Okay, so if you’re anything like me, when you hear the words country music, your stomach tightens up and you reflexively control a gag. Not because you hate country music, far from it, you’re just pretty damn sure what they play on so-called country radio and what seems to be coming out of Nashville these days is about as far from country music as, say, Hank Williams, Sr. is to heavy metal.
Yes, I invoked the hillbilly troubadour. He, along with the likes of Loretta Lynn, Jimmie Rodgers, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, The Carter Family and all the outlaws, hillbillies and what-not are real country music. If all you did was listen to the radio, you’d have no idea that there are bands out there today who carry on the legacy - I’m going to give you a primer on where you should start to build your anti-Nashville collection.
Leave it to a progeny of the Williams line to once again carry the torch leading country music to a different way. Williams, Sr. infused deep-southern blues into his playing, radical at the time, bringing the music of the southern delta to a whole new audience. In that same line stands Shelton “Hank” Williams, III.
III is the undisputed king of the movement away from Nashville with his now near legendary fight with monolithic Nashville label - Curb Records. I won’t go into the details of all that, as it’s as much fiction as it is fact in its retelling these days. Suffice to say the label and the artist didn’t see things eye to eye.
See, III also thought the country music out there was a “buncha fuckin shit to me!” III wanted to do things his way, the way it was done in the past, honest music for honest people. So far, it’s worked with three successful releases under his belt. Start out with III’s second release, Lovesick, Broke and Driftin. It’s closer to what III has said he wanted to do but still has the touch of “Nashville” on it. This will get you good and prepared for what is III’s strongest release to-date - Straight to Hell.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Daniel Woolstencroft
Damn you Cossel! Now I have to order every one of those and have them shipped to the UK!
Great write-up, and I look forward to trying out your suggestions. Cheers!
2 - Benjamin Cossel
Oh man, that's just the tip of the iceburg. From there you can dig into the likes of William Elliot Whitmore, Scott Biram, the .357 String Band and on and on.
3 - leftyaxe
Great article, Ben!
You hit the nail right on the head!
There are a lot of great acts that put "mainstream country" to shame, you mention the cream of the crop, though!
4 - Jean
You obviously don't know a thing about Toby Keith. Why don't you check things out before you right about them. Toby got out of high school and worked with his dad in the oil fields. He was married with a baby and when it closed they lost everything. He tried semi pro football and then ended up going into music and had to work his ass off more than any of the other singers because he wasn't a copy cat like the rest of them, cookie cutter molds because they are afraid to do anything on their own. Toby has been through a lot more than most of them and is still out there and will be for a long time. Don't say anything about anyone unless you know the facts.
5 - Benjamin Cossel
Let's just for a second assume I don't know anything about Toby and say that everything you just said is true. That only makes it worse, cause then he's a sell-out caring more about style over substance, pop crap over true music.
6 - Jean
No it's a man that isn't like anyone else. One that knows what his fans like. He's not a sell out he takes chances, he's not afraid to try something knew. He doesn't want to be like everyone else. He is more country than any of the other ones are, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, they are all played on all radio stations, Toby isn't. I'm sick of everytime you hear some of them sing it's the same old crap. He is far from pop, those mentioned above are pop. Drinkin', cheatin', broken heart's that's country.
7 - gomer
you didnt mention Leeann Womack who gave the world an outstanding COUNTRY album last year...."There's More Where That Came From"
8 - Vern Halen
So, where does alt country or country rock fall into this? I think of a group like Jason & the Scorchers, who don't sound country in one sense, but I'd listen to them over 90% of the Nashville crew any day. And Marty Stuart - his last couple of releases weren't aimed at the modern country audience at all - a concept album about the Lakota and a traditonal bluegrass live recording.
Yeah, mainstream country - no better than mainstream rock after all.
9 - Big Al from Texas
Great article Benjamin. You hit it right on the head. Today's country is crap and sounds all the same to me. Thank God Loretta, Ray Price, Mel Tillis, Charlie Pride, Jones and a few of the others are still out there turning out what we all know is real country music. Don't miss them in concert if they come to your area. Country musice is dieing fast.
10 - leftyaxe
Some great acts are Splitlip Rayfield, The Weary Boys, Scott H Biram, Big Sandy And The Fly Rite Boys, Joe Buck, Those Poor Bastards.
(The last two are kinda hard to define, but great nonetheless.)
11 - Matt
Good article. There isn't much good country on radio or anywhere else that can be heard when not standing right in the front row at a concert anymore.
Yes there are lots of great new and current artists and bands doing great country music these days (country music, not pop), but let's not forget all the great country music from past days.
Living where I do we don't get many of these artists/bands that play good country music, so I started up an online radio station, 10 Gallon Radio I'm just trying to spread the word musically about what REAL country music is.
12 - Temple Stark
Ding ding ding.
Don't forget the fake accents. I always say I hate country .. except for Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Haggard ...
13 - Glen Boyd
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Now go vote!
-Glen
14 - Charlie Frederick Music Enterprises-Ebay
Good article! To understand country music you must have lived it and understand life. Too many current artists are merely faking it! Hank Williams Sr., Cash, Haggard, Jones and a few others are real! On the female side, Patsy Cline, Lynn, Parton, Wynette and a few others are also real! Great artists and great music stands the test of time. Where will the newbies stand in 50 years? This is the real test! I have lived long enough to actually witness this truth.
15 - Benjamin Cossel
Jean, You like Toby. OK Cool. Whatever. I don't and I don't think he's real country. Ok cool, whatever.
16 - Todd
Nice read Ben. Everything you said was true. These guys aren't alternative country, they are real country, not 80's pop music with a fiddle thrown in here and there. I'm glad I discovered JB Beverley, III, etc. They are the hank Sr.'s and Marty Robbins' of the modern day.
17 - Connie Phillips
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18 - Repohellbilly
Keep Country Music Real and buy the albums in the article!!! Hank III , Wayne Hancock,JB Beverley & The Wayward Drifters & Dale Watson are the REAL DEAL!!! Thanks Ben for helping get the word out about REAL COUNTRY MUSIC!!!
19 - Jon Sobel
Good article! I wonder why you didn't mention the term "Americana," though - it's a pretty vague "genre," but it's where a great many of the "real" country artists are hanging their hats these days, both old-timers and new acts. Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jim Lauderdale, Lucinda Williams, Hayes Carll, Patty Griffin, Darrell Scott, Emmylou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shooter Jennings, the list goes on and on...
20 - Benjamin Cossel
Hi Jon,
Great point, I cause I didn't label it Americana because it just seems wrong to have to classify the type of music made by the above listed artists, which is in the same vein as Hank Sr, Johnny Cash and others, as anything but real country. In my humble opinion, it's today's country music that needs the relabeling as it's certainly not country.