I'm not altogether opposed to Country. In the town I grew up in, there is a fiddle festival where basically a whole weekend in the summer is devoted to Country & Western music. I don't really like it much, but I appreciate it as a part of the town's character.
Having grown up in a country music town, I get the appeal, but I'm just not into it. I agree that the mopey trucker songs are quite silly, and there's a fair amount of cheesiness in popular country, its close relatives are very appealing to me. I find outrageously obvious country music amusing and somewhat novel, but overall, it's just too affected for me to take it seriously.
I'm a fan of Appalachian Folk music, which is heavily rooted in Irish folk. It kind of bridges the gap for me between Americana and British Folk. I really like Alt-Country, and without mainstream country, how could it be alternative? I appreciate that. There is also some pop music with subtle country influences that I like, but definitely not the other way around. Bluegrass can be good, especially if it's more on the folkish end of the spectrum. Rockabilly has some real gems, too. But I won't be selling my soul to the likes of Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift or Brad Paisley (yikes!).
|