Billy Currington has quite a following across the U.S.. I was wondering if anybody had any similar artists suggestions who carry the same "classic country" and sort of laidback style? I have covered the obvious bases of Johnny Cash, Waylan Jennings, and Willie Nelson etc.

Can't believe how long he is taking to really take of in the Uk scene. He is brill

he inspired to me love country

Roots/Americana/Folk Revival
 

Recently I've started to become obsessed with this type of music. This is weird, since even six months ago, if someone told me that I should check this stuff out, I would have shown them the whites of my eyes without thinking. I guess people change... I've been voraciously gobbling up music like Old Crow Medicine Show and Gillian Welch, and also stuff by Townes Van Zandt and Doc Watson. I love the organic and honest sound of the music, some songs are melancholic and some have charm, it's all good!

I would greatly appreciate some more recommendations to satiate my hunger!

Chur.

Two Gallants. Maybe. Townes Van Zandt is amazing.

Guy clark

Thanks for the replies, I will definitely check them out!

Townes Van Zandt and Gillian Welch are fantastic, so you're off to a good start.

Here are a few of my personal favourites you might wanna look out for if you haven't got them already;

The Byrds - Sweetheart Of the Rodeo
Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace Of Sin
Lucinda Williams - West
Emmylou Harris - Elite Hotel
Gene Clark - White Light
Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen - Bakersfield Bound
Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel
Manassas - Manassas

^ The top 3 being albums I'd recommend to absolutely anyone, regardless of their standing on this kinda music.

Thank for the recommendations! Will definitely check all of those out!

An update: Love the Flying Burrito Brothers! Still have to check out the others.

Kris Kristofferson
John Prine
Steve Goodman
Neal Casal
Steve Earle
Bob Dylan
Gordon Lightfoot

Does anyone have some Country with a lot of steel guitar usage? I know this seems broad, but I guess I'm looking for music other than Hank Williams with really cool steel guitar in it. So preferably older country/western whatever type stuff.

I won't pretend to be an expert on classic country music, but if you like the sound of this...



...then the aforementioned Sweetheart Of the Rodeo by the Byrds is the album for you...if you don't have it already.

You could probably get better suggestions from others around here though.

I'm actually really glad you suggested them. I've been meaning to check them out forever. I'm a huge Gram Parsons/The Flying Burrito Brothers, but never really got into The Byrds. Thanks for the suggestion.

No probs.

Do you have the International Submarine Band's (aka Gram Parrsons' first band's) album? I wouldn't say it's quite up there with what Gram would go on to do, but a decent country rock album all the same - consider that another recommendation if you don't already have it :D

Great recommendations, Bulldog. Jay Dee Maness played some stellar pedal steel on International Submarine Band's Safe At Home and on The Byrds's Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. Another fine session player, Lloyd Green, played on Sweetheart Of The Rodeo as well. Lloyd Green also played on Charley Pride's classic recordings during the mid-to-late '60s.

If you like the Bakersfield sound, Hank, you might also want to check out the legendary Tom Brumley's playing on Buck Owens's '60s recordings.

Billy Currington
 

Billy Currington - 'Dont' = YouTube - Billy Currington - Don't

'Must be doing something right' is a favorite also.

There's a newer Canadian band called Luther Wright & The Wrongs who use a lot of steel guitar in their music, however it's more bluegrass than country. Still if you're interested, their first LP, Rebuild the Wall is a bluegrass retelling of The Wall by Pink Floyd.

I'll definitely check them out. I've always liked Bluegrass, though I'm really uneducated on it. Thanks man.

Hey so I'm looking for some artists of a genre that I don't really know how to define. I recently listened to Apres Moi by Regina Spektor, and it inspired me. Basically, folk(ish) music with a female singer, and that almost waltzy feel to it. I don't know if describing it as gypsy-ish would be accurate, but a large vocal range, doesn't have to be in english, just as long as the woman's voice isn't all weak highs, I'm not trying to find feist hah. The instruments involved don't too much matter, just as long as it isn't too poppy, or country or rock-oriented. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Bellowhead are pretty damn awesome. check out Copshawholme fair, Bruton Town, and Whiskey Is the Life Of Man

I definitely agree on the Townes ....Blaze Foley is also great. Two Really underrated song writers.

Worldbeat Music
 

Hey looking for some good acoustic Worldbeat music. Any suggestions?

These three might be the kinda thing you're looking for;

http://images.blackbearmoon.com/magi...ita_mbemba.jpg

http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/be...006/2936-1.jpg

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0...1.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

^ Top to bottom, that's...

Salif Keita - M'Bemba

Toumani Diabate - Boulevard de l'Independance

Baaba Maal - Nomad Soul

Those are only west African examples of good acoustic worldbeat though.

I feel like even non-Country fans can dig this track.

Tom T. Hall - Faster Horses. Speakin truth to power.

I recommend Sydney Stahl. She's AMA Hits' pick for Artist of the Month for August.

I'm not going to post a link because I'm not sure if that's allowed. But you can check out her music on the AMA Hits website. :)

i know very little country. i know johnny cash and have sweetheart of the radio by the byrds. i enjoy both! what are a few essential country albums?

I wouldn't bother with albums.

What style of country do you think you might want?

New Radio Friendly?

Alt?

Classic?

not radio county, good ass country. why not albums?

Well they don't make albums like this anymore. If you're looking for something in this vein its probably good to get together 20 songs, see what you like, then move from there.

If you say "good as country" I'm going to give you my favorite 20 country songs and you can't complain.

Errrk, you want a list?

yes that sounds swell.

get townes van zandt our mother the mountain

Well I'm not going to say Bill's suggestion is bad, but if you're going to find an appreciation and inspiration in Country music, and you currently sit in a position where you do not like it, you need to know a few things.

First of all, country is a very wide genre and Artist A should not be assumed to be like Artist B. Its a genre, after all, and its made to allow people find artists in record stores (when people used to go to record stores) easier. It really has no other function. Its best thought of as the Dewey Decimal Systems idiot kid brother (genres, that is).

Off the very tip-top of my head, you're at least dealing with these breakdowns

Alt-Country
Nashville Country
Non-Nashville Country

Now obviously there are many little breakdowns in there. But let me try to illustrate, via stereotypes, what this all means.

If you've listened to Country Radio, and you're in the north, and its a fairly sizable station with polished Dj's, you likely have heard some ****ty country and therefore thing it sucks. I don't know where you're from, but I'm guessing that this situation is fairly close to your situation.

When I hated country, I thought it was too self-serious Patriotic grand-standing. A sort of "**** you, southerners are better than you Yankee ****s." Because of this and my natural inclination to hold a grudge, I ****ing hated country music. if you don't actively pursue Country, it will creep in. I remember hearing Little Big Town's "Boondocks" and thinking "oh hey, this guitar ain't half-bad." I was forced to listen to it so I had no option to change it and that badass lick was something of an oasis.

Ironically, that first song that made me sit up in my chair, with its almost Son House style guitar riff came from a band who I think epitomizes the idea that country is only state fairs, tractors, and Civil War resentment. "Little White Church" might double as Christian Propaganda music which I only point out to illustrate what stereotypes can do to a person.

I put "non-Nashville" up there because unlike most genres, Country music is like Catholicism. Nashville is the Pope, through which all country music must be ordained, though the world isn't without its heretics. If you've ever heard the title Country & Western its because the Infallible Suits back in Nashville wanted to say those in West Texas making what they considered to be folk-outlaw songs weren't Dolly Parton basically. I mean, they were right, but its still ****ing country.

For a bit of History, I believe Buck Owens (based in California) was the first to puncture the Nashville bubble. A regular-guy persona with a hit-machine for a brain, Owens seeded fallow earth by telling the Big Boys in Tennessee to go **** themselves. I'm sure he wouldn't say it, but his actions did.

So when you hear Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flats, and Little Big Town, understand that they might as well be a wildly different animal from Hank Williams, Buck Ownes, Willie, and Townes Van Zandt. (alt-country is even a further deviation from there).

Because of this polarity existing since, I don't know the 50's, today's country artists can hedge the gorge and be seemingly laconic and hick when they are deceptively shrew lyricists and amazing musicians.

Errk, my friend, its going to be what you make of it, and I'm happy to help you navigate if you'll only tell me what your prejudices are. I might not be the best, but I've been in your shoes. I'm a Yankee, I hated country with passion like you can't imagine (I literally saw it as an attack on my lineage), and I've come to find some of the current artists (even radio friendly) to be some of the better artists out there today.

Find your prejudice, find someone who bucks the trend, and move from there. All the best. Here's my list - off the cuff, no be-all end-all compilation - of stuff I'm just into currently.

1. Tom T. Hall - Faster Horses
2. Tim McGraw - Southern Voice
3. Brad Paisley - Alcohol
4. Darius Rutger - Alright
5. Buck Owens - Tiger by the Tail
6. David Nail - Red Light
7. Guy Clark - Desperado*
8. Hank Williams - Alone and Forsaken
9. Hank Williams Jr. - Family Tradition
10. Levon Helm - False Hearted Lover Blues
11. John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Roads**
12. Elvis Costello - Cheap Reward
13. Tom Waits - Blind Love
14. Big & Rich - Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy
15. Sugarland - Stay
16. Dolly Parton - Jolene
17. Lucinda Williams - Fancy Funeral
18. Dar Willaims - Iowa
19. The Pure Prairie League - Amy (might be aimee)
20. Johnny Cash - Ghost Riders in the Sky+

*thank Savannah for that one
**toots and the maytals doing an amazing reggae version of this
+ wouldn't be a list without him.

What bungalow said I say.

Great list there, although regarding the bolded, I'd go for;

Guy Clark - The Dark
Hank Williams - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry [...call me Captain Obvious and all]
Elvis Costello - Sittin' and Thinkin'
Lucinda Williams - Passionate Kisses

@Mr. Eric Generic, I'm no expert when it comes to country music, so checking out Big3's song list there would be the best option to start with.

If you want some album recs to go after sometime, here are some of my favourites you could call some form of country music or other...

Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace Of Sin
Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball
Townes Van Zandt - Our Mother the Mountain
Desert Rose Band - Desert Rose Band
Bob Dylan - Nashville Skyline
Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
Rosanne Cash - The List
Kelly Willis - Bang Bang
Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
Lyle Lovett - Pontiac
Gillian Welch - Revival
Mary Gauthier - Between Daylight and Dark
Jim White - Wrong-Eyed Jesus
Giant Sand - Chore Of Enchantment
Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen - Bakersfield Bound

^ As I say, I'm no expert on what falls under which sub-genre, but there's a good variety of style for you to choose from there.

I created (way back) an alt-country list which has a few of these songs. Again it wasn't the best list ever, but if you'd like to check some out...

http://www.musicbanter.com/country-f...html#post48104

Also, could you let us know what you're into, both country and non-country, so we have a better idea of what to recommend. You might also want to drop a PM to Savannah and Flower Child. They should have good suggestions for you.

thanks for the detailed and thoughtful posts! i will gradually work through these recommendations and hopefully remember to give some feedback on them.

Also
Kristofferson by Kris Kristofferson.

june bug on the window sill cant get in,..but he keeps on tryin,....

good lord i do love guy clark,...


another fav tune everyone should check out is cold dog soup, i think it will resonate with almost everyone here

I would also throw in Willie Nelson, Whiskey River & On The Road Again are great songs! I need to get some albums myself so I can't help you there, but personally I am not a big fan of country either but I am diggin' myself some Willie Nelson.

Edit: before I go, I think this might be a good place to ask about James Taylor & Jackson Browne? Anyone got some good songs/albums or info on them? Of the two artists the only song I have heard is Browne's "Runnin' On Empty" which is good, but I have a feeling doesn't even begin to tell how good he really is. Thanks!