The Official Country Music Thread Genre • Page 6

My favorite is Townes Van Zandt, used to listen to him a lot when i was young and sad. Still love him. I like lots of country: John Prine, Guy Clark, Blaze Foley, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle, Kacey Musgraves, Old 97's to name a few. One of my favorite records is Country Soul Sisters compilation by Soul Jazz Records, phenomenal stuff! Organized a country party two summers ago where I played some tunes with my friend. Needless to say, it was quite unpopular!

 

Seasonally appropriate jam. I guess this particular song might be more jazz than country, but I don't think anyone here would mind that

 

an interview with him is sampled on the Meg Myers track "Motel" haha

 

Nice. I saw somebody talking about Meg Myers (probably you) and decided to check her out. I really enjoy "Desire", haven't had the time to listen to the album yet.

 

Chris Stapleton cleaned up again at the ACM Awards last night. Dude has seriously had the best year ever.

 

The album is pretty good, however several of her best songs are on her two EPs.

 

Great thread so far, I've been catching up on all these posts this afternoon. Will be following closely going forward!

One of my favourite releases from last year and of recent times which falls into the country music bracket but is more Springsteen-esque Country Pop-Rock is Kip Moores latest album The Wild Ones. Seriously love it from start to finish, so I recommend giving it a chance. Perfect for the recent warmer weather.

In the vain of a more traditional style of Country I have been listening to Sam Outlaw's debut album Angeleno. I actually found him through Brian Fallon's Instagram as he recommended it so that's certainly a pretty high level of praise to get you interested.

 

I've pretty much listened to nothing but the new Parker Millsap for the last week. What an album.

 

I pretty much listen to it front to back every time I play it. Not one weak track on the album.

 

I've found so much great music through bands I love recommending them on social media or even just seeing them conversing with them

 

Seems like a lot of love for Americana stuff here, which is cool, but I'm way more into traditional country. Pop country is absolute garbage, and has been for almost a decade. Bro country has now morphed into wannabe r&b/pop music. All the guys wear their blazers and fancy suits in lame attempts to chase genres and make music that is anything but country.Long gone are the days of cowboy hats and jeans. It has just completely lost its identity and is now just pop music sung by people with southern drawls.

Luckily, there are are a lot of great acts in the underground that are true to the roots. People like Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers, Whitey Morgan, Jason Boland, etc are all true country artists.

Anyone here fans of the 80's and 90's golden stuff? Randy Travis, Mark Chesnutt, Clint Black, Brooks & Dunn, etc?

 

I'm a big fan of Wade Bowen's stuff, and I enjoy the latest albums from Randy Rogers and Whitey Morgan. Lots of good stuff out there still.

 

Agreed Craig. It's just so frustrating that real country is so ignored by the masses. There has always been crappy pop country, and always will be, but there has to be a balance. Maybe Chris Stapleton's success will change the dynamics a bit. Part of me thinks he is being propped up Nashville as the token "true country" artist they push. Part of me also thinks that his history as a pop country songwriter has given him an in that makes it easier to push him. I sincerely hope e is the guy that breaks down the doors though.

 

I cannot for the life of me get into 80s/90s era country. I love Dwight Yoakam, but that's about it haha. I don't hate that stuff (Brooks & Dunn, Randy Travis, Clint Black etc) at all though, it just doesn't do anything for me.

Could never get into Dolly Parton either. I know it's unfair but I just can't get past the cartoonish/caricature image she's cultivated.

 

I grew up listening to the 90s stuff so a lot of those songs are ingrained in my memory. There was a lot of good stuff back then, and it was also when mainstream country started getting really gimmicky and striving for crossover success which lead to where we are today.

 

Yeah, he's so good. Here's hoping he starts gaining some traction with country fans.

Speaking of William Clark Green, I'm all about this song.

 

I feel like we're finally at a point where there is a good balance. I think the pop country stuff has a place. Lots of people love it and it makes them feel something and that's cool. But I also don't think "true" artists should be shunted toward the sidelines, and I think in the wake of Stapleton and Isbell, they won't be--at least not for the foreseeable future.

As for Stapleton having an "in," there's no doubt that that played a part in his success, but I also kind of think he would have blown up anyway. That factor probably helped him grab the CMA nominations, but it was his performance that stole the show and sold all those records. And the people nominating him for Grammys were probably not the country insiders. But yeah, a lot of people in the industry love and respect the guy because they've worked with him or cut his songs, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Have you gone back to his past records? I'm a pretty big fan of Rose Queen, though I don't love it quite as much as Ringling Road.

 

I grew up on 80's and 90's country like George Strait, Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, etc. I still really enjoy it, but these days I tend to go back to older stuff like Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings more often.

 

George Strait's debut album Strait Country is quite good, but maybe I just like it because Silver Jews did a cover of Friday Night Fever! I find myself diving into 70's and 90's country, but for some reason never 80's.

 

Rest in peace Merle Haggard, one of the all-time country music greats who died today on his 79th birthday. None of the artists we discuss in this thread (particularly the alt-country and "outlaw" ones) would be what they are without Merle's music and legacy.

Merle Haggard Dead at 79

 

I'd make a serious argument for "the Bakersfield sound" being the most influential movement in the last fifty years of country music

 

My mom who grew up in Tennessee used to show me Merle Haggard and similar artists. RIP.

 

What exactly is the Bakersfield sound? I'm a pretty enthusiastic country fan but I don't know too much about the sub genres, eras, etc.

 

Merle is the epitome of it. Along with Buck Owens.

Bakersfield sound - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

RIP Hag. One of the best ever.