i am a bit of a conspiracy theorist when it comes to mainstream music. i am and have been for a while, under the impression that if a label pays enough money to get their music in a stations rotation enough times, people will EVENTUALLY begin to tap their foot to the crap being put out there. Toby Keith is a great example of this. as i write this it occurs to me that maybe i should narrow this theory down to country.. though i'm pretty sure the pop and hip-hop genres are the same.
thankfully there is (was) Napster, XM, Rhapsody (i'm protesting ITunes at the moment) etc... where people can actually find music they like the first time they listen to it!! i think if you break that down it actually means people simply like the music. as everyone knows, finding music that YOU like can move you... dare i say change you.
this year there were a handful of songs and artist that i would say this is true of for me.. Ollabelle, The Weepies, 2Pac (only kindof kidding), Amos Lee, & Coldplay ... however THE artists of the year for me were hands down Allison Krauss & Robert Plant with "Raising Sand". i first heard that album last Christmas (which technically makes it last years album) through my always musically hip (seriously!) in-laws. i've been listening to it ever since. i've heard NO ONE else talk about it though i would occasionally hear it playing at a restaurant or store. it seemed to fly under the radar completely.
2 nights ago when flipping through the channels i saw them on the grammy's with producer T-Bone Burnett (Oh Brother Where Art Though). the category they were up for was "Best Album of the Year". they were up against "Lil Wayne" "NeYo" "Coldplay" and somebody else...oh yeah the "NKOTB reunion album".... all of whom, with the exception of AK & RP, every living person has heard a song off the albums. well guess who won?
finally some good music is getting some recognition. it's a fantastic album that i highly suggest. that being said i was actually and literally sad that "Viva La Vida" didn't win but later found out that it did get rock song of the year. again, couldn't agree more.
Poll 1: WHO IS MORE FAMOUS?
1. Allison Krauss
2. Robert Plant
Poll 2: WHO IS A BETTER ARTIST?
1. Allison Krauss
2. Kenny Chesney
These actually stem from recent conversations i've had and would love some input.
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8 comments:
They won tons for that album. I think it got 5. I actually never bought it, I wasn't all that moved by any of the samples, but I gotta check it out now.
I guess Robert Plant is more famous, cause he's been around longer, but are you kidding? Obviously Alison is a better artist than Kenny. I can't imagine any criteria for "better" that Kenny would win at.
I thought that I had talked to you about that album... I know it was either you or erin. I first heard it too, over a year ago... I am pretty sure that it was on Reg's coffeehouse (of which I think you can find some really good artist and music there, too.) I dont have the album, either but have heard several songs from it and I really like it, too.
for the poll... my vote is Alison is better than both Kenny and Robert.
just curious, where would you put jamey on the country opinion? because besides the fact that I knew him for 2 days 10 years ago, I really like his style, he seems to be going back to the Oldschool! he was up for country album of the year.
I bought Raising Sand as soon as it came out because I heard "Please Read the Letter" on the radio (92.1 The Zew in Mobile--a great model of what an indie-rock station should be) while visiting my parents and was hooked immediately. I HATE that I didn't get to see their tour when it came through B'ham.
Poll 1: Plant
Poll 2: Is that a real question? Alison. Far and away.
1) That is a toss up. I am not sure if Plant is more famous than Krauss based soley on name recognition because I would be willing to bet that the average person could not tell you the names of the Led Zeppelin band mates. So I would have to say Krauss.
2) Being that I despise country music I really don't want to even entertain this question with an answer; however, it is most definitely Krauss. To anyone that says Chesney, I'm pretty sure we can't be friends.
1) Probably depends on how old you are. The older one is, the more likely they would say Plant. I would say Alison though.
2) Not even worth answering.
Raising Sand is pretty good. I was somewhat surprised it one so many awards, but also glad, compared to some of the stuff it was up against.
okay. the first question is legit. that actually came from a conversation a couple weeks ago. i was on the side of robert plant but have to agree with jeremy. alison is probably more well known as an individual. the other question came from a guy i used to work with when i delivered sheetrock. he seriously thought kenny chesney was a better singer/artist than ak. when i would bring up how many grammy's she had won he'd say how many sold out auditoriums kc has played.
casey, i honestly have still not heard a song of jamey's. i don't think anybody in the mainstream is making the kind of authentic music like on "raising sand". again, i haven't heard his stuff. people seem to like his stuff though.
I'm just happy that you included me in the musically (seriously) hip in-law category. I guess I'm hip by association with Gene, but hey! I'll take it. I think I might have gone to a Led Zeppelin concert once though, or it might have been Ten Years After. All I know is my ears hurt a lot during and after the concert. Just call me seriously hip.
corey,
i just wanted to let you know that i am looking so forward to your next blog post about how taylor swift so rightly won the country music album of the year. i know how much you love it.
love,
your wife
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