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charcoalsketches
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25 Aug 2014, 1:33 pm

First: Joni Mitchell, to me, seem more like folk music than country from what I have heard of her. Then again, I should probably listen to more of her to get an idea.

Second: Progressive country shouldn't be a separate genre. As a music lover, one of the things I love about music is its ability to shapeshift using different sounds and ideas of what the genre either should or could sound like. Normally, when a genre sounds like it will never change, it gets a lot of hate and it is considered short-lived (like disco). Take a look at hip-hop and pop music. The reason those genres are getting a fair amount of hate is due to the rigid, mainstream ideas of what the music sounds like, should talk about and all of that. Rap and hip-hop is getting hate for talking about stuff that lacks substance beyond possessions and lyrical conformity. But the same people who hate rap and hip-hop would probably love it more, if they discovered artists like Dalek, Atmosphere, Freestyle Fellowship, Anti-Pop Consortium, Jeremiah Jae, Shabazz Palaces, artists that fight to expand the idea of what hip-hop is supposed to sound like or do.

Another example of music that got hated for its purism was disco. I saw a documentary on Disco, and I found that people may have been interested in disco, but what people hated about disco was its inability to be more progressive. I think even Frank Zappa made fun of it once. To this day, rock fans still say disco sucks, but I figure that the genre would probably get more respect, if only there were more people willing to be adventurous with the genre.

So, while I don't hate country, I'd probably be more magnetic to it myself, if country went down more less-traveled roads.


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Ectryon
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25 Aug 2014, 1:43 pm

Flying Lotus and Amon Tobin (Bricolage and Permuatation) are my two favourite "hip hop" artists.

Genre is a load of crap anyway. Everytime I hear the word post punk post punk revivial grimecore kindcore metalcore thrashmetal hair metal stadium rock and so on I just roll my eyes because its all just music journalists trying to taxonomise everything. Flying Lotus emerged from Los Angeles and emerged from the beat making scene there. Artists like gaslamp killah and Thundercat contributed toward this fusion of ideas which ignored the precepts of genre entirely. Brainfeeder (Flying lotus' label) has artists from across the world such as Austin Peralta (dead jazz pianist) Dorian Concept RYAT and even Daedelus (LA). People describe the music as glitch-hop and abstract hip hop when its simply a collective of musicians trading ideas and trying to expand the horizons of electronic music by consciously ignoring genre. Still, journalists MUST have terms to pin the thing down behind glass and label it.

Joni Mitchell is a singer/songwriter who has absorbed everything into her music. She has records which are effectively jazz (Mingus) and she has pure folk albums (Song to a seagull) in between there are songs which incorporate country elements. . She doesnt have any songs which exist in the same sound world but she takes tropes and motives from the genre and makes them her own. Hence progressive country

Disco was actually deconstructed and some of the sprockets and wheels ended up in House music. Some of the 90's era indie bands also took on some of the ideas. I wouldnt say that it was roundly panned either. Herbie hancock has some disco albums (future shock) I cant stand them but there you go.

Progressive Country

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qKpbMlRM60[/youtube]

Western swing
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUcegz51--M[/youtube]

Im looking into the history of country and its actually very diverse. Europeans came over with banjos irish fiddles dulcimers and acoustic guitars and with african americans began to fuse gospel blues and folksong. Early country is just a slightly more "genteel" blues (Jimmie rodgers) this started to evolve and diversify encompassing coboy songs (gene autry) and even swing (bob wills)



TheBicyclingGuitarist
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25 Aug 2014, 5:15 pm

It isn't just that the music is boring to me for the most part and the lyrics inane, but also it seems that the type of people who only listen to country music are not the type of people I get along with. Besides the difference in musical tastes, we also tend to differ very much on social, political, religious and philosophical issues. I have heard some great musicianship in the country genre over the years, but for the most part it is too formulaic and lame. When some singers affect a fake southern accent to sing country that just reinforces the phoniness of their songs. And I am not a Christian but many country songs make very explicit references to Christianity.

If I had grown up with happy memories associated with country music or if I had different social, political, religious or philosophical views, then I might like country music more than I do. In general I detest it. I do like well-played traditional folk songs or bluegrass, some blues, maybe even a little bit of classical or jazz once in a while. I have been influenced some by reggae and hardcore punk too. Basically though I am a rocker. But even in the rock genre I don't like most of what I hear. That is why I started writing my own songs and playing my own music decades ago. I do not own any albums and never listen to the radio or stereo. I have my own music in my head 24/7/365.

If other people like my original songs (and some do) that is great! but whether or not anyone else likes my music I will be true to myself and not follow fads or fake a southern accent to try to be popular. And I know my singing is my weak point, but I am not "The Bicycling Singer." Still, I sing much better nowadays than in years past especially when relaxed.

Funny thing about my original songs. Those I wrote 20 years ago or older tend to have a lot of lyrics. Most of my newer original songs from the past five years are either instrumentals (music only, no words) or have very few very simple lyrics ("I'm playing with your cat. I do not know it's name, and so I call it Kitty!") I wonder sometimes if that part of my brain that writes lyrics was bumped once too often when my head hit the ground a couple times in the past 20 years. A more fun idea is that when riding along the river trail the past few years composing new songs, if I was singing many bugs would go into my mouth. So I had a strong reason to NOT sing when riding that trail.

Sad news is I was attacked on that trail August 7, punched and slammed by somebody who hates the idea of there being a bicycling guitarist in the world. So I can no longer ride those mostly deserted crime-ridden bicycle trails when alone, and I am always alone (dang autism!). I have to ride busy public streets now where the danger of being hit by a car is much greater than the chance of being mugged on that trail, but at least if I am hit by a car it would most likely be an accident. Somehow the idea of being hurt by another human being on purpose bothers me more.

Also, riding those busy streets means more people will see me, perhaps I can get discovered and sponsored and professionally recorded and filmed before something happens where I am no longer able to be The Bicycling Guitarist. I have been doing this thirty years and tens of thousands of miles but am always just one fall, mugging or worsening of arthritis from no longer being able to do this anymore.


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kraftiekortie
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25 Aug 2014, 6:10 pm

Sorry you were attacked, sir.

It's true: you would get more exposure if you ride in more public areas--but there's more risk, too.

I hope they didn't damage your bike.



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25 Aug 2014, 6:41 pm

I'm also very sorry to hear about how you've been assaulted. Did the jerk have a grudge against you personally?


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Ectryon
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25 Aug 2014, 6:45 pm

sorry hear about the assault man. People sometimes love to tear down and vandalise. You had an interview a while back did that come out of your street playing?



TheBicyclingGuitarist
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25 Aug 2014, 6:54 pm

My guitar took some damage but is still playable. The bicycle also took some damage but is still rideable. My hip was bruised but mainly it messes with my head and causes great inconvenience since I no longer feel safe using my beloved river bicycle trail even in daylight.

The guy had threatened to punch me back in June, so yeah he has a personal grudge against me. I don't know why. I risk my life for rock and roll every time I go out. What I do is already dangerous enough from traffic, road hazards and mechanical failure without adding mean people to the list of dangers. I do not get paid or laid for what I do but do it because I must and feel it is my calling (if there is such a thing). Several people have gone out of their way to thank me. I have been told I make their lives better. I do this to make the world a better place, even for the guy who hit me.

I don't know how much longer I will be able to do this. I hope to have at least some of my best original songs recorded while I can still play them. It is especially important that I be filmed since my performing while riding a bicycle is what makes my act special. Any assistance in getting me recorded, filmed or "discovered" is greatly appreciated.


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25 Aug 2014, 7:23 pm

/\ What does your act involve? I am picturing someone riding without handlebars and crashing into things. Sounds dangerous. Also funny, you should consider writing about this in some form.
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHE1dM4hYCw[/youtube]



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25 Aug 2014, 8:01 pm

I have to admit, a big part of my dislike of country comes from the politics that has become associated with it. While it's true that the Dixie Chicks had slammed Bush for the Iraq War, most country music is associated with the politics and social conservatism of the red states - and I'm baby blue.


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TheBicyclingGuitarist
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25 Aug 2014, 8:40 pm

Stannis wrote:
/\ What does your act involve? I am picturing someone riding without handlebars and crashing into things. Sounds dangerous. Also funny, you should consider writing about this in some form.
------


I have gone more than thirty years and thirty-five thousand miles doing this on the same bicycle I started on back in the early 1980s, and with the same and only guitar since the late 1980s (before that had other Strat and Strat copy guitar). So no, for the most part I do NOT crash into things. In fact, I never have yet. I have hit the ground a couple times, once when I was mugged in 1993 (yes this is the second time now) and again from catastrophic equipment failure in 2012. I also hit the ground in 2008 but that was without the guitar. How foolish of me to try riding without one! It's more dangerous for me to ride without a guitar than with one.

Here is a video of me playing a cover of the Smelly Cat Medley from the Friends TV show.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8mn1sli1TY[/youtube]


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25 Aug 2014, 9:22 pm

Kraichgauer wrote:
I have to admit, a big part of my dislike of country comes from the politics that has become associated with it. While it's true that the Dixie Chicks had slammed Bush for the Iraq War, most country music is associated with the politics and social conservatism of the red states - and I'm baby blue.


I don't know about modern country music, but this wasn't always the case with the old legends. Johnny Cash campaigned for prison reform and performed for prisoners. Willie Nelson is an activist for marijuana legalisation and biofuel.



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26 Aug 2014, 12:30 am

trollcatman wrote:
Kraichgauer wrote:
I have to admit, a big part of my dislike of country comes from the politics that has become associated with it. While it's true that the Dixie Chicks had slammed Bush for the Iraq War, most country music is associated with the politics and social conservatism of the red states - and I'm baby blue.


I don't know about modern country music, but this wasn't always the case with the old legends. Johnny Cash campaigned for prison reform and performed for prisoners. Willie Nelson is an activist for marijuana legalisation and biofuel.


I must admit, I was making a too a sweeping generalization. I actually appreciate both Willie Nelson and the late Johny Cash.


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26 Aug 2014, 1:13 am

Lacking better terms, it just sounds rustic, and for me rustic is ugly. I do like some country though, and in all honesty I don't think it sounds too terrible, just doesn't have much appeal to it to make up for the dirty undertones.


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Stannis
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26 Aug 2014, 6:56 am

/\ I get it. It looks like something that would go down well at Burning Man or something.

60s.



TheBicyclingGuitarist
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26 Aug 2014, 10:10 am

Stannis wrote:
/\ I get it. It looks like something that would go down well at Burning Man or something.

60s.


Oh please don't talk about "go down" to a bicycling guitarist!

You know what's the hardest thing about being The Bicycling Guitarist? The pavement!

Ouch! My asphalt to the ground.


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