As US country has increasingly become dominated by ‘Bro’ Country’ dudes singing about girls with cut-off and partying, an alternative has been growing in commercial as opposed to just critical support.
Last year, Sturgull Simpson was leading the rear-guard – this year we have Blackberry Smoke (good album btw) and now Aaron Watson. No Sturgill Simpson, but a traditional sound with no hip-hop or AOR guitars.
The Guardian notes here
http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/feb/26/aaron-watson-country-radio-gary-overton
See also blogs like this one http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/
Not all bro Country is terrible though, see the much reviled Florida Georgia Line’s great tune Dirt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42uphHWxmFU
” the much reviled Florida Georgia Line” I think that video shows us why. That’s not good in any way,shape or form. It could be REO Speedwagon iwith Southern Accents.
There’s a lot a great country out there at the moment. How about this ?
This sounds like the B52’s doing Bluegrass.
Saw Sturgill when he toured here in Oct last year. What a great bunch o’ people.He deserves every bit o’ success that comes his way. A lovely, honest, passionate man with no ego whatsover & oodles of talent (& a feckin’ blinding lead guitarist from Estonia of all places). Don’t expect I’ll ever be lucky enough to see him in a venue as small as that again.
In the same venue, The Tunnels, Bristol) I saw this guy, in the same week. The place was half empty. Dunno why. From Canada. Sounds more straightforward country, but a nice line in self-deprecation. Fab show too. Now let’s see if I can post a feckin’ video clip.
Bugger.
Ah, yay!!
Scottish country? A friend sent me this clip. I really like it. Just ordered their album.
But what is “real” country? I suspect it might mean & western, which I loathe, however much I might like western swing and country-rock, the phrase I prefer to americana.
So I tend to avoid the hats and rhinestones, unless ironic as the Burritos, and look for longer hair.
Seeing this fella n/w who ticks most of my boxes
(Sorry, girls, I think they’re all married)
The biggest thing in country just now is this band: Florida Georgia Line. They played here last week and a friend of who went and reviewed the show was under-awed.
To his surprise, my pal did enjoy Lady Antebellum. But this was partly because he had to sit through three country metal bands beforehand.
This is great show. It showcases a lot of great new Country.
http://amazingradio.com/shows/thefrontporch