Help me understand New Country

I really like Hank jr, Johnny cash, Drive-by truckers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Earl Keen, as well as plenty of bluegrass.

A friend who is a devout country top 40 listener recently invited me over. The whole fam was watching the country music awards (month or so ago). I was a little pre-disposed to not like "pop" country, but figured "how bad could it be?". WOW.

The parade of pretty boys and semi supermodels was astounding. Having been a musician and songwriter for several years, I can tell you that a pretty face and real musical talent seldom go together.(the exception being me of course )

The music seemed as pop as Brittany Spears or Katie Perry, with the very occasional not-so-pretty band or artist who obviously had real talent, too talented to be shut out of the event.

After sitting through the award show, I suggested my friend maybe listen to some music I like.

I introduced said friend to 91.9wfpk (local public radio) and pandora (Josh ritter, elbow, citizen cope, cold war kids, damien rice, david byrne, dawes, death cab, feist, florence and the machine, etc...)

After maybe a week of listening to "my" music, She made the comment that, "after listening to all of your music, country all sounds the same".

She just monday came back from a Tim Mcgraw and Kenney Chesney concert in Cincy (already had tickets or I bet she wouldn't have gone). Said that, "Both those guys are just these pretty boys and that Brett Michaels showed up to Put the finishing touch on the ********* fest"

If you are addicted to pop country: please, get help before it's too late, before you have shelled out good money just to end up looking at some doodybag in tight jeans and Brett Michaels mandana and bad hair extensions......



*YES, guess I am trolling......maybe! Sorryplease, tell me I'm wrong!*

Modern country music sounds to me like Southern rock. I like the oldies- Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, etc.
I do like some of the newer stuff, but consider it to be in its own category.

All country is awful. yee haw, y'all!

Dammit HOMER

What are some of the good ones? I believe that within any genre, even top 40, even gangster rap, there are some diamonds in the rough, I am just unwilling to sift through the mountains of garbage to find them.

cheezydemon3 said:

I can tell you that a pretty face and real musical talent seldom go together.

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Emmylou Harris was and still is (considering she's in her 60's) very attractive and talented.

New country is pretty much garbage, I'll have to agree. There are great new bands out there, but unfortunately not mainstream, maybe they'll have their time. For a solid country band check out Jason Boland and the Stragglers.

This "Pretty vs. Talented" idea reminds me of a study I read about some years ago. This won't surprise you, but the study showed that taller people and those who were conventionally "attractive" achieved greater career advancement than those who were short and "ugly". No surprise, right? So... when you have a hiring choice and you have two candidates with equal qualifications and experience, pick the short ugly one rather than the tall good looking one. The short ugly one got there on merit.

Disclaimer: I'm short, bald and ugly.

The only country I used to like was Kenny Rogers and the one Charlie Pride song, Watermelon Wine. Only because I was a kid when I listened to them.

I can put up with the Dixie Chicks because my wife liked them and I conceded that one artist (group) to her while she drove.

I am going to have to stand up for the good looking singers, though. When I am flipping channels and come across a country music channel, I appreciate being able to press mute and still enjoy a nice female country artist.

Come on Cheezy! There are good country artist still! Jamey Johnson, Dale Watson, Amber Digby, Justin Trevino, Jason Boland.......Wait. None of those people get radio play..... Or awards......


Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton will sometimes put out some good music. I started limiting listening to Country Radio when Carrie Underwood became mainstream. Then lost all faith in Country when Taylor Swift made her first album. Even worse now is that the new country artist think it is Country to just sing how country they are.

I switched and started listening to Disturbed, Adele, Voltbeat, Florence and the Machine, Skillet, and Mumford & Sons.....

Hayseed Dixie.


You're welcome.

Ironic this thread posted today. This morning I woke up to my clock radio playing some cheesey pop country song. I don't know who the artist was but just thought my gawd this stuff is terrible, and it aint country!

landshark said:

...Then lost all faith in Country when Taylor Swift made her first album...

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How she continues to win award after award baffles me. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. Am I the only one who thinks she 1) isn't country 2) sings shallow, dumb songs and 3) not a good singer? I mean no disrespect to her, she seems like a very nice young lady. But "the best"? It's ridiculous.

If current country songs were submitted to a BJCP competition, they'd get blasted for not being true to style. "Nice song, but not at all country, try submitting in pop or teeny-bopper"

And what's with the islander-country? Since when does country music have anything to do with tropical beaches and pina coladas and spring break? PS - they're called sleeves Kenny. Try them sometime.

Good rant, Cheezy. I feel your pain.

I think they call that new crap "lady-ry" as in, "the premeditated act of behaving like a lady". (had to use a v instead of u due to censoring)
Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, David Alan Coe, Hank, Hank Jr., George Jones, probably hundreds more.... Country was great; now its this semi-retarded, souless-christian music, where a girl with a faked, fake-southern accent talks about how she drives a truck, or something even more pointless and cliche. The genre is 'rolling down hill, like a snowball headed for hell'.
-carry on

Cheezy. Sorry, but from the looks of it. We are all going to refuse to help you understand the new country.

Check out Eric Church, He is more in the Southern Rock than the pop end of things, but has some real good songs.

JeepDiver said:

Check out Eric Church, He is more in the Southern Rock than the pop end of things, but has some real good songs.

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Agreed with the above. Brantley Gilbert is decent too (from the few songs I've heard), but he is more rock I would say.

Whew! thanks Jeep, and ferg, I will.

Yeah, the main complaint I have is that these new bands think that singing about : Drinkin beer, being a patriot, singing bout daddy, lovin 'merica, or some other BS makes it country. AND, these effers think that bein country, makes them patriotic everyday mericans when the doodybags have as much make-up and as many songwriters as Keira (or whoever TF).

When you were born with a pretty face and the ability to sing, but can't write a song to save your life, you have no respect from me.

Billy Connolly on old country music, I like it very selectively, Cash, lots of bluegrass and some other bits and pieces.

cheezydemon3 said:

Whew! thanks Jeep, and ferg, I will.

Yeah, the main complaint I have is that these new bands think that singing about : Drinkin beer, being a patriot, singing bout daddy, lovin 'merica, or some other BS makes it country. AND, these effers think that bein country, makes them patriotic everyday mericans when the doodybags have as much make-up and as many songwriters as Keira (or whoever TF).

When you were born with a pretty face and the ability to sing, but can't write a song to save your life, you have no respect from me.

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I respect Taylor Swift because she writes her songs and also plays guitar. I disrespect her cuz she dated john mayer.

My big beef with "country" is every other song on the radio is Blake Shelton or Dirks Bentley.

It's still better than that auto tune crap.

and since when is Journey considered classic rock?

AZ_IPA said:

I respect Taylor Swift because she writes her songs and also plays guitar. I disrespect her cuz she dated john mayer.

My big beef with "country" is every other song on the radio is Blake Shelton or Dirks Bentley.

It's still better than that auto tune crap.

and since when is Journey considered classic rock?

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Let me make your day then.

TyTanium said:

If current country songs were submitted to a BJCP competition, they'd get blasted for not being true to style. "Nice song, but not at all country, try submitting in pop or teeny-bopper"
Good rant, Cheezy. I feel your pain.

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^Way to bring it home and relate it back to the brewing forum. Seriously, that comment was so true and out of the blue it made me laugh out loud. (Side note: That's right; I still spell out laugh out loud because I'm using a computer and am not illiterate.)

Ok fine its not Country like you guys cash or Williams. But rap isn't rap like it used to be music changes the genre stays the same. They can't make a new genre every time the style changes.

I really like chesney aldean and others. I think most of you would too if you gave it more time. and if you don't that's fine no need to hate publicly. Its like creating threads hating Bmc companies.

To each their own but id say check out church pew or bar stool by jason aldean its a good jam

I've never been a big country fan. So what does that break down to: First, I hate new country that has been discussed and might as well be categorized as pop music with one of the following things: a fiddle, a cowboy hat, a tractor reference, or just a southern accent and secondly, I enjoy some old country great but they are not my first choice of music.

That said I enjoy country or southern rock inspired/sounding music. I think there is a pretty good group of americana influenced bands coming up on the "indie rock" (whatever that really means) scene. Bands like The Drive by Truckers, The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Ryan Bringham, Trampled by Turtles, Dawes, Deer Tick, some of Conor Oberst's solo work, maybe Mumford and Sons, Blitzen Trapper, ect.

Not sure how many Minnesotan's are our here or those familiar with The Current radio station but they put on a good program every Sat or Sun early called the United States of Americana that highlights bands like this as well as Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and John Prine. I try to listen to it every week

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/united_states_of_americana/

davis119 said:

Ok fine its not Country like you guys cash or Williams. But rap isn't rap like it used to be (thank god) music changes the genre stays the same. They can't make a new genre every time the style changes.

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I like this comment. It is about evolution so maybe the argument should just be that new country sucks....haha...seriously though, all new music sucks because they just keep trying to put out all the same crap over and over and over again because kids are dumb. I don't mean to say that to be mean and I'm only 28 but think about how dumb you were at 18. Any song about a broken heart and a movie with an explosion and a stolen lover instantly became your new favorite thing. You haven't been bogged down by all the industry cliches yet because you don't know any better and the music industry is being built around attracting young people by pumping out boring, cliche music that can relate to everyone...thus new country, new pop, new rock, new movies, new TV shows. Maybe this isn't news to people and this is how it's always been but like I said, I'm still youngish and learning these things.

Pilgarlic said:

This "Pretty vs. Talented" idea reminds me of a study I read about some years ago. This won't surprise you, but the study showed that taller people and those who were conventionally "attractive" achieved greater career advancement than those who were short and "ugly". No surprise, right? So... when you have a hiring choice and you have two candidates with equal qualifications and experience, pick the short ugly one rather than the tall good looking one. The short ugly one got there on merit.

Disclaimer: I'm short, bald and ugly.

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Well, I guess I'm screwed...

cmybeer said:

I like this comment. It is about evolution so maybe the argument should just be that new country sucks....haha...seriously though, all new music sucks because they just keep trying to put out all the same crap over and over and over again because kids are dumb. I don't mean to say that to be mean and I'm only 28 but think about how dumb you were at 18. Any song about a broken heart and a movie with an explosion and a stolen lover instantly became your new favorite thing. You haven't been bogged down by all the industry cliches yet because you don't know any better and the music industry is being built around attracting young people by pumping out boring, cliche music that can relate to everyone...thus new country, new pop, new rock, new movies, new TV shows. Maybe this isn't news to people and this is how it's always been but like I said, I'm still youngish and learning these things.

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It is getting worse.

Parasites like Puff Daddy and the Black Eyed Peas just take old stuff and rap over it or give a minor spin and re-sell it.

My kids LOVE "Pump It" and I am like, "That is just the pulp fiction song with some inbred dipsnot talking over it!!!!! Haven't you seen Pulp fiction????"

Then I realize that if someone showed my 4, 7, or 10 year old Pulp Fiction, I would be livid. Of course they have no idea about that song.

*yes I know it was a song long before terentino decided to put it in a movie*

I don't discriminate, Rap sucks too. I mean, its been that way for quite some-time though. When you take the "real" people out of music, you are left with an image that the genre is trying to sell. You end up with some 'thing' like lil wayne being at the top of the charts. Think about how the fashion industry links up with popular bands to re-sell old styles and set 'trends'. Like those plastic sunglasses that have come back from the 80's. If its on TV or the radio, most of the time, it is mass produced crap, sang by a person that looks the part, but is inherently souless.
We've all been to a concert and seen real musicians. A lot of the time they are ugly, wear ragged clothes and are typically under the influence of a multitude of substances. The old blues tale of selling your soul to the devil comes to mind. This country crap of today is made-for-TV and is intended to brainwash american youth into accepting this clean-cut, church-boy image.
If Johnny were alive today, he would probably have a special gesture to wave at the kenny chesney's of the world.