Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum’s Post

Out today: my take on nostalgia, fandom, heritage, value and identity in contemporary pop music (case study: Belgian band dEUS), published by Palgrave Macmillan. Do check out the wonderful volume on 'Retrospection and Revision in Modern and Contemporary Art, Literature and Music' editors Mathilde Roza and Mette Gieskes have put together! Over the last ten years, full performances of classic albums have become increasingly prevalent in popular music. For bands and their audiences, there is a lot at stake: re-performances of albums present them with a number of complex cultural dilemmas, especially around issues of value, identity, credibility, and legitimacy. Taking the reperformance of the album The Ideal Crash by Belgian band dEUS as a case study, I explore these dilemmas by investigating the interests of bands and their audiences in the (re-) creation of (a contemporary version of) the past. Faculteit der Letteren / Faculty of Arts, Radboud University #research #popmusic #culturalheritage #culturalstudies https://lnkd.in/etrYkUSv

In the wake of embarambaba's recent song, a considerable number of Kenyans advocate for his exclusion from the gospel music industry, citing a misalignment with gospel values. Some argue that judgments about his music may not consider the potential financial repercussions, questioning who will support him if he faces financial struggles after being excluded From my perspective, the matter lies in whether the concern is primarily about the content of his songs or the aftermath of being removed from the gospel music realm. In my opinion, artists should be allowed creative freedom for financial gain, provided their work doesn't defame others. While I acknowledge the importance of personal financial pursuits, the essence of gospel music must not be compromised. There is a valid concern that younger audiences might be influenced by content not in line with traditional gospel values, potentially leading them astray. I fully understand get that aspect. The dilemma arises when blame is assigned even after embarambaba has been removed from the gospel music scene, not sure whether he will. It underscores the need for a nuanced approach in evaluating artists, considering both artistic expression and the responsibility that comes with being a gospel singer. This delicate balance ensures the preservation of gospel music's true meaning while addressing financial considerations and potential repercussions for the artist.

EXCERPT FROM BOOK:- (C&P) "WRITTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE". "ICRAM INQUEST INVESTIGATES"-"WHO ARE THESE CAUCASIAN MEN FROM THE UK- BRITAIN, WITH THEIR USA, JAMAICAN, AND OTHER COLONIAL CONNECTIONS-WHO TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO STEAL, WRITE ABOUT, AND TO PROFITEER FROM THE WORKS OF POOR JAMAICAN TRENCH TOWN AFRICAN GHETTO YOUTHS?" THIS IS SOMETHING THEY HAVE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS, AND SOME HAVE BECOME KNOWN IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS EXTORTIONISTS AND DECEPTIVE PURVEYORS OF OUR TRENCH TOWN REGGAE MUSIC HISTORY-SELLING MISINFORMATION BY CALLING THEMSELVES- PREEMINENT JOURNALISTS, REGGAE AUTHORS AND HISTORIANS, MUSICOLOGISTS ETC. BOB MARLEY AND PETER TOSH DID SING-"TELL THE PEOPLE THE TRUTH". "YOU CAN'T BLAME THE YOUTHS". THEY TELL OTHERS OF OUR HISTORY WHICH WE KNOW THEY DO NOT HAVE. "SO, WHAT ARE THEY SELLING TO THE PEOPLE ABOUT US?" ** THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE WORLD TO LOOK AT THEIR MEANS AND QUESTIONABLE MOTIVES.** WE DO NOT KNOW THEM, NEVER KNOWN THEM, THEY WERE NEVER IN TRENCH TOWN WITH US AT ANY TIME. THEY DO NOT, AND CANNOT SPEAK FOR US. THEIR -"UNJUST ENRICHMENTS" -HAS COME TO THEM BY MEANS OF DECEPTIONS, REGGAE MISINFORMATIONS, EXTORTIONS, FRAUDULENT PROMISES AND GROSS MISREPRESENTATIONS. IF I HAD THE TIME TO POINT OUT IN DETAIL THE LEGION OF LIES AND FALSE INFORMATIONS FOUND IN THEIR BOOKS, IT WOULD TAKE WEEKS IF NOT MONTHS OF WASTED ENERGY. OUR RECORDS WILL REFLECT THAT WHAT IS SAID HERE IS TRUE, NOT WITHSTANDING THE QUESTIONS OF- MALEVOLENT EXPLOITATION, AND DISCRIMINATION. BUT LINGERING QUESTIONS EXISTS AS TO WHY BRITISH WRITERS MORE THAN OTHERS SEEM TO BE MESMERIZED BY BLACKS IN AND FROM JAMAICA, AND THE FACT THAT THEY CAN EASILY VISIT JAMAICA AND EXPLOIT WHOMEVER AND WHATEVER THEY WISHED.**JAMAICA HAS NO GUARD RAILS TO INFILTRATES SINCE-TOURISM-DRIVES ITS ECONOMY.** JAMAICANS ARE GENERALLY AMICABLE PEOPLE..UNLESS YOU SHOULD BE STUPID TO STEP OUT OF LINE.

[This unRivalrous Perspective from Lyle Enright was featured in a recent issue of our biweekly newsletter, The Frame. Click here to subscribe: https://buff.ly/3vu0N4G] Beyoncé’s new album Cowboy Carter is making waves. After an “unwelcoming” reception from many country music fans, Beyoncé answered with a work of art. Historian Jamar Tisby celebrates not only Beyonce’s talent and courage, but also her non-rivalrous model: "Instead of letting the racists win and…claim ownership over an entire genre of music, Beyoncé 'did a deeper dive into the history of Country music.' In creating this album, and she took her time doing it, Beyoncé models the approach that more of us should take when dealing with racism in the world." What, exactly, is that approach? Beyoncé did not respond to prejudice by flaunting her own celebrity or her confidence as an artist. She didn’t fight one myth with a myth of her own. Instead, she carefully studied the history of country music. She brought a richer history to the surface, told a fuller story about American art to which everyone belongs, with symbols that cannot be contained by power or identity. The very existence of Cowboy Carter is humbling to me. It invites me to question my own impulses, my temptation to believe that America has no hope of ever being the beacon for freedom and justice it claims to be. Just because there are people who want to claim that vision for themselves, and exclude others from it, it doesn’t mean that vision should be abandoned. Cowboy Carter says as much in its proud display of American symbols and its celebration of American music. Again, we have much to learn from Beyoncé about how to engage power and prejudice nonrivalrously. As Tisby puts it, "[s]he did not accept the dominant narrative that was crafted by and for white people (and a certain type of white person at that). She interrogated the assumptions and did her own investigation of the source materials." Nonrivalrous resistance starts by taking its time, asking questions, and remembering that not everyone fits our assumptions–or even theirs! It looks for ways to turn rejection into celebration and art.

Popular Music Books in Process Series   Monday, April 15, 5pm ET   Elijah Wald in conversation with Kimberly Mack  Jelly Roll Blues: Censored Songs and Hidden Histories   A conversation about Jelly Roll Blues, an exploration of the censored and hidden worlds of early blues and jazz inspired by Jelly Roll Morton's oral history at the Library of Congress. The book looks at the ways Black oral culture was preserved and the “silences of history”— all the things that were not preserved or were preserved in distorted forms. It explores the language and culture of the Black "sporting world," the extent to which early blues was directed at a female audience and dealt with issues of sexuality that were not being discussed in any other media. It attempts to recover language, stories, and individuals that earlier histories ignored and suppressed, and to open up new conversations about what is missing from familiar narratives—including the ways that missing material connects the Black oral culture of the early twentieth century with styles and approaches that only reached a mass market with rap and hip-hop.   The discussion will focus on lost narratives, (re)constructed histories, the process of engaging and harnessing such a rich archive, and the complications and messiness of race and authorship. Email Froyster@depaul.edu to be added to the series email list and get Zoom links. Co-organizers: Kimberly Mack, Antonia Randolph, Francesca Royster, Gustavus Stadler, Eric Weisbard and Carl Wilson for Journal of Popular Music Studies, IASPM-US, and the Pop Conference.

From the creative mind of Professor of Music, Dr. Paul Dickinson, "Go Bears!" is a real composition that can be heard on the soundcloud link below. Dr. Dickinson states, "this is a graphic score created for my composition students, an example of 'Augenmusik'--eye music--for them to try for themselves. It incorporates bits of the UCA Fight Song and Alma Mater." The "eye music" in the form of the UCA Bear logo creates clusters of notes, leading Dr. Dickinson to also say, "Sometimes music should be seen and not heard! (But go ahead and listen to it if you want!)" https://lnkd.in/g6mh_gFC

Are you possessed? When writing the possessive form of a term, consider whether “one of several” is implied. If it is, then the possessive form of that term may be preceded by “of.” For instance, if Mabel has five sisters, we can say, “Lurlene is a sister of Mabel’s” because Mabel literally possesses several sisters, one of whom is Lurlene. But if the meaning of the term that follows “of” is not literally possessive, don’t add the apostrophe and the “s” to that term: “Lurlene is a devotee of classic country music.” Lurlene may be devoted to the classic country genre, but classic country music does not literally possess her, so “music” is not in the possessive form. This tip follows the Chicago Manual of Style.

It's GRAMMY szn. Hallelujah. I've had two people ask me to explain the difference between "Album of the Year", "Record of the Year", and "Song of the Year" so I'll do so here: 🎯 Album of the Year: This is the only General Field category for a full album. Everyone involved in the album process is eligible for an award: Performers, writers, engineers, producers, mixers, & mastering engineer(s). Excluded are cover art & packaging designers. They have their own category. 🎯 Record of the Year: Despite what we call a "record", this is a song category. It's a legacy of the early days of the industry when a "record" actually meant a "recorded song." Like Album of the Year, everyone involved in the writing & recording of the track is eligible. 🎯 Song of the Year: Related to Record of the Year, this is for the songwriters & composers. "Song" in this context means the song as it is composed. 🎯 Along with the "Best New Artist", these four categories make up the General Field. As you can imagine, it's common for one track to win both song categories. It's happened 31 times since the first GRAMMY Awards were first held in 1958. Some fun GRAMMY trivia for you: ➡ The GRAMMYs began in 1958 after the recording industry saw how much the TV industry benefited from the Emmys, which had started six years earlier. ➡ The GRAMMYs have been held in five cities: NY, LA, Chicago, Nashville, & Las Vegas. ➡ Beyonce has the most GRAMMYs (32), conductor Georg Solti is second (31). Two artists have won all four General Fields in the same year. Can anyone guess who? 🤔 #musicindustry #musicbusiness #grammys

ICYMI: I'm published! You can read my feminist interpretation of the late-1970s Leeds punk scene in "Popular Music in Leeds: Histories, Heritage, People and Places."

The Overdue Knighthood of Tony Blackburn: A Reflection on the British Honours System” I find myself completely bewildered by the situation surrounding Tony Blackburn, a name synonymous with the golden era of British radio. Growing up in the sixties, I, like many others, was captivated by Blackburn’s voice on the airwaves. He wasn’t just a DJ; he was the radio star of England, a beacon of the vibrant music scene that shaped a generation. Yet, here we are, in an era where his monumental contributions to British music seem to have been overlooked by the establishment. Tony Blackburn has been awarded an OBE, which, while respectable, pales in comparison to the knighthood that many believe he richly deserves. How is it that a man who has been an integral part of our cultural fabric, a man who has broken no laws and is adored by millions across generations, is yet to receive this honor? The British Honours system, steeped in tradition and prestige, is at the heart of this issue. One would think that a figure like Blackburn, who played a pivotal role in popularizing genres and artists since the Beatles, would be a prime candidate for such recognition. Yet, the system remains shrouded in its criteria and decision-making processes. It is managed by the UK Government Cabinet Office Honours Committee, and despite petitions and public discourse championing Blackburn’s cause, there remains no definitive reason for the absence of his knighthood. This situation raises critical questions about the Honours system in Britain. When will we see a modernization of this process? How can we ensure that it truly reflects the contributions and impact of individuals in our society? It’s a matter that goes beyond Tony Blackburn; it’s about the recognition of cultural icons and the values we, as a society, choose to honor. The case of Tony Blackburn isn’t just about a missed title; it’s a mirror reflecting the complexities and, perhaps, the needed evolution of the British Honours system. It’s high time for a reevaluation, for an update that aligns with the dynamism of our contemporary heroes. The knighthood of Tony Blackburn should not just be a possibility; it should be an imperative, a testament to his enduring legacy in British music and culture.