That guy Grady hit the nail on the head w/ a sledge hammer. And thank you Skull Leader for posting that vid. It's hilarious.

If you had any doubt how easy it is for the industry to manufacture a Country music hit, look no further than the movie, Country Strong and Nashville, the TV series. They took actors and non-singers like Gwenyth Paltrow, Connie Britton, and Hayden Panettiere, recycled some beats, told them to sing w/ a twang and BAM! - Country singing sensations.

Skull Leader—incredible video; I decided to laugh, rather than cry.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
Aaron Watson is another good one.

Another video to hammer the point home.

[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FY8SwIvxj8o" width="853"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

That is brilliant in its execution, but so sad in the reality.

I genuinely don't think I could tell which song was which or when they changed with my eyes closed.

Willie's Roadhouse is far, far better than anything I've found on the radio, BUT, it pales in comparison to Pandora.

I like old, as in really old, country music, Western Swing, Bob Wills, Tommy Duncan (an incredible singer, and more modern versions, like Asleep At The Wheel.

When I reflect on my youth, I like to listen to Tex Ritter, who was quite a well-respected Country and Western singer of the 40s-50s and others of that same era, like Hank Snow, Hank Williams, etc.

That, to me, is Country music and that's what was on the juke boxes when I was a kid-so naturally I like it. I dropped a lot of nickels into that machine way back when and still love the music.

The current crop of Country singers and music?
Why?

Bob

quote:

The current crop of Country singers and music?
Why?

Because not not all Country music comes out of the corporate offices of Clear Channel and Viacom, created by cutout cookie producers with the same hip clothing, an earring, a Mercedes-Benz and a 5th row seat at the CMAs.

If you like “old, really old” Country, even this might not interest you, but there’s great music coming out of Texas and Oklahoma, even Nashville, if you look in the right places.

Randy Rogers Band; Wade Bowen; the two Codys, Johnson and Jinks; Whiskey Myers; Cody Canada (and his old band, Cross Canadian Ragweed), the Turnpike Troubadours. Women? Yep. Jamie Lin Wilson, Heather Morgan, Jade Marie Patek, Carter Sampson—and some in Nashville: Holly Williams; Ashley Monroe, Kacey Musgraves.

Given the old artists you threw out, you may not like these either, but the music sounds good to me.

All the best. There’s lots more than those I named.

There are some good country singers/acts out there that don't subscribe to the pop theory..

Chris Stapleton is one...




Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...DsI0TeFf6uD8&index=3

The guy in the video is spot on, but for all of pop music, not just country.

My current favorite radio station in DFW is 95.3 "The Range". Since moving here, I have grown to love "real" country music. Here is their "mission statement":

quote:

KHYI is a beacon of hope in the murky ocean of cheesy, generic, pseudo, so-called “Country” music. One of the last remaining major-market “mom & pop” radio stations left in the country, no one from New York or L.A. (Or Atlanta, in the case of Cumulus) has the power to make us play Jason Aldean, or Kenny Chesney, or Rascal Flattulence. We’re mavericks…and we believe the world deserves to hear Robert Earl Keen, Ray Wylie Hubbard, the Turnpike Troubadours, and the Dirty River Boys. We also think its impossible to be a country radio station and not play Waylon and Willie, and Hank (Sr.), and J.R. Cash, and Merle, and the Possum…but we digress.
We love our listeners and we keep it real. We close the bars on Saturday nights, but never miss church on Sundays.

At their website, they have videos of their top 10 weekly list, all really good music.

Some of my "country" favorites:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBLI9jq6tUY


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw-9GLQCcwY

As TMats described above there are still artists out there worth listening to, they just don’t come out of Nashville. We’re very blessed here in Texas and Oklahoma to have a thriving Texas Country and Red Dirt Music scene. As a matter of fact Ray Wylie Hubbard just came out with a song “Easy Money Down in Texas” that essentially talks about how a singer can make a go of it just by touring Texas.

If you find yourself looking for the modern iterations of some of the classics, do yourself a favor and tune into the live stream on 95.9 The Ranch. I’m spoiled in that I have possibly the best Texas/Red Dirt country station in the nation in my backyard. You probably won’t like everything you hear (I don’t) but it’ll introduce you to some great new acts that are worth your time.

To pile on to TMats list, Sturgill Simpson, the Dirty River Boys, Turnpike Toubadors, Aaron Watson, and Cody Jinks. If you haven’t heard Cody Jinks, do yourself a favor and go listen to him right now.

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
My current favorite radio station in DFW is 95.3 "The Range". Since moving here, I have grown to love "real" country music.

This is another good mention. I live in Fort Worth but work in Dallas. I lose 95.9 about Loop 12 most days (except if it’s really cloudy, then it carries). On those days I can’t get the Ranch I’ll switch over to the Range. We’re certainly blessed with some good options around here.

For quite a while I'd say "There is no country music now, just Southern Rock."

Well.. who'd have thought we'd miss the southern rock, but now that it's "southern pop" and "southern rap" we surely do.

Good video. I hadn't thought about it before. I hadn't actually listened to any current country or pop music long enough to analyze why I think it sucks. I just have changed the channel because it sucks.

The first thing I noticed in the track from Neko Case, “Things That Scare Me,” is the drum shuffle, exactly as demonstrated by the drummer in Grady’s video. I liked that one, oddball

This is Tyler Childers, you saw a little piece of this perf in the video from the OP. I hadn’t heard of him, but really like this. Look at the boxes he checks: real drummer using brushes for a shuffle beat, pedal steel—a vintage
Sho-Bud, played tastefully. Country, he sighed

Childers is good.

Tyler Childers is really good.

I also like Midland. They are somewhat contrived, but the music is good, polished, western-style country.

Those comparison videos are entertaining. People have done them for most genres.

Sturgill Simpson reminds me of Waylon Jennings. Reckless Kelly is more country-rock, but they're still more country than most of the crap coming out of Nashville. Cody Jinks is pretty damn good. Turnpike Troubadours are awesome, if they show up. They've had a couple times lately of cancelling shows on short notice. And Aaron Watson is more country than most anyone I've heard in years.

And if you lean towards southern rock like Skynyrd, then check out Whiskey Myers.

Another relatively new act in the Fort Worth area is Tanner Fenogio. I actually prefer that most of his stuff is not so polished.




Link to original video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=...CyY&feature=youtu.be

My new girlfriend (don’t tell my wife). This one kinda tugs at my heart.

^^^Love her stuff.

Thanks for the Turnpike Troubadours. On a depressing note, G-F Line is nominated for a Grammy.