Yes. Country music. It is very much like ketchup: It doesn’t really go well with a lot of things, but with a few things, it’s just a perfect fit.
Meaning: If I’m driving down an American interstate or more precisely the 101 between San Fran and San José, chances are I will have turned that dial to 95,7 The Wolf – why the heck they call it that I do not know. But they play that rock-flavored contemporary storytelling country music that I think is a more important source of understanding of the American culture than most people think. And did you notice it’s never about… today? It’s always about something that was or something that might be, later, when you understand that it would be wise of you to love me again.
Adding on to the bizarre end of things: They had a bacon contest the week I was there. Seriously. A bacon contest. Best recipe to win honor and immortality, long beyond those pigs. The commercials were strongly focused on shipping turkey to the people; it was the week before Thanksgiving, which is a way bigger deal in the States than Swedes in general know. And I love bacon by the way. I am like Louis C K on that whole eating meat thing…
So, in conclusion: Add ketchup to my Belgian clams and I will kick your ass. But for this meatball-and-macaroni fiesta with the kids by the kitchen table? Pour it on!
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Sorry for being silent for a few weeks, it’s been analogue hell here, I shan’t bore you with the details.
…hey, fun! One guess at the “Wolf” radio ID is likely a hoped for connection with the once notorious ‘Wolfman Jack.’ He can be searched – but off the top of my head – he set up a renegade non-FCC censored high-power radio station inside Mexico aimed toward the US. Long before his mainstream commercial success he’d garnered quite a following, at that time broadcasting radical ‘Rock & Roll!’
Having grown up on Country ‘music’… a little bit goes a long way! Its resurgence is likely due to two things: 1) you can understand the lyrics (and they’re not generally ranting at you); 2) it speaks to/for a political brand of populist conservatism, as in, ‘I don’t need to be book-learned to sing!’ The NASCAR crowd!
Music has become so fragmented over here it’s plenty lucrative to cultivate any of its many niches …as I anxiously await the resurgence of the Motown Sound!