I hold no bias. Some of the old country songs are awesome, some of the "new" country songs are awesome. And some from each side are terrible.
Call me what you want.... But pop country has ruined country... Gart, Clint Black etc didn't ruin country back in the day.... They changed it but didn't ruin it.... These clowns today have ruined it.
Like it has been said, Red Dirt/Texas country is where it is at as far as good country music goes. There are some raw gritty country guys out there yet, Chris Knight for example, and Jamey Johnson is the modern incarnation of Waylon if you ask me.
Except for his new one. "Living for the Night", It's a great song. This is the only video i can find of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEdj10mICIo
Agreed... It's getting tougher to listen this some of this new stuff. It's a long ways from Country Music. I still listen to the 80's-90's country a good amount. I'm a huge fan of Chris Ledoux music. Songs of cowboys, rodeo & life in the true country are more rare to come by these days.
i think alan jackson does, and he comes off as a pretty traditional country artist... I know willie nelson does, but he is truly old school
Country music hasn't been the same since Hee Haw went off the air. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqnm3A10m8I
Bring back Merle, Willie, Hank, Travis, Possum, Waylon, Vince Gill, and a few others and I might show some interest.
It's all personal choice. I like some of today's country (mostly those you mentioned Scott), but I do tend to lean toward more of the early-mid 90s stuff. I'm starting to get into more of the outlaw country a bit, but I like a little of everything. As far as writing their own songs and playing an instrument WELL, even many "Rock" bands are starting to lose this quality. They were just talking about this on Sirius today. They were saying dimebag and Tom Morello were the last "modern" true guitarists. Country guitarists are even worse. Brad Paisley is one of the only few that can play WELL. Keith Urban isn't bad but I HATE his music with a passion. Have you ever looked at tabs for most country songs? 3-4 chords, and maybe 1-2 more for the bridge Call him a hippie, but Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds to me, are two of the most talented guitarists living today. Granted, music can be good without having difficult instrumentals, but I have that much more respect for them as musicians.
Just buy the good country and leave the other pop country to the ones who like it. Got Zac Brown band, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jamey Johnson, Rhett Akins, Jason Aldean, Skynard, Randy Houser, and Colt Ford on my playlist right now, everything else got left off.
vince gill is the best current country guitarist out there by LONG shot... the man is as good as clapton, easily...
Cool. I don't listen to his music at all, way too much love and softness. Good to know there's some still out there, though.
I have been on a huge Justin Moore and Jason Meadows kick... Justin Moores "I Could Kick You Ass", "Hank It", "Dress Down", and "How I Got To Be This Way" are amazing as well as Jason Meadow's "Cowboy Up", "Ride It Out", "100% Cowboy" and "Just Pray"
