Yup...country music.

[Rev. Powell]

Speaking of current country artists who are staying true to the form:

Dwight Yoakam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iG4zkdBba8&feature=related

First heard this as the music they plays over the credits in the excellent noir RED ROCK WEST.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVSeKnTzg6U

Duet with the legendary Buck Owens

[Allhallowsday]

Today's country music is manipulative drivel written to push people's buttons by playing to patriotism, religion, the undeniable superiority of simple country folk, etc. There was always some of that, but it has never been done in such a hamfisted fashion. And country has gone pop. It's gotten glamorous.

Couldn't have said it better, myself, Andy.   

[soylentgreen]

I like Dolly Parton 

Seconded, or rather thirded. 

I spent alot of time at my grandmother's as a kid in the 70s and got a near lethal dose of WHN(The AM country station!) and The Grand Ol Opry, not to mention Hee-Haw. 

For me "country music" means Ronnie Milsap, Kenny Rogers, Loretta Lynn, Charlie Pride, Conway Twitty...well, you get it.

It's sweet to see Dolly still has it(no pun intended) and can make it sound just as fresh to me as it all did when I was 8 years old.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNiWdZkXe7s
Despite it's connection to Target stores now, I really dig this Dolly tune.  In fact, it was one of the first tunes I used for my custom Grand Theft Auto IV radio station.
[Apologies, as the video above is a slide oriented version.  All the music video versions floating around YouTube are embed-verboten(!?!?), but the point was the song, anyway.]


I also find quite a bit of bluegrass to be appealing.  These guys, The Dillards(appearing as 'The Darlins' on the show), are excellent.  I tried numerous times to snag this Andy Griffith episode with dvr just to get this song.  Then it occurred to me to just check YouTube...it took six seconds!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQtXEb7C30o

[Yaddo 42]

I read a review of a book about the evolution of country music that refers to the contemporary mainstream stuff as "country music about country music". That seemed a pretty apt description. Of course I'm the guy who went to a music festival last year only wanting to see Dr. John play, and to go with a pretty girl I was interested in who wanted to see country teen flash-in-the-pan Taylor Swift.

I grew up listening to the country my parents heard on the radio 70s-early 80s era stuff. I also grew up a huge fan of Hee Haw, which I later hated, and now have a warm nostalgic feeling for. So I love the country music of my childhood but as my tastes in general braodened I began to love much of the older stuff from before my time. People I already liked: Willie Nelson, Tom T. Hall, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Roger Miller, Jerry Reed, Marty Robbins, Bobby Bare, Buck Owens, etc.  Hearing oldies radio stations, I grew to like Hank Sr. (can't stand Jr., enjoy Hank III), Lefty Frizzell, Jim Reeves, Webb Pierce, Hank Thompson, Roy Clark, George Jones (didn't like him as a kid), Merle Haggard, Ernest tubb, Bob Wills (but only in small doses), and lots of lesser artists whose songs I hear from time to time.

I like a lot of alt. country (mostly more on the rock side of things though), and even a few contemporary country singers (Charlie Robison should be a big star, Pat Green has his moments), and I like lots of older country rock from earlier times (The Byrds, Doug Sahm, Freddie Fender, Kinky Friedman).

Part of the problem I have with the modern stuff besides the "pop with steel guitars" sound is that it really is more "Suburban" music than country music now. I used to love John Conlee's songs but so many of them seem to be the templates for the crap Nashville cranks out now. "In My Eyes" is on the radio right now, with very little work that song could be reworked and covered by Kenny Chesey, Brad Paisley, or any other interchangable "hat act" these days.

The nation has changed and fewer people are really rural or grew up in the life that the genre holds up as noble and truly American. Plus the darker side of things is rarely shown in mainstream country. Where are the prison songs, the murder songs, the songs about being poor, the cheating songs from the viewpoint of the cheater, etc. Webb Pierce sang "There Stands The Glass" about drinking to avoid dealing with heartbreak, nowadays we get that doofus Toby Keith singing " I Love This Bar" and it sounds so damn phony. He might as well be singing a jingle for T.G.I. Fridays.

Much of the old Southern Rock would be country these days, it along with the Eagles certainly seems to have influenced the modern stuff more than the classics.

Someone mentioned the Drive-By Truckers, the core of that group is from my area. I was late to embrace them, even missed chances to see them years ago before anyone knew who they were. They are great and I hope to see them live someday. I did see former member Jason Isbell in concert in May, awesome show, plan to see him again when he comes to the area soon. Seek him out. He's more rock than country, but if country radio didn't suck so much his song "Dress Blue" would be all over the radio.

[Sister Grace]

Jim Goad of Answer Me! publications has released some great country tracks. I love the song coffee, coffee, coffee...

[Rev. Powell]

I read a review of a book about the evolution of country music that refers to the contemporary mainstream stuff as "country music about country music". That seemed a pretty apt description. Of course I'm the guy who went to a music festival last year only wanting to see Dr. John play, and to go with a pretty girl I was interested in who wanted to see country teen flash-in-the-pan Taylor Swift.

I grew up listening to the country my parents heard on the radio 70s-early 80s era stuff. I also grew up a huge fan of Hee Haw, which I later hated, and now have a warm nostalgic feeling for. So I love the country music of my childhood but as my tastes in general braodened I began to love much of the older stuff from before my time. People I already liked: Willie Nelson, Tom T. Hall, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Roger Miller, Jerry Reed, Marty Robbins, Bobby Bare, Buck Owens, etc.  Hearing oldies radio stations, I grew to like Hank Sr. (can't stand Jr., enjoy Hank III), Lefty Frizzell, Jim Reeves, Webb Pierce, Hank Thompson, Roy Clark, George Jones (didn't like him as a kid), Merle Haggard, Ernest tubb, Bob Wills (but only in small doses), and lots of lesser artists whose songs I hear from time to time.

I like a lot of alt. country (mostly more on the rock side of things though), and even a few contemporary country singers (Charlie Robison should be a big star, Pat Green has his moments), and I like lots of older country rock from earlier times (The Byrds, Doug Sahm, Freddie Fender, Kinky Friedman).

Part of the problem I have with the modern stuff besides the "pop with steel guitars" sound is that it really is more "Suburban" music than country music now. I used to love John Conlee's songs but so many of them seem to be the templates for the crap Nashville cranks out now. "In My Eyes" is on the radio right now, with very little work that song could be reworked and covered by Kenny Chesey, Brad Paisley, or any other interchangable "hat act" these days.

The nation has changed and fewer people are really rural or grew up in the life that the genre holds up as noble and truly American. Plus the darker side of things is rarely shown in mainstream country. Where are the prison songs, the murder songs, the songs about being poor, the cheating songs from the viewpoint of the cheater, etc. Webb Pierce sang "There Stands The Glass" about drinking to avoid dealing with heartbreak, nowadays we get that doofus Toby Keith singing " I Love This Bar" and it sounds so damn phony. He might as well be singing a jingle for T.G.I. Fridays.

Much of the old Southern Rock would be country these days, it along with the Eagles certainly seems to have influenced the modern stuff more than the classics.

Someone mentioned the Drive-By Truckers, the core of that group is from my area. I was late to embrace them, even missed chances to see them years ago before anyone knew who they were. They are great and I hope to see them live someday. I did see former member Jason Isbell in concert in May, awesome show, plan to see him again when he comes to the area soon. Seek him out. He's more rock than country, but if country radio didn't suck so much his song "Dress Blue" would be all over the radio.

Great summary!  I agree with all your choices, and points.  (And I was the one who mentioned the Drive-By Truckers, a great rock n' roll band with a country edge that more people should listen to!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwOE-1yAlck

Aftermath USA - a rocker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxzDB6Sb_xM

Cottonseed - a chilling ballad about the "State Line Mob"

(Edit: added you-tube clips)

[brooky1969]

Being from Kentucky has pretty much meant being exposed to country was unavoidable, no matter how hard you might try. The same as some others have mentioned, I got a healthy dose of Hee Haw at my grandparents on the weekends, but at home my parents were rock fans so it wasn't constant exposure. In my teens I hated country and listened to metal only, but by my mid-twenties I started getting into it a little more mostly due to Dwight Yoakam who I saw in '94 or so. Then a few years ago I started getting into alt-country a bit with bands like Uncle Tupelo, Old 97's, Whiskeytown, Son Volt, 16 Horsepower and the aforementioned Drive-By Truckers. Southern Rock was a given all along. This new country crap is useless though, as has been pointed out quite sufficiently already. I guess you could say I'm a fan, but certainly no devotee of the genre.

[Rev. Powell]

Then a few years ago I started getting into alt-country a bit with bands like Uncle Tupelo, Old 97's, Whiskeytown, Son Volt, 16 Horsepower and the aforementioned Drive-By Truckers.

More favorites!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO9My5_H6dg

16 Horsepower - Black Soul Choir

I was beginning to think I was the only one who liked alt-country.

[brooky1969]

I was beginning to think I was the only one who liked alt-country.

No sir, I'm quite a fan of it. 16 Horsepower are my favorites though, I really love that southern gothic vibe.

[Allhallowsday]

...The nation has changed and fewer people are really rural or grew up in the life that the genre holds up as noble and truly American. Plus the darker side of things is rarely shown in mainstream country. Where are the prison songs, the murder songs, the songs about being poor, the cheating songs from the viewpoint of the cheater, etc. Webb Pierce sang "There Stands The Glass" about drinking to avoid dealing with heartbreak, nowadays we get that doofus Toby Keith singing " I Love This Bar" and it sounds so damn phony. He might as well be singing a jingle for T.G.I. Fridays.

Much of the old Southern Rock would be country these days, it along with the Eagles certainly seems to have influenced the modern stuff more than the classics...

I think you might have a point there, but THE EAGLES were good...

[Allhallowsday]

Poking around I came across this old thread which needs reviving (we'll see if anybody else still wants to talk Country...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Y2WI1YmEU 

Country, country, country, but doesn't that Rock?  Or should I say Swing? 

[The Burgomaster]

Ok...right off the bat...I can't STAND modern so called country music! I DETEST it with a passion!

For the most part, I agree.  The country music on my iPod is mostly the older, classic stuff such as:

* HANK WILLIAMS, SR.
* PATSY CLINE
* LORETTA LYNN
* MARTY ROBBINS

Yeeeeeee, haaaaaaa!

[Rev. Powell]

Country & bluegrass music with a significant presence on my hard drive:

Johnny Cash
Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys
Willie Nelson
Norman Blake
David Grisman
Dock Boggs
Mike Auldridge
Patsy Cline
The Flatlanders

Alt-country

Cowboy Junkies
Calexico
Danny Barnes
Asylum Street Spankers
Carla Bozulich
16 Horsepower
Drive-by Tuckers
Neko Case
Vic Chesnutt

[Flick James]

Country has never been my number one but I've always appreciated real country. I played rhythm guitar and sang (mostly harmony but occasionally lead) for a time with a country cover band. They were gritty, and played nothing but the classics. We played the hell out of Sunday Morning Coming Down by Kris Kristofferson. It was a fun gig and we played a lot of dive bars and chili cook-offs and such, even got paid pretty good for some of those gigs. It was fun, too, but then I was drinking a lot then and much of it was a blur.

[Allhallowsday]

LOUIS ARMSTRONG, BING CROSBY, ELVIS PRESLEY, FRANK SINATRA, LITTLE RICHARD, HANK WILLIAMS not necessarily in that order... I know most ain't Country.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95aP0OWx4jY