Discuss Country Music

[DossarLX ODI]

Obviously everyone has their own tastes, but I'd really like to see the reasoning behind why country receives a lot of stigma. Then again, it's fine if you do like it, this thread isn't about trying to convert people but more about discussing the genre itself.

One opinion I've seen posted but never got responded to was this one

Originally Posted by djshox

is the best. Why? Because it's:
-Simple
-Down to earth
-Has some really addicting lyrics
-Very hot girls (Kellie Pickler, Jewel)
-Just some good ol' fun and enjoyable music

My favorite artists include:
-Rascal Flatts
-Trace Adkins
-Keith Urban
-Tim McGraw
-Lonestar
-Kellie Pickler
-Carrie Underwood
-Rodney Atkins

Discuss.

[ichliebekase]

My parents got me into country music when I was between 10-13 years old and I still listen to it today. IMO, it's nice to listen to every so often, but it gets old quickly. The main topics that country artists sing about is love (good or bad), alcohol, and the United States. That's about it. To me, it gets boring hearing the same people sing about the same stuff over and over again. It gets unoriginal and stale. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy listening to some songs because they'll actually carry a good tune or they aren't about the topics listed before, but country music artists seem like they've run out of stuff to sing about.

$0.02

[Mau5]

Rock-country = decent
All else = kinda boring in my opinion

Edit: You always hear people saying "Favorite Music: Anything but rap and country" I think that's because most rap and country generally sounds about the same; that being said, there still are those groups in which find ways to make it sound different haha..

[DossarLX ODI]

Agreed that country music can get old/repetitive real fast, which is why I usually have to cut the songs if they're long. Some songs have really high memorability factor, some are just bleh.

Some personal favorites of mine (not in any particular order):

1. Dueling banjos, there are several versions but I've always stuck to this one

2. Hillbilly Rock Hillbilly Roll, cut to around 1:25 since after that it basically just repeats.

3. Garth Brooks's Ain't Goin' Down till the Sun Comes Up. The first two minutes of this song are seriously amazing, haha. The record label is really harsh on his songs being on youtube however.

4. lol Cotton Eyed Joe it has to be this version though, otherwise I facepalm hard

5. Drive For Daddy Gene (cut to 2:40)

6. About The South. The way this guy sings is awesome, haha

7. Born Country by Alabama (again, had to cut this song).

8. Boondocks by Little Big Town

A common thing I've noticed is that if I'm going to listen to country, I'd have to cut a lot of the songs since they are sometimes overkill long with repetitiveness. Some individual songs have really nice memorability factor though, haha.

[robertsona]

oh what the hell? you readin' my mind? i've been listening to a lot of country lately. it's awesome. here's some i like:

Miranda Lambert - Gunpowder & Lead

Pistol Annies - Beige

Gillian Welch - Revelator

Townes Van Zandt - Pancho and Lefty (not the best version but what's on YouTube)

Loretta Lynn - Portland, Oregon

[ichliebekase]

This is the one song I can think of that is my personal favorite. It hits home for me. (Not really worthy of a stepfile but would be cool to see.)

Knee Deep by Zac Brown Band ft. Jimmy Buffett (video sucks, song is great)

[GuidoHunter]

Originally Posted by djshox

My favorite artists include:
-Rascal Flatts
-Trace Adkins
-Keith Urban
-Tim McGraw
-Lonestar
-Kellie Pickler
-Carrie Underwood
-Rodney Atkins

Funny, these are many of the first names that come to mind when I think about who ruined country music.

That's just my preference, of course. I much prefer the late eighties/early nineties country, and the really good part of the seventies. I just think modern country is unimaginative pop fluff whose lyrics have neither artistry nor heart. The radio will pop out a nugget o' gold every once in a while, I will admit, but as long as the likes of Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, and Toby Keith are on the airwaves, I'm steering clear of the country stations.

I always defended country music when people hated on it up to a few years ago, when I realized that the people who do so probably only get exposure via the top 40 radio stations, and I'll gladly agree that the vast majority of that is crap.

--Guido

[DossarLX ODI]

LOL Kenny Chesney was the guy who made this song

[noname219]

I'm not too fond of pure country music, but when it's mixed with other genres, or when an artist gets inspiration from country music, it can really get interesting. Wilco, Iron & Wine, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses are all great but are more folk than country.

Also

Larry and his Flask

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86uHrVmkEEY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DblftkX8v3M

Definitely some Bluegrass influences

We need that on FFR

[cry4eternity]

I've also wondered why country music receives so much negative attention. Saying all country music is about losing your dog, home, wife, and job is equivalent to saying that all rap is about acquiring money and disregarding hoes. As a stereotype, there is a limited degree of truth to it; however, there is so much more to be heard.

I grew up listening to country, and here are some of the things I enjoy about it.
-Many country singers are actually very talented musicians.
-Many songs have very meaningful lyrics.
-A lot of country artists actually cover a very diverse set of situations and can be musically interesting.
-Many country songs invoke emotion.

That said, there are a couple things I dislike about it.
-"Pop" or "Rap" country that doesn't fit the above descriptions
-Too much Jesus
-Too much hick grammar

[DossarLX ODI]

If I could find out the artist of the version of Dueling Banjos I posted and get permission for it, I'd so step it for FFR haha.

Also I don't really mind the hick grammar part much unless it's overdone.

[Xx{Midnight}xX]

Kill it with fire.

I swear those accents drive me so crazy cause

uhg yuck.

[hi19hi19]

The older style of country is nice when you're in a mood for a song with lyrics you need to actually listen to. Sometimes you're in the mood for a real story in your song.
Modern "pop country" is alright but tends to sound very same-ish. Heard one, heard 'em all sort of thing. I don't have anything against it, but it's just kind of "there" on my music radar and doesn't really bring anything special for me.

Hick grammar doesn't bother me that much unless it's REALLY overdone, at which point I usually can't understand the lyrics anyway due to how thick the accent is.

[DarknessXoXLight]

I love country for the simple reason that the songs make me happy. (most of them at least~)

EDIT: good lord, i love zac brown band more than life itself~*~*

[Thatskier]

Doss you post shit country music. Here is some good stuff.

All of Zack Brown Band - especially chicken fried, ass in the sand, and knee deep

Funnier ones:

[25thhour]

I hate twanging geetars and dem hick folk with der cowboy boots and shiznat.

I have always loved metal and will love it till I die.

[MaxGhost]

Country is the worst. It's really the only genre I hate. I've always hated the Texan accent the most out of any, same with Nashville accent, etc. There are definitely a few country songs I don't hate, but still. Country is always drifting to the religious side of things and that makes me just facepalm and makes me roll my eyes.

I agree with cry4eternity's pros and cons, but the cons FAR outweigh the pros for me. I just never liked the style.

[Cavernio]

Modern country's annoying. Any popular country music reminds me of 90's soft rock, which is the worst genre of music in existence. I frickin hate that snare drum beat popular country has; I don't bother usually to listen to other stuff (not that I try to listen to country at all, but it's pervasive where I live). Most of it is in a major key, with expected key changes, and the singing style is all the same-a forced voice from someone who sounds like they have a range of half an octave. (Which is a shame, because a lot of singers I suspect could sing a lot differently and sound really different than they do.) Anything musically interesting is hidden by a grungy sound, the annoying vocals, and the constant drumming. It's just an overall unpleasant experience.
I do often like country music lyrics, but music for me has and never will be about lyrics.
I can handle oldschool country, no snares and electric guitars please. But old country's just like boring church music more often than not, but at least it's not unpleasant, just sorta meh.
I can handle folk alright. I quite like keltic influenced music and fiddling. But that's no longer country.

[robertsona]

country was the genre it took me longest to get into

it went rap (via nas' "illmatic") -> metal (via isis' "panopticon") -> country (not sure what really got me into it. maybe that loretta lynn song i posted) in terms of genres i never liked

but now i like alllll the music. also i like, as some people have said, the whole "product of their environment" feel of country lyrics. it sort of lets me look into a world that's completely unlike my own, with people who are interested in way different things and have way different lives than i do. same with a lot of rap music. which i guess is some form of cultural appropriation or something but whatever it's cool

also with the exception of the miranda lambert song i posted all of those are pretty good (i.e. more erring on the "alt" side of things) entry-ways to get into country if you have never really been into it

[GuidoHunter]

Originally Posted by Cavernio

I can handle oldschool country, no snares and electric guitars please.

Very much agree. You *can* make a good song with them, but you've gotta try a hell of a lot harder.

But old country's just like boring church music more often than not

Are you kidding? Modern country is so much more Jesus-oriented than classic country.

--Guido