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From: Michael Bertrand <bertrand@MAIL.H-NET.MSU.EDU>
List Editor: Michael Bertrand <bertrand@MAIL.H-NET.MSU.EDU>
Editor's Subject: Re: What makes Southern music "Southern"?
Author's Subject: Re: What makes Southern music "Southern"?
Date Written: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 01:08:07 -0000
Date Posted: Tue, 30 Jan 2006 20:08:07 -0500

I agree that sound has a lot to do with making
a song, album, etc. "southern," as do lyrics and
other factors. But, I think southerness is
almost intangible.

The Band's self-titled album is the epitome of
"southern" music for me. Only one of the five
members is a southerner, but the songs are very
much of the South. The album has an agrarian
backwoods feel to it, and I think that that
is really the heart of the matter.

You can put certain limits on what makes
someone/some music southern (birthplace, type of
music, etc.), but those don't give a full
definition of it. It's a feeling that can be
captured by  outsiders. Lots of people from
the South make music that in no way sounds
"Southern," and four guys from Canada (with
one Arkansan) make the quintessential
southern album. Go figure.

Jacob Lee
University of Louisville

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