this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2024

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Country Music (lemmy.world)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 84 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Bo Burnham said it brilliantly:

I think some of the greatest song writers of all time are country artists: Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, you know? And if you're writing honestly, that is art! And I would never bash that! Um, the problem is, with a lot of modern country music, wha- what is called "Stadium Country Music" Sort of Keith Urban Brand of Country music is that it is not honest, it is the exact opposite of honest

And then he launched into one of the best comedy songs of all time illustrating it perfectly 💪❤️

[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I call that 'Nazi Country'. It's completely unironic and not self reflective. The exact opposite of good country.

Also, good country compares favorably to rock by not being overloaded with testosterone.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Also, good country compares favorably to rock by not being overloaded with testosterone.

Unfortunately, it does not compare favorably to rock in that it's not overloaded with nearly as much homoeroticism.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

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[–] [email protected] 75 points 8 months ago (6 children)

As long as Johnny Cash is considered Country Music, it's not possible to "hate country music" anyway.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Country music doesn't have to be bad. Which means that the recent stuff is a deliberate stylistic choice. Do with that as you will.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny cash, Dolly Parton…I don’t like “country music” but can enjoy all of these artists. Country music has been bastardized by clearchannel, along with almost all other types of music. Fuck clearchannel (now rebranded as “I heart radio” which is…such a stupid fucking name)

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

"i heart corporate daddy for telling me what music to listen to"

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

There's so much great music everywhere, and I truly enjoy nearly all music. But if you listen to FM radio it's a damn shame that almost all of it is just the stale, overplayed, corporate safe stuff. THAT is the country most people dislike

Newer bands I can think of with an old school country feel are First Aid Kit, Gregory Alan Isakov, Secret Sisters etc. And the new Hunger Games movie soundtrack is a great sampler of slow and fast folk/bluegrass vibes

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

The recent corporate stuff. There is still indie country and some of it is pretty good. Not something I actively listen to or anything, but I've heard good things before.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago

We owe our appreciation of Johnny Cash to Rick Rubin who rescued him from literal dinner theater hell.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I'd put Marty Robbins above Johnny Cash, though I guess he's more western than country.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It's okay, we play both kinds of music here.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

I'm the opposite side of the same coin: if I like it, I don't consider it country music.

Lots of stuff without twang I'd just call folk music (add other terms if needed, American, western etc).

Also I'm glad the same thing didn't happen to rock. Like there is a certain mostly-post-grunge vocal style popular in the 2000s that'd be really annoying if it was part of most rock music.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Folk, blue grass, fast grass. All amazing and technically country...but not to me

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Townes Van Zandt is the peak of country music for me

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago (5 children)

Country music is only awful after 9/11

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago

I'm not really surprised that the Dixie Chicks' careers were destroyed after 9/11. They didn't just criticize Most Holy President, they also sang about things like domestic violence.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

Where were you when they built the ladder to heaven?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

There's some great stuff nowadays that isn't just bro country! It's going to be mostly smaller and all my favorites lean heavily into their bluegrass and folk roots, but there's some great stuff!

I'd check out Tyler Childers or Zach Bryan for something more mainstream. I might get flamed for calling them country, but Poor Man's Poison is fantastic as well!

If you don't love Chris Stapleton after one listen of Tennessee Whiskey, then idk what to tell you

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

If you don't love Chris Stapleton after one listen of Tennessee Whiskey, then idk what to tell you

I don't know if remaking a song from 81' counts as modern.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Yes

Tyler Childers

Hayes Carll

Charley Crockett

Jason Isbell (southern rock)

Maren Morris

Sturgill Simpson

Joshua Ray Walker

There is so much good country music coming out now, and probably always has been, it just doesn't get played on the radio.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Surprised to see Yes on that list, but I guess I've only really listened to their 70s albums

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

Ha! I apologize profusely for the confusion, not Yes the band, Yes there is still good country music being made by modern artists.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I want to take a moment here to mention Dan Tyminski. I know it's not his most recent, but specifically the song Southern Gothic really gave me that "this is what country is supposed to be" feeling I hadn't felt in years.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

That and Taylor Swift was the nail in the coffin. Her transition to top 40 pop and sky rocketing popularity showed nothing but dollar signs to country music producers...

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

She's a slightly different case I think.

She was basically groomed by the industry to be a pretty young white country girl and made into a sex symbol when she was 14.

When she grew up she changed genres, fired her old label when the contract expired, and then re-recorded her old stuff to keep the old labels from making royalties off new sales.

Everything about her change is a big middle-finger to to her old management.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Absolutely, but my point was country producers/management, saw the money she was raking in and immediately started pushing the their own country singers to make more "mainstream/pop/top 40" influenced music to capture the larger audience.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I used to think I didn't like country music, but I realized that I'd been approaching it the same as people who "don't like rap"; there's so much rap and hip hop out there that it's almost impossible to not eventually find something you like. And there's.... so much country music in the world.

Been jamming out to Mama's Broken Heart recently.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Yeah. I like certain Country songs, but the average one I hear I don't particularly care about.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago (1 children)

🎵 Country Roads...... 🎵

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

West Jamaicaaaa

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Island Mama...

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

Me: again this boring repost

Also me: JOLEEEEEEN

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

Dolly Parton is a sweetheart and a saint. And a good performer.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I love the version from Me First And The Gimme Gimmes: YouTube

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I've been fortunate enough to see them twice. So so so much fun.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Miley Cyrus has a killer cover of it. https://youtu.be/wOwblaKmyVw?si=tDbbVbTgLhbYF_Nk

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

Yeah, I actually like this version better than the original. I think the slightly slower pace helps, but those instruments just do it for me

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (2 children)

For those who "don't like country music":

Jason Isbell

Chris Stapleton

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It's a fucking great song. I don't consider it country so much as country-adjacent. This is a hauntingly good remix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExeQM08TwbE

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago

Miley Cyrus also did a great cover.

I think it's only 'country-adjacent' in that 'mainstream country' has moved away from this type of song to the now stereotypical "guns/trucks/girls/flag-waving".

Most older country is the same honestly.