Good Music thread...

[BruntFCA]

QOTSA Fun Machine

Can't wait for the new album.

[Australis]

Now THIS is Rock!

For a bunch of guys with grey hair, they do it hard:





And I just found this 10 minutes ago HOLY HELL!!

[the G-man]

HaventGotALife wrote:

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The Taylor Swift Why the Hate thread has left me thinking. Many people we clamoring for "talking about what you like, not tearing down what you don't." So I thought we could put up songs that we like and let other members see what good music is. Obviously, commentary is welcomed to let us know why you like it.

My first song is from a country artist that doesn't have much on the internet. It's hard to find his songs for this thread, but the lyrics, when it's good, are second to none. So here's a bit of a morbid rendition of The Dance by Garth Brooks.
The River By Garth Brooks
We Shall Be Free by Garth Brooks

Earlier I posted some links from the Swift Thread. They are here:
Sugarland
Various Country Songs

That's ironic. For a lot of fans of more traditional country, as well of "outlaw" or "alt" country, Garth Brooks is seen as being one of the main progenitors of the sad state of the genre since the 1990s.

Some of Brooks' songs are admittedly pleasant, but for my money, "good" country is guys like: Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams (I, II and III), Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard and, of more modern artists, Dwight Yoakam, Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and James McMurtry (some of whom are admittedly country rock or alt country).

[Eyes]

NCC-1701-B wrote:

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I recently found an album that I never thought would be much good, I thought it would be like 90% of my music, where there are only 1 or 2 good tracks on the album. But I actually like every track on it. The album is Lovestrong by Christina Perri.

That is a great album, I love most tracks on there, a bit of strong-vocalled balladeering always manages to make me feel good. Particularly the singles, The Lonely and Bang Bang.



Been absolutely loving this duo over the past few months, a perfect merger of electronica and pop, fantastic production and I'm in love with her vocal.

[NCC-1701-B]

Eyes wrote:

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That is a great album, I love most tracks on there, a bit of strong-vocalled balladeering always manages to make me feel good. Particularly the singles, The Lonely and Bang Bang.

Those two are my favourites after Jar of Hearts

[gblews]

Eyes wrote:

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Been absolutely loving this duo over the past few months, a perfect merger of electronica and pop, fantastic production and I'm in love with her vocal.

Nice, nice.

[HaventGotALife]

the G-man wrote:

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That's ironic. For a lot of fans of more traditional country, as well of "outlaw" or "alt" country, Garth Brooks is seen as being one of the main progenitors of the sad state of the genre since the 1990s.

Some of Brooks' songs are admittedly pleasant, but for my money, "good" country is guys like: Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams (I, II and III), Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard and, of more modern artists, Dwight Yoakam, Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and James McMurtry (some of whom are admittedly country rock or alt country).

Well, I have never been a fan of traditional country music. I grew up in the era you describe as watered-down country. I think cuing up some steel guitar doesn't make it good music. I prefer the songwriting of today. I think the music was at its apex about 5 years ago. 2008 was a great year for music. Zac Brown Band, Jamey Johnson, Jason Aldean, and Lady Antebellum were all new. Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, George Strait, Kenny Chesney all had new music. The artists are so varied. It was a great year and one I will always treasure.

[the G-man]

HaventGotALife wrote:

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Well, I have never been a fan of traditional country music. I grew up in the era you describe as watered-down country...

And in ten or twenty years someone will be defending Taylor Swift to you with the same argument.

My main point is that every generation of music, including country music, thinks the new stuff tended to "ruin" the "real" stuff. Hence my mentioning it as irony.

There is also the inherent fact that rock music is ultimately a blend of country and blues created by a kid named Elvis (along with a few others). Since the rock genre is a hybrid, the line between rock and country (and rock and blues for that matter) is often blurred and will always be blurred.

I, personally, think Brooks and Swift tended to land more on the pop or rock side. That doesn't make them bad. It just makes them less "country" as a genre than stuff that harkens back to the old (sometimes pre-rock) days.

Also, it reminds me of an article I read recently (wish I could remember where), in which the author said that there is actual country being played on the radio. However, it's being put out, not by "country" artists, but by bands like Mumford and Sons, the Head and the Heart, the Lumineers and other so-called "alternative" acts.

[HaventGotALife]

the G-man wrote:

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And in ten or twenty years someone will be defending Taylor Swift to you with the same argument.

My main point is that every generation of music, including country music, thinks the new stuff tended to "ruin" the "real" stuff. Hence my mentioning it as irony.

There is also the inherent fact that rock music is ultimately a blend of country and blues created by a kid named Elvis (along with a few others). Since the rock genre is a hybrid, the line between rock and country (and rock and blues for that matter) is often blurred and will always be blurred.

I, personally, think Brooks and Swift tended to land more on the pop or rock side. That doesn't make them bad. It just makes them less "country" as a genre than stuff that harkens back to the old (sometimes pre-rock) days.

Also, it reminds me of an article I read recently (wish I could remember where), in which the author said that there is actual country being played on the radio. However, it's being put out, not by "country" artists, but by bands like Mumford and Sons, the Head and the Heart, the Lumineers and other so-called "alternative" acts.

I enjoy bluegrass when mixed with country. I like what rap has done to the genre, not necessarily the synthetic beats (like with Swift) but the repetitive beats with organic instruments. Check out Sugarland's Love on the Inside album to hear some of it. It's like bluegrass, hoedown, and rock with R&B beats. It's amazing. It sounds like a whole feast for the ears. Love on the Inside has a song "Take me as I am" that is as rock as country gets. I would argue that The Incredible Machine was a rock-anthem album, not purely country.

I miss the storytelling. It really has been lacking in the last 3-4 years. Unless I want to hear about Jesus Christ, there's not much in the way of telling a story anymore.

What do I mean? Listen to Sugarland's Already Gone on my list and 22 by Taylor Swift. One uses a chorus that works over two, three verses and changes meanings, where Swift is simply talking about being 22 to a general audience.

Some of the music I grew up on was pop country, Shania Twain, for instance, and it hasn't aged well. It sounds synthetic, her singing is not at all good, and I don't listen to much of it anymore. Brooks' music has aged well, whether you think he's country or not, I thought he was on the rock side as well. Too much of the music I grew up on was about wearing the belt buckle and the ten-gallon hat, going on stage with an accent, use a recording to play your song. It wasn't all good.

What has lasted, what I still listen includes Colin Raye, Clay Walker, Tim McGraw, John Michael Montgomery, George Strait, Dixie Chicks, Alabama, Blackhawk, Brooks and Dunn, and the aforementioned Garth Brooks. It's very heavy on the romantic love songs, but it also tells a story which Swift fails to do.

I don't think something that is old is necessarily better. I think country is a genre that mixes a lot of musical styles and is continuing to evolve.

[Kestrel]

I'm not sure why you had a hard time finding Garth Brooks on YouTube, HaventGotALife; I pull up plenty.

Of course when the subject of "country" comes up, I always have to point to folk/bluegrass, myself. Here's a few good storytelling examples...





And you might know this one better by somebody else...

J. Allen wrote:

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I have a wide, and eclectic, taste in music, but here are a few of my very favorite artists:

Same, yeah. Since I'm in a folk/rock/punk mood though, here's two more:

[Pingfah]

Australis wrote:

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And I just found this 10 minutes ago HOLY HELL!!

That was really good.

[HaventGotALife]

Kestrel wrote:

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I'm not sure why you had a hard time finding Garth Brooks on YouTube, HaventGotALife; I pull up plenty.

Of course when the subject of "country" comes up, I always have to point to folk/bluegrass, myself. Here's a few good storytelling examples...





And you might know this one better by somebody else...

Those are some good examples. I especially like the first one and The Civil Wars covering Michael Jackson.

[the G-man]

I caught the Civil Wars doing the Jackson cover on ACL last week. It was good, wasn't it?

[Australis]

Pingfah wrote:

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That was really good.

Wasn't it? Could stand to hear a little more of that!

[Pingfah]

Strangely I had only even first heard of Bonamassa a few days earlier on a morning news segment.

Having seen a short clip I had intended to check his music out more thoroughly, now I am planning on buying an album or two. I may go for a live album, as I suspect his stuff will come over better that way.