Alternative country, also called alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y’allternative, is a subgenre of country music that is not clearly defined. It includes artists and bands that have styles very different from mainstream country music, mainstream country rock, and country pop. This term is often used to describe country music groups that have influences from other genres such as alternative rock, indie rock, punk rock, heartland rock, Southern rock, progressive country, outlaw country, neotraditional country, Texas country, Red Dirt, roots rock, indie folk, folk rock, rockabilly, bluegrass, and honky tonk.
Outlaw country is a type of American country music developed by a small group of musicians in the 1970s and early 1980s. These artists, known as the outlaw movement, worked to gain creative freedom outside the Nashville music industry, which controlled the style of most country music at the time. Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, David Allan Coe, and Jerry Jeff Walker were among the most successful members of this movement.
The Nashville sound is a type of American country music that began in the 1950s in Nashville, Tennessee. It replaced the rough honky tonk music with “smooth strings and choruses,” “sophisticated background vocals,” and “smooth tempos” from traditional pop. This was an effort to “revive country sales, which had been devastated by the rise of rock ‘n’ roll.”
A honky-tonk is a type of bar that plays country music for people who visit, or it refers to the style of music played there. It can also describe a specific kind of piano called a tack piano, which is used to play this music. These bars are often found in the South and Southwest regions of the United States.
Old-time music is a type of folk music from North America. It developed alongside traditional dances such as square dancing, contra dancing, and buck dancing. This music is played using acoustic instruments, often including a fiddle, a 5-string banjo without a resonator, guitar, and mandolin.
Country music, also called country and western or simply country, is a type of music that began in the United States. It is known for its ballads and dance songs, which are recognized by traditional lyrics and harmonies. These songs are often played with instruments like banjos, mandolins, fiddles, harmonicas, and various kinds of guitars, including acoustic, electric, steel, and resonator guitars.
Bluegrass music is a type of traditional American music that began in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The name comes from the band Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Bluegrass music has influences from African American styles like blues and jazz, as well as North European styles such as Irish ballads and dance music.
Vocalese is a style of jazz singing where words are added to the improvisation created by an instrumental soloist.
Scat singing, also called scatting, began in vocal jazz. It is a style where singers make up songs using sounds that are not real words, such as made-up syllables or no words at all. In scat singing, the singer creates melodies and rhythms using only their voice, treating it like an instrument instead of using it to speak.
Nu jazz (also spelled nü jazz or called jazztronica or future jazz) is a type of music that mixes jazz with electronic music. This style combines jazz sounds with other types of music, such as funk, electronic music, and free improvisation. Nu jazz usually goes further into electronic music than its similar cousin, acid jazz.