Country Music is a Downer. . .

[Gooch]

Now for the record, I hate country music with a passion.

BUT. . .

. . .there are times where I end up having no choice but listening to it. Whether it's at a bar or hanging out with a bunch of friends, I get stuck listening to it. Now for the most part, the country songs that are played on any given night have an upbeat tempo to them, and everyone is having a good time listening to it.

Then there comes the slow, lifeless songs.

These are the songs that kind of kill the mood for me at a bar or a party. Parties are supposed to have upbeat songs to it, with the occaisonal slow dance bullshit, I know. But most of these slow country songs aren't even good songs to slow dance to. They're just about some down-on-their-luck cowboy singing how his life sucks and how he misses the girl who he'd do anything to get back.

Well, that might be a horrible stereotype to a slow country song, but Jesus Christ I hear it too often in lyrics. In any case, these songs end up dampering my mood. It doesn't matter at what point in the night I hear them. I could be sober as hell or drunk off my ass to the point where I think everything's funny and the floor is spinning. These songs are just a buzzkill for me.

And with that, I'm off to listening to my music that doesn't involve any for of country music. EVER.

[pr0de]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yR0NJYbE hI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7ZPwxeE6 n0&feature=related&fmt=18

pwnd

[yurgenburgen]

Country music is pretty terrible. Just seems to mostly be corny lyrics sang in exaggerated American accents about pickup trucks breaking down and stuff.

[Sekhem]

if you're talking about pop-country i completely understand

but most older country and alt country is pretty good

[Mystery-Moon-Pie-Aud]

Gooch, you're in the wrong thread. The Hell thread is here.

[Drake]

At 7/28/09 02:47 AM, yurgenburgen wrote: Country music is pretty terrible. Just seems to mostly be corny lyrics sang in exaggerated American accents about pickup trucks breaking down and stuff.

Yeah, nothing special. I'd prefer Jazz, though, tons of love there.

[firemaker60]

Country music isn't that bad once you start listening to different artists. Since my dad is an avid fan of it and country rock, I inevitably have to listen to it on long road trips. Sure, some of the music is pretty downing, but even those songs can be really deep. The singer's voices are well suited for bringing out the emotion in their words.

The best thing, though, is to listen to a really sad country song that gets you down, and then immediately after that one, listen to a very lighthearted, upbeat song, and you'll usually get perked up again in no time, probably even more than when you started.

[jewdudewtf]

I don't mind hearing it every now and then. I understand that slow songs can be a downer, but their not all depressing.

Example

[Sportsboy]

Country music is the most depressing, you can look that up.

I hate it and I have to listen to it against my will more often than I'd like to. Some isn't bad, it's tolerable. But some stuff just totally kills the mood, especially if it is annoying or sad.

[Gagsy]

I like to consider country musicians the first REAL emos. You're right, the music is a complete downer.

I don't know too many country songs I'll be honest, but I do know the bigger hits and the stuff they had on GTA: San Andreas. And yeah a lot of it is always about losing their love, being alone, getting drunk and upsetting their wives, and the singers usually sing the songs with such sadness too, they basically make the songs a lament =P

Just listen to some Willie Nelson.

[Crashman]

At 7/28/09 02:52 AM, ChocEliteBar wrote: Yeah, nothing special. I'd prefer Jazz, though, tons of love there.

I'd have to agree I actually like Jazz.

[wildfire4461]

IMO this is one of the best downer country songs ever.

[Gooch]

At 7/28/09 02:47 AM, yurgenburgen wrote: Country music is pretty terrible. Just seems to mostly be corny lyrics sang in exaggerated American accents about pickup trucks breaking down and stuff.

It's funny how some of these country music artists aren't from the southern parts of the U.S., yet they try and personify what it's like in a typical southern lifestyle. I just don't get it, sometimes. Then again, if you want to make it in the country music profession, I guess you have to do whatever it takes, even if it means completely going against everything you've been known for *cough*Darius Rucker*cough*.

At 7/28/09 02:49 AM, Sekhem wrote: if you're talking about pop-country i completely understand

but most older country and alt country is pretty good

I'm basically categorizing pop-country, yes.

I mean, I'm not fond of country in general, but some of the older country and alt country isn't so bad. I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it, but I wouldn't classify it in with the country music that I loathe with a passion.

At 7/28/09 02:52 AM, ChocEliteBar wrote:

Yeah, nothing special. I'd prefer Jazz, though, tons of love there.

Oh god yeah.

Jazz can usually put you in one of two moods: relaxed or energetic. It just depends on the rhythm and the tempo. I love just chillin' to some sweet jazz every now and then. I don't understand why more people hop on to that musical style and listen to it. I wouldn't say jazz is a dying genre by any stretch of the imagination, but with the societal trends today saying that pop and rap music are what the "cool kids" listen to, jazz doesn't get the notoriety it deserves.

Pretty much like classical never gets, either.

At 7/28/09 02:58 AM, firemaker60 wrote: Country music isn't that bad once you start listening to different artists. Since my dad is an avid fan of it and country rock, I inevitably have to listen to it on long road trips. Sure, some of the music is pretty downing, but even those songs can be really deep. The singer's voices are well suited for bringing out the emotion in their words.

I've actually been through that process.

You see, when I worked at a local radio station, one of the stations we channeled was a country music station. For a while there I was a DJ on Sunday afternoons for it.

More to the point, I ended up hearing a lot of country music in my time working there, and I could never find many songs to take a liking to. I mean sure, some of the songs had their moments, but those came few and far between.

I always remember hearing "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" on there one day, and I was elated. That's probably the only song I ever heard on that station that I actually enjoyed listening to through the whole song.

The best thing, though, is to listen to a really sad country song that gets you down, and then immediately after that one, listen to a very lighthearted, upbeat song, and you'll usually get perked up again in no time, probably even more than when you started.

That's easier said than done when you're drunk off your ass at a party. You get easily influenced by songs you tend to focus in on. If it's upbeat, then by god I've picked the right song to tune into. But if I end up focusing on something that sounds depressing, the rest of my night is ruined. I might as well go home and pass out at that point. I just never seem to perk right up after tuning in to slow, depressing bullshit.

At 7/28/09 03:00 AM, jewdudewtf wrote: I don't mind hearing it every now and then. I understand that slow songs can be a downer, but their not all depressing.

Example

Off-topic, love the Modest Mouse sig.

Back to the discussion, I understand that not all country slow songs are depressing. It just seems like the vast majority of them are that way.

At 7/28/09 04:53 AM, Gagsy wrote: I like to consider country musicians the first REAL emos. You're right, the music is a complete downer.

I didn't think I was alone in that opinion. :)

I don't know too many country songs I'll be honest, but I do know the bigger hits and the stuff they had on GTA: San Andreas. And yeah a lot of it is always about losing their love, being alone, getting drunk and upsetting their wives, and the singers usually sing the songs with such sadness too, they basically make the songs a lament =P

Tell me about it.

I'm like you. I don't know too many country songs either. Hell, I could name a few artists, but I couldn't tell you what the hell they sing. Regardless, the lyrics and the sadness in their voices always portray that feeling of lonliness and vulnerability. Who wants to listen to that sort of jank stuff?

Then again, it can appeal to the masses if they are experiencing similar circumstances.

Just listen to some Willie Nelson.

Willie for the win!

[Peacekid]

It sets the mood, I like oldies music better though

[reveihca]

Well Country music does ironically influence the most suicides, although I think that's got something more to do with the depressing lyrics than quality of the music.

[Sawdust]

With the exception of the Dewey Cox soundtrack, of course.

How could you go wrong with hearing this when you're at a party?

Let me hold you little man.

[Psychophobia]

Heavy metal gives me a warm feeling in my heart.

I don't really know that many country songs either. My music tastes have largely been built up by what my parents listen to, and they've never been big country music fans; they listen to more English folk rock sort f stuff. There are a few American artists they listen to that spring to mind, but you probably wouldn't usually associate solely with country, e.g The Byrds, Neil Young or most notably Bob Dylan. Most of those sorts would probably fall into the folk or general rock categories overall anyway.

I know what you mean though through the small amount of country music I've listened to before. Like Gagsy mentioned, I listened to the country rock radio station on GTA: San Andreas at times... and that was quite often in the hope that Eddie Rabbitt's "I Love A Rainy Night" would play. I mean, that was one of the happier ones on there! Come to think of it, you don't see rain being used as an inspiration for happiness very often, do you? My knowledge on the whole topic is a bit skewed otherwise, but rest assured I know what you mean.

As I said about my parents earlier, they listen to a lot more English-based folk music themselves. A lot of this can be quite jolly, particularly if the quick fiddle playing is out in force (and you mentioned The Devil Went Down To Georgia, along the lines of that but perhaps not so "extreme"). I've found a similar thing comes into play though, only it might be a bit more subtle with this genre. You'll have a song about old men getting happily drunk in a field. Sounds pretty pleasant, yes? Well... not if it's a song about how they've wasted their lives. There's also a fair amount of songs about characters in folklore being murdered or arrested. Oh, and let's not get started on the songs about the English Civil War...

Another genre that has a strong potential for getting you down: blues rock, though this is pretty much the point most of the time. With blues musicians that don't sing as often, you're mostly left with some fabulous guitar solos with that jazz improvised style that really pumps you up under the right circumstances. Others mix it up a bit, which can also sound pretty awesome... but you probably know what I'm on about when it comes to pieces with more emphasis on what might be a great voice, but it's probably a great voice emiting some pretty depressing stuff, with the backdrop of some relentless bass.

At 7/29/09 05:47 AM, Gooch wrote: Oh god yeah.

Jazz can usually put you in one of two moods: relaxed or energetic. It just depends on the rhythm and the tempo. I love just chillin' to some sweet jazz every now and then. I don't understand why more people hop on to that musical style and listen to it. I wouldn't say jazz is a dying genre by any stretch of the imagination, but with the societal trends today saying that pop and rap music are what the "cool kids" listen to, jazz doesn't get the notoriety it deserves.

I agree with that. I think that's why I personally and so many others use jazz as inspiration fuel. Some of the longer pieces (and you'll know that there are a lot of longer pieces in jazz) are just brilliant. I listened to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew (a more electric jazz album I think) last week, and I was pretty taken away by it at times. I'm still getting stuck in pretty much, but I'm still loving it so far. As for downer qualities... I don't think I know much jazz that has a great deal of sadness in its style, though it's probably the intention at times.

I think the thing with jazz appeal is that it gets relegated to the status of background music, so some think it fits the same sort of purpose as ambient music, or whatever. It is the case at times... but still, unfortunate really. In fact, I think the jazz radio station in Grand Theft Auto IV (which looks like my second biggest influence for getting music, haha) has a voice in the breaks saying something like, "Jazz music: no longer just for elevators." This might sound a bit bratty of me, but I still think it's quite a... I want to say, rebellious act to listen to jazz in some circles, like it has been for decades. Understanding the music is more important than just saying it's "cool" of course, but I think this is a fairly good reason why jazz hasn't died yet.

On a slightly unrelated note, I love it when people say jazz isn't modern. Then I can get all sociological dictionary on their asses.

Pretty much like classical never gets, either.

Some classical pieces too, are absolutely mind-blowing. Mosto f it works great as music to work to as well, like jazz does. I don't know as much about the overall history (just bits here and there) or the technique and everything, but I find I can still enjoy it. It's a shame that amongst younger people (in particular), I'd be willing to guess that classical is often seen as even less "cool" than jazz.

On the topic of downer music, while this short Rachmanioff piece is one of my favourites, I have been known to get depressed while listening to it. I don't know why really, heh...

Yes, it's the one that Bill Murray plays in Groundhog Day.