Alt Country

[bigjohnson]

Why is there 3 or 4 different variations of the pop/ac charts, yet forever there has never been an off shoot of the country chart? Have any of you hear Reckless Kelly or Micky and the Motorcars or Cross Canadian Ragweed? These guys need to be played on the radio!!! Unfortunatly, you have to play the same old tired stuff from the same old tired people (with a few exceptions once in a blue moon). This subject may have been discussed here before...but I'd love to hear some thoughts...

Mike Johnson
Op. Mgr.
KMCH Radio
Manchester, IA

 

[TheBigA]

Why is there 3 or 4 different variations of the pop/ac charts, yet forever there has never been an off shoot of the country chart?

Actually they've tried many times, and Billboard has variations of the country chart with a bluegrass chart and an Americana chart. Plus the Americana Music Association has its own chart. There's a Texas music chart amd loads of other charts available.

But the simple answer to your question is the audience isn't big enough to make it work. The only reason country music is as big and popular as it is now is because it remains a unified format. And within the unified format, you have all the variations represented, from outlaws to pop/country to rock/country to traditional to cowboy to garage country to even bluegrass country. It's all there are you can see them on the chart now. You can play Cross Canadian Ragweed or you can play The Lost Trailers. They sound about the same, but the Lost Trailers have a bit more muscle behind them.

As for playing the "tired old stuff from the same tired old people," you need to look at this week's country chart. More than one-third of the artists on the airplay chart are on their first album. Folks like Luke Bryan or Julianna Hough or Chuck Wicks or Bucky Covington. Lots of them come with additional marketing musle from having done a reality TV show or some kind of national platform.

And in defense of people like George Strait, what's wrong with hearing the same kind of thing from someone we love? I don't see a problem with that. Or Alan Jackson or Brooks & Dunn. None of them are reinventing the wheel. Merle Haggard stuck to a formula and it served him well for 30 years.

The interesting thing about country as a format now is there's no shortage of artists. No one is going away, and there are dozens of new people trying to push their way on the airwaves. When you have someone willing to make radio visits and play live for your listeners, what's the point in looking basically outside the format to alternative country for artists who aren't as motivated? Is their music that much better that it's worth not playing someone your listeners already know?

That's obviously a local decision. If you can do more by playing unknown music by unknown artists, more power to you. The rest of us have a different battle to fight.

 

[bigjohnson]

Thanks for your well-informed reply. You hit several nails on several heads...if that makes any sense. It's definatley how it's marketed....and don't get me wrong...i realize people actullay like Kenny Chesney, otherwise he wouldn't have sold 70 trillion concert tickets. And I won't even ask why in God's good name Jessica Simpson even gets a chance to do country...maybe something to do with big ti...nevermind. As far as the one-third of the artists on the airplay chart are on their first album....I really don't hear alot of originality with the new stuff. And, I would never get tired of hearing George Strait especially when he comes out witha gem like "Give It Away". Are the alt country guys really not that motivated? You bring up an interesting artist...Chuck Wicks. Is "Stealing Cinderella" that good of a song, or is it all marketing? It's a little frustrating that a small group of people decide what's going to be a hit. I realize I'm all over the place with this post, but I think this is an interesting subject.

 

[TheBigA]

It's a little frustrating that a small group of people decide what's going to be a hit. I realize I'm all over the place with this post, but I think this is an interesting subject.

I don't think it's that small a group. It's a lot bigger group now than it used to be when there were just a few dozen country radio stations. Back then, it was the old boy network. Talk to Loretta Lynn about that. Now you have 2000 terrestrial country stations, and they're competing with satellite, the internet, and two country video channels. Talk to the artists about how many people they talk to when they launch an album. Personally, I wouldn't want to do it.

Regarding Jessica Simpson, this single seems to have stalled out in the low teens. Perhaps you have a lot of company in your opinion. The Chuck Wicks song didn't make it to #1. But every time I hear it, I get choked up. Maybe you don't have a daughter.

 

[bigjohnson]

Actually, I have a 2 year old girl, and the first few times I heard the song I thought, oh cute, but my ears can only handle so much syrup.

 

[Gatekeeper007]

See my post under awful song.

 

[JimmyJames]

"When you have someone willing to make radio visits and play live for your listeners, what's the point in looking basically outside the format to alternative country for artists who aren't as motivated?"

I'd say a lot of the alt/americana acts would be more than willing to do so. But what stations want them on the air? Hard to play where you aren't wanted.

 

[bravefalcon1959]

Hey Mike you're right.......Reckless Kelly, Micky And The Motorcars, Texas Renegade, along with all of those artist should be played. Being from that part of Texas there is alot of good music that people and Country Radio hasn't heard yet. I have incorporated that TEXAS sound into my format while also slightly increasing Classic Country while decreasing the current chart songs and it has taken off.

Mike
Mornings/MD
KRSJ-Durango

 

[PamelaStone]

Check out www.mandatoryfm.com for a whole lot of alt country...

 

[RFLA]

What I'm surprised about is Canadian artists who are sometimes more content than looks (with traditional sounds) are not being tried on country stations in the US even though it's closer to what's on in the US country music scene than Alternative country.

Without the red dirt/ Texas scene stations and some Americana (AAA) stations playing some Alt. country hits I am surprised that many alt country songs are getting played at all.

Even though I personally like the red dirt scene, I find that the music won't play as good in say Boston (where it's used by many as a form of an alternative to AC radio) than in the south and some other areas that love the variety.

I see the song "Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band a blessing in disguise. As the sound is a little more polished than some songs in the Red Dirt scene, it shows what a big push and people taking to a song can push it to top 10 status (They were originally signed to the Live Nation label but Atlantic took over after the top 20 push in October) and possibly could be done with some alt country songs (even though some smaller stations are already playing alt. country artists such as shooter and Hank III for example and even more advertising the local concerts of Alt. Country acts)

 

[TheBigA]

What I'm surprised about is Canadian artists who are sometimes more content than looks (with traditional sounds) are not being tried on country stations in the US

Crystal Shawanda is Canadian. Adam Gregory is Canadian. No shortage of American country artists. We really don't need to import singers. Got tons of them here.

I see the song "Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band a blessing in disguise. As the sound is a little more polished than some songs in the Red Dirt scene, it shows what a big push and people taking to a song can push it to top 10 status

What's selling that song is grass roots popular support. It is the most downloaded song in the genre. The fact that it's popular with listeners is worth more than a big push by a promotion staff.

That Hank III song is pretty awful.

 

[RFLA]

What I'm surprised about is Canadian artists who are sometimes more content than looks (with traditional sounds) are not being tried on country stations in the US

Crystal Shawanda is Canadian. Adam Gregory is Canadian. No shortage of American country artists. We really don't need to import singers. Got tons of them here.

I know but I find many record companies won't usually take chances unless they have seen that you sell a few cds on your own. I know we have many American artists deserving a chance, and I've seen that many from the Canadian scene actually reside in Nashville trying to hit the US scene or doing writing jobs to pay the bills. That's why I brought it out for..... I figured big sells and awards in Canada would get some of the record companies interested with a ready made audience at least

I see the song "Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band a blessing in disguise. As the sound is a little more polished than some songs in the Red Dirt scene, it shows what a big push and people taking to a song can push it to top 10 status

What's selling that song is grass roots popular support. It is the most downloaded song in the genre. The fact that it's popular with listeners is worth more than a big push by a promotion staff.

That Hank III song is pretty awful.

I figured it had some grass root support since the group appeared at Bonnaroo in Tennessee and with jam bands however grass root can only get enough people on the phones. my guess is new listeners got it into the 20s but as an example, I find many of the Texas music stars and other music not mainstream usually hit that plateau and wither away... I figure a little pushing in non typical markets to play might have helped top 10 status

Most of Hank IIIs stuff is a little too eclectic for my taste. basically stripped down honky tonk on some songs with death metal on some other works makes him too inconsistent to get more than a loyal following.

 

[TheBigA]

I find many of the Texas music stars and other music not mainstream usually hit that plateau and wither away... I figure a little pushing in non typical markets to play might have helped top 10 status

The reason Texas music stars get little or no mainstream interest is they refuse to leave Texas. They make a ton of money there, and see no reason to take a loss by playing in Idaho just to get radio airplay.