I get the feeling this entire journalistic discourse is part of
larger marketing and publicity calculations. When these people could
secure a niche identity for themselves as "altcountry," they did.
Now that they've consolidated at that level and seek poprock
market visibility wider than that allowed by the niche label, they
busy themsevles with "evolving" beyond a caricatural version of
altcountry.
When they wanted to be covered in ND, they were "altcountry." Now
that they want to get covered in Rolling Stone and Spin and gain
access to the much larger market demographics they represent, they're
"evolving."
That's fine, I just wish they didn't feel compelled to misrepresent
their original audience in such reductive ways....
But yeah, as Todd and Dave remarked, it sure seems to be a trend and
the journalistic cliche of the season.
--junior
