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The downhome sound : diversity and politics in Americana music / Mandi Bates Bailey ; foreword by Guy Davis.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublisher: Baton Rouge : Louisiana State University Press, [2023]Copyright date: ©2023Description: xix, 178 pages : illustrations ; 23 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780807179604
  • 0807179604
  • 9780807179161
  • 0807179167
Subject(s):
Contents:
Foreword / by Guy Davis -- Introduction : The down-home sound -- The first verse -- The music -- The artists -- The community -- The impact -- Conclusion : The last verse.
Summary: "American roots music, also known as Americana music, is comprised of many sub-genres and has long been associated with politics, diversity, and race, but political science has yet to explore its impact. Mandi Bates Bailey's "The Downhome Sound" fills that void by considering the message, the artists, the community, and the impact of Americana music. To understand the genre's intended messages and reception, she analyzed lyrics and surveyed Americana artists, music journalists, and festival organizers. Ultimately, she suggests that her interviews with Americana artists reveal their powerful desire for inclusion and diversity and, in some cases, the need to address racial injustice directly. Her study shows that exposure to Americana music is related to positive assessments of African Americans and political policies seen as helpful to them, which cannot be said of exposure to popular country music and rap music. American roots music is challenging to define. Sub-genres include folk, bluegrass, country, blues, southern rock, rock and roll, jazz, and cowpunk. Americana has become a blanket term to cover music that fits comfortably into each of these genres or incorporates elements from a combination of them. The artists included in Bailey's analysis represent different sub-genres, a wide age range, differing educational backgrounds and geographic regions of the United States, and even international artists playing in the genre. They also represent different career stages, from neophyte to established, with several Grammy and Americana Music Association award nominees and winners included. Common themes established in her interviews with these artists are the importance of narrative, audience loyalty, and the listening environment. Using a theoretical foundation rooted in stereotyping, Bailey suggests that whites with strong negative stereotypes of African Americans will process racial messages conveyed via Americana music more positively than similar messages presented in rap music (i.e., the stereotype-confirming genre). She addresses the culture surrounding the Americana audience, revealing that the listening environment is vital to artists and fans. She shows that artists believe their audiences represent diverse occupational, regional, and socio-economic backgrounds but are more educated and socially aware than the average American. They are also primarily white and left-leaning politically. Addressing the broader implications of her study, Bailey asks whether a hypothetical increase in popularity of or exposure to Americana music would dilute the impact of the inclusivity and tolerance provided in the music"-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 781.6409 B155 Available 33111011268923
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

American roots music, also known as Americana music, can be challenging to categorize, spanning the genres of jazz, bluegrass, country, blues, rock and roll, and an assortment of variations in between. In The Downhome Sound, Mandi Bates Bailey explores the messages, artists, community, and appeal of this seemingly disparate musical collective. To understand the art form?s intended meanings and typical audiences, she analyzes lyrics and interviews Americana artists, journalists, and festival organizers to uncover a desire for inclusion and diversity. Bailey also conducts an experiment to assess listener reception relative to more commercial forms of music. The result is an in-depth study of the political and cultural influence of Americana and its implications for social justice.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 163-170) and index.

Foreword / by Guy Davis -- Introduction : The down-home sound -- The first verse -- The music -- The artists -- The community -- The impact -- Conclusion : The last verse.

"American roots music, also known as Americana music, is comprised of many sub-genres and has long been associated with politics, diversity, and race, but political science has yet to explore its impact. Mandi Bates Bailey's "The Downhome Sound" fills that void by considering the message, the artists, the community, and the impact of Americana music. To understand the genre's intended messages and reception, she analyzed lyrics and surveyed Americana artists, music journalists, and festival organizers. Ultimately, she suggests that her interviews with Americana artists reveal their powerful desire for inclusion and diversity and, in some cases, the need to address racial injustice directly. Her study shows that exposure to Americana music is related to positive assessments of African Americans and political policies seen as helpful to them, which cannot be said of exposure to popular country music and rap music. American roots music is challenging to define. Sub-genres include folk, bluegrass, country, blues, southern rock, rock and roll, jazz, and cowpunk. Americana has become a blanket term to cover music that fits comfortably into each of these genres or incorporates elements from a combination of them. The artists included in Bailey's analysis represent different sub-genres, a wide age range, differing educational backgrounds and geographic regions of the United States, and even international artists playing in the genre. They also represent different career stages, from neophyte to established, with several Grammy and Americana Music Association award nominees and winners included. Common themes established in her interviews with these artists are the importance of narrative, audience loyalty, and the listening environment. Using a theoretical foundation rooted in stereotyping, Bailey suggests that whites with strong negative stereotypes of African Americans will process racial messages conveyed via Americana music more positively than similar messages presented in rap music (i.e., the stereotype-confirming genre). She addresses the culture surrounding the Americana audience, revealing that the listening environment is vital to artists and fans. She shows that artists believe their audiences represent diverse occupational, regional, and socio-economic backgrounds but are more educated and socially aware than the average American. They are also primarily white and left-leaning politically. Addressing the broader implications of her study, Bailey asks whether a hypothetical increase in popularity of or exposure to Americana music would dilute the impact of the inclusivity and tolerance provided in the music"-- Provided by publisher.

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