Nashville Music Vs. Texas Music
I guess I'm feeling the need to explain what I'm talking about in the blog I'm fixin’ to write, because questions about where I'm from come up in almost every interview I do. I'm from Texas and live here still. But, in any interview that I do, whether it's with a magazine, a TV station or whatever, this question comes up: "So, what do YOU think about the Nashville music scene vs. the Texas music scene?" I don't know if they are asking me that question just to ask me (because of the obvious geographical differences), or if they are aware of the differences and want me to put my stamp on the answer.
Nashville music and Texas music are, in fact, very different. I love both places to pieces. I live in Texas now, but I'm not saying that someday I won't move to Tennessee. Nashville has been overly spectacularly wonderful to me. They have nice green trees and tons of talented people and meat-and-threes. If you don't know what a meat-and-three is, look it up or ask your favorite Nashvillian and they can tell you.
Well, anyway, here's my answer:
You can ask any Texas girl, but I think we are brought up with a little extra sass down here. I think they put extra sass in the chicken or milk or something, because most all of us have it. It's gotten me in trouble my whole life, but doing this for a living allows me to let it out more than I could if I worked some other type of job. I don't know what it is, and I can't pinpoint it, but if we are staying true to ourselves, like we are taught, then that sass will come across in our music. It may come across more in-your-face than you'd expected, or it might be downright not your style, but once you listen, you are kinda drawn to it, because it's tough, come-and-get-it, raw emotion.
When someone asks me about Nashville music, I say, "Shawn Camp, Jim Lauderdale, Monty Holmes, Radney Foster, Darrell Scott, Thom Schuyler, John Scott Sherrill, Billy Yates, Leslie Satcher, and the list goes on." These are some of my favorite writers behind the hits that the artists are singing. I mean, they live in Nashville, so wouldn't that be classified as Nashville music? These writers have written tons of hit songs for the likes of Josh Turner, the Dixie Chicks, Lee Ann Womack, Sara Evans, George Jones, Faith Hill, Lacy J. Dalton, Martina McBride, and the list I'm sure goes on.
All I'm saying is, check out the behind-the-scenes on the CD booklets. We make those so we can give people the proper credit. I often find myself listening to the original writers’ versions because those are the most raw and in-your-face. I mean, a lot of times, writers are that -- WRITERS. But in this case, all the ones I listed above are singers and performers and musicians as well. They all write what they know and that comes across. Check some of those folks out and let me know what you think. Better yet, try to find some of their live shows. That will get you hooked.
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Kirk Lockhart says:
You forgot Todd Snider, Will Kimbrough, and Tommy Womack.
k.
Cara says:
Sass is an understatement!! Great read Sunny.
Rob says:
I prefer the raw in your face type music. Billy Joe Shaver is my favorite because he’s lived every one of the words he’s singing. I always connect to his music…likes he’s singing it “Right straight at me”.
Does salad count as one of the three? I’ve given this a lot of thought. I don’t recall any one place here in town that gives you three (except maybe Furr’s or Luby’s, but cafeterias shouldn’t count). In Texas it’s meat & two, but keep your fork cuz you may want dessert. :)
r0b
B.W. LaRoy says:
Alls I wants ta say at this point…is I long for the days when Texas’ Walt Wilkins lives his deserved moment in time. B.W. LaRoy
Phil Roberson says:
Hey, Rob. Actually, a salad “could” be one of the “three” - it all depends on which meat-and-three restaurant that you visit. You never know what could be included in the choices of veggies, or sides. That is part of what makes the meat-and-three restaurants and diners and cafes so much fun. They are often similar but are rarely the same.
There are a ton of places here in Middle Tennessee/Nashville, the mecca of the “meat and three”, that offer “three” choices of veggies (sides). Take a look at the “meat and three” web site that Sunny mentioned (a shameless plug for the site!), and place a call to a number of them and ask. Better yet, just randomly pick several and visit and see for yourself.
I’ve found that the “meat-and-three” and “meat-and-two” terms are quite often used interchangeably in many places. Again, it just depends on which one you visit. And, most of the ones that offer a meat and three - they also offer a “meat and two” as well as a “meat and one”. Of course, lots of them offer a veggies-only plate for the non-meat folks or for those just wanting a plate of good veggies.
Before we stray too far, let’s not forget to mention the ever-popular sweet tea that I personally am addicted to. It is sometimes even included in the price of a meat and three, along with either a roll or cornbread!
Is it getting hungry in here already?!?!
Phil (mn3guy)
Rick says:
When those people ask Sunny to compare the Nashville vs. Texas country music scenes what they likely really mean is to compare Top 40 Mainstream Country music vs. Americana music. The Nashville sound these days is identified with those few artists Top 40 country radio plays endlessly and the pop-rock style of commercial country music that dominates that format. All of the forms of country related music that have been mostly excluded from mainstream radio over the years have been grouped under the “Americana” category umbrella. This includes traditional country, folk country, western swing, cowboy and western music, blues country, and many others.
The Texas music scene is still wide open to all forms of creative expression and still holds western swing music and rough voiced singer songwriters in high regard in total contrast to the big labels in Nashville and mainstream country radio. In Texas you’ll hear the comment “Bob Wills is still the king”, while in mainstream Nashville country music circles they will respond “Bob who?”. Traditional forms of country music still thrive in clubs and on radio stations in Texas but are found in Nashville only in clubs on lower Broadway that cater to touists to Music City. The venerable WSM radio station, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Ernest Tubb Record Shop are some of the only vestiges of traditional country music left in Nashville and are anachronisms in the modern world of pop-rock mainstream country music.
Texas still breeds wonderful young artists like Sunny, honky tonk singer Amber Digby, the extremely talented Elana James (formerly of the Hot Club of Cowtown), and the three talented fiddle playing Quebe Sisters (Quay-bee) who sing like the Andrews sisters from the 1940’s. Artists like this are not coming out of Nashville these days because the culture and music scene wouldn’t foster an interest in the older, more traditional forms of country music that Texas still does. Sunny can list a bunch of talented Nashville songwriters but Radney Foster is a Texan through and through and Billy Yates expressed his frustration in the song “Anywhere But Nashville”.
As the mainstream country music scene focused in Nashville strays further and further away from the sounds and styles that have traditionally defined country music, those forms stay active, alive and vibrant in Texas. Narrow minded mainstream country radio programmers, and the big Nashville labels that cater to their whims, have caused me to lose interest in the vast majority of music coming out of Nashville these days that gets aired on Top 40 country radio. The Texas music scene thankfully has been there to fill in the gap with the wonderful artists mentioned above and others who will emerge from Austin but sadly not Nashville any longer……
Rob says:
Phil - I was going to mention the sweet-tea & the cornbread rolls, but those are fairly common through out the south I think. Ima have to find me a meat-and-three.
Rick - Radney Foster is a Texan, but he first started writing songs in Nashville when he got out of college (College of the South, Sewanne, TN) with Bill Lloyd.
B. W. LaRoy says:
The Pie Wagon off usedtabe MUSIC row, Music Row, is the meat and three. Note to self every time: Don’t wait to get back in line…Get the pie the first time stooopid. BTW- isn’t sweet potato pie a vegetable?
Whoever created the sound for the band Night Ranger, has now taken the wheel in Nashville. If you don’t know who Night Ranger is…you believe in today’s Nashville sound…are asleep at the wheel…not to be confused with any Texas band names…and say things like “Bob who?”….
B.W. LaRoy
Leena says:
I for one can attest to the great music we get in Texas. But to give people their proper credit is always important no matter what city or state you are from. I like to think that radio stations are to blame for people not knowing about great music. Exposure is key, and in TX you can always thank Lone Star 92.5 for great country artists like Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughn with barely any commercials. You should check out http://www.lonestar925.com to check out the radio if you dont live in TX. I work with these guys, and they are revolutionary as far as great radio and music exposure.
B.W. LaRoy says:
Leena….bo…beena…the radio station 92.5 is great! It’s now on my favorites. Thanks. B.W. LaRoy
Charlie Mack First outta the Limo says:
I would have to say, Texas has clearly set more musical innovation in the genre ( Which is what it’s about right? ).
Most importantly Texas Musicians, past and present have had more of a legendary impact on Country Music than our pop counterparts & cousins from Nashville will ever have.
Stay in Nashville and keep on rockin with your 16 year olds. Here in Texas, Bob Wills is still the King.
Brittany says:
I would die if I ever had to a hear a song that came from Nashville again!!!! Its nothing but pretty boy city people who like to wear drugstore cowboy hats and look at “cowgirls.” Texas country is the only thing Ill EVER listen too.
QRGarrettsa says:
very good
Jeff Dykhuis says:
Turn off your mass marketed Clear Channel controlled “country music” radio station and seek out what YOU think is good music. Anyone who thinks only the good music ends up on radio is dead wrong.The real country music is shunned Nashville record execs and radio programmers, its “too country” There is good music coming out of Nashville, we just dont hear it unless you are willing to seek it out and give it a listen yourself. Texas music to me is free of most that bs. It is created by the musicians themselves because they love to do it, the need to be famous is not the main drive in their focus to create. Texas music is a community and family that supports and works together, promoting each other.
Waylon talked about Texans having a lot of soul and i believe no one has more passion and soul in their music like a Texan does. Texas music fans have more passion and pride than any other state in the country and they should be proud. Sunny has since recently moved to Nashville and many other Texas artists have either made the move or have collaborated with Nashville musicians, producers and songwriters and i dont see anything wrong with that at all. Maybe Nashville will learn a thing or two as well and their product will improve. Go Sunny!