Good News: We Are In A 2nd Golden Age Of Outlaw Country Music
This blog is not meant to shit on Taylor Swift or the people who like her music. I like a lot of her music. But if you watched that video shot in a Parisian Candyland with notes of Mary Poppins on acid and listened to music and lyrics that were created in a lab for the purpose of topping the charts and controlling young minds and wanted to puke then this blog is for you. There is more music out there and we are in a golden era of old fashioned outlaw country music. It won’t be on US99 because Luke Bryan has a monopoly on that station, but thanks to the good ole internet we have access to more music than ever before. It may not be party music or crowd pleasing. But it’s that good long walk alone music.
The most “mainstream” outlaw country guy is Chris Stapleton. Everyone knows him by now thanks to Justin Timberlake
An outlaw accepted by the industry. Stapleton is a gateway drug to this type of music. Followed closely by my personal favorite, Sturgill Simpson.
Sturgill is well overdue for a new album. It’s been 3 years since he won like every award he says he doesn’t care about in 2016 with “Sailors Guide To Earth”. All three of his albums have been awesome though so go back, stream “High Top Mountain” and buckle up for a nice 3 hour or so ride with all of his albums.
A guy that is a little new to me from the same part of coal country Kentucky as Sturgill…Tyler Childers
Side note: I love these NPR Tiny Desk concert series things. Almost all of my favorite musicians have been featured on there.
This guy can do anything and his voice sounds bit like a beat up guitar. How that makes sense, I don’t know, but it does. That final chord he plays in Lady May sounds a bit like whistling Dixie, which despite is origins in racism and rebellion is an undeniably catchy tune. Mix and that melody into a modern song and it’s a winner.
Cris Jacobs is flying way under the radar. His new album dropped last week and this song “Under The Big Top” is a major road trip jam
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I’ve never heard a voice quite like Colter Wall before. Love his sound
Last but not least…Cody Jinks
I feel like he’s the one most likely to get major radio plays(outside of Stapleton, obviously). A little poppy than the others but I still dig it.
There you go. If you’re stuck in the car and want to blow your brains out because you’ve heard the same 6 or 7 songs over and over, fire up your streaming service of choice, listen to Redline Radio, and then when that is done fire up some of these guys.