal and the universal, his own moments of self-discovery and the larger questions we face together. Over four albums, Prince has created a body of work that traces a remarkable journey. On Stand in the Joy, released in 2023 and produced by Dave Cobb, Prince finds himself exactly where he needs to be. Stand in the Joy won the JUNO Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year. Wolf Willow Wolf Willow's website describes the 12-piece band as what would happen "if Dick Dale had joined Loretta Lynn's band and made a wall of sound album inside the Grand Ole Opry." Soul of Slippery Butte, the group's new full-length album, is the much-anticipated follow up to 2021's critically praised Old Guitars & Shooting Stars. Old Guitars dove deep into Wolf Willow's sensitive side — layered with lush strings and horns, the sweet orchestra sound defined this album and era of the band. Soul of Slippery Butte takes the best of that, swaps the sensitivity for swagger, and combines pop-adjacent arrangements with compelling stories and timeless melodies.
