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An Americana Road Trip
"James McMurtry is a true Americana poet - actually he is a poet regardless of genre". Michael Nesmith
"I never get tired of exploring Americana or country music, and I always have a little bit of a crooner in me that never seems to go away".
What is Americana Music?
Americana artifacts are related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States of America. Americana is any collection of materials and things concerning or characteristic of the United States or of the American people, and is representative or even stereotypical of American culture as a whole.
What is and is not considered Americana is heavily influenced by national identity, historical context, patriotism and nostalgia. The ethos or guiding beliefs or ideals which have come to characterize America, such as The American Dream, are central to the idea. Americana encompasses not only material objects but also people, places, concepts and historical eras which are popularly identified with American culture.
The name "Americana" also refers to Americana music, a genre of contemporary music which incorporates elements of various American music styles, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass and blues, resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound.
Americana Music (also known as American roots music) is an amalgam of American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States, specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, gospel, and other external influences. Americana, as defined by the Americana Music Association (AMA), is "contemporary music that incorporates elements of various mostly acoustic American roots music styles, including country, roots rock, folk, gospel and bluegrass resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw. While acoustic instruments are often present and vital, Americana also often uses a full electric band."
"There are always generic terms like 'Americana', but there are no boundaries as to where it can go". Robert Plant
"Americana Music is about all sorts of different music. It's very free and open: a world where people just like authentic music". John Oates
Definition of Americana
1: materials concerning or characteristic of America, its civilization, or its culturebroadly : things typical of America
2: American culture
3: a genre of American music having roots in early folk and country music. Merriam-Webster
“I wonder if Jack and Diane ever made it
After the drums and the guitars all faded". Old Dominion
“A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” – John Steinbeck
"I think Ray Charles did as much as anybody when he did his country music album. Ray Charles broke down borders and showed the similarities between country music and R&B".
“My kind of country is the clear, pure, old-fashioned kind, emotional and gutsy and also sentimental. The songs tell about real human problems - love and the pain of heartbreak and loss - in a way that shows you that the singer is no stranger to pain, and is tough enough to suffer and survive.”
Reba McEntire
“All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.” – Jack Kerouac
“Sometimes I am two people. Johnny is the nice one. Cash causes all the trouble. They fight.” Johnny Cash
"I don't think it's changed that much when you go on the principle if Garth introduced more rock into country music, then Florida Georgia Line's gonna introduce more dance and more beat-driven stuff into country music. That's just how it's gonna go. So whatever influences you as a kid, you're gonna put in your music".
"I never considered myself an Americana artist, but I'm a huge fan of old-time music from the States, the recordings that were made in the '20s and '30s. Trying to chase down the exact stylistic trappings of that stuff always felt like a dead end. That spirit of directness and economy, but also the poetic pungency of the writing and almost ugly, or raw, performance - all that seemed like the real message. I've just tried to somehow stay true to that feeling". Will Sheff
"The Super Bowl is Americana at its most kitsch and fun". Sting
"I’m wearing out this new Coal Men record. I think it’s masterful start-to-finish. Dave Coleman is one of Americana music’s great songwriters, and I hope this record gets the attention it deserves". Todd Snider
"I think Americana music is music that is generally more singer/songwriter oriented. It has more to do with the songwriting. The music, it's more like stories set to music". Billy Bob Thornton
"In the day we sweat it out on the streets in a runaway American Dream". Bruce Springsteen
"It's no accident that my first book was called Americana. This was a private declaration of independence, a statement of my intention to use the whole picture, the whole culture. America was and is in the immigrants dream, and as the son of two immigrants I was attracted by the sense of possibility that had drawn my grandparents and parents". Don DeLillo. (from Conversations With DonLillo).