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Discovering new music gets increasingly difficult as I get older. I’ve basically been shuffling between the same mix of artists since graduating college years ago. On rare occasions, I’ll come across new tracks to throw in the mix, but I have yet to find a reliable source for frequent new music recommendations. I’d like to collect recommendations from you, the PGP readers, in an effort to keep our playlists fresh. Email artist recommendations to madison@grandexmedia.com or comment below.
To kick things off, I’m highlighting one of my most recent musical obsessions, Sturgill Simpson. I stumbled across Sturgill at ACL in Austin, Texas last year and he’s quickly become one of my all-time favorite musicians. He’s a little Johnny Cash, a little Widespread Panic, and will quite possibly change your whole perspective on shit. Legend has it, he wrote an entire album during a month-long DMT spiritual bender. I doubt this is true, but I like to think it is. Below is a breakdown of some of my favorite songs and links to his three albums.
“Life of Sin”
Album: Metamodern Sounds In Country Music
Best lyrics:
“So every day I’m smoking my brain hazy
All I can do to keep from going crazy
But the paranoia is slowly creeping in
I keep drinking myself silly
Only way for this hillbilly
And I thank God for this here life of sin”
“Every morning when I rise I look in the mirror and despise
the sight of everything and all that I’ve become
The level of my medicating some might find intimidating
But that’s alright cause’ it don’t bother me none”
“Long White Line”
Album: Metamodern Sounds In Country Music
Best Lyrics
“Went to the bank to get my dough I don’t care where I go
Gonna’ push this rig ’til I push that girl out of my mind
If somebody wants to know what’s become of this so and so
Tell em’ I’m somewhere looking for the end of that long white line”
“Turtles All The Way Down”
Album: Metamodern Sounds In Country Music
Best lyrics:
“Marijuana, LSD, psilocybin, and DMT they all changed the way I see
But love’s the only thing that ever saved my life”
“Tell me how you make illegal something that we all make in our brain
Some say you might go crazy but then again it might make you go sane”
“You Can Have The Crown”
Album: High Top Mountain
Best Lyrics
“Well, I been spending all my money on weed n’ pills
Trying to write a song that’ll pay the bills
But it ain’t came yet so I guess I’ll have to rob a bank”
“Well now Lord if you can hear me won’t you throw a damn dog a bone
Cause if the Devil shows up with a better deal this old soul’s going down”
Incredible covers:
“I’d Have To Be Crazy” – Willie Nelson
“The Promise” – When in Rome
“In Bloom” – Nirvana (watch/listen below)
Full Albums:
High Top Mountain (2013)
Metamodern Sounds In Country Music (2014)
A Sailor’s Guide To Earth (2016)
Touch Sturgill’s base on social media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Image via YouTube
Respond
Madison Wickham
#CoolDad / Husband | Founder / CEO of Grandex Inc
@madisonwickham
@madisonwickham
madisonwickham
Madison,
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
If you like Sturgill Simpson and Panic you’ll love this. Keys, horns (the black trumpet player is awesome), and a lot of soul / blues. They’re playing a show in Austin next week before heading to Jazz Fest, you should check it out.
Nice. Will check them out for sure.
You’re real!!!
What are some tracks to get me acquainted? All I have heard (and loved) is SOB
We just missed each other. SOB, I Need Not Ever Get Old, Look it Here, Mellow Out
Literally scrolled down to suggest them. So, so good.
https://soundcloud.com/nathaniel-rateliff
Also, the NPR and Jimmy Fallon appearance videos are worth your time to watch.
Hope everyone has an awesome weekend full of baseball and mediocre muni golf.
These guys are freakin awesome. Thanks for the rec
Night Sweats are fire. The whole album is great.
American Aquarium is currently one of my favorite bands. Losing Side of Twenty-Five is a song all of us PGPers can relate too.
Best part about going to AA concerts was ripping shots with BJ afterwards, but then he went sober (probably for the best).
I certainly wouldn’t compare him to Johnny Cash. He has more of a Waylon or Hank Jr sound to him. But you probably wouldn’t know about that.
Never heard of those guys.
Love Sturgill. Love that folks are finally coming around to him.
Waylon
God bless Koke FM and The Ranch
Did we just become best friends?
William Clark Green plays some kickass tunes as well if you like Sturgill
Houndmouth, Jamestown Revival, David Borne, Jason Isbell, Shakey Graves
You can’t get tired of the classics. Clapton, Springsteen, CCR. But if you like newer alternative rock, follow SiriusXM Alt Nation on Facebook. You get the names of all the new music they play without having to actually pay for private radio. They don’t discover as many new artists as they used to, but it’s worth checking out. As for country music, I really have no suggestions.