Country Music Thread

What’s up gang!

Planning a trip from Ohio to Southern NC and I always seem to run out of music on the trip down. When fading in and out of the mountains I try and keep as many song on the iPhone library to keep me going but over the years it’s the same song. Even with Pandora or Apple Music I feel like they still shuffle the same songs over and over.

My question and thread topic is what new music are y’all listening too? I’m open to anything but pop country.

The top 3 artists I still don’t get tired of would be The Cadillac Three, Whiskey Myers, and Cody Johnson.

So what’s your favorite artists right now? Or songs that never get old so everyone else can listen and tune in. Appreciate the feedback in advance!

 

anything by jon lajoie or froggy fresh

 

Toby, Merle, and Mr Cash

 

Chris Stapleton

 

Johnny Cash is as country as it gets and all that is needed for me.

 

Anything before 1980.

 

The funny thing is, cash was considered pop music when he started. He toured with jerry lee lewis and elvis.

 

tyler Childers , Lucinda Williams Turnpike troubadours sturgill, isabell , Ashlee. Monroe, And kid from Canada with deep voice forget his name.

 

There are definitely more traditional Country Singers...they just don't appeal to me. He's as country as I can take and still enjoy it.

Dylan too, but I know he's not country (John Wesley Harding album being the most)

Oh yeah...I'm starting to enjoy Lucinda Williams the more I hear her on Little Steven's Underground Garage on XM

 

Johnny Cash and Jay Munly are the only country artists I like.

 

Yeah I’m definitely into the more rock country as of now like whiskey and Cadillac. Can’t forget Cody Jinks

 

another solid one!!

 

Stapleton is the man. Saw that dude in concert and he's an absolute performer. He's got a band, Steeldrivers. Check em out. Music sounds like a great moonshine movie soundtrack style.

 

The devil makes three, old crow medicine show, turnpike troubadours

 

Ryan Bingham had a couple rocking country tunes and was one I didn't mind a few years ago.

I saw him on Letterman one night rocking this song.

 

Heard music from turnpike troubadours and liked it too!!

 

Tyler childers (coal) best song, cody jinks, whiskey myers, justin townes earle (lone pine hill) band of heathens (hurricane).

 

Jinks
Whiskey Myers
Whitey Morgan and the 78s
The Steel Woods
Cody Johnson
Charles Wesley Godwin
Jake Worthington
Joseph Huber
Porter Union
Joshua Ray Walker
Mike Ryan
Colter Wall
Read Southall Band
Jaime Wyatt
Jackie Darlene
Blackberry Smoke
Turnpike Troubadours
John Slaughter
Holly Williams

That'll get you started. It's a long list of modern country that ain't crap.

 

Cross Canadian Ragweed
Reckless Kelly
Robert Earl Keen

 

They great thing about country is simply - they never retire.

Pop musics problem is your only 22 once..so the “problems” a 22 year old kid has change and no one wants to hear you sing a pop song about mid life issues.

Country though - those issues stay with you for life.

Check out the outlaw country playlist on your favorite service - it will give you a solid grouping of current/past artist.

Never going to go wrong with 70s country in general - and a lot of great artist turning out songs today that could have been released in the mid 70s easily.

Cash a “pop” artist…yes, much in the same way Hank Sr was - remember pre Beatles pop music wasn’t rock n roll - it was just whatever had the widest audience appeal. Hell a few years before Polka was “pop”. Jerry Lee was very much a rock-a-billy artist as was Carl Perkins. Elvis just took off and redefined the icon thing - but left to his own devices probably would have still been touring county fairs for decades doing his early stuff.

Cash was pop - but a lot changed in the mid 60s for him personally and song wise. He started seeking out songs that reflected changes in the world as he saw it.

 

Jimmy Swope
Hank III

 

Ones I don't think are previously listed;

Randy Rogers
William Clark Green
Granger Smith - his earlier work > new, IMO
Casey Donahew
Jason Boland & The Stragglers
Wade Bowen
Josh Abbott
Aaron Watson
Koe Wetzel
Charlie Robison
JB and the Moonshine Band

 

Big Blackberry Smoke fan here. Don't know if you think Eric Church is "poppy" but he's got some good stuff and every album sounds different, which I can appreciate. He's influenced some of the newer, more country sounding guys like Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen (he sounds like a bit of an ass of a person but the dude has this ability to convey emotion in his voice that's really cool to hear).

 

Oh, and keep "Dueling Banjos" handy in case you get lost in the woods...

 

Some many great names in country and hard to narrow it down.

Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard have huge catalogs and you might find some gems you love beyond the “hits”

Sturgil Simpson is great, Ray Wylie Hubbard is a genius songwriter, John Prine was amazing and has some new uncovered stuff from late 70s.

I would strongly suggest giving John Prines 1st album a listen - as well as Guy Clark’s first after listening to Clark - listen to Townes Van Zant (recommend Live at the Old Quarter).

Don’t pay too much attention to “labels” - country/rock/etc - Jerry Garcia was an accomplished bluegrass player and a lot of those influences carried forward into the Grateful Dead - country is just a label. Alot of the “alt-country” names out there today would have been famous if it were still 1991 and grunge was still big.

 

that’s a solid list for sure. Half I’ve heard of half I have not. Much appreciated!!

 

agreed with too many to name!! Looking to get more into my cycle for sure!! Thanks for the post.

 

Wrinkle neck mules
James McMurtry

 

Stephen Lynch,
Ween
JC

 

First thought was, no way that’s a band. Sure as shit it is. That’s awesome.