Country music

Am I the only troper who likes it? It's not about trucks and dogs; in fact, that's a Dead Unicorn Trope that I wish people would stop propagating.

I like some of it. Mainly Johnny Cash and alt-country stuff like Sixteen Horsepower, Woven Hand, Doug Burr, Thayer Sarrano, Calexico, and Winter's Fall.[/hipster]

Though I do also have some Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris on vinyl. Haven't listened to them in a while.

edited 6th Sep '11 3:07:31 PM by MetaFour

Well I've listened to a lot of pop country (mostly unwillingly) and it does seem to be about beer, trucks, and a couple of other subjects by and large.

Anyway

I like 16 Horsepower, Johnny Cash, what little I've heard of the other Highwaymen, and Old Crow Medicine Show, but I am not sure if they're country, bluegrass, or both.

Actually, Highwayman's self-titled album was pretty good too.

Highwaymen alumni, Big & Rich, Keith Urban, and some alt-country like Drive-By Truckers and 16 Horsepower. Also seconding Spain's experience with pop country.

edited 6th Sep '11 4:09:21 PM by KitsuneInferno

I'm kind of all over the map. People say the mainstream country music scene is so bland anymore, but I disagree. It does seem like the "I'm country because I listen to Hank, wear worn-out jeans, etc." kind of songs are decreasing in number.

I like VERY little country, even less sense it has become a mouth for Christianity. Most of the country i like is Johnny Cash...their is this one song "If she's lonely now she won't be lonely long" that I like. if sounds like an older rock ballad. but in my ears (which have been trained due massive amounts of choir classes, country singers suck at singing. Singing comes form the diaphragm (located below the gut) no the windpipe. its like nails on a chalk board to me.

Alright, this is an old topic.

But I love country music. The king of it all: Hank Williams. (The first. I don't like II.)

One thing I must wonder about (and I don't mean this in a pejorative way) is whether it seems to anybody else that quite a few modern country songs seem to have a "Jesus verse" in them somewhere, or at least some brief allusion to religion.

I mean, three country songs I've heard on the radio recently have had something approximating that; "This Is Country Music" by Brad Paisley, "Sacrifice" by Dolly Parton and "Care" by Kid Rock and Martina McBride.

As I say, I don't mean it as a negative indictment or anything, it's just a curious thing I've noticed lately.

It's always had it. It's just more obvious now because the sound is much more modern so it sounds out of place.

Well, it also sounded much more natural and at times unnoticeable when used in the older stuff. Nowadays it seems it's put there so the listener notices.

edited 17th Jan '12 5:54:57 AM by Completion

I'll defer to you on that matter, then; I'm not really up to date on country music.

X3: it's not brief, religious fundimentism has taken over the mainstream of the genre. It's always been their, ex: When The Man Comes To Town by Johnny Cash sounded to me like a Bad Guy Song, turns out it's about Jesus, interpretation is what the genre has lost.

I like Johnny Cash a lot, as well as J.J. Cale. And then there are Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jerry Lee Lewis - not country artists per se, but a lot of their stuff qualifies. Oh, and let's not forget Charlie Daniels's "The Devil Went Down To Georgia"! Man, I love that song.

I'm a fan of old-school country in general, really. It usually has simple, catchy melodies, and can be upbeat and full of energy but also melancholic and tear-jerking.

edited 17th Jan '12 9:46:45 AM by MidnightRambler

Try these artists if you want to get into country:

• Hank Williams Sr.
• Johnny Cash
• Marty Robins
• George Strait

If you want more pop/rock (don't think it's bad because of these influences - these people are great, too) influence:

• CCR
• Dolly Parton
• Garth Brooks

Avoid Taylor Swift like the fucking plague.

edited 17th Jan '12 10:00:36 AM by Completion

I'm not terribly keen on Taylor Swift's singing voice. I wouldn't normally mention it, but I have heard that she recorded a song that supposedly wrote off her critics as a bunch of meanies when she could have taken their criticism on board and try to improve.

I haven't heard the song in question, but if it's true then it's not too impressive (unless the criticism she received was unjustified, of course). I'm not really aware of the details, really; all I know is that they said she was sounding pretty flat, which I've heard a lot of people saying.

That aside, one album I'm quite keen on is Modern Sounds In Country and Western by Ray Charles. Admittedly I like it as a fan of Ray Charles rather than out of any particular interest in country music, but I think it tends to be ignored as an important country album and it helped to improve the genre's mainstream exposure.

edited 17th Jan '12 10:16:05 AM by TheGloomer

"You take country music, you take black music, you got the same goddamn thing exactly."

Ray Charles.

It's a fantastic album.

edited 17th Jan '12 10:25:03 AM by Completion

Frankly the only stuff I've heard that I can stand to listen to is Johnny Cash and Woven Hand/16 Horsepower

edited 17th Jan '12 12:47:31 PM by xexyzl

Fuck Garth Brooks. He created the shitty version of country we have now.

He may have created the country-pop trend, but when he did it, it was at least good.

He didn't make county-pop he started the rapid infection of religion in an already stagnate genre.

Oh man. We actually have this topic? I thought it was impossible to be on the internet if you didn't hate country music.

Anyway, re: the current topic: I don't much care for modern country music, but there are still some good songs around. Anything by Zac Brown, for example. And this:

Saddest god damn song ever.

edited 18th Jan '12 10:16:29 PM by Mukora

• Religion's always been a theme in it.
• Not as stagnant as metal.

edited 19th Jan '12 8:56:47 AM by Completion

What kind of appeal has Taylor Swift in the country music fanbase? I can see how she appeals to teenagers; I get the impression that she'd be too much of a pop star for q lot of country fans, but her success suggests otherwise.

Most people see her as "gateway-country". A poppy crossover hit who'll hopefully get people into the actual genre itself.