Music suggestions for a new fan of heartbreaking country soul?

June 8, 2006 7:49 AM

Music suggestions for a new fan of heartbreaking country soul?

I have fallen in love with Nick Lowe's last 3 albums, especially The Convincer, all of which have this wonderful stripped-down country soul sound.

Other artists in this vein I've discovered I really like are Charlie Rich, Jim Reeves, BJ Thomas, and of course Ray Charles's forays into country music.

What else might I like? I'm open to contemporary as well as older artists.

posted by Robot Johnny to Media & Arts (35 answers total)

Gram Parsons.
posted by jivadravya at 7:59 AM on June 8, 2006

Neko Case. Everything from Blacklisted onward is particularly fantastic.
posted by desuetude at 8:01 AM on June 8, 2006

Drive By Truckers. Listen to "Outfit" off their album "Decoration Day", and prepare to sniffle into your beer.
posted by padraigin at 8:10 AM on June 8, 2006

I think you'll enjoy Lyle Lovett's two-disc album Step Inside This House (review).
posted by ewagoner at 8:16 AM on June 8, 2006

Second the Truckers. I'd also add Whiskeytown in there too, along with Son Volt.
posted by essexjan at 8:16 AM on June 8, 2006

Older: Don Williams, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Bellamy Brothers

Newer: Seconding Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, Amy Millan, Jenny Lewis

Lots of good suggestions on my Help me make ND¢'s 80's-ish Country-ish Mix Volume II AskMe question.
posted by ND¢ at 8:32 AM on June 8, 2006

I have to admit that I don't know any of these artists but I *think* you might enjoy Songs: Ohia and Bonnie "Prince" Billy (if you aren't familiar with them yet). For the former, you can check out some beautiful acoustic tracks over here.

Also, this might be vaguely helpful?
posted by mumble at 8:38 AM on June 8, 2006

Second Gram Parsons. Also, The Flatlanders.
posted by Espy Gillespie at 8:44 AM on June 8, 2006

Neko Case and Bonnie Prince Billy, indeed.
posted by ludwig_van at 8:45 AM on June 8, 2006

I second Gram Parsons & DBT & Lucinda, particularly if you're looking for that country/blue-eyed soul sound. Maybe you'd like Dusty Springfield, Charley Pride, Freddy Fender, Doug Sahm/The Sir Douglas Quintet, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Marty Robbins, Rodney Crowell (both him and Nick Lowe were Johnny Cash's son-in-laws at one point), The Band, Bobbie Gentry, Donna Fargo.
posted by frances1972 at 8:45 AM on June 8, 2006

Also, music writer Rick Cornell (writes for No Depression) has a couple of radio shows on WXDU (has online streaming) called Border Radio and Soul City, the latter being a lot of Country Soul. Plus, I can't find it but a couple years ago he wrote something called "Ten Essential Country Soul Songs" which is good schooling.
posted by frances1972 at 8:55 AM on June 8, 2006

Check out the first My Morning Jacket album, The Tennessee Fire; Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott's Real Time is beautiful (slower, bluegrass inflected acoustic).

If you want to move a poignant, pensive, sad, heartbreaking acousitc direction: Doc Watson, Mississippi John Hurt, much of the Garcia/Grisman catalog will get you started.

A strong second for The Band, one of the alltime greats--The Last Waltz features a beautiful "Evangeline" with Emmylou Harris, who you should also check out, and a great collaboration with Neil Young, who, on second thought, fits this bill kinda nicely.

A second strong second for Bonnie Prince Billy.

A third strong second for Bobby Gentry.
posted by kosem at 9:10 AM on June 8, 2006

Patsy Cline and Cowboy Junkies haven't been mentioned yet. They should be on the top of your list.
posted by klangklangston at 9:26 AM on June 8, 2006

Yeah, Songs: Ohia, and their current incarnation, the Magnolia Electric Company.

And the Handsome Family, who are awesome, extremely heartbreaking, and have just come out with a new album.
posted by ITheCosmos at 9:31 AM on June 8, 2006

Guy Clark. Townes Van Zandt. Joe Ely. John Hiatt. John Prine. Everything Lyle Lovett has ever recorded.
posted by enrevanche at 9:35 AM on June 8, 2006

Townes Van Zandt. Seriously. All those songs that Lyle Lovett or Steve Earle or Willie Nelson sing that you love? Van Zandt wrote them.

A good intro is the excellent biographical film that came out last year: Be Here to Love Me. After that, you can look into his recording catalog, most of which is still in print.

My absolute favorite, though, is the Austin City Limits show after his death. All country's best artists singing his songs songs...and the version of his heartwrenching Highway Kind sung by his son, John T., will blow you away.
posted by felix betachat at 9:35 AM on June 8, 2006

Speaking of the Flatlanders: the solo stuff from Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock. (Hancock's "If I Were a Bluebird" will make you cry, it's so beautiful.)
posted by SuperSquirrel at 9:48 AM on June 8, 2006

Doug Stone
posted by BradNelson at 10:05 AM on June 8, 2006

Ooh, Handsome Family are a great suggestion, ITheCosmos.

Also, John Doe's solo stuff and Mick Harvey's One Man's Treasure, though I'm digressing from your original description a bit.
posted by desuetude at 10:32 AM on June 8, 2006

George Jones, Charley Pride, and of course Johnny Cash

And then there's bluegrass: start with Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers ... the documentary film High Lonesome and its soundtrack, and the Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack are good gateways into the genre.
posted by kmel at 10:32 AM on June 8, 2006

Nothing new to add except to push Gram Parsons, Lyle Lovett, and Will Oldham (Bonnie 'Prince' Billie, Palace Music, Palace Brothers). Well, on reflection, I would also suggest Lambchop.
posted by Falconetti at 10:41 AM on June 8, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! Looks like I've got a lot of listening to do. I'm familiar with some of the suggestions, and others only by name.

kmel, I love your suggestions, but I'm particularly looking for stuff more on the soul side of country, less on the banjo-picking side (although I do love the Stanley Brothers)

On preview: LOVE Lambchop, too!
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:44 AM on June 8, 2006

Maybe the album _Cry Cry Cry_ by Richard Shindell, Dar Williams, and Lucy Kaplansky.

Julie Miller?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:22 AM on June 8, 2006

You might also enjoy Ryan Adams, particularly the albums “Gold” and “Stone Roses.”
posted by finallymarki at 11:52 AM on June 8, 2006

I second the Lyle Lovett suggestion. You might want to check out Uncle Tupelo or the two bands that came out of it, Son Volt and Wilco. Both are more rock with some good soul influences.

Allison Kraus and Union Station

Robin and Linda Williams

And, of course, the saddest song of all, "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy" by Hank Williams.
posted by 4ster at 12:19 PM on June 8, 2006

Try some of Frank Black's (of Pixies fame) new solo stuff and his new stuff with The Catholics. His last album, 'Honeycomb,' was recorded live in Nashville just days before the Pixies launched their 2004 reunion tour. He sounds like George Jones with a hangover. Stripping away the ear-splitting feedback and lyrics about spaceships, Frankie teams up with a group of dust-caked session musicians, whose collective resumes include stints at Stax Records, Muscle Shoals and American Studios (incl. Steve Cropper, Spooner Oldham, David Hood).

It's good stuff.
posted by NationalKato at 1:56 PM on June 8, 2006

Slaid Cleaves, Buddy and Julie Miller.

Seconds for Son Volt (start with Trace -- "a long love poem to the Mississippi River, with passages of sheer poetic intensity. ...It touches on a variety of musical forms -- from alt-rock to country to folk -- without ever stopping long enough to be defined by any of them. It speaks in voices both loud and soft, both angry and mournful, both tender and rough...the best LP that I've heard this year" -- if it's not what you're looking for I'll buy it off you)...

as well as Gram Parsons, Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt and Whiskeytown.

You might find John a little twangy, but he's banjo-free, and if "Angel From Montgomery" can't break your heart, nothing maybe can.
posted by pineapple at 3:09 PM on June 8, 2006

correction: John Prine wrote "Angel From Montgomery". John Hiatt is good too, though.
posted by pineapple at 3:37 PM on June 8, 2006

Townes Van Zandt, for sure and without a doubt and forever and ever amen. He is the King. Another vote for Neko, Gram Parsons, Bonnie Prince Billy (if very dark lyrics are to your taste), The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Handsome Family, The Drive-By Truckers (Decoration Day is the wow), Whiskeytown, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, and dear Patsy Cline. I'll also mention Shelby Lynne since no one esle has.

Some excellent local-to-me flavor that you might not otherwise hear of: The Danny Pound Band and Arthur Dodge and the Horsefeathers. Really very fine songwriting -- try Anything but the Moonlight from Arthur Dodge and The Sorriest Sorrow of Them All from Danny Pound for a nice taste.
posted by melissa may at 4:13 PM on June 8, 2006

No one did heartbreakin' like Hank Williams. The original.
posted by megatherium at 5:51 PM on June 8, 2006

Heartbreaking country soul? Check out Stoney Edwards, whose best work is compiled in a double CD called "Poor Folks Stick Together."

And I can't believe no one has mentioned the ultimate soul stylist in the history of the genre: Conway Twitty.

You also might like "Rhythm, Country, and Blues" , which pairs great country soul singers with great R&B singers very thoughtfully. When you hear Reba rip up "Since I Fell For You" with Natalie Cole, you'll re-evaluate what "soul" even means. And there's a great Conway duet with Sam Moore on there doing "Rainy Night in Georgia."

I love Gram and Townes, but what they have to do with "soul"-influenced country escapes me. They have a lot of soul, but they don't have the groove.
posted by fourcheesemac at 6:13 PM on June 8, 2006

A lot of people have mentioned the great George Jones.

Those people are doing you a favor.

His voice was unique (patterned, according to him, on the sound of the pedal steel), his life even uniqueyer.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 7:36 PM on June 8, 2006

Hi Records' Country Meets Soul compilation is a treasure trove of 60s/70s stuff that Lambchop updated so beautifully. Can't recommend it enough.
posted by mediareport at 8:28 PM on June 8, 2006

Robot Johnny, yeah I thought of that -- there is a lot of less banjo-y, even a capella bluegrass that's just devastating.

And oh my goodness, the Carter Family. A lot of their later catalog is repetitive and not very soulful, but the early stuff is the very foundation of every artist listed above.
posted by kmel at 9:02 PM on June 8, 2006

Sounds like you need to get Country Got Soul Volume 1, and Volume 2. Both are wonderful. (Thanks for the reminder - perfect for a sunny day like today!)
posted by jack_mo at 9:04 AM on June 12, 2006 [1 favorite]