I am a classic rock listener. But I also enjoy a night at the symphony.
But, I watch a New Zealand show called Brokenwood. The lead detective listens to Country Western (on cassettes). Not new stuff, but it reminds me of being in the middle of no where Nevada and picking up only AM radio. That kind of Country Western. I kind of like it.
Any heads up on artists, or groups?
Robert Earl Keen
I think you’re referencing fiddle heavy Western swing.
Lyle Lovett is good.
Asleep At The Wheel
Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys
Junior Brown
Dale Watson
If the steel guitar and twang is what you’re looking for then
George Strait
Brooks & Dunn
Travis Tritt
John Michael Montgomery
Randy Travis
George Jones
There’s lots of folksy stuff with a country sound too. Kind of Americana Country and more grassroots than heavily produced, but I don’t think that’s what you’re looking for.
Look up Matt Mason. Check out his first album “Guns and Guitars”
He won CMT’s Next Superstar and promptly went off the deep end, but his first album was excellent. Not western swing, but more “Outlaw” style. His song Downtown Lover is my particular favorite.
La’
I know Robert Earl Keen. I heard him first on AM in the middle of nowhere Nevada one night.
Thanks for the heads up!
I like a lot of the old outlaw country, but i dunno if we’re even allowed to admit that any more.
Roy Clark is great. Grand Ole Opry kinda style:
Iron Horse kills 'em all!
I guess I’m a little more blue grassy than counrty/western.
Johnny Cash…( maybe not western i know)
Ditto. Check out the Infamous Stringdusters.
Old school country is good. Who doesn’t love Dolly Parton?
I have listened to Johnny for years. Dwight Yoakam. And Robert Earl Keen. That is about my extent of Country Western.
I have pretty much the entire Red Headed Stranger album memorized. Love Willie Nelson.
Circling back to my post I recommend George Strait. He is considered “the king of country”.
He has an interesting origin story that ties in to another recommendation above, Asleep at the Wheel.
When George was young he played local bars around San Marcos and New Braunfels, Texas. There’s a place called Gruene Hall in New Braunfels that’s Texas’ oldest operating dance hall and people from Willie Nelson to Garth Brooks have played there. It’s a small venue but legendary on the country circuit. Kind of like Ryman in Nashville but much more grass roots and typically played by Texas musicians.
Anyways, a long standing tradition is for the headlining band at Gruene Hall to allow an aspiring local musician to play an acoustic song or two on the stage during the set.
Asleep at the Wheel, famous and popular at the time, was playing Gruene Hall and allowed George Strait to play two songs.
It just so happened that a “Live at Gruene Hall” album was being recorded that night, and George wound up on Asleep at the Wheel’s album. A radio DJ randomly played him and people started calling in requests. From there he essentially went viral before viral was a thing, or the internet even existed. He started getting booked to play all over Texas and eventually became “The King of Country” and played a major role in defining the sound for decades.
Also, Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen were roommates in college. Lyle was married to Julia Roberts for a while. He’s an ugly motherfucker so she must love musicians.
George is playing his only concert in Texas this year at Kyle Field on Saturday night. Hotel rooms are going for like 4x their normal price in College Station and Bryan.
I’ll never pass up an opportunity to share this.
I’m not a country fan. It feels like the difference between country and emo is if you like your hometown or not.
With that being said, outaw country is worth it - I know a woman named kazoo who got high with Willie Nelson on top of the White House. Johnny Cash is a league of his own. And Dolly Parton is a national treasure.
I prefer southern rock to country, but this band does a good blend.
For dark country I would add Blues Saraceno to it. Songs are all great.
I also enjoy this song:
The Dead South is f&cking awesome!
Anything Maynard does is awesome!
Since we’re on this road, you can’t forget Hank 3
La’
There were 110,905 people in attendance for the George Straight concert last night at Kyle Field.
I listened to some of the soundtracks from this series.
Some of it was pretty good some not so much.
Tami Neilson can sound a lot like Patsy Cline. She did an awesome job on Crazy on the third soundtrack.
