I hate country music!
A while ago I returned from Stagecoach, AKA Country Coachella (held the week after Coachella at the same location, in Indio, CA) and is the largest country music festival in the world.
I have found myself bitter as Nashville has ripped the soul out of country music.
If you don't have a lap steel and a fiddle, and sound like a regurgitation of Luke Bryan, I'm passing... Old Dominion, Kane Brown, etc get your auto-tune, pop sh*t out of my ear holes!
Most of the show was Nashville, pretty-boy pop, so I found myself at the Palomino stage (B stage). There I was able to see Tanya Tucker, Dwight Yokum, and Gordon Lightfoot. Kenny Rodgers was supposed to play his last show ever, but cancelled due to failing health, which was a bummer.
I remain attracted to the smaller stages as they keep true county alive. The stadium concerts are usually overrated sh*t shows and I prefer to hear some twang in a honky-tonk.
This current state of country music has tuned me into a county curmudgeon.
Now I don’t HATE country music, but I strongly dislike a lot of it.
Here are the key artists I would vouch approved by the country curmudgeon:
REK - My all time favorite artist.
The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends
Charlie Robinson
El Cerrito Place (Kenny Chesney covered it, but not as well)
Aaron Lewis Remember Stain’d, killer vocals
Jamey Johnson – Modern classic
Walker McGuire - the prodigy of creatiVets. This kid is awesome although Nashville has corrupted his style (his newer stuff sounds like every other country song), his original stuff is deep and reminds me of Big and Rich if Eric Church was the lead. Sadly they broke up, but this song is the best ever.
They call me Doc Studio version
Tyler Childers - Country Kurt Cobain, more talent is his pinky toe than all of Nashville…
Cody Jinks - Aaron Lewis meets Jamey Johnson and is the artist you didn't know you loved. Here is the most brutal country song of all time :
Ashley McBryde - on the level of Trisha Yearwood Lee Ann Womak, she gives me a full-on freedom chicken skin with her voice
A little dive bar in Dahlonega
Runaway June - BUSTED!!! - Nashville poppy but has a lap steel and these gals are gorgeous and the tall blonde's grandfather is John Wayne, so I give them a pass. Plus their video is reminiscing of my favorite movie of all time...
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real - Willie's kid - a grab bag of reggae, funk, and folk
Turn off the news (my new favorite song, everyone should listen to this every morning)
Uncle Lucious - stellar vocals and just a gosh darn great cut, they broke up
Uncle Lucius - Keep the wolves away
Kevin Galloway – Solo
John Moreland is a big boy with a giant heart and soft vocals - Reps the Sonics!
Blackberry Smoke - very Skynard-esce.
Blackberry Smoke - Ain't much left of me
Sturgill Simpson - what country should be
Stugrill Simpson - You can have the crown
Chris LeDoux- arguably the most underrated artist. Garth took his act and made it his own. Was a true rodeo cowboy. RIP
This cowboy hat (Most epic song)
Whiskey Meyers – Skynard anyone!?
Mat Mason–
Jompson Brothers - Early Chris Stapleton
Cody Johnson – Kenny Rodgers-esce Texas boy
Dillon Carmichael – Big boy with a great voice
Stoney Larue – Jamey Johnson side of things
Corb Lund Comedy, doesn’t give a fuck keeping it classic
Rob Baird Country Matchbox 20/ David Gray vibe
Kevin Fowler Rowdy country now has a Lee Brice vibe (poppy)
Cadillac Three – This one is for Dave, Country Buck Cherry, with a black betty vibe
Coulter Wall – Love this guy. Timeless with a sweet ass deep voice
Sean James – Uncle Lucious sound
Lost Dog Street Band – Millennial Irish bluegrass, love his stories
Benjamin Tod – Solo
Matt Heckler – Duet with Benjamin Todd
Courtney Marie Andrews – Local gal has a hippie Dolly/ Cranberries vibe
Max Stalling – Old country vibe
Riley Green – twang, with the Nashville turned down
Koe Wetzel – Alternative country!?
Zach Bryan – youtube kid, great sound, wasted nights in the courtyard
Orville Peck – Pre Highwaymen Elvis sound, masked singer
Billy Strings – kid that rips meth and jams, all jokes aside Soggy Bottom Boys anyone?
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