"The Dixie Chicks Keep the Heat on Nashville"

The Dixie Chicks started out playing country music in Texas dance halls. But, as the article by Bill Friskics-Warren reveals, they became superstars by not following the steps of others.

Here are all the word lists to support the reading of Grade 12 Unit 4's texts from SpringBoard's Common Core ELA series: How the Media Twists the News, Why Partisans View, Bush's Address on Iraq Invasion, The Dixie Chicks, Keep the Heat, Chicks Reap Whirlwind, No More Whistlin' Dixie, America Catches Up, Speaking Up and Speaking Out, Esteemed Outlaws, A Tired Old Song
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cleave
    stick or hold together and resist separation
    Most striking of all, the Dixie Chicks achieved success not by cleaving to the conservative dictates of the country music industry but by taking risks that could just as easily have been big mistakes.
  2. cultivate
    foster the growth of
    The three women--Natalie Maines and the sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire--cultivated their own sense of fashion, favoring post-punk, neo-hippie styles over the more conventional ensembles worn by their female counterparts.
  3. moribund
    not growing or changing; without force or vitality
    Displaying a "love it or leave it" attitude like that of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and the other "outlaws" of the 70's, the Dixie Chicks reinvigorated the moribund Nashville music scene of the late 90's.
  4. expansive
    of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scope
    The Dixie Chicks also maintain that the bluegrass arrangements on "Home" don't constitute that much of a departure from the bold, expansive music on their last two albums.
  5. evince
    give expression to
    Indeed, in contrast to the Appalachian cast of the soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," which despite sales of six million received a lukewarm response from country radio, the music on the Dixie Chicks' new album evinces both traditional country and modern pop sensibilities.
  6. stricture
    a principle that restricts the extent of something
    Doubtless some will view the success of "Long Time Gone," which was No. 2 on the Billboard country chart this week, as a sign that the strictures of country radio are loosening a bit.
  7. ambient
    completely enveloping
    The Dixie Chicks' next single, a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" done in the ambient bluegrass style of Alison Krauss and Union Station, will certainly test that notion.
  8. integrity
    an undivided or unbroken completeness with nothing wanting
    he believes the ascendancy of the Dixie Chicks has as much to do with the integrity of their musical vision as with any demands of the market
  9. wrangle
    quarrel noisily, angrily, or disruptively
    Wrangling with a giant entertainment conglomerate is a long way from entertaining conventioneers on the street corners of Dallas
  10. swagger
    a proud stiff pompous gait
    Ms. Maines, who grew up watching her father play with Mr. Ely--who opened for the Clash during their 1980 tour--brought a rock 'n' roll swagger to the Dixie Chicks, and a big, brassy voice, that had been absent from the early edition of the group.
  11. aesthetic
    a philosophical theory as to what is beautiful
    But no one can accuse them of selling out on "Home," a subtle but commanding record that is something of a return to the trio's Texas roots even as it casts judgment on the slick, crossover aesthetic that now defines country music.
  12. ethos
    the distinctive spirit of a culture or an era
    In many respects, making "Home" validated the risk-taking ethos the trio has always embraced.
Created on Sat Mar 07 14:09:56 EST 2015 (updated Sat Mar 07 19:08:03 EST 2015)

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