CRM114

Do you listen to any "alt-country"? Ryan Adams, Whiskeytown, early Neko Case, Uncle Tupelo, Avett Brothers?

The only actual country I listen to at home is Townes Van Zandt, Gram Parsons, and Loretta Lynn's Jack White produced album.

I appreciate the genre (real country) but don't really want to listen to it. I listen to TONS of country influenced stuff (i.e. music with steel guitars and banjos).

musick

^ so much this

to a lesser extent check out former DBT member Jason Isbell
also recommend now defunct Denton, TX band Slobberbone

Supermallet

Thanks, the videos will be really helpful! I've been digging the new album by American Aquarium, not totally country, more like Southern Rock, but somewhat in that vein. I'll give some of these a listen tonight.

Ky-Fi

Maybe you already know these bands, but there's also the cowpunk genre of the early 80s, with bands like The Long Ryders:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0saf-DKQoM8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And Rank and File, among others:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HY_GtXwB4Ec" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Alejandro Escovedo played guitar for Rank and File, and he's still going strong today--I just saw him live a couple weeks ago. Great performer:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5T9TXiV3jIA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

printerati

Yes to all of these, to varying degrees. I'll also add Son Volt, Deer Tick, Varnaline, The Be Good Tanyas, Jolene, and some stuff from Phosphorescent (including To Willie, an entire album of Willie Nelson covers), Mojave 3, and Southern Culture on the Skids.

Why So Blu?

Zac Brown Band but only when he does covers.

Lone Wolf

I could have overlooked him, but I don't think I saw Kris Kristofferson mentioned. Definitely one of the greats. I also discovered Guy Clark a while back. Dublin Blues came on pandora and I woke from a half sleep and got out of bed to write his name down. For newer alt country I'd recommend Hayes Carll, Bobby Bare Jr., and Hank III.

DaveWadding

Zac Brown for sure, although the latest is way less country than you'd think. Eric Church is great, I'd recommend Chief or The Outsiders as albums to try. I like Brad Paisley and Keith Urban. Both are excellent guitar players.

As for older stuff, I'm of that 80s-90s Neotraditionalist vein as well. Strait, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Garth (just start with his first...2 albums). Alabama is awesome.

covenant

Heavy is the Head shocked me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWBm4Tx2bRo

Yeah, he rushed into arena rock fast! I like his simple quiet songs (and Texas swing) and the less said about his latest album the better.

Lone Wolf

I'll add Langhorne Slim to the alt country list as well. I just saw him live a few weeks ago and he puts on one hell of a show.

danfindlay

Probably my favorite straight country song is Gary P. Nunn's London Homesick Blues, also called Home With The Armadillo just for the nostalgia factor of being part of Austin City Limits for so long. Most country I just flat hate due it being so EMO. Yes, I said emo. So much whining about losing their ladies, or how their bad behavior made them lose their ladies, or much they love their ladies or god if only my lady would come back. Puke. I do enjoy a lot of Outlaw country particularly The Highwaymen, Hank Williams and Bosephus. Got a lot of love for Conway Twitty. He was the man and quite possibly right next to Elvis for most recognizable and distinctive voice in music. Modern stuff I love includes Drive by Truckers, Jason Isbell and 400 unit and I have great respect for bluegrass, or as the lead singer of 60 Watt Shaman told me as we shared some Heinekins, The Death Metal of Country Music.

Ringmaster

I only like some of the the old school stuff like Hank Williams Sr., Willie Nelson, and my favorite, Johnny Cash. I definitely recommend getting these two albums and go from there.

Geofferson

Don't limit yourself to traditional Country, check out some forgotten Country Funk artists such as: Tony Joe White, Larry Jon Wilson, Hoyt Axton, Cherokee (though they only produced 1 album).

Tony Joe White - Polk Salad Annie

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7re4D15-Aaw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Larry Jon Wilson - Ohoopee River Bottomland

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pJxvh16Ky_c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hoyt Axton - Della and the Dealer

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pN0OBHz_Xmo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Cherokee - Funky Business

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ndmOVrInjSk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Decker

Couple of older artists that folks here know I still love deeply

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n3osgTynhGY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HQlHpT_-IV4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And Chris Stapleton, who's a new artist with a remarkably great first album. Nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_kBnFgLP8po" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

slop101

Yup! The first response was the best response. This was one of the best albums, country or otherwise, of the last 5 or 10 years. And it's a straight up country album, but a thoroughly modern one.

wmermine

Sturgill Simpson
Kacey Musgraves
Jason Isbell
Drive-by Truckers
Uncle Tupelo
Son Volt
Bare Jr.
The Jayhawks
Old 97s
Rhett Miller

Some of that is straight up country, and some of it is alt-country. But it's all good.

Hiro11

Country is so huge, there are so many points of entry. I listen to country about 25% of the time. I like everything from honky tonk to bluegrass to western swing to the Bakersfield sound to outlaw to country rock to country blues.

This is a pretty good list:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/li...d-own-20150603

Supermallet

I haven't abandoned this thread, but I also haven't had time to delve into the suggestions much either. Hopefully I'll have a chance soon.

davidh777

How about some bluegrass?

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EvKtxTsVoMo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gScUOqFxDSU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

morriscroy

I gradually made my way to country music over the past 15+ years or so.

Back in the late 1990s, I was listening to the cheesy pop stuff like Faith Hill, Shania Twain, etc ... which I thought sounded too much like 80s arena rock with a slight twang.

Over the next decade or so, I went through phases of listening to various southern rock type stuff, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special, etc ...

About five years ago or so, I started listening to pop country again and some older stuff, such as: Taylor Swift, Gretchen Wilson, Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, etc ...

morriscroy

What initially attracted my attention to Taylor Swift, was when she did some Def Leppard songs.

In the case of Gretchen Wilson, it was coming across some Heart covers. (IIRC, one was with Alice in Chains).