alternative country recommendations
 

Can anyone suggest any country similar to this one band i know from the show "true detective"



I've always wanted to explore the genre but had no foundation to build upon other than johnny cash, who i only care for to a certain extent.

Suggestions would be much appreciated.

god, alternative country eh?
Not around the country scene to know what exactly is considered alternative (because to be fair, I think it's a genre with very little flexibility) but I'll have a crack at recommending some stuff.



Got a couple of this guys albums and they seem to be greeted pretty positively.



Been even longer since I listened to these guys, but I seem to remember the album 'Trace' being somewhat enjoyable.



I guess Ryan Adams would be the first name that would pop into most peoples heads if you said alt. country, but here you go anyway.

I think I feel where you're coming from Sparky. Like weeded out emo country?
I like a lot of the artists who are on the Farmageddon Records label although a lot of those are probably not what you're looking for.

I definitely recommend William Elliot Whitmore and if you like that, just Google from there

splendid engine

bingo dude, exactly what I was wanting haha

found this shortly after.

http://www.musicbanter.com/country-f...k-cabaret.html

Here ya go Sparky.

My personal favourite is Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat, though not all of his albums fall under that description.

Cheers dude, i'll give that a run through

it's always exciting when you crack into a nucleus of stuff

The Reverend Horton Heat.

I've only listened to a bit of her, but I rather like Neko Case. She tends to mix in indie rock to her sound, so someone with a more alternative background should find her an easy gateway artist.



A more slow, soulful tune.



Though her first album is a lot more tongue-in-cheek and has some self-consciously cheesy country rave-ups that are just bags of fun if you aren't afraid of listening to something you can't take seriously. And it gives her a chance to really show that she has some pipes with some really raw, high energy country singing.




And he isn't alternative country, but Townes Van Zandt is an old school folk country singer-songwriter that someone who doesn't really like country music can still love. There's a lot more to his music going on than a lot of generic, strumming folk singers, and his lyrics and singing voice just know how to tear your heart right out of your chest and make you wish you'd never had one in the first place. Radiohead wish they could invoke this kind of despair.

This song is probably my favorite to show off his unique sense of musicality. The acoustic guitar always makes me think of dandelion seeds in the summer wind.



He has songs with more obvious lyrics, but as for the atmosphere, this is almost claustrophobic in it's misery, and subtly phantasmagorical. It's hard to figure out just what he's talking about, as it comes off as a stream-of-conscious dream sequence mixed with a folk ghost story. If I had to guess it's about drugs, since he had a drug problem that other junkie musicians could only aspire to. Supposedly he once shot up jack and coke, as in the drink, into his veins in front of his children.



Another song that's blacker than midnight with much more literal lyrics.




Oh and if you've never somehow listened to it, Violent Femmes second album, Hallowed Ground, is as amazing a country album as it is an alternative album. Dark too. This little song is about a guy going insane, pushing his daughter down a well, and then hanging himself in a barn.

I saw these guys at Antone's in Austin, TX during the annual SXSW music festival around 10 years ago. Great, crazy show! They have a raw country/rockabilly/blues sound.

https://www.bloodshotrecords.com/art...y-shackshakers



Th' Legendary Shack Shakers- Bible, Candle and Skull - YouTube


Th' Legendary Shack Shakers: Wheres The Devil...When You Need Him (LIVE) - YouTube

They also do the best version of "Shake Your Hips" by Slim Harpo that I've ever heard...


Th' Legendary Shack Shakers - Shake Your Hips (2012) - YouTube

I listen to a lot of alt-country, so this is going to be a fun thread for me.

Looks like most of my go to picks have already been put up here. I'll add that Uncle Tupelo did some really amazing stuff back in the 90s, and I'll also enthusiastically double down on recommendations for William Elliot Whitmore and Neko Case.

There's a group called Lucero that's done some really interesting alt-country. Their best was a 2003 record called That Much Further West , although, really, you can't go wrong with them. Any group that names an album off a George RR Martin appendix can't be bad.

My avatar-and-username-provider, Tom Waits is by no means an alt country artists, but provides a few great examples of that Handsome Family-esque sound. "Gun Street Girl", "Chocolate Jesus" and "Murder in the Red Barn" should are be squarely up your alley if you don't mind his offbeat singing voice.

A sort of alternative supergroup called the Hard Working Americans put out their debut record this year, and it's worth a listen if you're into alt-country. The've got a big, heavy psychedelic infusion that's just awesome. I'm not allowed to post links yet, but they cover the country classic "Blackland Farmer", and it's wonderful.

I could go on about alt-country all day, but I'll give you one last recommendation. This one's for the adventurous. There's an alt-country act by the name of Those Poor Bastards, headed by an equally interesting artist who goes by Lonesome Wyatt. This music is...intense. It's got some very heavy gothic overlays, but there's no mistaking it for anything but country. They do a lot of dark songs about murder, rural decay and creepy religious zealotry. It's all got a very old-timey feel to it, too which just helps it be creepy as hell. It's definitely not for everyone but if you want something a little on the crazy side, I can't recommend them highly enough. A few standout tracks are "Dust Bowl", their cover of "Walk the Line" and "He of Cloven Hoof."

Let me know if you like what I've thrown your way. I've got a million recs where those came from.

The Coffinshakers - No rest for the wicked - YouTube

you can try these: Jim White, Willard Grant Conspiracy, C.J. Johnson, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, The McIntosh County Shouters, The Hat, Townes Van Zandt, Giant Sand, Howe Gelb, Jay Munly, Blanche, 16 Horsepower, Buddy Miller, or Blind Uncle Gaspard

Since Pete hasn't dropped by and said it yet, definitely try Corb Lund. Great stuff out of Canada. Definitely "alternative" country but not as dark as what's been posted here so far.

Sturgill Simpson makes great alt country.
So does Hank Williams III.

BIG fan of Ryan.




Oh how I would LOVE to go camping with this man!



His version of this song from the documentary, Heartworn Highways always hits home for me.



Sturgill's album, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music is absolutely incredible. Check out this psych-country masterpiece, It Ain't All Flowers.

^Word.

Check out Richard Buckner, y'all. He's amazing.

Great to know these artists!!! Really enjoyed listening!

The Mallett Brothers Band
https://youtu.be/is8BpGwrrZk

Personally, I'd recommend Steve Earle's 'Copperhead Road' (1988). The title track crossed over to rock radio at the time, which wasn't the norm. Likewise, country radio wouldn't touch it, sadly.

I certainly can't forget The Jayhawks. You can't go wrong with 'Hollywood Town Hall' (1992) or 'Tomorrow The Green Grass' (1995). One of the greatest American rock bands of Gen X that seemingly nobody has ever heard of. A travesty indeed (:()!

The first half. That's good ****. The second half is literally nothing but cheesy ballads.

You should check out the Everything Rockabilly thread. Some great options there.

Also, you might like J. Roddy Walston and the Business. Very heavy country and blues influence in what I like to consider an alternative band. I'll post their most well-known song here that you've probably already heard before (it was at the beginning of the movie "Contraband", although I can listen to their entire albums cover to cover)...

I first heard this in one of my husband's video games. The one where ol' buddy goes splat at the beginning.

Allah-Las band