Country / Alt-Country / Roots / Americana

[Biscuit]

Alt. Country seems to mean that there was at least one banjo, fiddle, and/or steel guitar included somewhere on the album.

These days it's anything not playing on terrestrial country radio.

 

[avecigrec]

I totally missed this new Jeremi Albino album from a few weeks back. Really good stuff.

This is great. Thanks!

 

[Nee Lewman]

These days it's anything not playing on terrestrial country radio.

I need the info on these extraterrestrial country radio stations! I need to hear Alf sing about wrangling cats in his hover pickup.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

I need the info on these extraterrestrial country radio stations! I need to hear Alf sing about wrangling cats in his hover pickup.

 

[Biscuit]

I need the info on these extraterrestrial country radio stations! I need to hear Alf sing about

I need the info on these extraterrestrial country radio stations! I need to hear Alf sing about wrangling cats in his hover pickup.

Here ya go:

Outlaw Country: Music That Won’t Be Fenced In | SiriusXM

The freaks, misfits, outcasts, rebels and renegades of country music roll non-stop, safely within the sanctuary of Outlaw Country! Listen today on SiriusXM.

www.siriusxm.com

 

[hatfieldpdx]

More Dean at Western AF:

 

[hatfieldpdx]

Also, for @Jeff Lerner and others interested, the Best Country Music on Bandcamp for June just posted.

Standouts for me include Jess Williamson, Caitlin Canty, Isbell and the Moon Bros EP. Jenny Don't & the Spurs is a fun local band here in Portland, also recommended.

The Best Country Music on Bandcamp: June 2023

Our monthly round-up of folk, bluegrass, roots rock, Americana, and all things country-ish.

daily.bandcamp.com

 

[Kris]

Also, for @Jeff Lerner and others interested, the Best Country Music on Bandcamp for June just posted.

Standouts for me include Jess Williamson, Caitlin Canty, Isbell and the Moon Bros EP. Jenny Don't & the Spurs is a fun local band here in Portland, also recommended.

The Best Country Music on Bandcamp: June 2023

Our monthly round-up of folk, bluegrass, roots rock, Americana, and all things country-ish.

daily.bandcamp.com

I really like the Kody Norris Show album too!

 

[Twentytwo]

 

[Nee Lewman]

Good job consequence, you know you help the gatekeepers when you don’t tag the other almost twenty artists you mention in the article and only the two that you are saying were let through….

Country Music’s Record-Breaking Run Proves the Gatekeepers Are Stronger Than Ever

Country is dominating the Billboard charts like never before thanks to some of the most narrow-minded gatekeepers in all of music.

consequence.net

 

[Corycm]

Good job consequence, you know you help the gatekeepers when you don’t tag the other almost twenty artists you mention in the article and only the two that you are saying were let through….

Country Music’s Record-Breaking Run Proves the Gatekeepers Are Stronger Than Ever

Country is dominating the Billboard charts like never before thanks to some of the most narrow-minded gatekeepers in all of music.

consequence.net

It’s impressive that it took 3 people and a few hundred words to get to “water is wet.”

 

[Nee Lewman]

It’s impressive that it took 3 people and a few hundred words to get to “water is wet.”

I don’t know I found it interesting enough. It was also a needed reminder to me that Wallen is very indicative of how little it has all changed over the years.

(Also this is pure simple why I don’t understand the gatekeeping nonsense thrown at Wynton Marsalis… he’s a conservative Jazz musician with a platform and a loud voice that most ignore. Nashville actively harms and props up the artists it choices to, this is gatekeeping.)

 

[Corycm]

I don’t know I found it interesting enough. It was also a needed reminder to me that Wallen is very indicative of how little it has all changed over the years.

(Also this is pure simple why I don’t understand the gatekeeping nonsense thrown at Wynton Marsalis… he’s a conservative Jazz musician with a platform and a loud voice that most ignore. Nashville actively harms and props up the artists it choices to, this is gatekeeping.)

I guess I worked around radio enough to not be surprised by any of the content.

 

[Nee Lewman]

I guess I worked around radio enough to not be surprised by any of the content.

I wasn’t really surprised by it, as much as I… I don’t know it’s hard to explain. I’m certainly aware of it, but it seemed like women/non cisgender male white performers have at least been given higher profiles. I don’t listen to country radio (in the traditional sense, I do listen to quite a bit of Willie’s Roadhouse on Sirius) at all so I have no clue what mainstream country really looks like. The fact that it still basically ignores Carlile and Morris and Price was a bit of a shock to me. Also interesting that radio still reigns king in rural communities. I would have figured especially with its homogenization around here that it was on its death bed out in the fly overs.

 

[Corycm]

I wasn’t really surprised by it, as much as I… I don’t know it’s hard to explain. I’m certainly aware of it, but it seemed like women/non cisgender male white performers have at least been given higher profiles. I don’t listen to country radio (in the traditional sense, I do listen to quite a bit of Willie’s Roadhouse on Sirius) at all so I have no clue what mainstream country really looks like. The fact that it still basically ignores Carlile and Morris and Price was a bit of a shock to me. Also interesting that radio still reigns king in rural communities. I would have figured especially with its homogenization around here that it was on its death bed out in the fly overs.

Every time I see terrestrial radio numbers I’m surprised at how high they are across a LOT of demographics. I assume it’s surprising to me because I haven’t listened to FM radio in like 30 years. But it’s definitely out there and doing pretty well. I assume I Heart/Cumulus/et al have the dollar farming down to a science by now.

 

[Nee Lewman]

It’s funny cause if you play any of that stuff (Isbell, Price, etc) to the non-country listening public and they’re like “ugh… Country.” And the country folks don’t want them because politics/payola.

 

[Nee Lewman]

Meanwhile “Save the World” brings me to tears EVERY DAMN TIME.

 

[Nee Lewman]

I am happy that the majority of these artist have found avenues outside of mainstream and seem to be doing just fine, though.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

It’s impressive that it took 3 people and a few hundred words to get to “water is wet.”

I think Shooter from the Saving Country Music blog makes this point with almost every post he makes.

 

[Biscuit]

It’s funny cause if you play any of that stuff (Isbell, Price, etc) to the non-country listening public and they’re like “ugh… Country.” And the country folks don’t want them because politics/payola.

There is a line between "commercial country" and "everything else that may be country ajacent, but doesn't comply with the big record companies" aka Americana, Honky Tonk, Alt Country, Traditional Country, Singer Songwriter Country. Some artists can move between both worlds (Stapleton, Willie), but there are very few permitted to do so by today's radio and CMT.
What surprises me is that the audience hasn't tired by now of the similar sounding lyrics/music of formulaic commercial country, you'd think it would have lost momentum due to its sameness. It's been at least since early 2000s that it has been around- FL/GA Line, Big & Rich, Rascall Flats up to Morgan Wallen and Jelly Roll.