The Official Country Music Thread Genre • Page 23

Re: the Paste list -

I would have went with AM over Being There for Wilco.

Too Fare to Care is the obvious for 97's, but with my bias, I was hoping for Wreck Your Life as well.

Couple other alt-country acts I would've included on a top 50 would be Houndmouth, Middle Brother, The Belle Brigade, Shovels & Rope, Blitzen Trapper...

 

Decoration Day all the way!

 

I know we already covered how great/under-appreciated Chris Knight is, but I've been all bout this song lately.

also, i only just realized that Blake Shelton covered "It Ain't Easy Being Me" and god did he succeed in rendering it totally limp and hollow. Like everything else he's ever recorded, really. I don't know why I hate Blake Shelton so much lol but god is he insufferable.

 

also, I have a confession to make: some pretty awful lyrics and a Florida Georgia line appearance aside, I'm liking this Cadillac Three album, save for a few tracks.

to be fair though, if it wasn't pointed out in the track listing/liner notes, you wouldn't know they were on there.

 

Was going to paste the list... from Paste... but I see its already been posted

I've got a lot to check out here

 

Forgot how much I like this song until it came up on shuffle over the weekend.

 

Dwight Yoakam Plots Bluegrass Album

 

really looking forward to that Dwight Yoakam album.

 

New Jonny Fritz (AKA Corndawg) album in October. I'm personally not a huge fan but like most the artists he associates himself with. For example the goldsmith brothers from dawes are a part of his backing band on the album apparently.

 

Yep. You were right

 

Hell yeah

 

Been spending a lot of time with that record. Some devastating songs on there. Will probably listen even more once it's fall.

 

It's in that Ashley Monroe tier of awesome.

 

any opinions on Kip Moore in here? I've seen his first record compared to Will Hoge and his most recent one called "the best album Bruce Springsteen never released" but I always thought he was adjacent to the bro-country subgenre so I'm hesitant to give him a listen.

 

Haven't listened to his first one, but The Wild Ones is pretty good. It really does sound like Springsteen circa Born in the USA or Lucky Town. He's not up to Bruce's level lyrically, but it captures the vibe pretty well. Plus, "Girl of the Summer" is definitely pretty top-tier as far as recent mainstream "country" singles are concerned. He also co-wrote probably the best song on that Frankie Ballard album with Chris Stapleton.

 

So, I checked out this Kelsey Waldon album on a whim and it's pretty great. Definitely check it out. (RIYL Nikki Lane, Luke Bell, Daniel Romano, Margo Price etc)

So I actually gave a listen to Up All Night, his first record, today and enjoyed it for the most part. Even the requisite dumb radio single (Something Bout a Truck) is solid enough musically, it's just held back by dumbass lyrics ha. Not sure I'd say it sounds like Will Hoge but they wouldn't sound out of place on a playlist together. I'll have to check out his new one then too, sounds like I'd enjoy it.

That Frankie Ballard album is so frustrating ha. There's glimmers of something good in there, and I love "El Camino", and I enjoy the Bob Seger cover. But then he throws in shit like "Little Bit of Both" and it's just...eugh. If nothing else, each release of his has been progressively better than the last, so here's hoping he continues to mature as a musician and someday releases the kind of record he's clearly capable of.

Also, that he (and no one else) ever works with Ben Hayslip ever again. Christ, that man could not write a good song if his life depended on it. haha.

 

Saw Ruthie Collins and Chris Young last night. Was pleasantly surprised by Ruthie since I hadn't heard anything of hers before. Will have to go check her stuff out now. Good show for sure.

 

I've actually been digging the Ballard album a lot lately. I just straight up deleted "Little Bit of Both," and I'm not terribly fond of "Southern Side" or "Sweet Time" either, but I think the rest is solid, sleazy classic rock. It's a great summer running/driving album.

 

The Lydia Loveless and John Paul White albums that are streaming on NPR are both quite good. Also just got an advance of the new Mandolin Orange album, which is fucking gorgeous.

 

This is a good album

 

Yeah, it's hardly an awful album at all. I've never actually tried listening to it front to back with Little Bit of Both taken out of the track list, so I'll have to give that a go.

I can dig "Sweet Time" for the most part, and "Southern Side" is okay musically but bogged down by fairly cliche lyrics. "It All Started with a Beer" is another one I fluctuate between liking and kind of hating ha. Once again, musically it's solid, but I just can't quite get past the lyrics sometimes. Guess it depends on my mood.

And I still feel like "El Camino" could've straight up been a Butch Walker cut from Rise and Fall or I Liked You Better. But maybe that's just me, haha.

 

"Sweet Time" I'm just not a fan of the lyrics. I enjoy it musically. "Southern Side" doesn't really do anything for me, but I don't hate it like "Little Bit of Both." I enjoy "It All Started with a Beer" enough. As far as obvious plays for radio exposure go, I think that one has decent writing and some nice guitarwork. Could definitely hear "El Camino" being on The Spade, or even Butch's new one. Also a big fan of "Cigarette," "Wasting Time," "LA Woman," and "Good as Gold."

 

Yeah, I'm a big fan of the guitar going on with "It All Started with a Beer", so it's definitely got that going for it. I think ultimately we can both agree that the only REAL crime on the album is "Little Bit of Both" haha. Ugh. Anyway, I picked up that newest Kip Moore album today and I'm actually really enjoying it. I dig the heartland rock via pop-folk vibe it's got going on.

I, also, decided to give the newest Carrie Underwood a shot and parts of it I'm digging. Nothing on there I can honestly say I outright dislike. On the total flip side, this Cody Jinks album is pretty excellent. Gonna have to give it a few more spins.

 

I dug the Cody Jinks album. Listened to that one this morning. Excited to spend more time with it.

 

I'm also really enjoying that Kip Moore album, Wild Ones after giving it a proper spin. I can't really place my finger on what it reminds me of, though 80s Bruce is definitely in the fabric of that record, some places more so than others. Overall I feel like it's a pretty great example of the right way to blend pop sensibilities with country/folk-rock heart.