The Batlord Learns to Like Country...Maybe: Part I
I've been meaning to give country an honest chance ever since I realized that I liked Johnny Cash. But I'm not sure that I'm ready for Patsy Cline just yet. By the way, who the f
uck is Patsy Cline? Anyway, so I'm gonna try some alternative country first.
Uncle Tupelo: No Depression
I remember listening to this once or twice at some point a few years ago and not being repulsed by it, so I figure it's about as good a place to start as any. Apparently it's country by way of punk rock and highly thought of. Unfortunately this is another case of not being able to find a lot of the songs on Youtube, so yeah, f
uck people who don't upload the whole album. You're making my life more difficult.
Reminds me of The Replacements if their country influences were more explicit. The punk influence is obvious, but a lot of the time it sounds more like power pop to me. When the songs veer toward the heavier end of the spectrum the riffs are big and hard and catchy as hell and wouldn't be out of place on any FM radio rock station, though Uncle Tupelo is always ready to throw in some charming cow-punk into the mix to bring back the country fun. Kick f
ucking ass. When they go for a country ballad it's heartfelt and the singer's voice makes you feel comfortable as country should. Thankfully his singing voice is recognizably Southern but without that cheesy twang that makes me wanna gag. Slow or fast the songs never feels folky though. They feel more like something you would hear in a greasy bar while bikers are either smashing beer bottles over each others' heads or shedding a sneaky tear.
If the rest of the stuff I check out is as good as this then I might just be well on my way to digging country. Highly recommended.