Everyone is aware that the modern-day folk music scene is a meritocracy based on three distinct and essential elements: 1. Twang, 2. Acoustics, and 3. Number of people sitting down at your concerts. There is some unfortunate news for the Austin backyard-patio folk scene: their flannel shirts and slim-straight blue jeans are not as original as they would like to think. Folkheads took a sacred artform and fucked with it, and for this reason, folk should be categorized as a subgenre of country.
I would argue that the only tangible differences between the two “separate” genres is that the average folk audience member holds a Russian philosophy degree and a serving job at Juiceland, while the average country music audience member holds his cousin’s hand in marriage and has three teeth in his mouth. However, both sets of audience members hold a Pabst Blue Ribbon in their hands. While I could continue into various sub-sub genres such as Viking Rock, Filk Music, Parlour Music, etc. for hours, I feel the need to make another crucial distinction. Bluegrass is a different country subgenre than folk and is often referred to by its more formal name: “Country with Bagpipes”.