Redneck Playlist Hilight [Part 2]

Last time we rambled about big country, the music of the city with the production value matching a lot of pop songs out there today. The next thing on the list is bluegrass, with the playlist "bluegrass" by spotify user ndowell-us. If ya listen to some of the instermentation in these songs, and in some of the songs from last time, you can definitly see a comparison. They're from the same roots--though it would be my belief that bluegrass is closer to those roots than the other.

These kinds of musical numbers are heavy on the banjo, and the plucking of that instrument or of fiddles kinda defines this johnra. They also got a ton of smooth fiddle work too. Did you know a fiddle is just a violin used to play bluegrass or country music? It shore is amazing how different this sounds to some Mozart! Most of this here bluegrass music is also based around a big 1 and 3 beat structure, where the first and third beats are emphatized and the second/fourth are just barely there. Its kind of like a walts, if youve ever been to a posh danse or some occasion in town.

The voices of bluegrass are very different to their pop country cousins. The men are usually higher, less overbearingly manly, and their accents have more blue mountain twang than southern drawl. The appalachians are the backbone of the redneck--underdeveloped, coal mines, and often forgotten about, many little towns're left to themselves to sort out their art and learnin (at least, they were when I read "Christy" by Catherine Marshall, a novel that poignantly explicates the struggles of appalachian towns in the first half of the 20th century). That leads to bluegrass--simpler music, simpler life.

There's also that noteful harmony from the second voice in a lot of these musical ditties that you dont hear anywhere except these kinda songs. Its almost like you can hear how many teeth these guys are missin. Unfortunately, alot of the bluegrass kind of sound is missed out on the interenat and professional records because it comes from front porches and town festivals rather than recording studios and travelling concerts.

Have a little listen to this time's playlist, and take a lil time to think about this often ignored portion of our great wide country. It's been especially relivant in recent politics.