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The United States of "Americana"
Posted at 5:05 AM on July 2, 2009
by Dale Connelly
(27 Comments)
I confess we sometimes use the term "Americana" to describe the music on Radio Heartland, even though I haven't the foggiest notion what "Americana" is. It sounded nice and reliable and authentic at a time when we were scrambling to come up with nice, reliable, authentic words to describe what we were about to do, and so it became part of the marketing identity of this service.
One might assume that "Americana" is somehow more fundamentally American than non-Americana. But American music is diverse, just like American people. Is a Sousa march any more or less American than hip-hop? I don't think so. In each case some Americans made the music and some other Americans heard it and loved it. What more do you need?
Ultimately, our national contribution to the world's music is an attitude of freedom that encourages blending and experimentation. Labels strike me as rather limiting and un-American.
Even a label that says "Americana".
But you can't turn away from tradition. We've got a perfectly good national anthem and some other fine and boastful songs that puff up our pride a bit, and that's just what you would hope for and expect for Independence Day. I'll be sure to work some of that into the mix tomorrow as we head into the weekend celebrations of the glorious Fourth of July.
But what else would you like to hear?
Songs about freedom?
Songs that represent independent thought and free speech?
Arrangements that show a healthy disregard for old rules and meaningless limitations?
Music about goats?
Something you can dance to?
All of the above?
Help me make a Fourth of July playlist and we'll piece it together tomorrow.
Who knows, maybe it'll be good enough to repeat on Saturday afternoon.
We'll tell people it's "Americana".
Comments (27)
Play it all! Of course, I particularly love the funny songs.. songs about Mahler, the Easter Island heads, the hot frogs, buttering bread.
I've used the "eclectic Americana" phrase many times since December to describe Radio Heartland and people seem to know what it means. Either that or they're just being polite while they hope I'll stop going on and on about my favorite radio station!
ditto, Sherrilee! love RH and "eclectic" describes it. also "personal" since we get to ask for whatever we want and Dale and Mike play it!
my vote for tomorrow is "City of New Orleans" and if you have Arlo Guthrie version, that'd be great. but others are fine.
every day is independence day here on our farm. when i say that Dodger is the best behaved, most cooperative doe we have, you know we are in trouble. but we love their independent souls and the triplets are in the "jump straight up in the air" stage..... we are free and life is good. Happy Independence Day to you All!
Sherilee and Barb are right....Play it all!
But since you asked, how about these songs for our birthday?
America from West Side Story
This is my Country
A selection from 1776 the musical
This is my song, O God of all the nations
1812 overture on unique instruments
Careful with those fireworks!
Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Willy Nelson
what a great song you are playing now!
also Aaron Copeland and George Gershwin and Cole Porter
Jimi Hendrix ?
Mornin' Heartlanders
I sometimes play Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner" on Independence Day, REAL LOUD. That gets my freedom flag flying.
My vote for an American song is Brubeck's "Unsquare Dance". A traditional American dance form, jazzed up and independent from 4/4 time.
Happy 4th everyone!!
What about Utah Phillips? His story about moose turd pie must definitely qualify as Americana. And that song "Daddy What's a Train?". I think the album is "Good Tho".
The Judy Collins version of the Jacques Brel song was great! It would be lovely to hear some Jacques Brel as a follow up!
Ne me quitte pas was covered by Nina Simone and Sting! David Bowie and John Denvier did Amsterdam. I think that Le Moribond turned up as "Seasons in the Sun" or something like that during the seventies. Don't know the artist.
Oops! Goofed up a tag in the above comment!
I had a teacher in 4th grade who had us sing a "patriotic song" every morning. I wish I would have known *all* the words to "This Land is Your Land" (the fun, slightly subversive ones) back then. Can you play that one? It's Americana, it's Radio Heartland - and it's my favorite patriotic song. Nothing like some good political dissent to keep a girl feeling patriotic (and thank heavens we live where we can do that).
And ditto all the other comments. Copland, Hendrix, Brubeck - big yes! Or how about Marion Anderson and Paul Robeson? Two great singers who symbolize all that has been questionable about our country and that citizens have fought to fix (there I go with the dissent again...).
Just celebrating - first gallon plus morning from the two girls, Alba and Dodger! (i know, Cynthia, that Venery can do that with one teat tied behind her back) the two are really doing well - standing, not kicking (too much anyway) and not holding back. Dream, still kept dry as sand by the three "suckubi" but soon will get her nights off and will join D and A on the milkstand. any Gallon songs, Dale??
Good Morning RH,
I'll request Randy Newman and Janis Joplin for tomorrow's playlist. Something by Garrison Keillor would be nice also.
Did anyone else see him on PBS American Masters last night? Tom Keith made some appearances too. Lora's here and wants me to say that Tom looked very handsome!
Gail - thank you for requesting the Jose Feliciano yesterday!
Barb - isn't it about time for an updated twins/triplets picture?
Dale - Have you played the Peter Mayer RH Listener ID 11 Bush Fellowship song on your show? I've seen it on the 24/7 playlist, but haven't heard it yet.
Greetings Heartlanders! Anna, dissent is a good thing -- Question Authority! I love all the suggestions for July 4th, but of course we need something funky, too! Hmmm ... Michael Doucet comes to mind "Fonky Bayou" or something from Brave Combo -- I've come to enjoy their sound.
I would enjoy the opening song from "1776" I think it was ... "We are waiting for the scratch, scratch, scratch of that tiny little egg ..... On this humid Monday morning in this Congressional incubator .... it's hot enough to hatch a stone, let alone -- an egg."
Words aren't quite right, but close. Loved that movie, even though it presented caricatures of our forefathers.
I occasionally reflect on the term Americana and try to decipher what that means as well. I never really came to a good conclusion. If our nation is meant to be a 'melting pot' of peoples from all over the world (or as I like to call it, 'a cultural fondue') then Americana components are essentially all other nations. But that certainly tends to take away from other nations' indigenous identities. I believe the conclusion I came to was that it was those other nations' cultural components mixing together, influencing each other, and compounding over the last couple of hundred years. Interestingly, you don't seem to hear about this sort of thing with other countries. I don't hear about Germanicana, Australiana, Antarcticana, or even 'RamaLamaDingDongicana.'
Great suggestions above, before reading the responses my suggestions also included Arlo & Woody Guthrie, and Jimi Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner." Would also second something from "1776" (the DVD is in my collection), Copeland or Gershwin.
How about a Sousa march or three? Liberty Bell March, King Cotton, the Thunderer, or of course Stars and Stripes Forever.
Dale, thanks for the movie recommendation for "Cadillac Records". I've put it on my "to watch" list! Sounds really good.
Great hearing Howlin' Wolf singing 'bout that old black cat! I hope my black kitty Isis was listening at home. We ain't superstitious either.
I agree with the Sousa marches and all of the above. Everyone loves a good Sousa march :) I had a band concert last night and we played Stars and Stripes Forever. Last week we played The Thunderer and The Minnesota March. I would also suggest some Dixieland and some Jazz. Have a happy and safe 4th everyone!
Oh, forgot one of my favorite pieces! Hymn to the Fallen by John Williams. It's from the Saving Private Ryan soundtrack. It always manages to bring a tear to my eye. Some more suggestions I just thought of are God Bless America and America the Beautiful. They may be over-played, but they are wonderfully written and beautiful pieces.
Other thoughts - something from Bob Dylan and/or Frank Sinatra.
Got any of Mitch Miller's arrangements?
How about something from the Glenn Miller Orchestra - always makes me think of the WWII era.
A version of "Dixie" (one of Abe Lincoln's favorites), "Shenandoah" (Trampled by Turtles?), maybe "Ashokan Farewell" now inextricably linked the the Civil War.
Enjoy the holiday weekend everyone.
Paul Simon's "American Tune"
Springsteen - "Born in the USA"
"God Bless This House" from Bernstein's "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue"
Anything by Stephen Foster
I imagine Copland will be played heavily on KSJN and friends, but "The Promise of Living" from "The Tender Land" would still be most appropriate
Anything by Louis Armstrong, the most important figure in American music
Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Good Night America"
Wow, thanks everybody for remembering tunes I wouldn't have. And for rebellion and irreverance, how about the musical HAIR: maybe The Flag, or LBJ (about all the acronyms) or whatever is appropriate for public listening!
I'm so glad to hear, Dale, that you don't know what Americana is either. When Husband asked me I acted like I knew, then realized I didn't so we looked it up and it just says "matter relating to America, as in history, ethnography, geography, literature, culture, etc." For some reason I think of R. Crumb and the Cheap Suit Serenaders -- a favorite would be Get a Load of This from the first album, but ANYTHING would be stellar.
(A teacher once pointed out how arrogant we are to call ourselves America, when there is a whole continent plus Mexico and Canada et al. who are also technically either North or South Americans...)
Barbara in Robbinsdale - I agree it is a little arrogant that we call ourselves "America", though I'm as guilty as the next person. I friend who is a transplanted Canadian makes a point to tease his U.S. friends about it - and so I try very hard to refer to the U.S. or "the States." But saying I'm a "United Statesian" just seems awkward.
Whatever we are - I'm grateful to the founders of our country (mothers and fathers) for giving me the right to freedom of speech (and dissent), and happy to listen to most anything Dale, Mike and JASPER play on Radio Heartland.
Yes, Anna, I can't imagine saying anything besides "American" either. After writing I realized arrogant was a little heavy handed; presumptuous is closer, and of course it's not intentional, just forgetful. And much of the rest of world considers "America" to be the US.
I'm late posting this, but the best version of "God Bless America" is the Kate Smith recording. She really belts it out. My mother used to play Kate Smith and tell us about hearing it when my dad was overseas during WWII.
For me, the Band's self-titled album exemplifies the best of Americana. Songs like "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Up on Cripple Creek", "Look Out Cleveland", and "King Harvestt (Has Surely Come)" pretty much define the term.
This is rather late but I just remembered the song I'd like to hear. The song about 'The little Box' or 'Little lock box' / strong box... from 'Fiorello' or something to that effect...
A fun song that's political enough that it makes me think of government and therefore 'Americana' and freedom / The Fourth.
A stretch I know.....
OK, I just like the song.
:-)
Ben
Oh, and there's Randy Newman with 'A Few Words in Defense of Our Country"...
Or
Jake Speed with 'Talking F-Word Blues' (not the bad "F" word...but the 'other' "F" word; (French!)
Yeah, I know... really, REALLY late now!
:-)
Ben (again)
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