According to the hitherto scientific and precise Economist, after a certain age Americans stop fretting about being "cool", and start listening to country music. while the rest of the world looks down on country music, there is a heartland that doesn't care and goes on listening, outselling may artists which are viewed as much cooler on either coast.

Interesting for two reasons:
1. Economist using an undefinable word like "cool" without bothering to substantiate.

2. Country music probably has links to the blues and African music, anyways. wikipedia sheds such light. And it talks about death, adultery, loss, nostalgia etc, just like other forms of "cooler" music. So in a sense, it isn't uncool really. Maybe it's just the image of the fiddler redneck which has got it a bad name, and the disdain that the East and West coast hold the heartland in.....

Maybe our tastes are being shaped too much by American media in this (as well as other!) respects..........