Answer the four questions (50words each)
1.    What’s the problem facing country music in the early 2000s? And in which direction did country music shift around 2004 as a response to the issue?  List the four specific trends that JN brings upas usual, this will guide us through the rest of this section. (pp. 451-453)  Note: as we get closer and closer to the present, it becomes difficult to make statements about what is or is not happeninghistorians needs a little distance to figure out what happened.

So in this section, we’ll listen to a lot of examples to get an idea of what’s out there. PO: discuss these trends, Are you familiar with any of this music? Can you pinpoint these issues in what you know of country music on the radio?
2.    Trend #2: redneck imagery.  Read pp. 455-456, and the Listening Guide for Gretchen Wilson’s Redneck Woman pp. 456-457.  Listen to Redneck Woman below and a couple of other songs to get an idea of what this trend is about.  PO:

discuss Redneck Woman and other redneck songs (below)
Redneck Woman, performed by Gretchen Wilson

3.    Finish up this section by reading pp. 458-459, about Faith Hill (who we’ve already talked about) and songs defining country music against an indistinct fake country.  An example in this category is Brantley Gilbert’s Country Must Be Country Wide.

Take note of this trend, and think about how it connects to the strong connection to tradition that we’ve seen all semester.  PO: discuss this song
4.    Make sure to read the essay about race on pp. 466-468, which talks a little bit about the relationship between country music and African American musicians.  Rucker is an important example, as is Cowboy Troy (here’s his I Play Chicken With the Trainyou can hear the influence of Big & Rich/MuzikMafia and his incorporation of hip-hop/rap styles as well).  What is JN’s overall point with this essay?  PO: discuss the issue