You can find the soul of Country Music in bands like the Turnpike Troubadours.
They hearken from Oklahoma, but they could be from near where you are. It's honest, local music from local bands with musical and songwriting talent, that's straight up - in this case, recorded on a flip cam. Austin has a wealth of this, but most places will have good local bands that deserve our support. They spend their evenings playing in clubs, without the marketing machine of the major labels to help them earn their living. Or tell them to "turn the 'Country' down" to make it more "crossover friendly".
Honest music, honestly played. I can't say anything more complimentary than that.
Gin, Smoke, Lies (Songwriters: unknown)
Well In the early autumn, when the lonely dove was flying
Mourning for his one true love, He can't be blamed for crying…
He can't be blamed for crying
Well Rooster he got 20 gals, well he's happy as a lark
Well he wake up in the morning time, put em all to bed at dark…
Put em all to bed at dark
Well if you'd been true… if you'd been true
You better look me in the eye
All I smell, Is cheap perfume
And Gin, and smoke, and Lies
Well where were you last Saturday, All dressed up so pretty
With your blue eyed ballroom boy in Oklahoma City…
In Oklahoma City
Well a spade is made for digging dirt,
and an axe is made for chopping
Darling my hearts hard as nails
they hammer in a hardwood coffin…
in a hardwood coffin
Well if you'd been true… if you'd been true
You better look me in the eye
All I smell, Is cheap perfume
And Gin, and smoke, and Lies
Ah Well way down in the bottom land,
a big black crow is laughing
No one ever go down there,
wonder what has happened…
wonder what has happened
Well In the early autumn, when the lonely dove was flying
Mourning for his one true love, He can't be blamed for crying…
He can't be blamed for crying
The most interesting thing to me about the Austin music scene is the prominence of "uncool" music.
ReplyDeleteBlues, Roots, Bluegrass, Americana... These guys have a pretty heavy bluegrass sound. Which means, to me, that their breakout, if it comes, will be in Austin.
Nice. I like it. That's the kind of "driving" music that could get me a ticket.
ReplyDeleteI really like the Turnpike Troubadours. And that song, which gets a fair amount of airplay on both KNBT and KFWR. I know I put one of their songs on my blog a while back, but I'm too lazy to sift through old posts to figure out which one.
ReplyDeleteBTW, that video is from Lone Star Music, in Gruene. I can tell by the wooden Willie Nelson.