Country music is a genre that has been time-tested and well-liked for years; but, it's adapting, just the way that all genres must to keep up with the times. Listeners looking for popular new country music can flip on the radio and listen to Lady Antebellum or a little Taylor Swift. These, and many others, stay true to country's roots with their twangy guitar licks as well as chords that flow like molasses and rouse something in the spirit. But even beyond the straight-up "country" entities, there are some great bands rooted in the country world that use a style hybrid of sorts to perfection.
Perhaps the most popular of these not-universally-well-known bands would be the Avett Brothers. Dabbling in the genres of country, folk and even rock, these guys display their skill of stringed instruments to illicit the starkest and purest of emotions in their listeners. Again, they're rooted in this traditional country feel, specifically with their lyrics. But they dare to override traditional takes on the country band and they try new things. For example, if you take a look at their most recent album, "I and Love and You", you can find a smattering of different things. Listening to a song such as "Something about your Love" you'll get more of your laid-back but powerful country-esque anthem, rich with lyrics about choices, paths, and traveling the earth. Then, you'll get something quite different in a tune such as "Kick Drum Heart" which will once again display some wonderful language to move you, but will also move your body with an upbeat country rock sort of combination.
Other examples of bands still working and creating these days to bridge various musical gaps are the Punch Brothers, a group that runs the gamut of country and bluegrass feels, and Hem, another group that dabbles in country as well as indie folk. Hem in particular is beautiful in the way that the lead singer, Sally Ellyson, uses her powerful and clear voice to get a message across. Listening to her reminds people of the pureness of the voice and the pureness of the soul, which a lot of country, new and old, can depict.
No doubt, almost all new music that you're going to hear on the radio, even new country music, will be infused with elements of standard pop. That's how people get hooked, there's something about it that you just can't fully describe. But if you dig a little deeper, you can find some real gems that don't necessarily get saturated with the elements of the "standard sound."
Perhaps the most popular of these not-universally-well-known bands would be the Avett Brothers. Dabbling in the genres of country, folk and even rock, these guys display their skill of stringed instruments to illicit the starkest and purest of emotions in their listeners. Again, they're rooted in this traditional country feel, specifically with their lyrics. But they dare to override traditional takes on the country band and they try new things. For example, if you take a look at their most recent album, "I and Love and You", you can find a smattering of different things. Listening to a song such as "Something about your Love" you'll get more of your laid-back but powerful country-esque anthem, rich with lyrics about choices, paths, and traveling the earth. Then, you'll get something quite different in a tune such as "Kick Drum Heart" which will once again display some wonderful language to move you, but will also move your body with an upbeat country rock sort of combination.
Other examples of bands still working and creating these days to bridge various musical gaps are the Punch Brothers, a group that runs the gamut of country and bluegrass feels, and Hem, another group that dabbles in country as well as indie folk. Hem in particular is beautiful in the way that the lead singer, Sally Ellyson, uses her powerful and clear voice to get a message across. Listening to her reminds people of the pureness of the voice and the pureness of the soul, which a lot of country, new and old, can depict.
No doubt, almost all new music that you're going to hear on the radio, even new country music, will be infused with elements of standard pop. That's how people get hooked, there's something about it that you just can't fully describe. But if you dig a little deeper, you can find some real gems that don't necessarily get saturated with the elements of the "standard sound."
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