Today’s “country” is pop with a southern accent. Long live Lefty Frizzell, Marty Robbins, Roger Miller, Buck Owens, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Jeannie C. Reily, Hank Sr, Charlie Pride, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Porter Wagoner…
The list of amazing old country music is long as fuck if given a chance. The list of today’s good country artists? Charley Crockett, Sturgil Simpson, Hank III, John Moreland, American Aquarium. That’s about it, few more I’m forgetting I’m sure.
Today’s POPULAR country is that way. There are still great country artists, they just don’t get as big. Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Charlie Crockett, Margo Price, Sarah Jarosz
You’ll see I also mentioned Charley Crockett! I surely know there is some good out there, I mentioned a few others myself. Forgot Billy Strings though thanks. Also I’m both unfortunately and fortunately unfamilliar with Tuttle, Price, and Jarosz, fortunate because now I get to go check out some new (to me) shit I’ll probably like, so thanks!
They’re not straight country. More Americana/roots. There’s a Canadian fellow called Daniel Romano who made some really good straight country, but sadly only a couple albums then went to other genres. His album Come Cry With Me is the closest I’ve found to that 60s/70s sound and lyricism.
And probably still a lot more I haven’t found yet.
Honestly, even some of the more pop stuff pre-2000s was good. I do love me some Dwight Yoakam. But I can’t handle any of the stuff they play on country stations these days. All the songs sound the same and are almost all about the same exact things. I wouldn’t be surprised if they just have AI coming up these songs at this point.
For sure, not one of the artists I mentioned from today ever gets radio play (…I think).
Tbf a lot of Lefty Frizzell’s songs are about wantin’ yer lady back and bein’ sorry you done her wrong, as are many other country artists, there’s for sure common themes throuought the various ages, but still, I don’t really mind that when they’re all good as fuck! There’s no twang today, and no soul, no feeling behind the words or chords, that’s my main issue.
For most of my life I haven’t been interested in country music because the contemporary popular stuff tend to be terrible. I’m currently discovering some of the old(er) good stuff for the first time (also watching that Ken Burns documentary a few years ago really ignited my appreciation). Currently (as in this minute as I type this), listening to some old Steven Earle songs for the first time and wondering why I didn’t know about this.
Steve Earle fucking rules. Everyone knows Copperhead Road but tbh like everything else he wrote is even better.
I kinda grew up with Steve Earle, Johnny Cash, and some of the other southern rock-y stuff like The Marshall Tucker band, then I found American Aquarium in like '06, but I really only got into country/western around the time Fallout New Vegas came out, I just couldn’t get enough of it.
Absolutely. Og country has more in common with punk than modern Ford truck month country.
Happy you mentioned modern ones. It ain’t my jam, but people often lament how it’s all shit now when there are almost always artists keeping it alive. Just have to look a little harder.
Today’s “country” is pop with a southern accent. Long live Lefty Frizzell, Marty Robbins, Roger Miller, Buck Owens, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Jeannie C. Reily, Hank Sr, Charlie Pride, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Porter Wagoner…
The list of amazing old country music is long as fuck if given a chance. The list of today’s good country artists? Charley Crockett, Sturgil Simpson, Hank III, John Moreland, American Aquarium. That’s about it, few more I’m forgetting I’m sure.
Today’s POPULAR country is that way. There are still great country artists, they just don’t get as big. Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Charlie Crockett, Margo Price, Sarah Jarosz
You’ll see I also mentioned Charley Crockett! I surely know there is some good out there, I mentioned a few others myself. Forgot Billy Strings though thanks. Also I’m both unfortunately and fortunately unfamilliar with Tuttle, Price, and Jarosz, fortunate because now I get to go check out some new (to me) shit I’ll probably like, so thanks!
They’re not straight country. More Americana/roots. There’s a Canadian fellow called Daniel Romano who made some really good straight country, but sadly only a couple albums then went to other genres. His album Come Cry With Me is the closest I’ve found to that 60s/70s sound and lyricism.
And probably still a lot more I haven’t found yet.
That’s just fine, I like Americana too. Thanks for the reccomendation, I’m grabbing that as I type!
Jsson Isbell, Sierra Hull, and I’m With Her also deserve a listen before judgement.
I’m aware of Jason Isbell and forgot to mention him too, he’s pretty good! I’ll definitely check out those other two, thanks!
These obscure folk are worth a look on this here song.
https://youtu.be/Xu9d3OWj1EQ?t=4m27s
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https://piped.video/Xu9d3OWj1EQ?t=4m27s
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
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Colter Wall is another good one.
Removed by mod
Honestly, even some of the more pop stuff pre-2000s was good. I do love me some Dwight Yoakam. But I can’t handle any of the stuff they play on country stations these days. All the songs sound the same and are almost all about the same exact things. I wouldn’t be surprised if they just have AI coming up these songs at this point.
For sure, not one of the artists I mentioned from today ever gets radio play (…I think).
Tbf a lot of Lefty Frizzell’s songs are about wantin’ yer lady back and bein’ sorry you done her wrong, as are many other country artists, there’s for sure common themes throuought the various ages, but still, I don’t really mind that when they’re all good as fuck! There’s no twang today, and no soul, no feeling behind the words or chords, that’s my main issue.
For most of my life I haven’t been interested in country music because the contemporary popular stuff tend to be terrible. I’m currently discovering some of the old(er) good stuff for the first time (also watching that Ken Burns documentary a few years ago really ignited my appreciation). Currently (as in this minute as I type this), listening to some old Steven Earle songs for the first time and wondering why I didn’t know about this.
Steve Earle fucking rules. Everyone knows Copperhead Road but tbh like everything else he wrote is even better.
I kinda grew up with Steve Earle, Johnny Cash, and some of the other southern rock-y stuff like The Marshall Tucker band, then I found American Aquarium in like '06, but I really only got into country/western around the time Fallout New Vegas came out, I just couldn’t get enough of it.
Can’t talk about great, old country without mentioning John Prine and of course Johnny Cash. There really is a lot of it.
Don’t forget the theme song to Rawhide lol
For sure! There were a lot of artists hidden in those “…” dots lol.
Absolutely. Og country has more in common with punk than modern Ford truck month country.
Happy you mentioned modern ones. It ain’t my jam, but people often lament how it’s all shit now when there are almost always artists keeping it alive. Just have to look a little harder.