Tag: Country Rock
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Soul Asylum ‘Grave Dancers Union’ (1992)
Soul Asylum released Grave Dancers Union in 1992 and went platinum based off their hit single “Runaway Train”. The ballad quickly became the band’s defining hit and eventually earned them a Grammy for Best Rock Song. But its cultural impact extended far beyond MTV rotation as the music video famously featured images of missing children…
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Black Oak Arkansas ‘Black Oak Arkansas’ (1971)
As I mentioned a few weeks back I’ve been reading Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography over the past few weeks during my down time. It’s a great little trip through his early life and career. Every once in awhile he’ll recall a story from one of his early shows, and one that stuck out was a show…
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The Red Clay Strays ‘Made by These Moments’ (2024)
The Red Clay Strays’ Made by These Moments is a really nice blend of 1960s Americana and modern country rock that hits all the right nostalgic notes. Drawing from the roots of country, rock, and soul, the band weaves stories of love, loss, and resilience into the album that pays homage to a bygone era…
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Whiskey Myers ‘Firewater’ (2011)
As a huge fan of Taylor Sheridan’s storytelling, I’ve always admired the way his shows like Yellowstone and Landman (which I’m watching right now and absolutely loving) weave authentic, salt-of-the-earth country music into their soundtrack. It’s through his shows I discovered Whiskey Myers. They were featured on an episode of Yellowstone as the house band…
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Lynyrd Skynrd ‘Pronounced Leh-Nerd-Skin-Nerd’ (1973)
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s story is as quintessentially American as their music. Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964 by a group of high school friends—Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Larry Junstrom, and Bob Burns—the band began honing their craft in garages and local dives. By the time they released their self-titled debut album in 1973…
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Carrie Underwood ‘Blown Away’ (2012)
If you’re a football fan like me you’re going to immediately recognize Carrie Underwood– she’s been the voice of the NFL’s flagship program Sunday Night Football for over a decade now, with her iconic opening line “I’ve been waiting all day for Sunday night” leading viewers into the league’s biggest game of the week. Bursting…
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Neil Young ‘Harvest’ (1972)
Harvest would end up defining not only Neil Young’s career but also an era of introspective, folk-infused rock. At the time Young was already known for his poetic lyricism and achingly honest voice, traits that had made him a beloved figure in the folk-rock world, and his work with CSNY (specifically their masterful Deja Vu…
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Eagles ‘One of These Nights’ (1975)
Eagles’ One of These Nights is a masterclass example of studio alchemy, a pivotal moment that reshaped the band’s trajectory and left an indelible mark on 70s rock. Recorded at Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, the album emerges from a tumultuous period for the band, who were grappling with internal friction and the pressures…
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Gene Clark ‘No Other’ (1974)
Gene Clark is best known for his time with The Byrds during the mid-60’s, but his solo work that followed is truly where he began to shine as an artist. His album No Other is honestly somewhat of a lost masterpiece, similar in a way to Dennis Wilson’s magnum opus Pacific Ocean Blue— two great…
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Turnpike Troubadours ‘Diamonds & Gasoline’ (2010)
Turnpike Troubadours’ sophomore album Diamonds and Gasoline is the embodiment of what I would define as contemporary Americana music. Blending country, folk, and roots rock, the band weaves together a captivating tapestry of storytelling and musical craftsmanship that ruminate on love, loss, and life. These themes are set on top of familiar backdrops of Americana…
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Buffalo Springfield ‘Buffalo Springfield’ (1966)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s 1970 album Deja Vu is one of my favorite albums of all-time, and its genesis can be found with Buffalo Springfield and their 1966 debut self-titled album. The band featured Neil Young and Stephen Stills who would go on to have legendary careers both as part of supergroups and solo…
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The Doobie Brothers ‘The Captain and Me’ (1973)
The Doobie Brothers hold the distinction of being one of the few great rock bands who found success with two very different lead singers that fronted the band at two different phases of their career. From the meat and potatoes boogie rock of Tom Johnson in the early 70’s to the soulful grit of Michael…
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Midland ‘Let It Roll’ (2019)
There are few country artists today who are able to expertly walk the line between contemporary appeal and old-school roots. It’s a delicate balance to strike between popularity and parody. Midland is one of those bands, the best at playing that game in 2023, and maybe the only country music act who makes me feel…
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Florida Georgia Line ‘Anything Goes’ (2014)
I have pangs of self-loathing every time I listen to Florida Georgia Line for the very simple reason that intellectually I understand what they’re doing is just tapping into sounds that don’t challenge my brain at all, but emotionally I can’t help getting amped up and start singing along every time one of those big…
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Brooks & Dunn ‘Red Dirt Road’ (2003)
Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn are nothing short of icons in country music, a duo entirely synonymous with the honky tonk mainstream country sound that dominated the airwaves in the 90’s and early aughts. You know exactly what you’re getting when you throw on a Brooks & Dunn record– Telecasters with crunchy tone, drums that…
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