aaaackk.. whats this world coming to? Some days I just feel in the mood for some country music, so I want to make a couple of compilations of country music songs that are typically enjoyed by non-country fans.

Can be anything, but generally perfer female vocals with little background music. Please suggest specific songs by artists as I don't know anything about country music. They can be mainstream and played-out because I wouldn't know the difference.

Lucinda Williams
Emmylou Harris
Gillian Welch
The Be Good Tanyas

absolutely. Also, Allison Moorer, she's my favorite.

as far as songs go...

Alabama Song - Allison Moorer
No Next Time - Allison Moorer
Steal the Sun - Allison Moorer
Louise is in the Blue Moon - Allison Moorer
I Wish I Was the Moon - Neko Case
Three Cords and the Truth - Sara Evans
Suds in the Bucket - Sara Evans
Changed the Locks - Lucinda Williams
Those Three Days - Lucinda Williams
Right in Time - Lucinda Williams
Passionate Kisses - Lucinda Willliams (or Mary Chapin Carpenter)
Telephone - Shelby Lynn
10 Rocks - Shelby Lynn
Virgina, No One Can Warn You - Tift Merritt
If the Jukebox Took Teardrops - Danni Leigh
One More Song the Radio Won't Like - Kathleen Edwards
We're All Gonna Die Someday - Kasey Chambers
Pony - Kasey Chambers

That's some of my current personal favorites. It's not supposed to be comprehensive as there's a lot of great stuff I left off (Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Kelly Willis, Alison Krauss and Shania Twain to name a few)

Alison Krauss - any of her older stuff. Since she's been hangin' around Shania, she sounds more poppier.

I don't listen to that much country music, but Dwight Yoakam is pretty damn cool. I was particularly impressed with his solo-acoustic release "dwightyoakamacoustic.net". Gotta love the packaging of that disc . Extremely talented, in the old-school Buck Owens/Hank Williams vein, and I say again...cool.

My country female favs right now are Loretta Lynn and Gretchen Wilson.

Redneck Woman


Van Lear Rose

Try anything by...

Sara Evans
Patty Loveless
Alison Krauss
Mary Chapin Carpenter
K.T. Oslin

Try listening to some Brad Cotter he won Nashville Star this year. His album is really good. He has just not had as much press as Buddy Jewell the previous winner. His album is patient man. It is a well-made album.

He's not a female singer but check out Hank Williams 3rd...amazing stuff. He sounds just like his granddaddy. and he also plays punk rock music.

For female singers, give Tift Merrit or Kasey Chambers a try. I love them both. "A Southern Kind of Life" by Chambers is especially good. Some people also really dig Nikko Case and she's worth a listen to, but not one of my personal favorites.

Try - Garrison Starr

Echo praises of:

Kelly Willis
Kasey Chambers
Allison Moorer
Tift Merritt
Gillian Welch
Neko Case
Kathleen Edwards

Some of these artists (particularly Case and Edwards) are stretching heavily the definition of country, but are definitely worth checking out.

Trisha Yearwood
Gretchen Wilson

Just about anything by Johnny Cash and you have some excellent country music

Let me add a few-

Faith Hill
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire

There are so many songs to recommend. It makes my brain hurt to think about it.

"Portland Oregon"--Loretta Lynn duet with Jack White
"Have Mercy"--Loretta Lynn
"Red Dirt Girl"--Emmylou Harris
"One Legged Guitar Pickin' Man"--Johnny Cash duet with June Carter
"Jackson" Johnny Cash duet with June Carter
"Women's Prison"--Loretta Lynn