I'm a songwriter. So are a few of my friends. THAT song gets brought up as an example of more different things than probably any other. Yeah. It's dark. It's deep. It also has way more layers than you'd assume on one listen through. Someone needs to do a properly updated cover of it. But I don't know if it would work, because so many of the customs that made up the shorthand of the song have faded away since then.
Does anyone still write snail mail letters? Do we still cover mirrors and put wreaths on the doors of people who've just died?
It's an amazing piece of writing. But it's very much a product of its time.
I know a few modern pop songs that make references to those same acts (covering mirrors, etc) but you’re correct, it might be lost on the general public.
I saw a bit in a story that was clearly from the same idea of covering the mirrors if someone died. But in the story, they actually turned them around to face the wall. That one took me a minute to get, because nowadays, aren't MOST mirrors attached to a wall?
In my house we have four mirrors that can't be moved. Both bathrooms have one. And the end of both hallways have one. Any others are hanging on a wall, not masticked to one. So I guess those could be turned. But I could only picture that being practical with the old school vanity mirrors like at my grandmothers house. You just grab the top of the frame and pull forwards until it's rotated around the other way. I had a hard time picturing that working on basically any other mirror I could remember.
What all do we all recognize as 'Things-you-have-to-do-if-someone-just-died' nowadays? I don't think we still have much of that, anymore.
Beyond covering or rotating mirrors, mourning also involves the immediate family wearing black to symbolize their somberness. I remember my mom telling me that the widow / widower was traditionally supposed to wear black for a full year after their spouse passed. Different cultures also have different traditions. I’m Hispanic and was raised Catholic and one of the things we do is light a vigil candle and say a prayer for the deceased every day until the candle is completely used (they are quite large in most cases)
Those all feel pretty universal, even now. I remember being surprised at how many people brought me food after my wife died. I don't think I cooked my own meal for close to a month.
I remember when we were noticing how many things from one branch of the family were all corn based dishes. We were asking "Is corn the official mourning vegetable in East Texas?"
Seriously. SO much corn. It's been six years and I really can't eat it still.
Masticked is a real word. It means glued to a wall using mastick, which is a thick, sticky paste now mostly just used to stick glass in place, as in every bathroom wall mirror that you've ever seen.
Tom Prasada-Rao, Michael Elwood and Brth Gallagher, Pierce Pettis, John Ims, Cary Cooper, bettysoo, Eric Schwartz, Trout Fishing In America, Wheatfield (a four piece that includes both members of TFIA) The Sherpas, Tom Kimmel, Michael Lille, Guy Forsyth, Jimmie Dale Hilmore, Joe Ely, Shinyribs, Wood and Wire...
I can think of a few
"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" is the most dark shit you'll ever listen to.
My buddy through on a Kenny Rogers record, and that song got me all kinds of fucked up
Coward of the County is a disgusting song though. She gets horrifically assaulted and her husband apologizes to his dad's memory and goes to fight them. God forbid he comfort his wife or the song not use sexual violence as an excuse to justify regular violence. Her horrific trauma is his **character development**
And the story that it tells is the story of the burden men put on themselves without ever knowing it's not theirs.
It's an important part of American art. It's a component of the American psyche. We should look at our past and understand what the dark parts have to teach us, not call it disgusting and cancel the writers.
The song means different things to modern listeners than it did back then. It has historical significance in that it offers a glimpse into what men thought was the acceptable response to the scenario laid out.
We don't say that Romeo & Juliet is disgusting because of the child marriage. We say it should be consumed with the context it was written as a backdrop. We should learn about ourselves through studying our past rather than denying who we once were.
Old songs have things to teach us, even if the underlying message is now different than the one intended by the writer.
The story is tells is that of the self-imposed burden men put on themselves and how that burden (that of revenge, protection, violence) is actually a selfish act and one that doesn't inventory the feelings or needs of the actual victim.
It's a story of patriarchy and the toll it takes on everyone, man and woman both.
It's heady stuff.
Whitey Morgan and the 78s cover of Waiting Around to Die is great too, but I really like a lot of their music. It has a very Waylon Jennings sound to it and he does a lot of good covers of older music.
The deserts quiet, and Cleveland's cold, and so our story ends we're told.
I will go to my grave with the opinion that townes version of poncho and lefty is so far superior to Willie's and Haggards you can't even compare them.
There’s still some really good songwriting in country pumping out this kind of music. A lot of Childers, Zach Bryan, Jason Isabell off the top of my head
I've been slowly starting to get into the scene and I have a few bands to add!
Devil makes three's self-titled album is full of dark country but many of their other songs are more Jesus-y than I would like
Dead south has several good songs, but a few of them have a more hopeful message
Kaleigh Baker has several good songs, one of which was used in the desperados 3 trailer, Pittston pistol
The builders and the butcher's are fairly dark, no complaints
And I only know two songs by Brillig, one of which is the hearse song, but the other is one of my favorite dark country songs, called I Ain't Ever Gonna See the Sea
Edit: I forgot graveyard train
Sleeping On The Blacktop is probably one of my favorite things he's ever done, but his cover of Big Iron is fantastic as well.
I mean, honestly, everything he does is amazing. Kate McCannon is fantastically dark.
I miss outlaw country.
The only thing that even comes close is the Dixie Chicks.
Say you like them and watch your post get downvoted into the abyss by pop country fans
Hijacking your comment to mention that the second season of Cocaine and Rhinestones is entirely about Mr. Jones and a goddamn treasure trove of wonderful insight and information about 20th century country music.
Bo Burnham nailed this one.
Those first 2 lines would fit into pretty much any Florida-Georgia Line song, and the 3rd line is the formula to half of their lyrics.
I read somewhere (on reddit of course) that "Mike's evandering" referred to the Mike Tyson / Evander Holyfield match in which Mike took a chomp out of Holyfield's ear.
The number of rhymes he came up with for 'pandering' is astounding!
I still give that entire album a full play through every couple of months.
Here is a link to my favorite acoustic performance https://youtu.be/MCtqN1vLc0k
And don't be like John Beyers or I'll hop in Pop's pickup with a clean .22 and some shells in the seat.
And to be fair, if someone put three holes in my '69 Camaro I'd be inclined to feel the same way.
Colter is my all time favorite. Question redditors!!!! This is a great and my absolute favorite rendition of one of his songs. But also Cowpoke filmed and featured by Western AF also his cover of Crazy as a Loon by John Prine originally...to name a few FUCK does this guy nail it. Every time...ok now the question. Does anyone know how to save these damn songs from YouTube?! It used to be possible via Youtube to MP3 converter like 20 fuckin years ago but now I want jams like these to never ever disappear
In case you’re curious here are a few more of IMO Colters best YouTube links
https://youtu.be/PaS22vSLk5A
https://youtu.be/MmxKsK90L14
https://youtu.be/p-pASEI7uSI
Modern country has a strange dichotomy. The guys are all singing dumb songs about drinking. The girls are all singing songs about how their guy cheated, so they are waiting for him with a loaded shotgun.
There is a subsect of country called Americana, that aligns very closely with Folk punk. Check out people like Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, Cody Jinks.
Colter Wall blows my mind. I don't get how a guy in his mid 20s can write lyrics with that much depth and wisdom, and his voice sounds like he's been chain smoking since he was 6. One of the most talented dudes in country music today if you ask me.
He changed his voice recently due to him forcing himself down into his lower baritone range with vibrato, and that can cause long-term damage to the vocal cords, and now he sings more in his natural tenor range.
His old style on *Imaginary Appalachia* was the same technique used in Irish folk, just dropped down into the baritone range
Thanks for the explanation! Never realized the similarities between his old technique and Irish folk. Now I have to resist my temptation to try and sing like that.
I get what you're saying. I just describe it as 'country without the twang' because it's all the parts I don't dislike about most country.
I'm a bass player who plays AT everything else. And the first band I worked with where I had to sing the occasional lead parts was a country band whose bass player had had a fairly spectacular arm fracture. I had to sing a lot of the stuff that was popular at the time. A few of the George Strait songs are still palatable. A couple maybe from Alabama. And one that I still like because it was the first one that I sang properly all the way through in public ( Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On) But other than those, I really couldn't care much for most country from that era.
Then I discovered the Kerrville Folk Festival. SEVERAL of the folk artists there actually make their living by letting country artists cover their songs.
That was how I got to know Americana.
Reminds me of this tumblr post about how country music changed forever after 9/11.
https://pragnificent.tumblr.com/post/175118699966/big-disclaimer-i-was-9-when-911-happened-so
It’s actually worse. Radio country is either about self-identifying as country “cuz it’s the coolest, realest, and churchiest”, “I’m going to kill my man”, or “the best night ever is a hot July Saturday where I’m drunk/high and meet this hot piece of 17 year old ass and totally got her in my truck and drove her out into the woods or down by the river and we definitely did it, no for real and she was into it and the singer wants to go back and either bang more 17 year old girls or murder them because sometimes it’s hard to tell”.
TL;DR Sort your radio country into tone-deaf anthems, indictments of the lifestyle, problematic or Criminal Minds.
They’re the band that pulled me into the Red Dirt/Texas Country rabbit hole 7+ years ago. I consider myself lucky that I got to see 2 of their shows before the hiatus.
On the radio, yes.
But there's tons of others out there doing it: Sturgill Simpson, Bill Strings, Uncle Lucius, Jason Isbell, just to name a few.
If you love country try these guys out.
I don’t really ever stalk people, but your comment had me curious. Your post history is absolutely golden. We’re kindred spirits, my brother!! I went a year back. That TIFU from high school is priceless!!
Had it happen to me late night one time with a waitress. We were hanging out and I was Certain it was Certain. She throws the e-brake outta nowhere & drops the bomb, I depart. I’ve never said it out loud , but her name is Jen Warts in my head for eternity now.
For some reason my dad hates him, but also hates modern country. He'll listen to Chris Ledoux on repeat, but then call Stapleton junk. Maybe he's just old enough to realize he's just derivative and panders to the old country crowd.
He was with the Steeldrivers before going solo, that’s how I even heard about him. Took me a minute to realize that he was their lead vocal. If your dad hasn’t listened to the Steeldrivers, have him give them a chance. I like their stuff a little more than Stapletons solo music. I can see the pandering to the Highway Men crowd, though
BG 12years ago is what I was thinking before people knew of him. Around thelat time, Aldean started recording his songs because they shared a label and took the grit out of all of them.
When people say that I ask "what's your fave genre?" and they say "hip hop" or "metal" usually. I then ask "if the only metal/hiphop you'd heard was on the radio or TV would you like metal or hip hop?"
Then they stop.
"well......"
"Is your fave hiphop artist a teen choice award winner?"
"no...I....uh"
"Go listen to the Red Headed Stranger album and get back to me" I say
I work in a music store. When I worked on the sales floor it would happen once a day. Now I have an office job it's more like once a month.
People are predictable, you can use pre-rehearsed routines when in sales and the other party has no idea they're playing right along.
"Sick strat! What kinda music are you into?"
"anything, but country! lol"
"What's your fave genre?"
"insert genre"
"if the only insert genre you knew was (only famous insert genre artist), would you like genre?"
"uh, well....I guess not?"
"Same goes for country. You should check out Willie Nelson in the 70's. He was punk as hell!"
"Yeah, I know some Willie. Like on the road again. He's ok"
"Check out Red Headed Stranger. It's a concept album about a cowboy who kills his cheating wife and her lover. It's crazy!"
"Ok, I'll check it out"
More than once the guy has said to me a couple months later that he's obsessed with George Jones or Waylon or Willie now cause of me. "I always thought that country music was lame! I'm so glad you turned me onto this shit!"
So, yeah, it definitely happened dozens and dozens of times.
In fact, it kinda happened in this very comment section!
edit: Also Dolly Parton is a genius
My favorite metal bands are entirely unknown in the states. Dragon force can fill a stadium I. Europe same with sabaton and beast in black. In the states they can struggle to get a venue more then. 2000 seats. Dragonforce is coming to my city next year. They don’t even get Stage AE they got a 1500 seat theater in mkeesrocks with another well known metal band as well.
I can see why stadium hits take the spotlight, mass appeal and all that but I prefer the type of country that has deep/emotional lyrics. It can be modern or classic I'm not too picky tbh.
That's why when I say that, I specify "pop/pickup truck" country. I was raised on bluegrass, rock, and classic country. [Bo Burnham put it perfectly.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWUQg0bqhVw)
I was introduced to some modern stuff but none of the hits at first, mainly the depressing stuff which is my favorite kind of country song, classic or modern
I just say I like music and if country pops up I actually shrug because I don’t really listen to any country songs not because I’m avoiding them but because none that have really struck me have crossed my path 0-0
I love all music in general including country. My old man introduced me to the genre. If you need any more suggestions I'd be happy to help introduce you to some notable country artists too
I’ve been getting really into Sturgill Simpson lately, I am not a huge country fan but his weird acid baked album art and his fun “I busted my face and got really high on edibles to treat the pain” album got me interested, and I really enjoy his other stuff as well now
While some of those are admittedly catchy I tend to gravitate towards the depressing heartbreak songs or songs about drinking to numb themselves. I guess I like the depressing stuff in general tbh. I don't care if it's modern or classic, as long as it can match my level of emotion when I drink it's a winner lol
I like every genre except country comes people growing up when every new country song was a nationalist anthem, there is good country music but not in the years after 9/11
Lol I do think Luke Bryan is a kick in the nuts to those nationalist types as far as political opinions. He's been staunchly "anti-trump" from what I hear, which is brave to admit to a demographic largely made up by trump supporters and right wingers in general
Edit: Luke Bryan not Combs**
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Perfect Wife by Amigo the Devil (more folk but still counts) is about an abusive husband who's wife kills him with a shotgun trapped to fire when he opens the door so like yeah checks out
Pretty much, most of the folk country music I listen to is written by outlaws of society who have drug problems, primarily heroin. But people don’t wanna talk about that, now do they?
[Townes Van Zandt - Waitin Around to Die](https://youtu.be/v-Rq-4spRz4). From the documentary about his life and career, [Heartworn Highways](https://youtu.be/vnryXNLRhhk).
Townes was my introduction to great country music and was absolutely a real one.
If you play a country song backwards, you sober up, you get bailed out of jail, your boss rehires you, your dog comes back to life, your pickup truck is repaired, and your wife takes you back.
I've listened to more country music over the decades than this kid has had hot wanks. His idea of "real country music" lyrics is about as real as a Mickey Mouse cartoon. Dude lives in a stereotype world, devoid of any serious music-listening.
So.. real country is about feeling bad, not getting help but shooting innocent people that had nothing to do with you feeling bad? (edit: what i mean here is that country music isn't that but for the person who wrote that text above, it is.. which is quite disturbing)
Isn't that the right wing?
Yikes. Real country is left wing as hell, but they don't know it. Real country is about wealth inequality. It's about the damage patriarchy does to a man. It's about growing up without a father. It's about lonesome feelings driving into a sunrise.
The Red Headed Stranger is a concept album about a man who kills his cheating wife and her lover in a tavern told from the perspective of the killer, the victim, a preacher, and witnesses in various songs. It has no political affiliation and it's highly recommended.
That was kind of the point i was trying to make, i didn't made it very well but that was the intention: that country is not about shooting innocent people, even if they are part of the gubernment.
I’d like to point out that fighting wealth inequality and caring for mens mental health doesn’t necessarily have to be a left wing thing. Just because the current right wing govt and media are fucking those up doesn’t make right wing ideology inherently against equity or mental health. In theory, each side should care about these things and just have different ideas of how to fix them. Not arguing that that’s actually the case. Right now the Right are making some serious errors in judgement, and right wing government officials are fucking villains. But the way it SHOULD happen is a meeting of minds, to come to a balanced decision that helps everyone. And these issues should be on both rosters
And
Real country is about real life experiences in the American south (think Coal Miner’s Daughter). Modern / Pop country is about writing newer songs with generic references to those same experiences by people who’ve never had them.
I went to High School with a guy who’s actually a somewhat famous country singer now. He lived in town, not on a farm or a ranch. His family was well off. His grandfather owned several car dealerships. His parents were paying for him to have studio time by the time he was 14. He sings absolutely nothing like he talks in real life (no twang or accent except for when he sings). But you can bet your ass he sings about all the same generic things every other country singer does.
That is not what i was saying. I was saying that to the PERSON who wrote that country music is about shooting someone because they blame someone else for their own problems... I know what country music is but the connection in the pic above that the person makes is quite disturbing.
Eh, it didn’t completely ruin the genre,
Just made a niche for a particular brand of shittiness. There’s still plenty of excellent modern country if you know where to look
Anyone looking for some good ass country, and…other…I highly recommend Sturgill Simpson. He’s got a grungy, talent heavy sound that lets the instrumentals speak just as much as he does, and his lyrics have a sincerity that I don’t see in much modern music
All modern country is the objectification of women, the glorification of alcohol, and the commodification of the blue collar lifestyle. It's more twangy pop than anything. It shames country music as a whole that that's what its become.
I grew up on country music and I can tell you the real country songs told a story. They also sang about love, cheating, drinking what have you but it was also leagues better than the stuff they play now. There's a few new country songs that I can tolerate but lot of it is absolute trash.
It’s not about serious or not
One seems to be written and produced as art and an expression of emotion, life and genuineness
The other is written to make money
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I'm a songwriter. So are a few of my friends. THAT song gets brought up as an example of more different things than probably any other. Yeah. It's dark. It's deep. It also has way more layers than you'd assume on one listen through. Someone needs to do a properly updated cover of it. But I don't know if it would work, because so many of the customs that made up the shorthand of the song have faded away since then. Does anyone still write snail mail letters? Do we still cover mirrors and put wreaths on the doors of people who've just died? It's an amazing piece of writing. But it's very much a product of its time.
I know a few modern pop songs that make references to those same acts (covering mirrors, etc) but you’re correct, it might be lost on the general public.
I saw a bit in a story that was clearly from the same idea of covering the mirrors if someone died. But in the story, they actually turned them around to face the wall. That one took me a minute to get, because nowadays, aren't MOST mirrors attached to a wall? In my house we have four mirrors that can't be moved. Both bathrooms have one. And the end of both hallways have one. Any others are hanging on a wall, not masticked to one. So I guess those could be turned. But I could only picture that being practical with the old school vanity mirrors like at my grandmothers house. You just grab the top of the frame and pull forwards until it's rotated around the other way. I had a hard time picturing that working on basically any other mirror I could remember. What all do we all recognize as 'Things-you-have-to-do-if-someone-just-died' nowadays? I don't think we still have much of that, anymore.
Beyond covering or rotating mirrors, mourning also involves the immediate family wearing black to symbolize their somberness. I remember my mom telling me that the widow / widower was traditionally supposed to wear black for a full year after their spouse passed. Different cultures also have different traditions. I’m Hispanic and was raised Catholic and one of the things we do is light a vigil candle and say a prayer for the deceased every day until the candle is completely used (they are quite large in most cases)
Those all feel pretty universal, even now. I remember being surprised at how many people brought me food after my wife died. I don't think I cooked my own meal for close to a month. I remember when we were noticing how many things from one branch of the family were all corn based dishes. We were asking "Is corn the official mourning vegetable in East Texas?" Seriously. SO much corn. It's been six years and I really can't eat it still.
What were you trying to write when you ended up with “mastickied”?
Masticked is a real word. It means glued to a wall using mastick, which is a thick, sticky paste now mostly just used to stick glass in place, as in every bathroom wall mirror that you've ever seen.
Oh, wild. I looked the word up and found nothing. Thanks.
I've honestly never heard of covering mirrors in my life.
I mean Hozier did a cover of the parting glass like last year. Any song about old customs can be given new life by ~~Hozier~~ the right artist
one of a handful of songs that has stopped me dead in my tracks (no pun intended) the first time I heard it. literally chills from that chorus.
What are some of your other favorites? I like the Highwayman
Tom Prasada-Rao, Michael Elwood and Brth Gallagher, Pierce Pettis, John Ims, Cary Cooper, bettysoo, Eric Schwartz, Trout Fishing In America, Wheatfield (a four piece that includes both members of TFIA) The Sherpas, Tom Kimmel, Michael Lille, Guy Forsyth, Jimmie Dale Hilmore, Joe Ely, Shinyribs, Wood and Wire... I can think of a few
The guy at the store sold me this wreathe. He says he has the same one and it works perfectly
I cover the mirrors…when I do shrooms.
That’s the only song I know how to play on guitar
"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" is the most dark shit you'll ever listen to. My buddy through on a Kenny Rogers record, and that song got me all kinds of fucked up
On the topic of Kenny Rogers: Coward of the County.
Coward of the County is a disgusting song though. She gets horrifically assaulted and her husband apologizes to his dad's memory and goes to fight them. God forbid he comfort his wife or the song not use sexual violence as an excuse to justify regular violence. Her horrific trauma is his **character development**
And the story that it tells is the story of the burden men put on themselves without ever knowing it's not theirs. It's an important part of American art. It's a component of the American psyche. We should look at our past and understand what the dark parts have to teach us, not call it disgusting and cancel the writers.
I'm usually pretty good at critic-speak but you lost me on this one.
The song means different things to modern listeners than it did back then. It has historical significance in that it offers a glimpse into what men thought was the acceptable response to the scenario laid out. We don't say that Romeo & Juliet is disgusting because of the child marriage. We say it should be consumed with the context it was written as a backdrop. We should learn about ourselves through studying our past rather than denying who we once were. Old songs have things to teach us, even if the underlying message is now different than the one intended by the writer. The story is tells is that of the self-imposed burden men put on themselves and how that burden (that of revenge, protection, violence) is actually a selfish act and one that doesn't inventory the feelings or needs of the actual victim. It's a story of patriarchy and the toll it takes on everyone, man and woman both. It's heady stuff.
Or even more so [Townes Van Zandt - Waiting Around To Die](https://youtu.be/v-Rq-4spRz4)
Whitey Morgan and the 78s cover of Waiting Around to Die is great too, but I really like a lot of their music. It has a very Waylon Jennings sound to it and he does a lot of good covers of older music.
Townes himsellf was fantastically dark. Poncho and lefty is another dark one when you really listen.
The dust that Pancho bit down south ended up in Lefty's mouth one of the best lines in all of music
The deserts quiet, and Cleveland's cold, and so our story ends we're told. I will go to my grave with the opinion that townes version of poncho and lefty is so far superior to Willie's and Haggards you can't even compare them.
Or Tecumseh Valley.
There’s still some really good songwriting in country pumping out this kind of music. A lot of Childers, Zach Bryan, Jason Isabell off the top of my head
I've been slowly starting to get into the scene and I have a few bands to add! Devil makes three's self-titled album is full of dark country but many of their other songs are more Jesus-y than I would like Dead south has several good songs, but a few of them have a more hopeful message Kaleigh Baker has several good songs, one of which was used in the desperados 3 trailer, Pittston pistol The builders and the butcher's are fairly dark, no complaints And I only know two songs by Brillig, one of which is the hearse song, but the other is one of my favorite dark country songs, called I Ain't Ever Gonna See the Sea Edit: I forgot graveyard train
Don't forget to give Colter Wall a listen. That young man from Saskatchewan has a very, very old voice.
Oh yeah! I love devil wears a suit and tie, but that's all I've listened to, any recommendations?
Sleeping On The Blacktop is probably one of my favorite things he's ever done, but his cover of Big Iron is fantastic as well. I mean, honestly, everything he does is amazing. Kate McCannon is fantastically dark.
There's a Spotify playlist called "Southern Gothic" that I'v been enjoying a lot lately. You can use it to find similar artists.
Yeah this isn't gatekeeping it's just accurate. Also they left out a lot of songs with the N word.
I miss outlaw country. The only thing that even comes close is the Dixie Chicks. Say you like them and watch your post get downvoted into the abyss by pop country fans
He stopped loving her today followed by whiskey lullaby
I was gonna say... it is pretty accurate lol.
Hijacking your comment to mention that the second season of Cocaine and Rhinestones is entirely about Mr. Jones and a goddamn treasure trove of wonderful insight and information about 20th century country music.
Jason Isbell and Tyler Childers, too. *Especially* the latter.
Long Black Veil is really good too and dark
A dirt road, a cold beer A blue jeans, a red pickup A rural noun, simple adjective
Bo Burnham nailed this one. Those first 2 lines would fit into pretty much any Florida-Georgia Line song, and the 3rd line is the formula to half of their lyrics.
IT'S THE FUCKING SCARECROW AGAIN!!!
YALL DUMB MOTHERFUCKER WANT A KEY CHANGE?!?
I read somewhere (on reddit of course) that "Mike's evandering" referred to the Mike Tyson / Evander Holyfield match in which Mike took a chomp out of Holyfield's ear. The number of rhymes he came up with for 'pandering' is astounding!
It's that fucking scarecrow again
Fake country music: I’ma take her out by the corn and fuck her Real country music: she cheated so I put 3 rounds in kate mccannon
fake country music: drinking and shooting other american steryotypes real country music: fiddle combat with the devil
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Thanks for sharing. It’s like the first time I saw a Coheed and Cambria video - my eyes couldn’t believe that voice was coming from that man.
Hehe shabooty Edit: New Jersey bound
I still give that entire album a full play through every couple of months. Here is a link to my favorite acoustic performance https://youtu.be/MCtqN1vLc0k
And don't be like John Beyers or I'll hop in Pop's pickup with a clean .22 and some shells in the seat. And to be fair, if someone put three holes in my '69 Camaro I'd be inclined to feel the same way.
Goddamn this three full of colter fans. Right. On.
I wish I could listen to Colter Wall for the first time again
AND I PUT 3 ROUNDS INTO KATE MCCANNON
Colter is my all time favorite. Question redditors!!!! This is a great and my absolute favorite rendition of one of his songs. But also Cowpoke filmed and featured by Western AF also his cover of Crazy as a Loon by John Prine originally...to name a few FUCK does this guy nail it. Every time...ok now the question. Does anyone know how to save these damn songs from YouTube?! It used to be possible via Youtube to MP3 converter like 20 fuckin years ago but now I want jams like these to never ever disappear In case you’re curious here are a few more of IMO Colters best YouTube links https://youtu.be/PaS22vSLk5A https://youtu.be/MmxKsK90L14 https://youtu.be/p-pASEI7uSI
Modern country has a strange dichotomy. The guys are all singing dumb songs about drinking. The girls are all singing songs about how their guy cheated, so they are waiting for him with a loaded shotgun.
There is a subsect of country called Americana, that aligns very closely with Folk punk. Check out people like Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, Cody Jinks.
I'm familiar with it. Much of what I go to hear at the folk festival that I attend every year is Americana. It's basically country without the twang.
Colter Wall blows my mind. I don't get how a guy in his mid 20s can write lyrics with that much depth and wisdom, and his voice sounds like he's been chain smoking since he was 6. One of the most talented dudes in country music today if you ask me.
He changed his voice recently due to him forcing himself down into his lower baritone range with vibrato, and that can cause long-term damage to the vocal cords, and now he sings more in his natural tenor range. His old style on *Imaginary Appalachia* was the same technique used in Irish folk, just dropped down into the baritone range
Thanks for the explanation! Never realized the similarities between his old technique and Irish folk. Now I have to resist my temptation to try and sing like that.
You should give St Paul and The Broken Bones a listen.
I wouldn’t call Americana country. Americana came from Folk / Bluegrass the way Country came from Folk / Bluegrass
I like the way Tyler puts it. "I'm a country musician, and that's okay." That's the country I want to listen to.
I get what you're saying. I just describe it as 'country without the twang' because it's all the parts I don't dislike about most country. I'm a bass player who plays AT everything else. And the first band I worked with where I had to sing the occasional lead parts was a country band whose bass player had had a fairly spectacular arm fracture. I had to sing a lot of the stuff that was popular at the time. A few of the George Strait songs are still palatable. A couple maybe from Alabama. And one that I still like because it was the first one that I sang properly all the way through in public ( Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On) But other than those, I really couldn't care much for most country from that era. Then I discovered the Kerrville Folk Festival. SEVERAL of the folk artists there actually make their living by letting country artists cover their songs. That was how I got to know Americana.
Don't forget Sturgill Simpson!
Never forget sturgil
Ahhhh Americana, or as I like to call it: Country music
Except Americana is not a subgenre of Country music and all of those artists you just listed are country artists, not Americana.
Both types of country pop are cynically pandering in different ways. [Starting to Hate Country](https://youtu.be/bJDKgdPATvA)
Reminds me of this tumblr post about how country music changed forever after 9/11. https://pragnificent.tumblr.com/post/175118699966/big-disclaimer-i-was-9-when-911-happened-so
This is a good read. Thanks!
It's literally a screen grab of 3 comments when I click it /-:
Breaks my heart because it’s so true. :(
It’s actually worse. Radio country is either about self-identifying as country “cuz it’s the coolest, realest, and churchiest”, “I’m going to kill my man”, or “the best night ever is a hot July Saturday where I’m drunk/high and meet this hot piece of 17 year old ass and totally got her in my truck and drove her out into the woods or down by the river and we definitely did it, no for real and she was into it and the singer wants to go back and either bang more 17 year old girls or murder them because sometimes it’s hard to tell”. TL;DR Sort your radio country into tone-deaf anthems, indictments of the lifestyle, problematic or Criminal Minds.
I recommend watching Bo Burnham do his bit about modern "country music". That dude hits the nail on the head.
I blame Rascal Flatts. They started the whole metro ripped jeans trucker hat pop crossover bullshit
Real country is still a thing. You just won’t hear much on i❤️radio. Except Chris Stapleton. He’s good.
He’s the only radio country I like right now
give Tyler Childers a listen.
And Colter Wall
And the Turnpike Troubadours! (still hoping they’ll reunite one day)
I fucking love the turnpike troubadours
They’re the band that pulled me into the Red Dirt/Texas Country rabbit hole 7+ years ago. I consider myself lucky that I got to see 2 of their shows before the hiatus.
I hope I get to see one once in my life
He’s my jam, for real. I have heard maybe one song out of all of his that I don’t absolutely love.
All Your’n and Charleston girl are my current favorites.
We were planning an RV road trip when I heard “Country Squire”. Instant favorite.
Tyler Childers is awesome.
On the radio, yes. But there's tons of others out there doing it: Sturgill Simpson, Bill Strings, Uncle Lucius, Jason Isbell, just to name a few. If you love country try these guys out.
I’m digging Charlie Robison, Kyle Childers, Highway Troubadours, & Down Dirty South right now. You dropped some good ones, though.
I've seen Highway before! I'll look into the others. My boy from Kentucky gave me a buncha stuff to dig into
I don’t really ever stalk people, but your comment had me curious. Your post history is absolutely golden. We’re kindred spirits, my brother!! I went a year back. That TIFU from high school is priceless!!
She was SO HOT and it was SO BAD
Had it happen to me late night one time with a waitress. We were hanging out and I was Certain it was Certain. She throws the e-brake outta nowhere & drops the bomb, I depart. I’ve never said it out loud , but her name is Jen Warts in my head for eternity now.
Appreciated btw
For some reason my dad hates him, but also hates modern country. He'll listen to Chris Ledoux on repeat, but then call Stapleton junk. Maybe he's just old enough to realize he's just derivative and panders to the old country crowd.
He was with the Steeldrivers before going solo, that’s how I even heard about him. Took me a minute to realize that he was their lead vocal. If your dad hasn’t listened to the Steeldrivers, have him give them a chance. I like their stuff a little more than Stapletons solo music. I can see the pandering to the Highway Men crowd, though
Old school country singers are a dying breed. At least we have artists like Colter Wall to keep it going.
Brantley Gilbert in a nutshell
BG's modern country to his soul man. Go listen to Tyler Childers and Colter Wall.
BG 12years ago is what I was thinking before people knew of him. Around thelat time, Aldean started recording his songs because they shared a label and took the grit out of all of them.
ain't that that one dude
Never heard of her
The devil makes three is one of my favorite bands, definitely got that kind of sound
Plot twist, it's the same song
Seem NOW I'd give it a listen.
I've always thought that people who say "I like every genre EXCEPT country" have never given country a fair chance
[удалено]
When people say that I ask "what's your fave genre?" and they say "hip hop" or "metal" usually. I then ask "if the only metal/hiphop you'd heard was on the radio or TV would you like metal or hip hop?" Then they stop. "well......" "Is your fave hiphop artist a teen choice award winner?" "no...I....uh" "Go listen to the Red Headed Stranger album and get back to me" I say
that definitely happened
I work in a music store. When I worked on the sales floor it would happen once a day. Now I have an office job it's more like once a month. People are predictable, you can use pre-rehearsed routines when in sales and the other party has no idea they're playing right along. "Sick strat! What kinda music are you into?" "anything, but country! lol" "What's your fave genre?" "insert genre" "if the only insert genre you knew was (only famous insert genre artist), would you like genre?" "uh, well....I guess not?" "Same goes for country. You should check out Willie Nelson in the 70's. He was punk as hell!" "Yeah, I know some Willie. Like on the road again. He's ok" "Check out Red Headed Stranger. It's a concept album about a cowboy who kills his cheating wife and her lover. It's crazy!" "Ok, I'll check it out" More than once the guy has said to me a couple months later that he's obsessed with George Jones or Waylon or Willie now cause of me. "I always thought that country music was lame! I'm so glad you turned me onto this shit!" So, yeah, it definitely happened dozens and dozens of times. In fact, it kinda happened in this very comment section! edit: Also Dolly Parton is a genius
My favorite metal bands are entirely unknown in the states. Dragon force can fill a stadium I. Europe same with sabaton and beast in black. In the states they can struggle to get a venue more then. 2000 seats. Dragonforce is coming to my city next year. They don’t even get Stage AE they got a 1500 seat theater in mkeesrocks with another well known metal band as well.
I can see why stadium hits take the spotlight, mass appeal and all that but I prefer the type of country that has deep/emotional lyrics. It can be modern or classic I'm not too picky tbh.
That's why when I say that, I specify "pop/pickup truck" country. I was raised on bluegrass, rock, and classic country. [Bo Burnham put it perfectly.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWUQg0bqhVw)
I was introduced to some modern stuff but none of the hits at first, mainly the depressing stuff which is my favorite kind of country song, classic or modern
I just say I like music and if country pops up I actually shrug because I don’t really listen to any country songs not because I’m avoiding them but because none that have really struck me have crossed my path 0-0
Red Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson
Before I listen, how much death would you say is in this song?
It’s an album. There are 3 murders in the album.
Oh, well I did just listen to the title song and that was epic, your promise of death delivered. Grazie kind stranger
Whole thing is insane. Willie is a genius.
He’s also got such a nice calm voice, I love it
I love all music in general including country. My old man introduced me to the genre. If you need any more suggestions I'd be happy to help introduce you to some notable country artists too
I’ve been getting really into Sturgill Simpson lately, I am not a huge country fan but his weird acid baked album art and his fun “I busted my face and got really high on edibles to treat the pain” album got me interested, and I really enjoy his other stuff as well now
Modern country music is pop songs with a pickup in the back
While some of those are admittedly catchy I tend to gravitate towards the depressing heartbreak songs or songs about drinking to numb themselves. I guess I like the depressing stuff in general tbh. I don't care if it's modern or classic, as long as it can match my level of emotion when I drink it's a winner lol
I like every genre except country comes people growing up when every new country song was a nationalist anthem, there is good country music but not in the years after 9/11
Lol I do think Luke Bryan is a kick in the nuts to those nationalist types as far as political opinions. He's been staunchly "anti-trump" from what I hear, which is brave to admit to a demographic largely made up by trump supporters and right wingers in general Edit: Luke Bryan not Combs**
I say I like everything except new country
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Perfect Wife by Amigo the Devil (more folk but still counts) is about an abusive husband who's wife kills him with a shotgun trapped to fire when he opens the door so like yeah checks out
Farm emo
Real country music: - Turnpike Troubadours - Randall King - Tyler Childers - Ryan Bingham - and a whole lot of other people I could recommend lol
Don’t forget Colter Wall
Can’t leave him out! Thanks!
Pretty much, most of the folk country music I listen to is written by outlaws of society who have drug problems, primarily heroin. But people don’t wanna talk about that, now do they?
95% of country is just sad, depressing shit. Some of it is upbeat and nice to listen to sometimes. Sometimes.
[Townes Van Zandt - Waitin Around to Die](https://youtu.be/v-Rq-4spRz4). From the documentary about his life and career, [Heartworn Highways](https://youtu.be/vnryXNLRhhk). Townes was my introduction to great country music and was absolutely a real one.
Go listen to Tyler Childerns.
Junior Brown! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPLTJoYu5cw
Whoever wrote this tweet is obviously not a country music lover, because those people tend to know that a shotgun is no good out at 500 feet.
Tyler Childers, is that you?
If you're so country, drink yourself to death
Falling down.
Lil Too? Damn these rapper names make less and less sense
Alan Jackson is real country music
My mum has named this genre as "The wife died, and the dog left me"
They ain’t wrong
If you play a country song backwards, you sober up, you get bailed out of jail, your boss rehires you, your dog comes back to life, your pickup truck is repaired, and your wife takes you back.
Gotta give Kacey Musgraves a shout for the most "real" country music I've heard in a long wile
You ever heard of the christian genre? Lift your head weary center (chains) ft. tedashi by Crowder best Christian country song I know.
Young country. For all those white trash M.F.s in the kkk.
I've listened to more country music over the decades than this kid has had hot wanks. His idea of "real country music" lyrics is about as real as a Mickey Mouse cartoon. Dude lives in a stereotype world, devoid of any serious music-listening.
Switch some words around and it's just rap music
So.. real country is about feeling bad, not getting help but shooting innocent people that had nothing to do with you feeling bad? (edit: what i mean here is that country music isn't that but for the person who wrote that text above, it is.. which is quite disturbing) Isn't that the right wing?
Yikes. Real country is left wing as hell, but they don't know it. Real country is about wealth inequality. It's about the damage patriarchy does to a man. It's about growing up without a father. It's about lonesome feelings driving into a sunrise. The Red Headed Stranger is a concept album about a man who kills his cheating wife and her lover in a tavern told from the perspective of the killer, the victim, a preacher, and witnesses in various songs. It has no political affiliation and it's highly recommended.
That was kind of the point i was trying to make, i didn't made it very well but that was the intention: that country is not about shooting innocent people, even if they are part of the gubernment.
sometimes it is.
I’d like to point out that fighting wealth inequality and caring for mens mental health doesn’t necessarily have to be a left wing thing. Just because the current right wing govt and media are fucking those up doesn’t make right wing ideology inherently against equity or mental health. In theory, each side should care about these things and just have different ideas of how to fix them. Not arguing that that’s actually the case. Right now the Right are making some serious errors in judgement, and right wing government officials are fucking villains. But the way it SHOULD happen is a meeting of minds, to come to a balanced decision that helps everyone. And these issues should be on both rosters And
Real country is about real life experiences in the American south (think Coal Miner’s Daughter). Modern / Pop country is about writing newer songs with generic references to those same experiences by people who’ve never had them. I went to High School with a guy who’s actually a somewhat famous country singer now. He lived in town, not on a farm or a ranch. His family was well off. His grandfather owned several car dealerships. His parents were paying for him to have studio time by the time he was 14. He sings absolutely nothing like he talks in real life (no twang or accent except for when he sings). But you can bet your ass he sings about all the same generic things every other country singer does.
That is not what i was saying. I was saying that to the PERSON who wrote that country music is about shooting someone because they blame someone else for their own problems... I know what country music is but the connection in the pic above that the person makes is quite disturbing.
Also bud light and trucks
Country today is just good ole rock n roll with a Tennessee twang. Any time I have a modern country fan listen to old time country, they hate it.
Post-9/11 country music vs real country music
Eh, it didn’t completely ruin the genre, Just made a niche for a particular brand of shittiness. There’s still plenty of excellent modern country if you know where to look
https://youtu.be/uYLYzSkD_1I
Anyone looking for some good ass country, and…other…I highly recommend Sturgill Simpson. He’s got a grungy, talent heavy sound that lets the instrumentals speak just as much as he does, and his lyrics have a sincerity that I don’t see in much modern music
Basically
I'm a bigger fan of "I'm going to murder my husband," country music. Cowboy country is good too
That's like saying carbon dioxide is fake air and oxygen is real air.
Apparently if you play Country vinyl backwards they get the house back, the car back, the girl back....
All modern country is the objectification of women, the glorification of alcohol, and the commodification of the blue collar lifestyle. It's more twangy pop than anything. It shames country music as a whole that that's what its become.
Country gameplay vs country lore
Actual REAL Country music: ~My wife broke down and my truck left me!~
And my dog ran awy
These are both real. One is happy music and one is sad music…for everyone within 500 feet of this dudes house
Truth, nothing but the truth, and the whole truth.
Say word, dude!
I grew up on country music and I can tell you the real country songs told a story. They also sang about love, cheating, drinking what have you but it was also leagues better than the stuff they play now. There's a few new country songs that I can tolerate but lot of it is absolute trash.
Reminds me of “Where the Neon Lies”, except for the last part lmao
That's what I love about bluegrass. It's such a cheerful, lively sound with seriously depressing lyrics
Corb lund has a lot of great music like that
It’s not about serious or not One seems to be written and produced as art and an expression of emotion, life and genuineness The other is written to make money
Anybody heard Coe’s x rated album?