Bo Burnham said it brilliantly:
I think some of the greatest song writers of all time are country artists: Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, you know? And if you’re writing honestly, that is art! And I would never bash that! Um, the problem is, with a lot of modern country music, wha- what is called “Stadium Country Music” Sort of Keith Urban Brand of Country music is that it is not honest, it is the exact opposite of honest
And then he launched into one of the best comedy songs of all time illustrating it perfectly 💪❤️
I call that ‘Nazi Country’. It’s completely unironic and not self reflective. The exact opposite of good country.
Also, good country compares favorably to rock by not being overloaded with testosterone.
Also, good country compares favorably to rock by not being overloaded with testosterone.
Unfortunately, it does not compare favorably to rock in that it’s not overloaded with nearly as much homoeroticism.
As long as Johnny Cash is considered Country Music, it’s not possible to “hate country music” anyway.
Country music doesn’t have to be bad. Which means that the recent stuff is a deliberate stylistic choice. Do with that as you will.
Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny cash, Dolly Parton…I don’t like “country music” but can enjoy all of these artists. Country music has been bastardized by clearchannel, along with almost all other types of music. Fuck clearchannel (now rebranded as “I heart radio” which is…such a stupid fucking name)
“i heart corporate daddy for telling me what music to listen to”
There’s so much great music everywhere, and I truly enjoy nearly all music. But if you listen to FM radio it’s a damn shame that almost all of it is just the stale, overplayed, corporate safe stuff. THAT is the country most people dislike
Newer bands I can think of with an old school country feel are First Aid Kit, Gregory Alan Isakov, Secret Sisters etc. And the new Hunger Games movie soundtrack is a great sampler of slow and fast folk/bluegrass vibes
Local radio station plays Isakov, I wouldn’t have labeled him country, but I like him a lot.
That’s fair the acoustic indie/folk/country categories blur together in my head
The recent corporate stuff. There is still indie country and some of it is pretty good. Not something I actively listen to or anything, but I’ve heard good things before.
We owe our appreciation of Johnny Cash to Rick Rubin who rescued him from literal dinner theater hell.
I’d put Marty Robbins above Johnny Cash, though I guess he’s more western than country.
It’s okay, we play both kinds of music here.
YOU AIN’T THE GOOD OL’ BOYS!!
I’m the opposite side of the same coin: if I like it, I don’t consider it country music.
Lots of stuff without twang I’d just call folk music (add other terms if needed, American, western etc).
Also I’m glad the same thing didn’t happen to rock. Like there is a certain mostly-post-grunge vocal style popular in the 2000s that’d be really annoying if it was part of most rock music.
Folk, blue grass, fast grass. All amazing and technically country…but not to me
Townes Van Zandt is the peak of country music for me
Country is like Rock, it’s a side genre with mini genres. Johnny Cash and Kane Brown aren’t the same
🎵 Country Roads… 🎵
West Jamaicaaaa
Island Mama…
Country music is only awful after 9/11
I’m not really surprised that the Dixie Chicks’ careers were destroyed after 9/11. They didn’t just criticize Most Holy President, they also sang about things like domestic violence.
Where were you when they built the ladder to heaven?
That and Taylor Swift was the nail in the coffin. Her transition to top 40 pop and sky rocketing popularity showed nothing but dollar signs to country music producers…
She’s a slightly different case I think.
She was basically groomed by the industry to be a pretty young white country girl and made into a sex symbol when she was 14.
When she grew up she changed genres, fired her old label when the contract expired, and then re-recorded her old stuff to keep the old labels from making royalties off new sales.
Everything about her change is a big middle-finger to to her old management.
Absolutely, but my point was country producers/management, saw the money she was raking in and immediately started pushing the their own country singers to make more “mainstream/pop/top 40” influenced music to capture the larger audience.
There’s some great stuff nowadays that isn’t just bro country! It’s going to be mostly smaller and all my favorites lean heavily into their bluegrass and folk roots, but there’s some great stuff!
I’d check out Tyler Childers or Zach Bryan for something more mainstream. I might get flamed for calling them country, but Poor Man’s Poison is fantastic as well!
If you don’t love Chris Stapleton after one listen of Tennessee Whiskey, then idk what to tell you
If you don’t love Chris Stapleton after one listen of Tennessee Whiskey, then idk what to tell you
I don’t know if remaking a song from 81’ counts as modern.
Yes
Tyler Childers
Hayes Carll
Charley Crockett
Jason Isbell (southern rock)
Maren Morris
Sturgill Simpson
Joshua Ray Walker
There is so much good country music coming out now, and probably always has been, it just doesn’t get played on the radio.
I want to take a moment here to mention Dan Tyminski. I know it’s not his most recent, but specifically the song Southern Gothic really gave me that “this is what country is supposed to be” feeling I hadn’t felt in years.
Surprised to see Yes on that list, but I guess I’ve only really listened to their 70s albums
Ha! I apologize profusely for the confusion, not Yes the band, Yes there is still good country music being made by modern artists.
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I used to think I didn’t like country music, but I realized that I’d been approaching it the same as people who “don’t like rap”; there’s so much rap and hip hop out there that it’s almost impossible to not eventually find something you like. And there’s… so much country music in the world.
Been jamming out to Mama’s Broken Heart recently.
Yeah. I like certain Country songs, but the average one I hear I don’t particularly care about.
Me: again this boring repost
Also me: JOLEEEEEEN
Dolly Parton is a sweetheart and a saint. And a good performer.
I love the version from Me First And The Gimme Gimmes: YouTube
I’ve been fortunate enough to see them twice. So so so much fun.
Out of curiosity- do they have any original songs?
No. They will repeatedly state during their shows that they’re a cover band.
Miley Cyrus has a killer cover of it. https://youtu.be/wOwblaKmyVw?si=tDbbVbTgLhbYF_Nk
Yeah, I actually like this version better than the original. I think the slightly slower pace helps, but those instruments just do it for me
That one really is a banger. But watching that video again, I can’t get over how terrible the vocals would actually sound if she was up on the mic like that.
Also Tyler Childers
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Jolene slowed down to 33rpm made me really appreciate the song anew
How can a digital song be slowed down to 33rpms? Was it originally a 7" 45rpm vinyl single that was played at 33rpm? Then upload to YouTube?
It just doesn’t make sense to have digital audio “slowed down” to 33rpm, that’s like watching the Simpsons, sped up to 50rpms
You can get a lot of music on vinyl still, hell sometimes its easier to get than CDs. Even more niche artists like Hulkoff have music on vinyl.
Not just easier, they are now outselling CDs.
You’re always with the pedantics.
It’s a fucking great song. I don’t consider it country so much as country-adjacent. This is a hauntingly good remix.
Miley Cyrus also did a great cover.
I think it’s only ‘country-adjacent’ in that ‘mainstream country’ has moved away from this type of song to the now stereotypical “guns/trucks/girls/flag-waving”.
Most older country is the same honestly.
The white stripes:
‘Hold our guitar and drum sticks…’
I was expecting Beyonce.
🎵He finally drank his pain away, a little at a time…🎵
