Hello, Today i will be blogging abut music from the 2000’s and where it is headed from here. The last two blog posts i made were mostly about older music and country bands but today i thought i would change it up and stick with the topic of people who brought us to where we are today.  The 2000’s were around the time when pop music got very popular. For the people from Saskatoon C95 was by far the most popular radio station as we were coming into a new era of music. One of the most popular genres of music was Pop Rock. If you know about pop rock then you know Blink 182 was one of the bands that got very big because of it. Im choosing to write about blink 182 because i think they will be one of the bands mentioned in upcoming textbooks as a band that created and thrived of the pop rock era in the 2000’s.  When most people who listened to pop rock think of blink 182 they think of one of there most popular songs “All the small things.”

When looking at this song and analyzing how this band really capitalized on mixing pop music with rock music you have to look at a few things.  First you can notice the lyrics are clear and not rushed so as you can understand them.  Next, the song has a very catchy tune that people can sing along to. I think this was very important when blink 182 decided to move into a more pop music feel rather than heavy rock. It appeals to a larger audience and shows how they adapted with the times to attract more fans.  The Song features a large guitar presence and includes a drummer and backup singers.  This was the style of music that was most popular in the 2000’s and why this song reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the year 2000.

The next song i would like to talk about and another reason i think Blink 182 will be talked about in future textbooks about music history is “First Date.” This song is similar in style to the rest of there music.  Blink 182 Got known for a sound and feel to there songs. They wrote about relatable topics and had good background guitars in their songs which made each song catchy and hard not to play on the radio.

Another point you might note about how this band was able to get another song up to number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 is how they do not use explicit language in their songs.  By doing this i think they could appeal to a younger age group as well as the large demographic that was already listening to them. When you listen to this song at the beginning you hear the rock side of the band and when the words start they begin to give the song a more of a pop feeling.  In the 2000’s most rock bands were playing heavy rock with a very very large instrument based focus where the words did not matter as much.  This is why Blink 182 made it as high as they did on the billboard Hot 100 because they started to make a new rock sound.

Blink 182’s main success came right around the year 2000 when the band was played largely on MTV.  This was the type of music MTV was playing at the time and why is was such a popular Television channel at the time as well. They also began to get a huge radio presence when the radios were only playing pop music.

The last album i would like to bring up is Neighbourhoods.  This album was released in 2011 and is an example of how the band changed the style of music they made while still sticking to what worked in early 2000.  The song “Up all night” was the most popular in this album.

Although this song only reach 65th on the Billboard Hot 100 it reached 3rd on the alternative top 100 chart.  Blink 182 had changed there style of music to what was becoming more popular once again. Alternative music was becoming more popular among people by 2012 and this is how Blink 182 managed to still stay relevant even today.  They are still making new music today and released there first #1 hit in 2016.  “Bored To Death”  The reason i choose them as an important band is because of how they stayed so popular for so long.  The way that they stuck with there original sound and tweaked things to stick with the times should be recognized.  Blink 182 may not have been the most popular at all times but throughout the 2000’s they were almost always on the charts and have hung around for almost 18 years now. A lot of Blink 182’s success is based on the time they became popular as they may not have survived 20 years prior. A lot of things had to go right for them to be as popular as they became but they also produced good music that people loved. A lot of bands in the 2000’s did not survive that long.  A lot of the Pop rock bands from the first 10 years were “one hit wonders” as people would call them.

Here is one of Blink 182’s newest songs. Thanks for reading.

#M10Q1

Source List:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ht5RZpzPqw
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVy9Lgpg1m8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpYhGdrknlA
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fof6vYITQ3w

Today i will be writing about tradition vs Innovative or new country music. Before we get started i would just like to say the country music today has recreated the genre and is so far off the concept of original country music that they are hard to even compare.  When looking at where country music started we can look to what we have read from our textbook about Honky Tonks and when country music really started to become music for the working class people. Take Hank Williams for example one of the original and maybe most important “Honky Tonk” singers. He grew up in Alabama in a lower class family. Hank started playing music at a very young age and made it to the radio by 13. Hank Williams had a very short term with country music but songs that topped the charts like “I saw the light”. Hank was inducted into the Rock n Roll and Country music hall of fame.  He was one of the very first country music singer to connect with the common working class.  His music was very popular in Honky Tonk bars which is where country music really started. When these bars were created they were a place that everyday people could come gather and unwind from a long work week.  This if where the honky tonk sound was created.

The Honky Tonk sound as well as Most of Mr. Williams songs are know for there two beat rhythm with guitar both steel and electric.  This sound is what people who enjoy the traditional country music associate with it.

When we look at the trail of how we got to where we are today with country music obviously the technology has changed and advancements in music have made a new sound in country.  If you asked someone who they like in country music today they might say Dan + Shay who is a country music duo that currently holds the number 3 spot on iTunes country charts.  Somewhere between now and hank Williams era (1940s) the music changed to what it is today.

To understand the different between the two types of country music one can look at all the variables. When listening to Hank Williams “Hey Good Lookin’ ” listeners can hear the guitar strumming just as loud as Hanks voice. Which leads to my first point. Sometimes people can have a hard time even hearing an acoustic guitar in the modern day music.  Traditional country music is signers like Johnny Cash that when you hear a song by him you know its country.  Artists today combine pop music with country and that is what it is known for today.  The innovation half of this Dichotomy will be focused on Taylor Swift. Fans have mixed emotions about Taylor Swift and some say she is not a country music singer. What fans can’t deny is that she has changed her sound of country music and gotten a few hit singles along the way. Earlier songs by Taylor Swift like “Fearless” guitar can be heard and the vocals are still somewhat country relatable.

Taylor Swift has changed her music style tremendously from music like this. The reason i am using her as an example is because of her most recently released music that some say is country but majority consider pop. In a way she tried to combine country with pop music and become a new unique sound but i think somewhere along the line she was more overtaken by pop music as the country side dissapeared. When comparing the two eras of country music a listener can realize how things have changed.  People no longer want music they can relate to in a dusty old bar.  The Honky Tonk era of country has come and passed and the new country pop sound has arrived and it sounds like this.

Songs like this have no resemblance to the old country music thank artists like Hank introduced to the world. Listen to the continuous rhythm with next to no guitar.  They “String Twanging” style that honky tonk music had is gone and that is the innovation of country.  Sam Hunt uses technology in his music to create different sounds that he can use to make the music more flowing and easier for the audience to sing along to.

I think the country music today has changed and “innovative” country is more about what the audience wants to hear rather than country that is real and relatable.  I think today tradition country does still exist in artists such as Blake Shelton who sing songs more about country lifestyle and sing music more relatable for country fans.  In my opinion if you let someone who was not a country music fan listen to some of the top hits on the country music charts they would enjoy the songs.  That to me spells out innovative. Artists have changed the way of country music in order to appeal to the majority of music fans.

#M4Q3

Works Cited:

Matt Errey(n.d)History of Country Music. Retrieved from:https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/music-country.htm

Citizen K.(November 11,2008)He walked Alone. Retrieved from: http://killiansaid.blogspot.com/2008/11/he-walked-alone.html

Big and Rich is a Country music band consisting of two artists Big Kenny, and John Rich. John Rich was apart of a band called Lonestar, and Big kenny was pursuing a solo music career until the duo teamed up to create a new sound. In a time where this type of music had not been made before they combined rock with country to crate a new sound that caught on quick. The instrumentation is loud with a country tone in their voices. The groups crazy energetic flow instantly caught on with fans and kept many singles from their albums in 2004 to now on country musics top charts. The first album released was in 2004 which included their biggest hit on the album “Save a horse(Ride a cowboy).”Big and Rich are a large name in country music who produce music that is a music of the “Rock and Roll” era as well as the “folk country” era. The duo have most recently released a new album called “California” in 2017 but are more known for the classic hits like “Comin to your city.” Big and Rich have always stuck with the sound that they began with, which is why fans can know what to expect when going to a concert. A party-like atmosphere with meaningful lyrics and some classics.

Big and Rich created their own sound when they broke into the music scene. They combine a rock and roll atmosphere with country lyrics that people can relate to. Their music can get the party started as well as keep listeners engaged in the music and relating to the words.

The music they play combines many instruments including fiddles, drums, bass, and guitars, both electric and acoustic. The wide variety of all instruments ensures that they can create many different moods and sounds by mixing diffrent instruments.  Songs like “Save a horse(Ride a Cowboy)” have a rock feel with a country like lyric integration. The song “Coming to your city” is upbeat and has a rhythm that can keep you singing along but has creative lyrics that are relatable for different cities around the world. A big example of the type of music that Big and Rich is known for is the song “California” which is meant to be a slower song but has the type of lyrics and instrumental that can have listeners singing along but in an upbeat mood! In the song you can hear the artists signing emotional lyrics but the guitars in the background keep the feel loud and somewhat rock style.

I think that Big and Rich coming to Craven was a great idea because of the music that they play. I know the style is the reason I like them and I think many others enjoy them for this reason too. They can keep an audience singing along the entire night which is exactly what they did at the show. The audience was loud and attentive the entire night which is tough to do with such a large crowd and especially at an outdoor concert. The stage included many large speakers and lot of lights which was great because it was dark when the band came out.  Big and Rich did however lose the crowd a little bit when they brought out Cowboy Troy.  He is a country rap artist who has a different style of music. The reason Big and Rich tour with him and include him in their shows is because he has a unique style of country signing which essentially, is what made Big and Rich famous.  It was not what the fans were expecting and luckily it didn’t last too long before they got back to the classic Big and Rich sound.  The show included a lot of country music hits with most Saskatchewan country music fans were looking forward to and grew up listening to.

This band specifically was the one i was looking forward to the most at country thunder. I have always been a Big and Rich fan from the time i was young in the car listening to it for the first time on the radio. Like i said before I grew up to this music because it was always around. Over the years i have come to relate to the music more and more as a kid from a small town who can relate to most country music.  Big and Rich created a feeling at this concert that they care about the audience and who is in it.  You can tell in the songs they sing that they have seen what they talk about and have lived what they tell stories about.  This is what makes a concert good to me and i think a lot of other people. When the band or artist really connects to the fans that is what makes a concert meaningful. The concert was a upbeat show with slow songs that took the time to connect with the audience and have them cheering along for the fast songs.

Works Cited:

Craig Shelburne (May 16, 2005) Getting to know Cowboy Troy. Retrieved from http://www.cmt.com/news/1502421/getting-to-know-cowboy-troy/

Stephen Thomas Erlewine(n.d)Artist Biography. Retrieved from https://www.allmusic.com/artist/big-rich-mn0000762821/biography