Kol/Mike,

I'm still trying to figure out just where this issue became an "old vs new" debate. Pay attention. It's not the music but the method. The vacuum created by the drastic changes in the business of music, the "conveyor belt method" of releasing music, the Rap/Country domination of popular music to the detriment of all the rest, the politics, the greed, the corporate takeover.....that's the point. The video, an amusing sidebar.
Today's country music blows because it's painfully obvious to me and half the country music world that the music has lost it's heart in favor of the almighty dollar.
Back in the day when a favorite artist "sold out" for the money, their fans let them know and sales/fan bases/careers, were affected.
The difference here, IMO, is that in this instance the entire GENRE sold out to the almighty dollar and have effectively shut out a lot of artists, songwriters and musicians in the process.

Yeah, it's all "derivative." But the key is to evolve and try not to SOUND derivative. Unlike Sturgil Simpson, Jason Isbell,...you know, those who re-invent the sound; modernizing the genre WITHOUT sounding derivative. Not the cut and paste approach minus the emotion. Today's country has no heart. Good production, top notch musicians, a "hot" singer and slick, polished lyrics can fool anyone into thinking a song is better than it is. That's why it's mostly the young teenie boppers and 20 somethings (and apparently, you two) who buy this pretentious [naughty word removed].
It's no different than Hollywood manipulating emotions in their big budget blood fests. They know what sells. Blood, guts, gore, sex, special effects......Country music today is no different.

Except that real emotion that comes from a good, honest song can never be derived.



Write on, Man,
Michael W. Brown, f.k.a. "bluesriff"

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
Mahatma Gandhi