Sometime I find that perception of who the artist is keeps me from listening to the music. Some of the ACL acts mentioned here are good examples of that weird effect.

I didn't care much for the Dixie Chicks until I read an article about them in Acoustic Guitar magazine. It turns out that they were a legit family-based bluegrass band before they jumped into the Nashville star making machinery; they actually fought to play on their own album (in a lot of cases the touring band sits on the sidelines, while the Nashville studio mafia lays down the tracks). Reading the article gave me a different level of respect for their music.

Both Shelby Lynne and Kelly Willis are always touted by the "alt.country" crowd. I expected both of them to be a lot better than they were when I saw them. Old '97 also gets a lot of that "alt.country" buzz, and I've heard them and don't find anything there I haven't heard before.

I don't think it's us getting old and crotchety; I think some of these young, highly touted acts just can't live up to their press.