# Rant against modern country music



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

*I gave up on modern country radio years ago opting for classic rock stations. I wish there was a classic country station in my area.*
*But once a week my wife takes my car to work and I take hers. She has country radio on and I usually change it pretty quick. *
*However today I didn't change it right away and this song came on that was so horrible. I couldn't distinguish it from something I might hear from any those formula pop boy bands. Infact I think the pop boy bands are better. I quickly changed it but then it was so bad I had to change it back to find out who this artist was. So I tune back and see it come up Sam Hunt the song was "Kinfolk". It has to be about the worst song I've ever heard that tries to pass for a country song. *
*The last bad excuse for country I ever heard was Florida Georgia Line but this Sam Hunt beats that by a mile for "horrible country".*


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

New country has no identity. It has no idea what it’s trying to be. Completely lacking inspiration.


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

1380 AM Brantford. That's the one I like . Some religious programing but lots of 90's country. Florida Georgia Line ? I turned the station when I seen the man bun. WTF


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Sounds like rap over a pedal steel and some banjo.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I guess we’re on the same page Terry.

I love old school country and bluegrass / mountain music and generally have not enjoyed modern country music when I’ve heard it.

I’m not sure how meaningful it is to try and explain why.

People like what they like.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

guitarman2 said:


> I gave up on modern country radio years ago opting for classic rock stations. I wish there was a classic country station in my area.
> But once a week my wife takes my car to work and I take hers. She has country radio on and I usually change it pretty quick.
> However today I didn't change it right away and this song came on that was so horrible. I couldn't distinguish it from something I might hear from any those formula pop boy bands. Infact I think the pop boy bands are better. I quickly changed it but then it was so bad I had to change it back to find out who this artist was. So I tune back and see it come up Sam Hunt the song was "Kinfolk". It has to be about the worst song I've ever heard that tries to pass for a country song.
> The last bad excuse for country I ever heard was Florida Georgia Line but this Sam Hunt beats that by a mile for "horrible country".


Played it on Spotify. I didn't think it was that bad although I didn't like the beat the drummer was using.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The Ken Burns docu-series on country music (which finished showing on the local PBS affiliate this past Friday, but is likely stream-able) did a very nice job tracing the origins and development of what gets called "country", spending an inordinate-but-I-suppose-justified amount of time on the Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ol' Opry.

The genre, or whatever gets loosely classified as the genre, has clearly morphed over the years. A jaundiced view might suggest that anything that includes a cowboy hat and attempt to "sound southern" in their pronunciation (even when the singer is Canadian, Australian, or British) is lumped together as "country". At the same time, is bluegrass and crying steel guitars the only thing that should be allowed to count? That starts to be a bit like declaring that only rockabilly and the Beatles can count as rock.

Nonetheless, most genres of what Miles Davis used to call "social music" make attempts, sometimes furtive, sometimes desperate, sometimes shamelessly overt, to cross over and appeal to other markets. The same thing has happened to blues, jazz, and even bangra music. If one was a music puritan and rejected any cross-over attempts of any kind, you'd likely have to shut out an awful lot of music.

That said, I don't have much time for pretenders, and folks who think that playing hard rock with a cowboy hat on and a fake Kentucky accent somehow makes it country and somehow connected to the tradition begun with the Carter Family, Jimmy Rodgers, Hank Williams, and Bill Monroe.

As an aside, the Burns series ended with Johnny Cash's recorded version of the Trent Reznor song "Hurt" as produced by Rick Rubin. And that song is about as country as one can get. The tradition has a lot of introspective songs by and about damaged people, and Cash's recording just cuts through everything to get to the heart of the matter. Honesty, regret, and bravery are all aspects of the country tradition.


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## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

I'm with you. This "stadium country" is mostly garbage.

Honestly the only country I end up listening to now is Toby Keith, Chris Stapleton (if you havnt checked him out, he's a must see guy) and Colter Wall.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

mhammer said:


> The Ken Burns docu-series on country music (which finished showing on the local PBS affiliate this past Friday, but is likely stream-able) did a very nice job tracing the origins and development of what gets called "country", spending an inordinate-but-I-suppose-justified amount of time on the Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ol' Opry.
> 
> The genre, or whatever gets loosely classified as the genre, has clearly morphed over the years. A jaundiced view might suggest that anything that includes a cowboy hat and attempt to "sound southern" in their pronunciation (even when the singer is Canadian, Australian, or British) is lumped together as "country". At the same time, is bluegrass and crying steel guitars the only thing that should be allowed to count? That starts to be a bit like declaring that only rockabilly and the Beatles can count as rock.
> I played in cover bands through out the 90's covering bands that often dwelled out side the traditional country music. Bands like Restless Heart, Southern Pacific, Steve Earle. But the music was alot better quality in lyrics, arrangements, etc. Usually those bands wrote the songs with alot more meaning than the crap that gets written now.
> ...


Its not like I'm trying to restrict what country should be and narrow the parameters of where it can go. Strictly on a musical basis most modern music doesn't even seem like its trying. Unbearably simple formulaic. Add in auto tune and horrible fake sounding drums and away you go. To me music should go deeper than that. Even if the message of the lyrics at times is on the lighter side.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Pre about 1975 is good country music. Used to be an AM station around here that played older country but then they switched to being "funny" radio. Now if I want to listen to country I like I search the web. A lot of what I listen to is classified as 'country rock' which is about half the groups from the '60s...The Eagles, The Byrds, Creedence, the Dead, Allman Bros. etc.. Some of the new guys like Chris Stapleton are ok but most aren't. They're right down there with cow punk.


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## oldjoat (Apr 4, 2019)

DaddyShred said:


> Colter Wall.


also canadian from out west


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

guitarman2 said:


> Its not like I'm trying to restrict what country should be and narrow the parameters of where it can go. Strictly on a musical basis most modern music doesn't even seem like its trying. Unbearably simple formulaic. Add in auto tune and horrible fake sounding drums and away you go. To me music should go deeper than that. Even if the message of the lyrics at times is on the lighter side.


Then I think your complaint is simply against disingenuous music in that particular genre. That's not a criticism of you. Indeed, as you note yourself, that complaint can be levied against many genres. You just happened to find it offensive in country music, today. Plenty of music doesn't try very hard. Musicians gotta make a living, and the inspiration truck only comes around Mondays and Thursdays, In between those times, folks will often just go through the motions.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

I'm not into country music at all but this tune is awesome!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Soulless formulaic is noticeable by artists among many genres.

I agree with the OP - there is some serious trash on the airwaves.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Colter Wall. Currently

Corb Lund. Previously. 

Redd Volkaert all day long. 

EDIT: boy, was there ever some shitty formulaic psychedelic music on the radio in the Sixties.


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

Sam Hunt. Well the ladies like him. I think this is one his first hits. He can sing.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

I wrote my masters thesis on a country singer from central Ontario. In the process, I learned a pile of great songs and read a lot of "country music history." I've decided that "country" is mostly a marketing concept, as is "country music history" and the various meccas and museums. I kept with it into the 80s then stopped listening to any radio for awhile (ongoing). Last time I tuned in the local station in the van they were playing a love song to the guy's pickup truck. The singer would never drive a compact because the safety of his kids in a crash… blah blah. Just dreck. Not to say that 90% of *any* radio-genre isn't dreck, but I'm too old to listen to crap music anymore. So I stuff in a George Jones CD or Fred Astaire or something where I control what I hear. I'd love to have a classic country band, but nowadays that means 80s and "outlaws" and my heart just wouldn't be in it. Now *this* is good country music:


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## reckless toboggan (Mar 9, 2019)

Rate Against the MoRchine.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Doug Gifford said:


> I wrote my masters thesis on a country singer from central Ontario. In the process, I learned a pile of great songs and read a lot of "country music history." I've decided that "country" is mostly a marketing concept, as is "country music history" and the various meccas and museums. I kept with it into the 80s then stopped listening to any radio for awhile (ongoing). Last time I tuned in the local station in the van they were playing a love song to the guy's pickup truck. The singer would never drive a compact because the safety of his kids in a crash… blah blah. Just dreck. Not to say that 90% of *any* radio-genre isn't dreck, but I'm too old to listen to crap music anymore. So I stuff in a George Jones CD or Fred Astaire or something where I control what I hear. I'd love to have a classic country band, but nowadays that means 80s and "outlaws" and my heart just wouldn't be in it. Now *this* is good country music:


That is one of my favorite songs. 
I joined a traditional country band a couple years ago and spent a year playing with them. Played a lot of 60's and 70's country, George Jones, Merle Haggard, etc, with the odd 80's country, ricky skaggs, george strait. I finally quite last February because they were playing way too much for me. We'd play Friday, Saturday sometimes matinee with a night show and Sunday, every single weekend. These guys hardly ever took a weekend off. Between that and working full time it was too much. I had a lot of fun though.


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

There is good country music out there, but like most genres, you're not going to hear it on regular radio. In most cases you're going to get the 'country' equivalent of Bieber or whoever the latest is on the pop charts. Just with hokey accents and subject material.

I don't listen to a lot of country, but one of my friends always has the outlaw country station on satellite playing. Every time I'm over there I hear some modern stuff that blows me away.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Guncho said:


> I'm not into country music at all but this tune is awesome!


I like Dean Brody. Another Canadian I like even better Paul Brandt


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

This mashup, a couple years old now, pretty much sums up current country music


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Who was that country singer who had his Grammy taken away after they found out he was singing through another guy's nose as well as his own? I think he got the Grammy for "Best Fake Country Accent." I can't remember the year...


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

I only have two genres of music, good music that I like and other shit.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Kerry Brown said:


> I only have two genres of music, good music that I like and other shit.


I thought you were gonna quote the woman in the Blues Brothers: "We like BOTH kinds of music: Country AND Western."


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

My first regular pro gig was with a country/Elvis band in the late ‘70s. I gained a grudging appreciation for the genre I didn’t previously enjoy because there was melody, the odd hook, and occasional clever turn of phrase or interesting chord progression. I hear precious little of any of that in modern pop country. There is a lot of worthy music off the beaten track though, one has to go elsewhere than commercial radio. Folks here are pretty good at that, witness the number of YouTube videos we post.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

So trooh, Mooh.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

KapnKrunch said:


> EDIT: boy, was there ever some shitty formulaic psychedelic music on the radio in the Sixties.


I don't remember, for most of the sixties and thru the seventies I was trying to destroy a lot of grey cells. 





 is good
and so




is this.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Doug Gifford said:


> I wrote my masters thesis on a country singer from central Ontario. In the process, I learned a pile of great songs and read a lot of "country music history." I've decided that "country" is mostly a marketing concept, as is "country music history" and the various meccas and museums. I kept with it into the 80s then stopped listening to any radio for awhile (ongoing). Last time I tuned in the local station in the van they were playing a love song to the guy's pickup truck. The singer would never drive a compact because the safety of his kids in a crash… blah blah. Just dreck. Not to say that 90% of *any* radio-genre isn't dreck, but I'm too old to listen to crap music anymore. So I stuff in a George Jones CD or Fred Astaire or something where I control what I hear. I'd love to have a classic country band, but nowadays that means 80s and "outlaws" and my heart just wouldn't be in it. Now *this* is good country music:


Ernest, Jimmy Rogers, Hank Williams and others were played on the radio in the 50's, and this guy.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

Made it on talent and just wouldn't quitism. And he could ride:


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)




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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I was introduced to the music of George Jones by one old girl friend, Waylon Jennings by another. Even though I was always a rock guy, I developed an appreciation for country. 

Then in the late 90's, I was working in a shop with two other guys for about 3 years straight. The radio in the shop was tuned to a country station, and welded into an expanded metal cage high up on a wall so you couldn't fvck with the station. That must have been a good era for country music, cause I grew to love it. In fact, I spent my 40th birthday at an Alan Jackson concert. 

I don't know what to call the crap they're playing these days.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)




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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Yep, crap it is. No soul. I have been a fan of classic country for about 5 years as its what one of my band plays and i have a new found love for the old classics. Merle, Waylon, Johny, Willy, Conway to name a few.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

Agreed. In my opinion country music (along with most other genres) has completely lost it's way and become formulaic pablum- in terms of song writing, production and presentation. God love the folks that are still doing it right but they're getting harder and harder to find. The "music machine" sees money to be made and gets it's dirty mitts on things then it all goes to shit... or maybe I'm juts getting old and "don't get it".


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Lincoln said:


> I was introduced to the music of George Jones by one old girl friend, Waylon Jennings by another. Even though I was always a rock guy, I developed an appreciation for country.
> 
> Then in the late 90's, I was working in a shop with two other guys for about 3 years straight. The radio in the shop was tuned to a country station, and welded into an expanded metal cage high up on a wall so you couldn't fvck with the station. That must have been a good era for country music, cause I grew to love it. In fact, I spent my 40th birthday at an Alan Jackson concert.
> 
> I don't know what to call the crap they're playing these days.


The 80's and 90's was my favorite era for country. There was lots of traditional like Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, George Strait then you had alot of other artists like Ricky Skaggs that melded traditional country with Bluegrass for some fine shredding on guitar with artists like Ray Flacke, Albert Lee, Bobby Hicks, etc.
Then you had the bands that made country a bit more contemporary like Restless Heart, Southern Pacific, Desert Rose Band and although they took country in to cross over boundaries you could still recognize it as rooted in country music. 
The stuff they play today has absolutely no roots in country whatsoever. They may have taken some of the instruments like banjo and fiddle but none of it traces any dna from traditional country music.
Through out the decades there was always someone pushing the boundaries like Buck Owens with his bakersfield sound and Waylon with the outlaw image. Guys that didn't do things the Nashville way. But you could tell it was country.
This Sam hunt guy I can't tell if he's Justin Beiber or some other pop act.


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## Gavz (Feb 27, 2016)

Pop anything can be hard to stomach sometimes. As for country, I like the Honky Tonk style. The essence of it seemed to fizzle out during the 90's, but whatever, music changes. 

It takes dedicated musicians to keep the music going.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Gavz said:


> Pop anything can be hard to stomach sometimes. As for country, I like the Honky Tonk style. The essence of it seemed to fizzle out during the 90's, but whatever, music changes.
> 
> It takes dedicated musicians to keep the music going.


I feel like growing up in the 90's, it was the last time that music scenes pushed what became mainstream music. Everything from stuff like Public Enemy to Megadeth was charting and was mainstream. Good music and mainstream music didn't have such a gap. 

It's not like Pop music being a watered down version of genres is anything new, but that's taken that to such an extent nowadays. It's not just Country where the Pop side is awful, it's most genres.

Everyone has some nostalgia for the music they grew up with, but I really don't think that's the case for me. I track down and listen to a fair amount of new music still. I just think the mainstream has reached some pretty epic levels of blandness and has really stopped taking chances.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

Humans are odd creatures. When I was a teen, I was convinced (via Rolling Stone, Creem mag, etc.) that Gram Parsons et al were reinventing country music for a new era. Now, when I listen to them, I just hear a bunch of guys who couldn't sing on key and wrote songs that mostly didn't make sense. Don't get me going about the steel guitar playing…

On the positive side, Gram *did* help bring us Emmylou.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Doug Gifford said:


> Humans are odd creatures. When I was a teen, I was convinced (via Rolling Stone, Creem mag, etc.) that Gram Parsons et al were reinventing country music for a new era. Now, when I listen to them, I just hear a bunch of guys who couldn't sing on key and wrote songs that mostly didn't make sense. Don't get me going about the steel guitar playing…
> 
> On the positive side, Gram *did* help bring us Emmylou.


I love that stuff. But punk music was my first love as a 13 year old, so I like the rattier side of a whole lot of genres.


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## Gavz (Feb 27, 2016)

torndownunit said:


> I feel like growing up in the 90's, it was the last time that music scenes pushed what became mainstream music. Everything from stuff like Public Enemy to Megadeth was charting and was mainstream. Good music and mainstream music didn't have such a gap.
> 
> It's not like Pop music being a watered down version of genres is anything new, but that's taken that to such an extent nowadays. It's not just Country where the Pop side is awful, it's most genres.
> 
> Everyone has some nostalgia for the music they grew up with, but I really don't think that's the case for me. I track down and listen to a fair amount of new music still. I just think the mainstream has reached some pretty epic levels of blandness and has really stopped taking chances.


Pop music is a broad term, and like the music industry players that capitalize on it, it's the dream of most musicians that their music reaches a wide audience. Unfortunately some of the music is only tolerated by a small demographic.


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

I love good ole country music !
I was amazed years ago to hear country music was the most style heard on US radios... 
Then heard so many songs from other styles adapted to country sounds, I turned my back ! 
And the new country... not for me !


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Distortion said:


> 1380 AM Brantford. That's the one I like . Some religious programing but lots of 90's country. Florida Georgia Line ? I turned the station when I seen the man bun. WTF


Wait, what???? 

You turned the _radio station_ when you _saw_ the man bun? 

Was this before Oct 2018, or after that? Other than that, I got nothin'.


On topic, I would just say just about anything I hear on the radio (especially more than once), I wouldn't purchase to listen to for enjoyment. Much like 'good' is the enemy of 'great', 'popular' seems to be the enemy of 'good'.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Lots of good country music, just not on the radio. Alternate sources of music are making radio irrelevant.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Meh. Radio has been irrelevant to me since day 1. I'm not a country guy but my Dad was into it so I appreciate some of the old school stuff. As for the song in the OP, I didn't like the style of rap he used to infuse the tune with, but I'm all for cross genre "species" of music. Young man I taught guitar to is a rap artist who likes classic rock, so we went hard on fusing the 2 genres together. To each their own I guess.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Here's a Canadian country singer that's rising in the charts right now. I like her writing and her music.


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

Ugh I had to DJ a wedding on the 22nd and had to play this (for the bride)


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

Moosehead said:


> Ugh I had to DJ a wedding on the 22nd and had to play this (for the bride)


At least you're Djing. Did you have to dance to it? I'm completely oblivious to current dance music -- is this guy a descendant of Lawrence Welk?

It's _singing_ a don't-want song that gets me. I can play behind them without a particular connection but singing, nope.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)




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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)




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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)




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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)




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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Moosehead said:


> Ugh I had to DJ a wedding on the 22nd and had to play this (for the bride)


I actually didn't mind that, not that I'd want it on steady rotation necessarily. Had interesting backgrounds, snappy beat and cadence.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

mawmow said:


> I love good ole country music !
> I was amazed years ago to hear country music was the most style heard on US radios...
> Then heard so many songs from other styles adapted to country sounds, I turned my back !
> And the new country... not for me !


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Every good song should tell a story, country's no different.




and so basic even I can play it on guitar and sing it at the same time.


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## jimsz (Apr 17, 2009)

Doug Gifford said:


>


When I read up on how John died, I couldn't believe how stupid it was, what a waste.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Some of the "modern" country isn't bad.




mind you it's all how you look at it.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)




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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Lincoln said:


>


Ended a gig noodling to this one while the singer introduced the band. It sure sticks in your head. Very melodic.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

My parents listed to a ton of country music while I was growing up--I got sick of it.
So it's not really my thing.
In College on the radio station I had to do a shift playing a country format--I played mostly Neil Young & Gordon Lightfoot.
(For of cheated a bit)

But here's my feeling about country music.









& in closing--whatever music you like--don't worry about who else likes it or what they think of it.
Remember as well though we can complain about whatever music we wish to as well.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Skate punk version.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

Lincoln said:


>


great song


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## LanceT (Mar 7, 2014)

Always thought this was country music's high water mark.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

LanceT said:


> Always thought this was country music's high water mark.


I didn't think it was possible to go wrong with a plaid shirt...


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

KapnKrunch said:


> Skate punk version.


Some punkish country






Some rockin country


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)




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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

nice of Jennifer to keep Bon Jovi band alive.


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

The c/wap I can do without.
This sounds country to me though and is fairly modern. I have no problem with it.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

jb welder said:


> The c/wap I can do without.
> This sounds country to me though and is fairly modern. I have no problem with it.


New genre: "Boot-Gazing", not "Shoe-Gazing"


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