The Country Music Challenge Thread

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Chris Smither! I thought I was the only person that liked him. Is this the same Chris Smither?


Yep! Same guy. If you have not seen him live, do yourself a favor and get out to see him. A legend that nobody has heard of. A man with a killer voice, awesome songwriting, mad guitar skills and a microphone on his feet. Love his recent music but also love old stuff like "Slow surprise" and the music that he covers.
 
A couple of good ones:





A good place to hear good music is RFD-TV on Saturday nights.
Classic Country, Bluegrass, and Polka.
Or on Sundays at 6:00 PM EST HeeHaw
 
actually i though of a relatively recent song with a guy who was extolling the fact that he picked up chicks because his truck was so tall, admonishing the chick to be careful not to spill his "spit cup"

That song was one of the last straws for me... Utter crap. It also is illustrative of the "Hank Williams" name drop so prevalent these days. Artists think that by mentioning one of the Williams' or one of their songs its some of kind of instant credibility :rolleyes:

i agree with the OP, there are some modern elements of country music today that are simply unenjoyable to listen to at all. some of the new stuff aint so bad, but a lot of it is simply lousy

The problem with most of the songs is that they are glorified lists:

I chew tobacco
I drive a truck
I own a gun
I drink whiskey
And so on and so on...

Or they're just a retelling of last nights bonfire party out in the woods where everybody sat on the tailgate of their jacked up truck and drank cold beer for the three millionth time. There's also the sappy love songs that are overproduced and just bland. However, you do have current artists who tell stories-actual stories, not "Last night we went out to edge of town and raised hell." Again... A few examples of new songs that tell stories:

In "Heart Like Mine" Miranda Lambert talks of how she is judged by other folks but speculates that since Jesus drank wine, she bets they'd get along just fine:


I really don't even like The Band Perry, but this is more than a love song with a line like "If the ties that bind ever do come loose, tie 'em in a knot like a hangman's noose..."


I can take Billy Currington or leave him, but this song grabbed me simply because it was a compelling story, which is evident by my signature line:


What all of these artists have in common is that they have produced these songs as well as utter crap, so you can't dismiss an artist because of one song. These songs are evident of the fact that when country artists stick to the basics they can produce great music. Johnny Cash put out a three disc set a while back. The three discs were simply titled "Love," "God," and "Murder." If country artists would stick to singing about those three things alone in their basic forms we'd be seeing a lot less crap coming out of Nashville and elsewhere.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cwill
What I consider strange is that a lot of classic rock/southern rock artists are now sounding more country then some of the current country artists.

Example:

 
I have said for a few years that country music is the last stronghold for real rockers. country has some of the best musicians around too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: becasunshine




Yup its bluegrass but should still count
 




just went on an hour Youtube music binge. :)
 
I have said for a few years that country music is the last stronghold for real rockers. country has some of the best musicians around too.

I would say that hardcore bluegrass based musicians are the most talented but even within the modern bluegrass scene there are a lot of wannabes. Musicians who add in a banjo or fiddle sound for the main purpose of being an edgy hipster.
 
Love McMurtry,
But gettin into Drive By Truckers lately.


Trampled By Turtles, Again


And really love Hayes Carll


Lot of great suggestions here

Thanks,
---Nailer---
 
That song was one of the last straws for me... Utter crap. It also is illustrative of the "Hank Williams" name drop so prevalent these days. Artists think that by mentioning one of the Williams' or one of their songs its some of kind of instant credibility



the hank williams name drop has only been cool once , in willy and waylon's "luchenbach texas" since then its just annoying, willy and waylon did it right IMHO
 


Love Dead country/bluegrass/traditional stuff! Had tons to choose from, went with my favorite. They have done 2or 3 of the above tunes, also.
 
Last edited:
I am on my Iphone. Can't figure how to link a youtube video.

But i was to link : ´´streets of bakerfield'´. By Buck & Dwight.
I was just a kid when it cane out. I loved it. I rhen turn i to a BIG buck Owens fan. I had my ´´Buck´´ years !! And I was lucky enough to ha the chance to see him, live, at the Buck Owen Crytal pàace in Bakerafield in 2005. Even if it was not the best concert of my life it was quite something for me, to had the chance to see buck, live in person.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.