The spaciest, swoopiest, synthiest country music.
January 13, 2022 4:01 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for 'Cosmic Cowboy' jams that sits somewhere between psychedelia and country/folk/americana.
I've been watching For All Mankind recently, and the 'Sunrise Transition' caught my ear and burrowed deep. It reminded really strongly of a few tracks off KLF's Chill Out. Both of these sit pretty squarely equidistant between psychedelic and country music to my ears, and I need more.
The musical algorithm overlords are failing me, sending me more ambient music (which is fine, but not the itch that needs the scratch) or cinematic soundtracks (again, cool, but not 'it').
What are you holdin' that plays nice with these tracks? What's a space trucker listening to right now?
I've been watching For All Mankind recently, and the 'Sunrise Transition' caught my ear and burrowed deep. It reminded really strongly of a few tracks off KLF's Chill Out. Both of these sit pretty squarely equidistant between psychedelic and country music to my ears, and I need more.
The musical algorithm overlords are failing me, sending me more ambient music (which is fine, but not the itch that needs the scratch) or cinematic soundtracks (again, cool, but not 'it').
What are you holdin' that plays nice with these tracks? What's a space trucker listening to right now?
For some reason this question is calling to mind more surfy psychedelia for me, so just in case this will ring for you at all you could check out Horse Steppin' by Sun Araw, which is also a quietly-positive slow-building ambient minimalist composition made up of simple rock materials.
posted by grobstein at 4:23 PM on January 13, 2022
posted by grobstein at 4:23 PM on January 13, 2022
Best answer: Alabama Shakes - Gemini
Eagles - Journey of the Sorcerer
posted by Rhaomi at 4:48 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Eagles - Journey of the Sorcerer
posted by Rhaomi at 4:48 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
I am not quite sure this is what you are looking for, but The Sadies have some surf punk type tracks that might fit what you want.
posted by jacquilynne at 4:55 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by jacquilynne at 4:55 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Flying Burrito Brothers
The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo and Notorious Byrd Brothers
Lee Hazelwood
Earth "the bees made honey in the lion's skull"
Sir Douglas Quintet/ Doug Sahm, Mendocino is a great album
Porter Wagoner "rubber room"
Beachwood Sparks
BrightBlackMorningLight
posted by SystematicAbuse at 5:00 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo and Notorious Byrd Brothers
Lee Hazelwood
Earth "the bees made honey in the lion's skull"
Sir Douglas Quintet/ Doug Sahm, Mendocino is a great album
Porter Wagoner "rubber room"
Beachwood Sparks
BrightBlackMorningLight
posted by SystematicAbuse at 5:00 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Hawkwind.
Also, may I present to you - The Cosmic Jokers.
posted by Rash at 5:08 PM on January 13, 2022
Also, may I present to you - The Cosmic Jokers.
posted by Rash at 5:08 PM on January 13, 2022
Best answer: I feel like Spindrift is practically the dictionary definition of this. Check out their album The West.
Soft Canyon's only album was definitely psych country. I've loved it for nearly 20 years now. (amazingly the review on my old typepad blog is one of the easiest ways to listen to a track)
Lord Huron is a little more traditional but definitely adds a bit of psych to the mix. My Morning Jacket as well, of course.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 5:10 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Soft Canyon's only album was definitely psych country. I've loved it for nearly 20 years now. (amazingly the review on my old typepad blog is one of the easiest ways to listen to a track)
Lord Huron is a little more traditional but definitely adds a bit of psych to the mix. My Morning Jacket as well, of course.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 5:10 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: 'Switched-On-Country' 1970 album by Rick Powell is really something! Part of his University masters thesis where he re-created classic steel-guitar sounds by pitch-bending on a moog synth. A fun party record. Maybe not what you asked for, but it is very psychedelic-country.
posted by ovvl at 5:15 PM on January 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by ovvl at 5:15 PM on January 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
Camper van Beethoven?
posted by Windopaene at 5:18 PM on January 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Windopaene at 5:18 PM on January 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Oh, didn't see the Country emphasis. Aren't the Grateful Dead between Psychedelic and Americana?
(But I guess, the space truckers have moved on..)
posted by Rash at 5:20 PM on January 13, 2022
(But I guess, the space truckers have moved on..)
posted by Rash at 5:20 PM on January 13, 2022
Best answer: "Sunrise Transition" seems to be very heavily influenced by Brian Eno's "Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks" which features Daniel Lanois on lap steel. Here's a good example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3Tu_c0AbLQ&list=OLAK5uy_k1Kp8iBkWGiQQc_44ojka41hmbXZ4gU0Y&index=10
posted by jonathanhughes at 5:23 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by jonathanhughes at 5:23 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: American Beauty...
Box of Rain is the best song ever.
Whole album is awesome Americana
posted by Windopaene at 6:53 PM on January 13, 2022 [3 favorites]
Box of Rain is the best song ever.
Whole album is awesome Americana
posted by Windopaene at 6:53 PM on January 13, 2022 [3 favorites]
Best answer: When I think Psychedelia x Americana, I think the Allman Brothers.
Also check out Brian Eno’s soundtrack Apollo, particularly the track Silver Morning. Maybe you got that recommended already by the algorithm because it’s ambient music that sounds a lot like your prompt.
On preview: what jonathanhughes said.
posted by rustcellar at 7:06 PM on January 13, 2022
Also check out Brian Eno’s soundtrack Apollo, particularly the track Silver Morning. Maybe you got that recommended already by the algorithm because it’s ambient music that sounds a lot like your prompt.
On preview: what jonathanhughes said.
posted by rustcellar at 7:06 PM on January 13, 2022
Best answer: You may want to spend some time with Garcia Peoples.
posted by ryanshepard at 7:20 PM on January 13, 2022
posted by ryanshepard at 7:20 PM on January 13, 2022
Best answer: Is Dayvan Cowboy too on the nose?
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:49 PM on January 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:49 PM on January 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Oh, and check out the soundtrack to Shipbreaker, which is explicitly synth + country/americana for a blue collar space game. Disclosure, i work at the studio that makes it and the audio director is a friend, but it's very much aiming at the niche you're after.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:53 PM on January 13, 2022
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:53 PM on January 13, 2022
Best answer: I love me some Damien Jurado, and his album "Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son" has some odd, spacey, folky tunes like Metallic Cloud.
posted by tacodave at 9:08 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by tacodave at 9:08 PM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: A Small Good Thing's Slim Westerns is ambient space country. Roger King and Steve Roach Dust to Dust too.
posted by away for regrooving at 11:20 PM on January 13, 2022
posted by away for regrooving at 11:20 PM on January 13, 2022
Oh it is only literally in space not musically spacey, but I feel you have to play Dark Star's "Benson, Arizona" one time for justice.
posted by away for regrooving at 11:35 PM on January 13, 2022
posted by away for regrooving at 11:35 PM on January 13, 2022
The one album that Dusty Trails put out might touch this a bit. https://youtu.be/7rDps_tln3U
posted by chr1sb0y at 1:22 AM on January 14, 2022
posted by chr1sb0y at 1:22 AM on January 14, 2022
I don't think this dips as far into the psychedelic as you'd like, but there are now three volumes in the Country Funk anthology series, which definitely move outside "standard" country into interesting spaces.
posted by Shepherd at 2:29 AM on January 14, 2022
posted by Shepherd at 2:29 AM on January 14, 2022
Gotta get that Sturgill from the 'Sound and Fury' album, and accompanying animated feature.
As far as spacey and swoopy psychadelica (but maybe a bit heavier than country), you cannot go wrong with Yuri Gagarin.
posted by FatherDagon at 5:47 AM on January 14, 2022
As far as spacey and swoopy psychadelica (but maybe a bit heavier than country), you cannot go wrong with Yuri Gagarin.
posted by FatherDagon at 5:47 AM on January 14, 2022
Best answer: Try Japancakes' The Sleepy Strange, which I know I've recommended before on here.
Based on some of the best answers you've marked, Israel Nash's Topaz might work.
posted by jocelmeow at 8:16 AM on January 14, 2022
Based on some of the best answers you've marked, Israel Nash's Topaz might work.
posted by jocelmeow at 8:16 AM on January 14, 2022
Best answer: The Holy Modal Rounders deserve a mention in this thread; The Moray Eels Eat The Holy Modal Rounders might be their trippiest.
Lee Clayton had a couple 'proto-americana' albums in the late 70; not a synthesizer in the bunch, but the slide guitar fills that role pretty well.
Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour maybe? (there's even a track called 'Space Cowboy'), Slow Burn is gorgeous.
posted by Bron at 9:11 AM on January 14, 2022
Lee Clayton had a couple 'proto-americana' albums in the late 70; not a synthesizer in the bunch, but the slide guitar fills that role pretty well.
Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour maybe? (there's even a track called 'Space Cowboy'), Slow Burn is gorgeous.
posted by Bron at 9:11 AM on January 14, 2022
Best answer: Scott Hirsch is a member of Hiss Golden Messenger
Jason Simon
Rose City Band
Steve Gunn
Twang Darkly
Opossum Sun Trail
Caleb R.K. Wiliams
Black Tremor
Jim White
posted by polecat at 1:41 PM on January 14, 2022
Jason Simon
Rose City Band
Steve Gunn
Twang Darkly
Opossum Sun Trail
Caleb R.K. Wiliams
Black Tremor
Jim White
posted by polecat at 1:41 PM on January 14, 2022
The Beau Brummels albums Triangle and Bradley's Barn.
posted by maurice at 7:45 AM on January 15, 2022
posted by maurice at 7:45 AM on January 15, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by nickggully at 4:10 PM on January 13, 2022 [2 favorites]