Country, Folk, Acoustic, and Alt-Country: More Than Just Johnny Cash

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > No Music Discussion > Country, Folk, Acoustic, and Alt-Country: More Than Just Johnny Cash

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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This may be a weird question, but:

I live up in the frozen tundra of the Great Lakes and I've noticed that my country listening goes down a lot in the winter, probably because listening to music about sunny days, cotton fields, and west Texas doesn't fit in with the north pole scene out of my window.

So is anyone making northern country music, for lack of a better term? Blizzard soundtracks with a twang?

# ¿ Sep 24, 2014 17:41

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# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 18:31

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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It's pretty mainstream, but I've been enjoying WRKA's webfeed while I work (http://player.tritondigital.com/embed.php?embedid=14591).

They're the Louisville station (The Hawk) that's pioneering the "no bro" retro-ish country genre. Nothing "alt" about them, but they're a nice time machine to 10-20 years ago. Only wish they had a bigger playlist, but they're a commercial country station, so they are what they are.

# ¿ Feb 9, 2015 17:03

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Paper With Lines posted:

Of their singles, I think Colder Weather and Homegrown are among the best. Was Day that I Die with Amos Lee a single? That song owns too. Their live version of Free/Into the Mystic is also very nice.

Off their first album, I really like the songs Highway 20 Ride and their cover of Jolene. On the second album, I play the Road, as she's walking away (with Alan Jackson), and if you're in the mood for it -- whiskey's gone.

In my opinion, every song on The Grohl Sessions, Vol. 1 is fantastic as well. I also think that this most recent album is pretty bad. I know they were trying to experiment with different types of music and I guess each individual song is a good example of that genre, but I wish they hadn't done it.

edit: also Martin.

Seconding all of this. As a divorced dad, I can't get through Highway 20 Ride without choking up, so if emotional resonance is a measure of a band, they've got it.

Give their live album (Pass the Jar) a listen as well. They're one of the best live acts I've ever seen, and are one of the few popular bands that have a stage show that's far better than their studio tracks.

Their new album, however, is friggin tragic. I hope they get back to their roots soon.

Edit: I thought it was mentioned above, but I think Natural Disaster is kind of their quintessential sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD3Zeg_V8vw

stealie72 fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Jul 9, 2015

# ¿ Jul 9, 2015 20:20

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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I foolishly just tried to listen to Spotify's "New Boots" up-and-coming country playlist.

With the exception of a couple tracks (Cam's "Burning House" being the most notable), it was loving terrible.

Are any of you keeping a spotify list of the various things that get posted in here that you'd be willing to share, or do we have a shared playlist like some of the other NMD genre threads and I missed it? I need some new stuff to listen to while I work, and having to constantly click the youtube videos in here is way too distracting.

# ¿ Sep 18, 2015 14:03

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Thanks to both of you for the lists!

# ¿ Sep 23, 2015 00:29

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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To be fair, what we're doing here is like comparing Katy Perry to Led Zeppelin and bitching that rock is poo poo these days.

It's not really fair that "Country" is a monolithic genre in the public consciousness, when there are tons of different sounds, many of which are at the top of their game right now.

The stuff on the radio is always crap, no matter what the genre, except for very rare moments when "is good" and "is popular" match up. Radio's job is to be as catchy/inoffensive to as many people as possible so that they will leave it on long enough to listen to ads. Its very success hinges on it being as bland as possible.

# ¿ Oct 5, 2015 15:17

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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BigFactory posted:

that is one generic "country singer" voice.

You may be confusing "generic" with "definitive." His voice is basically Waylon Jennings II, and I mean that as something incredibly positive.

# ¿ Mar 28, 2016 18:41

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Paper With Lines posted:

Ballad of a Southern Man.

This song gets stuck in my head like nothing else in the past few years.

I've probably played that and Turtles All The Way Down more than a hundred times each this year.

# ¿ Jul 27, 2016 03:45

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Hey stagnant country thread:

I'm heading to Nashville tonight for a conference, then spending the weekend. Despite being the home of much of what's wrong with country, it looks like there are a poo poo-ton of live venues with a bunch of not-poo poo performers.

Anyone know of any place that's an absolute must-do? I've already got Roberts Western World on my short list, but I fear that Broadway is going to be to country as Bourbon Street is to Jazz.

Help my avoid the touristy bullshit and check out some solid places!

# ¿ Sep 21, 2016 14:41

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Random observation: My wife and I have been binge watching Nashville (still on season 1, so if it goes off the rails later, don't tell me), and even though it is largely pop country, I'm pretty goddamned impressed with its soundtrack. More than once, I've been bummed that they "wasted" a song on the show instead of having a real artist do it. Even the pop stuff is still pretty stripped down and good compared to what's currently being farted out by the giant hitmaking apparatus.

For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEzTFCIAfhg

Also, going to see Sturgill Simpson on Friday. Will report back, but I expect it will be awesome, based on his recent setlists.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2016 13:11

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Hey, they gave Chris Stapleton an award, what more do you want?

Look at the bright side, if Nashville didn't solely support big hat and shiny dress country, the awesome crop of current alt country artists might be tempted to temper it a bit and try to get rich with a hit. We get better music since The Machine won't touch them. Yet.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2016 14:12

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Thanks for the link to her band. I'm only so-so on her solo, since I think she's trying a bit to hard to be Tammy Wynette. Her band, OTOH, sounds pretty great!

# ¿ Dec 16, 2016 00:58

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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I'd like that a hell of a lot better if it was audio only...

# ¿ Mar 11, 2017 00:31

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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ColonelJohnMatrix posted:

Ugh, The Nashville Sound is so good!

http://www.npr.org/2017/06/12/530277867/first-listen-jason-isbell-the-400-unit-the-nashville-sound

As a 40 something who thought he would have life a lot more figured out by this point, Tupelo is like multiple kicks to the gut.

# ¿ Jun 13, 2017 21:30

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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If you even remotely like classic country, listen to this album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRBvAi341PE

This review says it better than I could: http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/zephaniah-ohoras-this-highway-is-classic-country-mastery/

Saving Country Music posted:

Zephanaiah OHora�s This Highway just very well might be a modern classic country masterpiece. Okay, it could have used a couple of quicker-paced songs to keep the energy flowing, or a little more spice to separate the tracks from each other. But otherwise, it�s flawless for what it is, which is a reawakening of everything brilliant and beautiful about the Countrypolitan era of country music, while leaving all the superfluousness of strings and choruses and other overproduction aside.

# ¿ Jun 20, 2017 20:57

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:

Can I get a recommendation for the best place to start with James McMurtry? Going to see him in a few weeks. Got the tickets mainly because Sarah Jarosz is playing, but I hear McMurtry is good too.

Start with Choctaw Bingo and then see where fate takes you.

# ¿ Jul 2, 2017 04:10

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:

That pretty much describes all Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, and all the other terrible interchangeable songs about big ol pickup trucks on Friday night beer can guurrrrl shake it blue jean shorts redneck this is how we do it in the country ol dirt road down by the river poo poo that's on the radio now.

An oldie but a goodie: https://youtu.be/FY8SwIvxj8o

Its only gotten worse since then with the young thin tattooed boys in skinny jeans.

# ¿ Jul 23, 2017 18:22

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:

That's the exact video that went through my head. It makes me so angry at people.

The sad part is that at least some of the guys who rode bro country to Its peak have actually been decent at one point (thinking Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, and Jason Aldean in particular). I don't blame these new guys that sound and look like Maroon 5 with barely a twang for being asshats because they're...asshats.

At this point, I would happily go back to Cruise being the dumbest thing on country radio, because I foolishly thought we had hit rock bottom.

On the other hand, non-radio country is loving fantastic right now.

# ¿ Jul 24, 2017 02:59

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:

For contrast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrM39m22jH4

As far as that kind of crappy pop country goes, that's not the worst. At least the subject matter isn't just straight "girl you look so good in them jeans".

I'll show myself out in shame now.

Edit: I think this is my most hated song of the bro country genre, largely because it requires that neither of them can figure out how to use youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALV-QtDFpSw

stealie72 fucked around with this message at 15:54 on Jul 28, 2017

# ¿ Jul 28, 2017 15:52

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Another request: are there any good streaming radio stations that play not-pop country? Spotify and Pandora are great, but my job has me writing for full days sometimes and I would like a station that has a human DJ so I can hear another voice now and again. I've given up listening to my local country station for obvious reasons.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2018 14:52

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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If you've never listened to the full track, it's pretty awesome.

https://youtu.be/CMrfM711vXI

# ¿ Mar 13, 2018 21:46

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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I assume everyone in here has heard this. It's more unintentional comedy: https://youtu.be/FY8SwIvxj8o

# ¿ Jun 8, 2018 00:52

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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BeastOfExmoor posted:

It did make his whole "real truth about Okie From Muskogee" episode make a lot more sense. Merle explicitly said the song was not originally written as satire when pressed, so I couldn't figure out why he was so hung up on telling people it is.

Because you can't be a cool outlaw country guy if you're on the side of the squares?

# ¿ Aug 27, 2018 16:52

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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I love Sturgill and even managed to convince myself that his last album was good, just "not very country," but, uhhhh, what?

# ¿ Jul 22, 2019 18:45

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Bonzo posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z74_Ffe2ts

I thought I hated this song, but really I just hate Fleetwood Mac.

I cought the literal last seconds of them doing a q&a on the Highway on XM. Maybe this is a precursor to them playing something decent again.

# ¿ Aug 4, 2019 02:54

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Bonzo posted:

Now I love me some George Jones, but I don't know that I need another hour since he's talked about him so much before.

Have I got bad news about the rest of the season for you...

# ¿ Jun 19, 2021 19:24

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Yeah. That dude is garbage. Followed him on social media for a while because he can be mildly funny when ripping on bro country, but he also cannot handle anything that doesn't sound exactly like some ossified imagined sound from the past.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2022 02:19

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Elephunk posted:

Not a big Sturgill fan. Tried many times, studio and live tapes. He sounds like the Wagon Wheel

Will defend to the death your right to hold this incorrect opinion, friend. I do feel like I haven't grown with him for being meh on his new stuff. But his early stuff is Solid Country Gold. And once I made my peace with Sailors Guide being a rock record, I started to dig it s lot more.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2022 03:30

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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BigFactory posted:

Gil and Dave doing white rabbit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L7r1dRb_mk

This reminded me of this just absolutely stellar cover of Going to California. It works SO well as a bluegrass/americana tinged song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYeq6XoOg8s

# ¿ Apr 28, 2023 14:01

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Aw, bummer.

Saw him with his post Osborne Brothers band with his kids at the Opry about 5-ish years ago and they absolutely crushed it. Bobby could barely stand but his fingers flew on his mandolin.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2023 15:20

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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We talking about mining?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjFcllICjUc

# ¿ Aug 29, 2023 19:50

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Bonzo posted:

But also

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl751CDdRZI

Ooh, are we doing Canadian industries dying now?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5EusP_tEK8

# ¿ Aug 29, 2023 23:39

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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KICK BAMA KICK posted:

Posting up outside Margaritaville trying to figure out how to play a steel drum in a mournful way.

You can't. That's the curse and the magic of margaritaville.

# ¿ Sep 2, 2023 16:10

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:

Early 16 Horsepower has the same kind of non-standard structure and dark vibe.

Also David Eugene Edwards' work after 16 Horsepower
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOv8Rf4H08E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8nhkj4_JNI

# ¿ Sep 7, 2023 16:20

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# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 18:31

stealie72: Jan 10, 2007; Their eyes locked and suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass.
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:

drat I just heard him on the Oultaw Sirius channel a few days ago.

Yeah, he just up and died on the Outlaw Country cruise: https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/mojo-nixon-dies-while-on-the-outlaw-country-cruise/

Satan apparently needed him to torment Toby Keith for eternity.

# ¿ Feb 8, 2024 16:24

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > No Music Discussion > Country, Folk, Acoustic, and Alt-Country: More Than Just Johnny Cash