afraid to write this--country music
 

I'm almost afraid to admit this, but after years of being a real die hard Beastie Boys, Chilli Peppers, etc. fan, I've actually heard some country music, and I find the sincerity of it pretty endearing. I like Emmylou Harris' "Wrecking Ball", I've always liked Johnny Cash, and I like Dolly Parton's "Little Sparrow" and "Halos and Horns."

Can someone suggest other country albums or artists that I might like? What about the older guys, like Willie Nelson? I don't think I'd like that "new country" stuff (don't like Shania Twain) but I'm willing to keep an open mind.

Suggestions? (No sarcasm please).

Hank Willims Jr. , Waylon Jennings, George Jones all good old guys. New guys that are good Garth Brooks, Tim Mcgraw, Kenny Chesney. Not that I know that much about country music or anything.

Kenny Chesney
 

Kenny Chesney is good? I'm seriously wondering. A friend of a friend, who doesn't know country music, implied he was like Billy Ray Cyrus and that a country music fan who knows country music wouldn't like him. I heard that "No shirt, no shoes, no problems" song, and I thought it was okay.

But thanks for your suggestions. I'll check that stuff out.

Willie is great. If you want cross-over stuff, check out the album Borderline. Merle Haggard is also classic.

As far as current mainstream, the only one who I consistently like is Dwight Yoakam. "This Time" or "If There Was a Way" are great albums.

I go for alt-country stuff. Robert Earl Keen is one of my favorites, Steve Earle is great. Lyle Lovett fits in no category, but used to be considered a country artist, and is truly amazing (I own just about every album).

Since you like Emmy Lou and Dolly, try Nanci Griffith.

I'm sure I'll think of more, stay tuned...

You may also like Kelly Willis (definitely a favorite of a few of us on this board who don't necessarily like mainstream country music.) Ditto the Lyle Lovett suggestion, too.

Keep 'em coming!!
 

Thanks. Yeah, I may be more of an alt-country guy. I bought the Wilco album from a few years back and enjoyed it.

LurkerDan: The Steve Earle stuff I've heard I really enjoyed. I'm so into "Wrecking Ball" that I will definitely try and track down some Nanci Griffith. Thanks for the album suggestions. I'll take a listen. By all means, if you think of more stuff, let me know.

SAShepherd: I'll try and find some Kelly Willis. And Lyle Lovett, of course.

you've gone over to the dark side!!

j/k old country is pretty good stuff - much better than most of what is being done in any genre today.

Where have all the good bands gone? - I'm waxing nostalgic overhere :(

Try some alt-country. My musical tastes once tended towards alt-rock as well and started shifting a few years ago to alt-country, which is now my favorite genre. My suggestions:

Old 97's (start with "Too Far to Care")
The Gourds (start with either "Dem's Good Beeble" - their oldest - or "Shinebox" - their newest)
Kasey Chambers (start with "Barricades and Brickwalls")
Whiskeytown (start with "Faithless Street")
Robbie Fulks (start with "Couples in Trouble")

For some older artists along a similar line:

Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers
Johnny Cash
Merle Haggard
Willie Nelson
Hank Williams, Sr.

As this morphs into another alt-country discussion... ;)

I'd also highly recommend the Jayhawks -- I like all their albums; "Hollywood Town Hall" and, to a lesser extent, "Tomorrow the Green Grass" are their most country-like albums.

I haven't discussed her on this board before, but I DO like her. I only have her self-titled album and What I deserve. What else of hers is good?

BTW, did you ever see the Tim Robbins movie "Bob Roberts"? Miss Broken Dove in that movie was Kelly Willis. I remembered how amazingly beautiful she was, and how amazing her voice was too, so I watched the credits for her name. A few years later I saw an album, the name clicked, I bought it, and was very happy...

Alison Krauss is my favorite.

You also might want to try Tift Merritt. Her debut album is very much a throwback on some cuts to earlier country, while other cutes are a little less easy to classify.

I can't listen to any programmed country station. It is just too commercialized, there is no soul in so many of the performances. It's like Celine Dion on pop stations, too much auto-pilot.

Although I'm not a country fan, Emmylou Harris and Nancy Griffith are friggin' wonderful (though they're more of an off-shoot of country). As far as pure country music, I love Hank Williams (not Jr.), Patsy Cline, and the almighty Johnny Cash.

I like "outlaw country" like:

Johnny Cash
Waylon Jennings
Hank Williams, Jr. (favorite country artist)
David Allen Coe (try "Never Even Called Me by My Name")
Robert Earl Keen ("Merry Christmas from the Family", "Copenhagen")

and these current artists:

Clint Black
Mark Chesnutt
Alan Jackson
Alison Krauss
Reba McEntire
Trisha Yearwood

Copenhagen, What a wad of flavor.
Copenhagen, You can see it in my smile.
Copenhagen, do yourself a favor.
Chew Copenhagen, drive them pretty girls wild.

Laertes, don't be afraid to admit you like this stuff. I despised country music a long time ago, but it was Emmylou and Dwight Yoakam in '86 that totally changed my opinion. There is so much great stuff out there.

Possibly my all time favorite country recording is Buddy Miller's "Poison Love" CD from 1997. He is currently in Emmylou's band and she is on this CD I mentioned (check out the reviews on Amazon).

Another CD that is very very good is the Maverick's "What a Crying Shame". Sounds like a freakin' greatest hits album, but it's not.

I'm more prone to dig into New Order or stuff like Moby, but there's great stuff in just about every category (save metal!).

By the way, there was another thread similar to this months ago. You might be able to find it by searching.

I tend to like country influenced music and old country. Some Alt-country is pretty cool. I hate new country though.... especially that pop-country crap.

Buddy Miller kicks ass. His CD with his wife Julie is great as well.

What they said...

Thanks
 

atlantamoi: I didn't realize that there was a thread about this a few months ago. With my friends, I was starting to think I was the only one into this stuff. Seriously, I'm taking some mocking from my friends for getting into this music, and the thing is, I have friends who think there's something worthwhile in every genre of music, *except* country. Man, the thrashing I got for saying I liked the new Dolly album... I had to cover and say, "Well, she has those breasts" but dammit, I like the album.

I'll check out *all* the suggestions from everyone. Last night, I bought the first Whiskeytown album (thanks Gdrlv) and I love it!! I realize it's alt-country, but... So I also bought Ryan Adams' first album.

I think I could get into those "outlaw" dudes. And I'll definitely check out Buddy Miller.

Seriously, you have no idea how great this feels. I was sort of mourning the state of music today, and this sort of showed up!!! I feel like I've discovered this whole new world, as maudlin as that sounds. (And I've always kind of liked Trisha Yearwood's voice and thought Dwight Yoakam was kinda cool. Now I can buy their albums without fear :) )

Thanks for all the suggestions. I really appreciate it, since, like I said, I don't really know anyone I can go to for recommendations. I'll work my way through them and report back.

Laertes, I love reading posts like yours. It's cool to watch someone discover something they didn't know about. If all I knew of country was by what's on country stations I would be disgusted. I watch year in and year out Brooks and Dunne (sp?) win awards at the country music awards and I simply don't get it.
There really isn't anything much cooler in my book than listening to REAL country music like Johnny Cash. Even his new stuff is awesome.

Hey, if your friends like neometal or whatever, you can have some fun knowing you are listening to something that is TRULY alternative to what is popular on the radio. Look at it like that.
I think a lot of people kind of surprise themselves when they realize they can actually like country. My wife is a technohead and she has really enjoyed the country I put on in the car. I got her interested by making her a CD compilation of some wacky, alt-punk-country. Fun stuff.

Have you ever listened to X. They sort of fit that definition. An wesome band, truly revolutionary. Their music is great, and when you realize they were doing it in the late 70's, makes it all the more amazing...

X was great on their first few albums. "The World's A Mess It's In My Kiss". Love it.

Americanafication:

Uncle Tupelo
Wilco
Son Volt
Jay Farrar
Blue Mountain
Steve Earle
Emmylou Harris
Neil Young
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
Tim Easton
Slobberbone
The Flatlanders
Shaver
highly recommended is the recently released Chuck Prophet record 'No Other Love'
anything and everything on New West Records www.newwestrecords.com

Mearl Haggard has a 2cd greatest hits released withing the last 2 years. Good place to start. Also, pick up Johnny Cash "Folsom Prison" cds, the most honest down to earth haughting music you'll ever hear.