Country Featured Artists
Shea Cleveland
Shea Cleveland's bristly goatee and classic pompadour are the first steps towards his making it in Nashville. The second, of course, is his tunes, but luckily the singer-songwriter has that covered as well. Boot-tapping guitar rhythms underpin stories of lost love and lessons learned. read more »
- Filed under:
- Country » Bakersfield Sound
- Location:
- Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Tom Leach
Somewhere between the post-country-folk sound of Palace and the original country-folk sound of Merle Haggard lies New York's Leach. You know the subject: hearts, handguns, and highways. But with old-time country repetition the point, Leach's gravelly voice just won't sound right if those grooves aren't nearly worn through. read more »
- Filed under:
- Country » Singer-Songwriter
- Location:
- new york, New York, United States
Catherine Irwin
One-half of the alt-country outfit Freakwater, Catherine Irwin this time ventures outside on her own, her rich, earthy voice backed by just her accomplished acoustic guitar picking. Death, dark clouds, and deep melancholy all figure in her powerful songs, which come straight from the southeastern rural folk tradition of artists like the Carter Family. Gorgeous and haunting. read more »
Dwight Yoakam
Bakersfield's country music heyday may be decades gone, but the honky-tonk spirit of the place lives on in the voice and songs of Dwight Yoakam. Mixing uptempo quasi-rockabilly songs with introspective ballads that are heartfelt but never saccharine, Yoakam's got a rare ability to move both Nashville stalwarts and alt-country scenesters alike. His years on the charts have already shown his talent's no fluke, and his stellar 2005 album "Blame the Vain" is further proof he's among the finest country artists working today. read more »
- Filed under:
- Country » Bakersfield Sound
- Location:
- California, United States
Stephen Brooke
Country balladeer Brooke describes his singing topics as "Florida, life, and love, as well as chocolate and vultures"--well, Stetson-wearing songsters have always been an eccentric bunch. But they can pull it off if they can carry a tune, and once you hear Brooke's tender vibrato, you, too, will find it hard to believe he was once a punk rocker. read more »
- Location:
- Steinhatchee, Florida, United States
What Is Country?
Country has a reputation for being simple, homespun music, defined by twangy vocals, moaning steel guitars, and lyrics about dogs, trucks, death, prison bars, and tears in one's beer. But in reality, country covers a surprisingly large amount of territory--everything from Gene Autry's cowboy music to Bill Monroe's bluegrass, from Hank Williams' honky-tonk songs to the slick pop stylings of Faith Hill. It's based in old-time rural folk songs, some of which date back centuries, but as a genre it came into being during the early 1920s, when both radio and commercial recordings allowed regional artists to suddenly reach thousands, even millions, of new listeners. That rural connection remains vital even today, keeping country distinct from its pop-music cousins. These days country's got rock, soul, maybe a touch of jazz, and plenty of the blues, but when you're pining for a lost love or yearning for the smell of a mountain breeze (or your mama's cooking), there's nothing like a good country song to bring you back home.
Notable Artists: Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash
Country Charts
 
5: Dwight Yoakamfiled under: Bakersfield Sound
downloads last week: 902
location: California, United States
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6: RG Paddler - Travelling Songsfiled under: Traditional Country
downloads last week: 799
location: Windermere, United Kingdom
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Paul Kelly & The Stormwater Boysfiled under: Progressive Bluegrass
downloads last week: 174
location: Australia
The Peasall Sistersfiled under: Contemporary Bluegrass
downloads last week: 117
location: Tennessee, United States
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Dwight Yoakamfiled under: Bakersfield Sound
downloads last week: 902
location: California, United States
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