You heard it here first.

You heard it here first.

You heard it here first.You heard it here first.You heard it here first.

I hate country music!

Origin Story

Stage Coach 2018

  

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.

Corpus Christi Bay

The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends

Train Song 

Feeling good again 


Charlie Robinson

My hometown

El Cerrito Place (Kenny Chesney covered it, but not as well)


Aaron Lewis Remember Stain’d, killer vocals

Graddaddy’s gun

Forever


Jamey Johnson – Modern classic

In color

Between Jennings and Jones


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 

They call me Doc Studio version

Worn these Boots


Tyler Childers - Country Kurt Cobain, more talent is his pinky toe than all of Nashville…

White house road 

Hard times

Nose to the grindstone

I swear


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 : 

David 

I'm not the devil

Cast no stones


Ashley McBryde - on the level of Trisha Yearwood Lee Ann Womak, she gives me a full-on freedom chicken skin with her voice

Bible and a  .44

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...

Wild west


Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real - Willie's kid - a grab bag of reggae, funk, and folk 

Find yourself

Turn off the news  (my new favorite song, everyone should listen to this every morning)

Forget about Georgia


Uncle Lucious - stellar vocals and just a gosh darn great cut, they broke up

Uncle Lucius - Keep the wolves away

Kevin Galloway – Solo

The change


John Moreland is a big boy with a giant heart and soft vocals - Reps the Sonics! 

John Moreland - Wounded 


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) 

Hair trigger colt .44 


Whiskey Meyers – Skynard anyone!?

Ballad of a Southern Man

Virginia 

Broken Window Serenade


Mat Mason– 

E  


Jompson Brothers - Early Chris Stapleton

One the Run 


Cody Johnson – Kenny Rodgers-esce Texas boy

On my way to you

Dear Rodeo


Dillon Carmichael – Big boy with a great voice

Dancing away with my heart

Might be a cowboy


Stoney Larue – Jamey Johnson side of things

Feet don’t touch the ground

Hill Country Boogaloo


Corb Lund Comedy, doesn’t give a fuck  keeping it classic

Truck got stuck 

Roughest Neck Around 


Rob Baird Country Matchbox 20/ David Gray vibe

Dreams and gasoline

Burning Blue


Kevin Fowler Rowdy country now has a Lee Brice vibe (poppy)

Beer Bait and Ammo

Texas Forever 


Cadillac Three – This one is for Dave, Country Buck Cherry, with a black betty vibe 

I’m southern 

White Lightning 

Party like you


Coulter Wall – Love this guy. Timeless with a sweet ass deep voice

Sleeping on the blacktop

Kate McCannon


Sean James – Uncle Lucious sound 

Flow


Lost Dog Street Band – Millennial Irish bluegrass, love his stories 

Fight like hell to be free

War inside of me 

Benjamin Tod – Solo 

Sorry for the things


Matt Heckler – Duet with Benjamin Todd

Blue eyes dancing 


Courtney Marie Andrews – Local gal has a hippie Dolly/ Cranberries vibe

Irene

Put the fire out


Max Stalling – Old country vibe

The Pila Song

Running buddy 


Riley Green – twang, with the Nashville turned down

I wish grandpas never died

Bury me in Dixie


Koe Wetzel – Alternative country!?

Too high to cry

Ragweed


Zach Bryan – youtube kid, great sound, wasted nights in the courtyard

Heading south

Condemned  


Orville Peck – Pre Highwaymen Elvis sound, masked singer

Dead of Night 

Turn to hate


Billy Strings – kid that rips meth and jams, all jokes aside Soggy Bottom Boys anyone? 

Dust in a baggie 

Meet me at the creek 


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