This is a conversation about exploring the Country Music cannon.
That sentence alone could be problematic for casual observers and genre scholars, but expected in a tent who's listeners want to cram Townes Van Zandt and Florida Georgia Line under the same canopy. Authenticity is central and also nebulous.
But I'm here to fill my head with tunes and nerd out on the high and lonesome sound. What are your stepping stones in the broader genera? What are you listening to now that is blowing your mind? Where TF do they file any of this at your local music shop and how? Wanna complain about Bro Country, have at it. How important is Music Row? Where TF is Music Row now?
Go Go Go
This album is my current flip over and over
(https://buildingourownnashville.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_6649.jpg?w=2600)
Been on a Terry Allen kick lately. So good. And everyone knows how much I love Townes and Willie. natronzero had me digging into more Jerry Jeff Walker lately, too.
I actually have been going back through my country collection the last 2 or 3 weeks.
Some of the standouts have been Emmy Lou Harris, Waylon & Willie (of course).
As far as newer country, Colter Wall is incredible, as is Sturgill Simpson.
Quote from: PIE-GUY on February 22, 2021, 07:08:38 AM
Been on a Terry Allen kick lately. So good.
Escaped my radar until now, but on doing a little reading about Allen, sounds like something I should check out.
Quote from: Buffalo Budd on February 22, 2021, 07:53:05 AM
I actually have been going back through my country collection the last 2 or 3 weeks.
Some of the standouts have been Emmy Lou Harris, Waylon & Willie (of course).
As far as newer country, Colter Wall is incredible, as is Sturgill Simpson.
Harris is phenomenal. Roses in the Snow, with Ricky Skaggs, should be required listening for any music fan.
Simpson is one of the artists I was actually thinking about looking into next. Any suggestions on where to start first?
Shotgun Willie has been in the pandemic rotation for almost a year for me.
I grew up with Garth, George strait, Alan Jackson, then discovered outlaw country and all their ass kicking ideals. Jumbo Mathis and the tri state coalition and south Memphis string band are some of my newer favorites.
Good thread. Thanks
Quote from: nab on February 22, 2021, 08:41:50 AM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on February 22, 2021, 07:08:38 AM
Been on a Terry Allen kick lately. So good.
Escaped my radar until now, but on doing a little reading about Allen, sounds like something I should check out.
Start with Lubbock (On Everything). So many great tunes, but this one is a favorite of mine:
https://youtu.be/1dtrbJov8aI (https://youtu.be/1dtrbJov8aI)
Quote from: PIE-GUY on February 22, 2021, 09:30:04 AM
Quote from: nab on February 22, 2021, 08:41:50 AM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on February 22, 2021, 07:08:38 AM
Been on a Terry Allen kick lately. So good.
Escaped my radar until now, but on doing a little reading about Allen, sounds like something I should check out.
Start with Lubbock (On Everything). So many great tunes, but this one is a favorite of mine:
https://youtu.be/1dtrbJov8aI (https://youtu.be/1dtrbJov8aI)
That kind of self-referential (to the genre) stuff in the music is awesome. Sort of a lilting waltzy like melody with a confessional attached to the end. The lyrics remind me of Richard Brautigan.
Good stuff.
Quote from: Bobafett on February 22, 2021, 09:02:17 AM
Shotgun Willie has been in the pandemic rotation for almost a year for me.
I grew up with Garth, George strait, Alan Jackson, then discovered outlaw country and all their ass kicking ideals. Jumbo Mathis and the tri state coalition and south Memphis string band are some of my newer favorites.
Good thread. Thanks
If I remember correctly, you and I hail from generally the same portion of the country.
Strait, Brooks, and Jackson were all over when I was growing up too. I've returned to them now that I have a broader appreciation for the genre and can start to understand where they fit beyond the FM radio hits. Jackson and Strait have especially gotten more appreciation from me.
I like most of Brooks' first two albums, but a lot of that is my appreciation for Chris Ledoux.
Quote from: nab on February 22, 2021, 08:41:50 AM
Harris is phenomenal. Roses in the Snow, with Ricky Skaggs, should be required listening for any music fan.
Simpson is one of the artists I was actually thinking about looking into next. Any suggestions on where to start first?
A Sailor's Guide to Earth is what hooked me and I continued to dig into his catalogue, which isn't that extensive yet.
Quote from: Buffalo Budd on February 22, 2021, 02:52:37 PM
Quote from: nab on February 22, 2021, 08:41:50 AM
Harris is phenomenal. Roses in the Snow, with Ricky Skaggs, should be required listening for any music fan.
Simpson is one of the artists I was actually thinking about looking into next. Any suggestions on where to start first?
A Sailor's Guide to Earth is what hooked me and I continued to dig into his catalogue, which isn't that extensive yet.
The two newer bluegrass records are outstanding.
Quote from: rowjimmy on February 22, 2021, 03:31:12 PM
Quote from: Buffalo Budd on February 22, 2021, 02:52:37 PM
Quote from: nab on February 22, 2021, 08:41:50 AM
Harris is phenomenal. Roses in the Snow, with Ricky Skaggs, should be required listening for any music fan.
Simpson is one of the artists I was actually thinking about looking into next. Any suggestions on where to start first?
A Sailor's Guide to Earth is what hooked me and I continued to dig into his catalogue, which isn't that extensive yet.
The two newer bluegrass records are outstanding.
Took a spin through Volume 1 on Spotify and picked up the vinyl when I went there to get the other Colter Wall LP I should have picked up the other day.
Good stuff, thanks for the recommendation fellas.
Also, not my favorite in this realm, but this song is pretty great.
https://youtu.be/m_HEyMDfrQ4 (https://youtu.be/m_HEyMDfrQ4)
Quote from: rowjimmy on February 22, 2021, 03:31:12 PM
Quote from: Buffalo Budd on February 22, 2021, 02:52:37 PM
Quote from: nab on February 22, 2021, 08:41:50 AM
Harris is phenomenal. Roses in the Snow, with Ricky Skaggs, should be required listening for any music fan.
Simpson is one of the artists I was actually thinking about looking into next. Any suggestions on where to start first?
A Sailor's Guide to Earth is what hooked me and I continued to dig into his catalogue, which isn't that extensive yet.
The two newer bluegrass records are outstanding.
Totally agree, looking forward to his continued output.
Quote from: nab on February 22, 2021, 08:41:50 AM
Harris is phenomenal. Roses in the Snow, with Ricky Skaggs, should be required listening for any music fan.
The 2 Ricky Skaggs album from that time are really good too -
Sweet Temptation and Waiting' For The Sun To Rise.
I've also really been digging on Charley Crockett lately. My first album of his was his latest Welcome to Hard Times which took the Colter Wall self titled to pry it's place off the turntable. I played it every night, most of the time back to back, for a solid week. Picked up his Lil G.L's Blue Bonanza today in the mail. It's a collection of blues and country covers and there's some real hot takes on this one. His cover of That's How I Got to Memphis written by Tom T. Hall is outstanding.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Z8FnDhmbL._SL1200_.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61DNg2%2B1VoL._SL1200_.jpg)
Quote from: nab on February 22, 2021, 12:30:47 AM
This album is my current flip over and over
(https://buildingourownnashville.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_6649.jpg?w=2600)
Listening to and enjoying this now, thank ya pardner.
Quote from: VDB on February 25, 2021, 12:38:50 PM
Quote from: nab on February 22, 2021, 12:30:47 AM
This album is my current flip over and over
(https://buildingourownnashville.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_6649.jpg?w=2600)
Listening to and enjoying this now, thank ya pardner.
Awesome, glad you like it. The first side of this album (through Kate McCannon) has an amazing emotional arc. Like the second side a little less, but they've really grown on me as well. Snake Mountain Blues is my least favorite tune if I had to pick one, and given that its a Townes cover, it says something about Wall's song writing.
And it's my least favorite song on the album not because it's a bad cover, but because it breaks the stream of words from the whole story painted by Wall on the album.
I'm spinning some John Prine this morning.
Man, the guy could tell a story.
(https://img.discogs.com/NHEXC-nyhn799YqftKuDzpInuRg=/fit-in/600x598/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3502808-1332984412.jpeg.jpg)
Quote from: Buffalo Budd on February 26, 2021, 08:31:46 AM
I'm spinning some John Prine this morning.
Man, the guy could tell a story.
Great album. Grandpa Was a Carpenter is one of my favorite Prine tracks.
I just can't say enough about Charley Crockett. I dug into The Valley and his latest cover album of James Hand songs 10 For Slim.
Man this guy just can't seem to loose now.
(https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/charley-crockett-10-for-slim-james-hand.jpg)
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/album-review-charley-crocketts-10-for-slim/
(https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/charley-crockett-the-valley.jpg)
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/album-review-charley-crocketts-the-valley/
So this podcast series takes a lot of hits for the abrasiveness/aloofness of the host, who hasn't fallen far from the tree, and hasn't delivered on his promises of more material, but what we have is jam packed with a lot of good info on Country Music history and theory and worthy of a listen for that imo. The deep, three episode dive on everyone involved in "Harper Valley PTA", the Buck Owens/Don Rich episodes, the Tubbs episode, the Louvin Brothers episode, and the Haggard episode are all essentials for me. The Spade Cooley episode is fucking chilling and awful because Spade Cooley is fucking chilling and awful.
Any impressions or experiences?
https://cocaineandrhinestones.com/
Quote from: Buffalo Budd on February 23, 2021, 02:58:49 AM
Quote from: rowjimmy on February 22, 2021, 03:31:12 PM
Quote from: Buffalo Budd on February 22, 2021, 02:52:37 PM
Quote from: nab on February 22, 2021, 08:41:50 AM
Harris is phenomenal. Roses in the Snow, with Ricky Skaggs, should be required listening for any music fan.
Simpson is one of the artists I was actually thinking about looking into next. Any suggestions on where to start first?
A Sailor's Guide to Earth is what hooked me and I continued to dig into his catalogue, which isn't that extensive yet.
The two newer bluegrass records are outstanding.
Totally agree, looking forward to his continued output.
I started with Cuttin Grass Vol 1.
Phenomenal album. Went on a two or three streak where I listened to it front to back multiple times a day.
Then I moved on to Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. This is where learning the songs in the context of the bluegrass arrangement first put me at a disadvantage on my first listen. Eight of the ten songs on Metamodern are on Cuttin Grass, and man did they sound slow the first listen. But by the second listen, after my ears were attuned I was hooked. The On the Road Again tease at the start of the ending instrumental break of Long White Line, fucking perfect.
Commander Cody & the Lost Planet Airmen's "Lost in the Ozone" has been played at least weekly in my house for the last year.
Definitely hitting up the Under the Big Sky Festival.
Dwight Yoakum, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Billy Strings, Colter Wall, Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett.
An embarrassment of riches in Western Montana this summer.
https://www.underthebigskyfest.com/