14 Opinion

October 10th 2012 - Over the Edge

PHODO,SOURCE SHELLEY TERMUENDE

A BEER WITH BEN

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

BEN FILIPKOWSKI

COPY EDITOR

Growing up and developing my own
musical tastes, | was exposed to a
number of different genres and artists
before finally settling on a definition
of what was good to my ears. I’m a big
music fan, and do my best to remain
open-minded to new music and new
artists, no matter how bad an initial
reaction is or how poorly they are
received by friends and the music press
at large.

That said, | have never held country
music in high regard.

I'm not entirely sure what it is about
country that bothers me; indeed,
sometimes I’m certain everything
about it bothers me. A number of
friends who enjoy country tell me that
| need to stop listening to Top 40 stuff,
that | need to look into the genre a bit
more, and while | respect that, their
suggestions are often little better than
the stuff on the radio.

| really can’t put my finger on it - as

a musician myself, | can appreciate
skillful playing and composition, and
| can ignore with the twang present
in both voice and instrument. | enjoy
lap steel guitar (the source of those
swelling slides that just scream
country), | enjoy the techniques
present in country (hybrid picking,
where one picks a guitar with both a
plectrum and fingers, is a standout)
and | have to admit that the players
know what they’re doing.

So maybe it’s something more - lyrical
simplicity? That must be it. But then,
rock and roll isn’t very deep lyrically
either.

| recently discovered the music of Ryan
Adams. For lack of better terminology,
his stuff is alt-country (a problematic
term for me, because alternative is a
poor name for a genre as is), thoughtful
and...fun.

There’s twang, there’s heartbreak,
there’s drinking with your friends,

but below all that, it’s clear this guy
doesn’t see himself as a country
artist. He’s a songwriter who happens
to have some good old twang, some
Americana, some salt of the earth. It’s
folk, electrified.

And the thing is, it’s good. The songs
will speak to you, will make you want

to sing along, and you'll enjoy them.

So | suppose | have to admit, | enjoy
some country.

Oh no...what’s wrong with me?