<h3>Jim Nash V is back as a guest writer, exploring the border-pushing definition of country music.</h3>
<p>In a follow-up to my article from last week, “<a href="http://www.countrymusicnewsblog.com/country-music-on-itunes/">Country Music on iTunes</a>”, I’ve decided to explore some of these categories a bit more.</p>
<p>The Country Pop Rock category can be a pretty large umbrella. When I think of Country Rock, I think of songs that rely more on a heavier guitar sound that drives the song. One of the earliest examples I can think of would be Garth’s Ain’t Going Down ( Ti’l the Sun Comes Up). The guitar parts are full-steam ahead, in your face rock-n-roll style (not unlike his concerts) and include traditional guitar “riffs or hooks”. Without Garth’s vocals, this could easily be a classic rock song. (Remember his duet with Huey Lewis on Working for a Living a few years ago? Not a big stretch.)</p>
<p>Now fast forward to modern day and you have artists pushing that heavy guitar sound even further. Most notably Big &#038; Rich, <a title="Carrie Underwood" href="https://countrymusicontour.com/carrie-underwood-tour-dates/">Carrie Underwood</a> (before you disagree, how about Last Name?), Rascal Flatts (Life is a Highway), <a title="Randy Houser" href="https://stubhub.prf.hn/click/camref:1100ljXyr/pubref:WPSRHouser/ar:CMNBAutoLink/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stubhub.com%2Frandy-houser-tickets%2F">Randy Houser</a>, <a title="Trace Adkins" href="https://stubhub.prf.hn/click/camref:1100ljXyr/pubref:WPSTAdkins/ar:CMNBAutoLink/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stubhub.com%2Ftrace-adkins-tickets%2F">Trace Adkins</a> and <a title="Jason Aldean" href="https://stubhub.prf.hn/click/camref:1100ljXyr/pubref:WPSAldean/ar:CMNBAutoLink/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stubhub.com%2Fjason-aldean-tickets%2F">Jason Aldean</a>. Even <a title="Keith Urban" href="https://stubhub.prf.hn/click/camref:1100ljXyr/pubref:WPSKUrban/ar:CMNBAutoLink/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stubhub.com%2Fkeith-urban-tickets%2F">Keith Urban</a>, who’s early music with the Ranch is much more Country sounding than his stuff today.</p>
<p>These artists are using multiple distorted guitar tracks, using the &#8220;wah&#8221; effect, detuning their guitars to give them a deeper, more ominous sound and are writing guitar hooks and solos into their songs that sound nothing like Country. <a title="Jason Aldean" href="https://stubhub.prf.hn/click/camref:1100ljXyr/pubref:WPSAldean/ar:CMNBAutoLink/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stubhub.com%2Fjason-aldean-tickets%2F">Jason Aldean</a>’s She’s Country stands out as a song that, without the obligatory fiddle parts and the title, could easily pass as a Nickelback or Soundgarden track.</p>
<p>So when does a song become too Rock for Country? And if fiddle, pedal steel or banjo is added to a “heavy” country song and the singer comes from South of the Mason / Dixon line, is that enough to keep it Country?</p>
<p>Is this what Country music has to do to build the younger generation fan base so that the overall genre lives on?</p>
<p>Is the umbrella too large though or do we need yet more categories like Country Modern Rock? Country Alternative Rock? Country Metal?</p>
<p>Keep it Country,<br />
Jim Nash V.</p>
<p><em>Jim Nash V is a contributing writer with a passion for country music. Jim works to promote line dancing and country music in Long Island New York. For more on Jim, visit YeeHawLI.com</em><br />
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