I tried this with rap a while back, and what ended up happening is… I still don’t really like rap, at all. I asked people to give me songs that weren’t too weird, that were solidly good songs, but still solidly rap. Most of what I got, I thought was pretty goofy, which makes sense. Simple beats and proselike singing are good at facilitating comedy. But they’re not really what I’m looking for in music, so I’m hoping for better results with country.
What I want are songs that aren’t totally mainstream and shitty, but aren’t too fringe either. I want them to be very obviously country, but I also want them to be good. Basically, convince me the entire genre isn’t shit. Some countryish songs I already know I like are “Empty Road” by Matt Good, “Waitnig For You” by Ben Harper, and “Angels” by Augustana. I hope that helps a bit. Edit: Also, I should point out that even though she’s a huge tool, Taylor Swift bothers me less than most.
I’m hoping there’s SOMEONE here who can make me a list. It’d also be really helpful if you know of a band with a good concentration of decent songs, instead of just firing off a tonne of random artists. Stick to the ones you like, don’t worry about being redundant. I’m looking for good bands, not just good songs.
Cro, I’m REALLY trying to listen to this with an open mind, but it’s Tim McGraw and the first line of the song mentions a county fair I’m glad you posted it though. I need exposure, if nothing else.
Ramza: I’ll check them out. I really want this thread to be for country though.
If older, I heavily suggest Johnny Cash and Johnny Horton. Horton has songs such as Battle of New Orleans, Sink the Bismark, and Bonaparte’s Retreat. At Folsom Prison is a great live album by Cash. Cash also has other songs like A Boy Named Sue, Cadillac (One Piece at a Time), Man in Black, Ring of Fire, Walk the Line, A Satisfied Mind, Hurt (great cover of the NiN song), etc.
John Denver is classified as country by some people. His countrier-songs that I know are Thank God I’m a Country Boy, Take Me Home Country Roads, Song of Wyoming, maybe Rocky Mountain High. He also did Leaving on a Jet Plane.
Newer stuff? I dunno; I’m not that big into pop-country. Brad Paisely has a few humorous songs (with country, there’s going to be A LOT of not-entirely-serious songs) such as Cigar Song and I’m Gonna Miss Her.
CLASSICS country songs (though some may consider them folk; I tend to think the genres are more closely related than pop-country wants to admit) that aren’t just one artist in particular include You Are My Sunshine (I prefer the Norman Blake version from O Brother Where Art Thou), Blue Moon of Kentucky (Patsy Cline), and some others I can’t remember right now. Actually, I suggest the O Brother soundtrack in its entirety.
I like me some Alison Krause. I you wanna hear the greatest Banjo Player alive, check out Earl Scrugs. Thats really all I’ve got. When it comes to “country”, I find myself liking the bluegrassy/folksy kind of stuff versus anything on the radio.
I just youtubed Alison Krause, and I’m only halfway through one of her songs, but if it’s representative of everything else she’s done, this is some good shit.
I’m not a big country listener, but given where I’m at, country’s fairly big. Hell, one of my friends has his own little band and they play some pretty good country. Regardless, here’s a small list.
Eli Young Band
Jason Aldean
Randy Rodgers Band
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Something to keep in mind here. Some of the stuff I listed is very popular around where I’m at. That said, you’ll either like it or hate it. (My money’s on that you won’t care for it.) But people eat that shit up when they come to towns/clubs to play.
Toby Keith and Trace Adkins have got some good stuff, but they’ve been mentioned.
Now for some classic (or somewhat older) stuff, there’s George Jones, Hank Williams Jr., Alan Jackson, George Strait, Garth Brooks (the earlier stuff…the good shit), Jimmy Buffet, and the list could potentially go on, but I’m lazy. Classic stuff is generally better as far as I care.
Jimmy Buffett… Yeah. He did some country back in the day, but he’s definitely known for his easy listening tropical songs. Only country song of his I can think of off the top of my head is Why Don’t We Get Drunk (And Screw).
Otherwise, try some Bela Fleck. His stuff is so multi-genre, it’s hard to tell if some of it’s even country, but he does have some tunes here and there with the feeling of it, or at least the root of it.
Margaritavile would like a word with you. I don’t really see how’s see tropical. Singing about being a beach bum doesn’t put him there. His songs are more country than anything else.
Yes. I’ve heard Margaritaville. You probably missed the Jimmy Buffet inspired Foods of the Day.
The songs he’s known for are decidedly soft rock/gulf and western. It’s even more evident if you hear his live stuff. He has some country influence, which makes sense given he started out as a country singer. What he’s known for is decidedly NOT country though.
Cheeseburger in Paradise? Coconut Telegraph? Fins? Volcano? No. He is country inspired but not country. There are other artists that are “pure country” which would be a better suggestion than the man that tries to reason with hurricane season.
Elvis even was largely country, though he’s credited with helping to create Rock and Roll many of his songs are still country or have a country vibe. Not that I really listen to much country but I do not complain if somebody listens to it (I can listen to anything really).
Lots of the country artists I listen to are in and out of a ton of bands, in addition to just recording as themselves, so you can look for their name or any of the bands they’re in.
Will Oldham’s music (Bonnie Prince Billy/lots of bands with “Palace” in their name)
Jason Molina’s music (Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Company)
Franklin Bruno’s music (Nothing Painted Blue)
Matthew Houck’s music (Phosphorescent)
Will Johnson’s music (Centromatic, South San Gabriel)
Josh Ritter
The Silver Jews
I like that song and a few of Brooks and Dunn’s other stuff. Clint Black’s okay and John Anderson. Hal Ketchum is decent. I don’t really listen to much country except for the few songs I remember from when I was a kid that I liked.
I’m glad you posted it though. I need exposure, if nothing else.