What the hell happened to country music?

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: ElGoobero

I stopped listening to the radio a LONG time ago. I got tired of hearing the same dumb five songs every time I'd get in the car. You should check out internet radio like Pandora. You don't have to "dig" for good artists. You just have to know one, put on a radio station for that artist and you'll get tons of them. Join the 21st century and stop letting soulless executives who don't know how to appreciate music tell you what to listen to.

pandora is not all its cracked up to be though.
i do listen and it is better than radio but i still hear a lot of crap i dont care about.

their methods for playing similar artists is way off.
i do just as much digging

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I'm from Atlanta and went to UGA. a bunch of our friends saw panic new years. my husband won't go see them anymore, it breaks his heart, but they're not the same. he did his farewell tour a few years ago

we are lucky, lots of bluegrass here in Colorado!

have fun at greensky!

a reply to: TinySickTears

Then use different outlets like iHeartradio or Spotify. To be honest, I don't need to use Pandora much because I have a very diverse music library with over 100 gigs or music, which is on my cell phone now, so I can listen to everything -I- want to listen to. I also know either many musicians or people who appreciate music that share their tastes and likes with me. Musicians are usually the best source for discovering quality artists. Try meeting some of them.

You don't have to put forth much effort, but it certainly is tougher than just turning your radio station on and letting whatever play. But when you work for it, it feels so much more satisfying. I can't tell you how much my happier my life has gotten since I learned how to filter out the crap I don't like while absorbing all the good stuff.

originally posted by: knoxie
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I'm from Atlanta and went to UGA. a bunch of our friends saw panic new years. my husband won't go see them anymore, it breaks his heart, but they're not the same. he did his farewell tour a few years ago

we are lucky, lots of bluegrass here in Colorado!

have fun at greensky!

Yeah I'm excited. They only did two nights last year (which I could only make one of), so this 3 night run is going to be sweet. I really want to get two days out of it. I just wish Greensky would get themselves listed on livedownloads.com so I don't have to get crappy crowd recordings of their concerts off of archive.org and get soundboards instead.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

i can find new stuff when i need to.
i do it the old fashioned way though.
if im listening to someone and i want to hear more and/or new stuff i read about their influences. who they played with. things like that. i search my new material out that way.
been doing it like that since i was a kid reading the linear notes.
best way IMO

a reply to: TinySickTears

Well that's good. If it works for you, then awesome. With me, I just hated everything about the radio. For one, I absolutely loath commercials of all sorts, so I didn't want to hear them. Then the music selection isn't very diverse for what's out there. So I started seeking out ways to not have to listen to it. Then the next problem is cds/cassettes. You need a TON of them and switching them out when you are done listening is a pain. Now I have my entire music at my fingertips and I never have to hear a commercial again.

originally posted by: WeRpeons
They took the "twang" sound out of country music.

Now if they could take the twang sound out of the vocals, you might have something.

Loving this thread. Surrounded by people at my workplace who love this rubbish.

Having said that I wasn't really a huge fan of the authentic country either (outside of Cash) but did respect its influence in a lot of the rock artists I like.


Funny though whats considered country now. I heard a song on a TV show that caught my ear (REALLY caught it) which never happens anymore. So I did some digging and came up with it.



Found out that these guys are considered alt-country. A lot of their other material would be considered country but this song? Loved it.

HST said it best....

“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.”

It's about the money. Thankfully as a gigging musician, we can play Willie all night long and no one complains.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: TinySickTears

Well that's good. If it works for you, then awesome. With me, I just hated everything about the radio. For one, I absolutely loath commercials of all sorts, so I didn't want to hear them. Then the music selection isn't very diverse for what's out there. So I started seeking out ways to not have to listen to it. Then the next problem is cds/cassettes. You need a TON of them and switching them out when you are done listening is a pain. Now I have my entire music at my fingertips and I never have to hear a commercial again.

Bingo. Commercials are ear piercing. Same songs day in day out by mediocre artists. Nothing new unless its meat and potatoes content. Just the same old bland old safe music.

Nothing will beat my 32 gig ipod for content.

There are a few out there. Google Sturgill Simpson and have a listen. He is fantastic.

Someone forgot to turn lights off.. from THE BAND


I am not particularly fan of country music but i do find some gems i like.

a reply to: deuceawesome

AWESOME band, but not country more like southern rock.

I've seen them a few times. also, from Athens, GA


they're masterfull song writers! one of my favorite lyrics -

we were heathens in their eyes at the time
I guess I'm just a heathen still
and I never have repented form the wrongs that they say
I've done, I've done what I feel.

a reply to: TrueBrit
I was ranting in my mind about it the other day. My friend's drunk cousin was blaring that crap. Mind you, I love the older country. This newer crap isn't country. It's crap. It's more like pop that anything; Brittney Spears with a twang. I hate it. Like Wayon Jennings said, Hank wouldn't have done it that way. Now, there are a very few exceptions to this but only a very few. Most of it now is crap.

originally posted by: knoxie
a reply to: deuceawesome

AWESOME band, but not country more like southern rock.

I've seen them a few times. also, from Athens, GA

they're masterfull song writers! one of my favorite lyrics -

we were heathens in their eyes at the time
I guess I'm just a heathen still
and I never have repented form the wrongs that they say
I've done, I've done what I feel.

Right on I bet they would be a blast to see live.

I hear a lot of southern rock in them as well, i was surprised to see them categorized as alt country. Never even knew there was such a genre.

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: TorqueyThePig

That's another thing I cannot understand about modern country, you hit it right on the head.

Its as if they took the worst, most twee, cutesy, diabetes inducing riff structure, all the lamest and least noble elements of country lyrics, and put them all in a food blender with the works of Snoop Dogg, Lion, who ever he is this month. It's all booze and asses, and no brains what so ever?

Kegger? Yes! Music referencing anything of intellectual value what so ever? Nope. Where's the country with backbone, gravitas, and a hobby list which includes more than getting repeatedly shot with the silver bullet?

It appeals to the average majority - and the average majority is stupid. Stupid people like stupid things.

The 1960s (late 50s) saw the downfall of country (almost universally). I don't know what to say aside from it just being bad taste. When country and blues (and even the big band era narrowing down to smaller on-stage groups) gave rise to rock and roll & folk, the torch was passed. It's too bad, there was some real heart and some beautifully simple songwriting going on.

I think the outlaw country sound still exists, but has been pushed to the kind of roots rock or americana sub-genres.

Check out this guy-

I stopped listening to country music at least 10 years ago when it stopped being country music and started being pop music.
do they even use banjos and fiddles in country music anymore?

a reply to: Tardacus

do they even use banjos and fiddles in country music anymore?

You should see my posts in the thread.