Galleywinter

Authentic and genuine are two words that get thrown around quite a bit in regard to Texas Music.  Rightfully so in my opinion.  What many of us love so much about our kind of music, OKOM, is that it (most of the time) comes from a very real place.

Many of the lyrics written by our favorite artists come from a very deep place within their life experiences and soul.  Whether that’s a rowdy recounting of a particular night out or a more somber reflection on their lot in life.  Even when fictional characters are involved and the song is written entirely in the 3rd person, their are elements of the artist bubbling just underneath.  As Randy Rogers once said…”that’s a true story I made up all by myself.”

When Adam Hood talks about being broke during a long, cold winter in Nashville and running out of money while chasing his dreams you can tell he’s lived every single syllable.  That type of reality based songwriting draws listeners in.  There’s a reason guys like Hood, Sean McConnell and Will Hoge have connected to Texas audiences in a way many artists from within the state borders never have or could.

Believability.

If you want to sing about floating the river, at least make it sound like it’s something you truly enjoy and not just a half-baked idea you had to capitalize on something that came before you.

Townes Van Zandt wrote from the point of view of a drunken lunatic because that’s essentially what he was.  The reason he’s still so revered is because he was so damned true to himself.

Pre-famous Ryan Bingham wrote about being a desperate troubadour caught somewhere between hell and redemption, and his vocals matched every word to the point you felt like you yourself  were on that same exact journey.

When Evan Felker talks about awkwardly running into his old girlfriend at the grocery store in the Turnpike Troubadours “7&7″, you can relate even though he made the story up.  You feel his despair and live every second of that awkward moment with him.

The reason people are responding in growing numbers to these types of artists is because in the ever expanding and fractured music climate of 2012, people are seeking true connections.

For a decade, pop and rock music has continued to get more plastic and software driven.  There’s always been a rebellious attitude toward that around Texas, but it’s a movement that’s growing.  Fans want something that they can hold onto and claim as their own.

Texas/Red Dirt music fans are savvy.  They listen to Brandon Rhyder sing about the backroads of this county and immediately connect because they’ve driven the same type of routes in their own county.

Casey Donahew is as popular right now as Pat Green was in 1999 because he appeals to the teenage party crowd.  He doesn’t live in a double wide and his best friend isn’t really a tractor tech named Junior, but there are plenty of his fans that can relate to that lifestyle and therefore respond to it.

Even bad music can be authentic.  If it comes from a real place and not simply with visions of a cash register ringing.  There’s a reason rootsy acts like Lincoln Durham, Jason Eady and The Damn Quails are some of the most buzzed about acts right now.  They adhere to the definition of authenticity:  of undisputed origin.  There is no gray area or marketing plan.  The music speaks for itself and people are responding.

Without a genuine base to your art, you’re just a fad.  Fads come and go.  Truth lasts forever.  There’s a reason people still go back to Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark.  They never burnt up the charts or bigtimed around on tourbuses to play at tiny bars, but they’ve outlasted the influence of many of their contemporaries.

Why?

Authenticity.

The shape of authenticity is in good hands as we move forward in 2012.  True artists will stand the test of time.  Despite the over-saturated playing field now, in 30-40 years when music historians look back on this scene, there will only be a handful of names recounted.  Think of all the records released each year.  Who will make the history defining cut?  Time will tell in a very genuine and authentic manner.

MINOR CHORDS:

-Hosting a Super Bowl party this year.  I usually enjoy going to parties at other people’s houses because you can do the dip disappearing act whenever you feel like it.  Maybe I could still pull that off at my own house?  Hmm.

-Greenfest plans are in motion.  July 28-29, 2012 in New Braunfels.  Stay tuned for details!

-Lone Star Jam line-up is starting to leak out.  Looks like the best one yet.  Dig the May date too.

-Our LJT plans are coming into focus too.  Sure to be another epic year.  Intending to do a lot more video stuff out there this year and record more podcasts.

-Based on the previous three items, it must be festival season, huh?

-Pitchers and catchers report soon and that makes me happy.  Still not over how last season ended for my beloved Rangers but the pain has dulled enough for me to get excited about 2012.

-Have you seen the trailer for Will Ferrell’s new movie, Casa De Mi Padre?  Looks like the funniest thing he’s done since Anchorman.  But, based on his recent track record it could be terrible.  No middle ground here.

-Can’t believe this site has been around 10 years and the community that spawned it is going on 15.  Wow. Time flies when you’re having fun.

-How about that Ferris Bueller Super Bowl ad?  I too fell victim to the viral effects of that and got all excited about a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off From Work sequel.  He, Cam and Sloane ditching their jobs for a day of fun around Chicago.  If John Hughes were still around I know this would happen.  It’d be great to catch up with the sausage king too.

-I think Jason Eady’s record is the one I’m most excited about in 2012.  It’s going to blow people away.

-I’m still coming to terms with how kids eat into your leisure time.  My DVR is as full as Rosie O’Donnell after Thanksgiving dinner.  I’ll get around to them sometime…

-This month’s recommended album is: HoneyHoney-Billy Jack.  Some friends hipped me to this project.  This album came out last fall but I just got my hands on it recently.  A true duo comprised of a male and female it sounds like Adele if she was produced by T. Bone Burnett.  Equal doses of soul and sultriness.  Also check out the albums I’ve reviewed so far in 2012-Lincoln Durham, Matt Powell and Roger Creager among others.

-”Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most.”-Mark Twain