I'm getting real tired of all the Bro Country stuff. I listen to the classics like george jones, george strait, willie, waylon, merle, etc. Then there are guys in texas country (cody johnson, wade bowen, old Randy rogers, etc.) and modern singers who sound like traditional country (jamey johnson, sturgill simpson, jason eady, etc.). My questions for you folks is, does anybody know of any modern singers who have that traditional country sound? I've been looking and feel like they are harder and harder to find.

If you're looking for a more traditional sound, give the following a try:

Jake Hooker
Billy Mata
Amber Digby
Justin Trevino

They are harder to find. You mentioned Sturgill. About the best thing going.

[This message has been edited by Macarthur (edited 8/26/2014 11:49a).]

[This message has been edited by Macarthur (edited 8/26/2014 11:50a).]

Sunny Sweeney.

Daryle Singletary and George Ducas. Neither is big anymore, but both still write & play shows.

This may be a little too close to Bro Country for you, but as far as "mainstream" artists go, I have been enjoying Eric Church's stuff. I don't see him as Bro-ish, but I think his label is marketing him as the Anti-Bro guy. Unfortunately, mainstream country is all about marketing. Exhibit A:

Going from:


to:

You won't hear any "Classic Country" artists in mainstream radio these days. It just isn't the crowd that the labels market to now. It all comes/goes around eventually and this bro-country bubblegum-pop that is mainstream country music will ultimately fade. Then some other crappy music fad will sweep through.

There are still plenty of those "country" folks around touring and making records, but you won't hear them on mainstream radio, or see them on CMT (if CMT still played videos).

Look at people like Lee Ann Womack for example, she is as traditional as they come, and a badass, but you don't hear her topping charts. That being said, as soon as she broke free of her major label deal, she put out amazing old-school country music.

Guys getting out of their labels are making great music, but getting out of your label deal means no marketing machine (or control of radio with the collusion that comes with a label deal).

So, they are still there...you just have to look everywhere BUT on your radio to find it.

--------------------------------------------------
Todd
The Texas Music Scene TV
http://TexasMusicScene.com
http://PurifoyPhotography.com

Church is trying to be the "New Outlaw." His marketing machine has him dropping as many f-bombs in interviews as he can, and basically attacking anyone who is popular. his latest target has been Blake Shelton.

Essentially calling him a sell-out, which he is. However, he is on tour with Gilbert Brantley and those two are as fake as the stuff they keep calling out. It is ALL about marketing, and NOT about music. That is the problem with the whole machine right now.

The system is set up to make MONEY, not quality music.

Quality music being made by independents doesn't have the $$$ or power to get it broadcast.

Isn't Eric Church the guy that claimed a while back that he was the first country artist to sing about drinking beer? Then criticized that every song out today is about drinking beer? Then released his new single titled "Cold One"?

quote:

---

Isn't Eric Church the guy that claimed a while back that he was the first country artist to sing about drinking beer?

---

Surely not. I'm pretty sure Hank WIlliams Sr. was the first country artist to sing about drinking beer.

I totally agree with the comments about Church's marketing machine and their tactics, but as far as mainstream radio goes and just the music, I enjoy most of his stuff.

Yeah...that pretty much sums it up:

From The Boot:
http://theboot.com/eric-church-country-radio/

Eric Church has ruled the airwaves ever since his 2011 album, ‘Chief,’ soared to the top of the charts, and became one of the biggest selling albums of any genre. But while the North Carolina native is thrilled to finally be getting hit singles, he says he is still dissatisfied with a lot of what is played on radio.
“It’s very feel-good,” he shares with Rolling Stone Country. “It’s a little bit shallower than it was a few years ago — it’s ‘Let’s drink, forget our worries, beach, bonfire, lake.’ When something’s working, everybody falls into a pattern. One thing I miss is turning on the radio and just having a song punch me in the gut, and, as a songwriter, knock me on my ass. And I think we could use more of that.”
The 37-year-old says that, ironically, he was the one that unintentionally introduced the new format to radio.
“‘Guys Like Me’ [from his 'Sinners Like Me' album] has a guy that drinks too many beers,” Church explains. “That was before anybody had ever put beer and trucks related in songs. Now, it’s in every song. That song never went Top 10. Barely went Top 20. That’s because it was too guy-driven — that kind of came out during [the] ‘soccer mom’ country period. There were no males in country music at the time in the radio world, and it suffered. And it’s funny now to look at that song, which every song is a lot similar to now.”
Church’s latest album, ‘The Outsiders,’ debuted on both the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and the all-genre Billboard 200. The singer-songwriter says he felt even more challenged to release the best album he could make, based on the success of ‘Chief.’
“Everybody said ‘Chief’ was the biggest record I would ever make. [They said] ‘Don’t even go back in. You’ll never top that.’ I used a lot of that as fuel,” he concedes. “I saw other artists trying to follow what we were doing. I thought after the ‘Chief’ record, we got pulled to the middle and I became one of the guys that were the center of the format. And I hated that, because I feel like we made our best work from the outside of that. With the title of the album and what we were trying to do, I wanted back out there. And I think, musically, we got there.”
The third single from ‘The Outsiders,’ ‘Cold One,’ is in the Top 30 and climbing. Church will kick off his the Outsiders World Tour on Sept. 11 in Bossier City, La. See all of his upcoming shows here, and download ‘The Outsiders’ here.

maybe something here?

http://forums.texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?topic_id=2498642&forum_id=13

I do miss a good fiddle or steel guitar rift in country music today. Its all guitar driven with heavy bass drum thumping in the background. Everyone of those guys now are hardcore country and all about the beer, trucks, women, etc.

Jason Isbell
Cory Branan

Easy. Eleven Hundred Springs

Sturgill Simpson is coming to Texas in nov. Already got my tix!

James Hand is a good listen for the 'classic' country sound.

Just saw episode of Austin City Limits last night with Kacey Musgraves and Dale Watson. She kicks the ass of Taylor Swift, etc., and he has a great classic sound, unlike anything modern "country" radio would dare play.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sG_yk5TzQXM

Really loved this song.

I'm trying to keep it country! Although I do play some rock and blues too.
Josh TIemann Website

We are opening for Bart Crow and Roger Creager at the Colorado County Fair on the 27th! Y'all should come out!

Oops..Click here

Justin Townes Earle

The Damn Quails
Band of Heathens
Sons of Fathers

Sons of Fathers

Sons of Fathers seems to really be gaining some traction. I've known David "Beck" for a few years and they started out playing as a group kind of on the side when he was playing with some other bands.

FYI: His real name is David Whitbeck, son of Bill Whitbeck, long time REK bass player. David can play pretty much any instrument, and is a pretty decent writer. Not sure why he shortened his last name.

Country is dead. You need to go with the Bakersfield sound. Dwight Yoakam still keeps putting out great music. You cannot go wrong with any of his albums. Listen to the critically acclaimed 3 Pears from 2012 - one of my favorite albums of all time. He's also scheduled to come out with another album later this year.

a third, LP soon, Youtube: Wesley Geiger

Sturgill was on Conan Wednesday.

http://teamcoco.com/video/sturgill-simpson-09-10-14?playlist=x;eyJ0eXBlIjoicG9wdWxhciIsImlkIjpudWxsfQ

Heard recently Sons of Fathers has broken up. Both lead guys have gone off on their own to pursue their solo acts.

Makes sense because I kept checking their website for tour dates and they had nothing up. Interesting cause I also though they had some traction, a good fanbase, and some good pub.

OK, multiple choice. Which one of these outfits is country music ?

Daryle singletary reference, nice! Dude is legit and puts out good stuff. Wade Hayes does as well, often forgotten. He recently beat cancer and is back to playing and writing. Also, Mark Chesnutt still puts out awesome country stuff. None if these will ever be played on the radio again.

lol.

There's some really funny pics on that page.

For those interested check out the Badlands Radio app for your mobile devices.

It's a streaming radio station of outlaw, Americana, Texas, and red dirt music. Good music with limited commercials makes for a good listen when at the desk or on the road.

There are some artists out there doing their part to keep country strong:

Jason Aldean
Jake Owen
Florida / Georgia Line
Big and Rich
Dierks Bentley (has a new single "Drunk on a Plane")
Kid Rock has also ventured into the genre. (Check his back catalogue.)