Americana (music)

Americana is an amalgam of roots music fused by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, rhythm & blues, rock & roll and other external influential styles.>cite web|url=http://www.americanamusic.net|title=What is Americana Music?|date=2008-10-06|author=Pete Knapp] Americana is popularly referred to, especially in print, as "alt-country" or sometimes "alt.country". Ann Patchett considers Americana music in Nashville as "the coolest music scene today". [Citation
last=Patchett| first=Ann| author-link=Ann Patchett| title=Band of Outsiders| newspaper=New York Times Magazine| issue=TRAVEL FALL 2007| pages=60| date=Fall 2007| url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1342045701&sid=5&Fmt=2&clientId=10562&RQT=309&VName=PQD]

Americana as a radio format

Americana, as once defined by the Americana Music Association, is "American roots music based on the traditions of country. While the musical model can be traced back to the Elvis Presley marriage of 'hillbilly music' and R&B that birthed rock 'n roll, Americana as a radio format developed during the 1990s as a reaction to the highly polished sound that defined the mainstream music of that decade." Because of listener interest in the artists who do not fit as comfortably in the Country or Rock genres, a radio format called "Americana" has been developed by the Americana Music Association and reported by R&R. Born out of the "Triple A ", "Non-Commercial", "Country" and other varied formats, the Americana format is the sum of the parts that have showcased Americana music since its inception.

I don't want to change what has been written above, but I will update it to say that the "Americana"radio format was not actually developed by the Americana Music Association (AMA). Rather the AMA grew out of the radio format as an effort to bring all of the Americana Music supporters, performers, and professionals together in an organization designed to provide a platform for all artists and professionals working in that musical genre in order to further expand the visibility and viability of the music. The radio format, including the term "Americana" for it, actually began in early 1995 thru efforts of Rob Bleetstein of San Francisco, and Jon Grimson of Nashville. Rob became the first Americana chart editor as Gavin (a former radio trade publication) magazine created the first Americana radio chart which was published on Jan. 20, 1995. Jon became the first Americana radio promoter after having promoted the music previously as an employee of Warner Brothers Records Nashville, and promoting those releases that WB worked to radio formats outside the mainstream country stations. Both are no longer in those positions, but as of this entry, Rob is programming the Country (basically Americana) channel for internet radio broadcaster Radioio.com. The AMA was later established to expand the musical format outside of strictly radio, but still very much including the radio aspect as well. The non profit AMA now runs the Americana radio chart that is published in R&R (Radio & Records, a radio trade publication).

Notable Americana artists

Some of the significant artists in the genre are Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, Lucinda Williams, Uncle Tupelo, BR549, Mavis Staples, John Prine, Rodney Crowell, The Band, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Presley, Steve Earle, Alison Krauss, June Carter Cash, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Radney Foster, Wilco, Jay Farrar, The Jayhawks, Jim Lauderdale, The Derailers, Loretta Lynn, Ryan Adams, Kelly Willis, Son Volt, Patty Griffin, Marty Stuart, Joe Ely, Buffalo, The Subdudes, Gurf Morlix, Jimmy LaFave, Neil Young, Bobby Bare, The Greencards, Kathleen Edwards, Adrienne Young, Peter Case, Joan Osborne, Sunny Sweeney, Old Crow Medicine Show, Whiskeytown, Gillian Welch, Alejandro Escovedo, Golden Smog, Freakwater, The Gourds, Lyle Lovett, Chris Castle, Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Hornsby, Eilen Jewell, Bill Kirchen, Amy LaVere, Blue Mountain, Rita Hosking, The Handsome Family, J.J. Cale, Uncle Earl, Bob Dylan, Buddy Miller, Dale Watson, Ruthie Foster, Tangletown, Southern Culture on the Skids, Guy Clark, Hackensaw Boys, Mindy Smith, Porter Wagoner, Stoll Vaughan, Robbie Fulks, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Robert Plant, Jimmy Bowen, William Elliott Whitmore, James McMurtry, Drive By Truckers.

Notes and references

ee also

*Americana Music Association

External links

* [http://americanamusic.net/ AmericanaMusic.net]
* [http://americanamusic.org/ Americana Music Association]
* [http://radiofreeamericana.com/ Radio Free Americana]
* [http://americanaroots.com/ Americana Roots]