As someone who's always enjoyed heavy genres, but has never liked country music, give gothic country a go. It's changed my whole perception of country music and opened me up to a lot of other interesting music as a result. Great video.
Thank you! Along with outlaw country and alt-country, gothic country tends to be what I gravitate to when I'm in the mood for country. And Dolly Parton, just because she's a hell of a songwriter and performer.
This video just came at a pivotal point in my life, and you have no clue how much I appreciate it. I've, rather recently, been going on a journey of myself. I've been told that I am gothic and goth (though I listen to all sorts of music) despite being country-I grew up in the sticks. I live in the south now. I've been in the open plains of North Dakota. I've been in the frigid cold. I've been reflecting on these experiences, and I consider them gothic. It was to my surprise that I discovered Southern Gothic. On top of that, I've always enjoyed Lead Belly, Cash, etc., especially their darker songs-so bringing them up was, for me personally, a perfect introduction. I also ironically just really got into raw black metal, and Wayfarer sounds awesome; I'm about to check them out after I leave this comment. Anyways, thank you for this video! It's definitely helped me realize that I'm not the only one out here that falls under the gothic cowboy category. EDIT: Ive always considered a lot of folk music to be dark, and now i consider them to be gothic. I also want to recommend checking out 69eyes - wasting the dawn. The music video captures country gothic perfectly; though i wouldnt say the music falls under that.
Thanks for watching, and I'm glad it made an impression and gave you some more musical directions to explore! from what you've said, I also think you would enjoy Panopticon, who does black metal with bluegrass, and on the 'Kentucky' album, also weaves in some folk music too. Thanks for the rec of 69eyes, I don't think I've ever heard of them, but I'll check them out!
Those Poor Bastards are essential to this genre for me. Incidentally, their cover of a Munly song is how I discovered the Denver scene. When I describe them to people I call them "doom gospel." Lots of sinners and death.
Clicked this just to see if someone mentioned Those Poor Bastards. They’re literally the epitome of this entire idea. Them and King Dude, but I guess KD is a little more folky than country.
I'm surprised you didn't mention SWANS, with albums like Children Of God, A Burning World, White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity, The Great Annihilator, them with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds where the reason why this genre grew so much in the late 80s to 90s, but if anyone is interested check them out they are one of the most, if not the most uncompromising bands of all time in these albums I've mentioned, they have a blend of Dark Gothic Americana with Folk, and their own brand of Noise Rock, it's the best!
@@drackaryspt1572 I did put the Swans side project Angels of Light on the playlist, but no, I felt like going into either Cave or Swans would cut down on how much I could go into other lesser-known artists. But they’re both definitely important for the development of this kind of thing!
Great vid, bro! Glad to see Nick Cave mentioned - heavily influenced by rural gothic literature, in particular. Would also like to throw in some more of my Aussie Brethren who excel in the darker aspects of folk music traditions..... A local guy in my parts Jimmy Willing (& the Real Gone Hickups) and especially his "Preacher Man Blues" a murder tale of the highest order. One; f the finest post punk blues/coumtry albums ever to come out us "The Axemans Jazz", by the Beasts Of Bourbon. This debut L.P. is a blues/country/punk/psychobilly masterpiece. Murder and death abounds, all passionately performed without a hint of irony. The entire album is on yt, but if nothing else, check out the video for "Psycho" - a slow dirge, country twanger backs the deadpan, baritone narrative of Tex Perkins first hand account of the death of his brother, neighbour, mother..... Dark!
Місяць тому+50
Hey man great video, very informative. Just want to make a recommendation of another Southern Gothic band called Tarnation. They were out of San Francisco in the 90s on 4AD, the same music label as Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins, and Pixies to name a few. Keep up the good work.
Ironically, two of the most 'country' feeling bands that I love are All them Witches and Clutch. Both are rock bands that dabble in blues and sometimes tip toe into metal, but they both play music that makes me think of a big plain of wheat, a single dude in a thresher, and mountains on the horizon. More modern Clutch writes more grooving and Sci-fi referential songs, while All them Witches tend to do some bluesy philosophical songs about religious ideas, self inspection, and the odd punky jams about a sandwich, some blue collar working stuff, and feeling alienated in more metropolitan environments. Good shit.
Totally forgot one of my favourite bands and albums: BOG - Who Spins The Wheel. Hard as hell to find, but it's heavy as Crowbar and bluegrass as it gets. A good couple recommendations for similar stuff is Big Business or Harvey Milk. big business writes music you'd listen to while exploring Appalachia and getting lost. Harvey Milk feels like you took a Texas Army brat, gave em the anger and angst of a Seattle punk, and then forced them to experience living in the great depression. Wonderful meanings behind their music, heavy subjects and crushing performances.
21:01 Gothic Folk Video - YES 👏PLEASE👏 Freaking LOVED this one! I grew up on a healthy mixture of rock and metal from my dad and old country from my mom, so this kind of country has always pulled me in like a moth to a flame. Loved that you mentioned Coffinshakers and Dead South, two favorites of mine. Absolutely checking out Wayfarer - boyfriend's been on a huge post/atmospheric black metal binge all year so I'll have to share this with him! Absolutely love how you're diving into a lot of niche genres that not a lot of other channels probably even know about. Keep the awesome videos coming! 🤘🖤
Thanks for the kind words! This one was a lot of fun to explore, which is part of why I wrote so much and ended up with nearly two videos-worth :D If you are into that boundary between country and metal, you may also want to check out Panopticon, a Kentucky musician. The album 'Kentucky' includes some actual bluegrass, and he has folk passages throughout a lot of his music. His album from last year, 'The Rime of Memory' was one of my favourites of the year!
Thanks for the dive, obviously you could probably do hours on this stuff and I'd probably still watch. For me, I love several of the artists mentioned but I just can't get past 16 Horsepower. Literally everything they recorded is gold. I also love Wovenhand but I ADORE 16 HP. I also believe the Live album holds the best recordings of several of their songs. Not to mention the absolutely stunning covers of Leonard Cohen's Partisan and Joy Division's 24 Hours. The 16 Horsepower live album is one of the greatest live albums ever released.
The thought of doing a full-length documentary on this topic has occurred to me... there's definitely enough material out there, even without talking about gothic folk! 16 Horsepower really does nail their covers, don't they? Their version of "Black Moon Rising" by CCR is amazing.
I would have never imagined wayfarer being mentioned in this video and props to you for mentioning them, another band worthy of mention (in the same vein of Wayfarer) is Panopticon, his blend of bluegrass/country and black metal is outstanding, he's also written a lot of straight up gothic country songs which are just beautiful.
Yeah, Panopticon is excellent. His album from last year, while lighter on the bluegrass/country than some earlier ones, was one of my favourites of the year! I thought about talking about the album 'Kentucky' on here, actually, but it was one of the many, many things I cut... this is a topic that gets bigger the more you think about what could fit, haha
I took a dive into this genre some years ago, without even knowing it. Thx for the video. A friend of mine once called it "emo" country, haha. Great info!
Great informative video! Nailed it on many artists that I’m shocked most people have come to know. Definitely many of my favorites on here. Awesome job!
This was a breath of fresh air as I grew up around this scene and I have always felt that Denver's music is criminally overlooked. The musicians here just love to play and jump at any chance to do so. Everyone is in several bands it seems. If you want to go further down the Black Metal rabbit hole, Denver is having an amazing revival of that genre right now.
@@eclecticism-uk Blood Incantation, Black Curse, and Spectral Voice form one web. Akhlys and Nightbringer are another scene around a single front man Naas Alcameth. Encyclopedia Metallum can lead you down a rabbit hole of shared members, etc.
Where’s the Joy Division?! Haha! I’m kidding! EXCELLENT video, sir! It is incredible to see this being covered and shown some great artists that I haven’t come across yet. I can’t praise your research enough. Great job.
Thanks for the kind words! I did get a couple details wrong, but I'm happy with how this one came out. Hope you enjoy some of the bands that are new to you!
Although more associated with blues, I feel Chris Whitley could have been mentioned here. His debut "Living With The Law" and the stark, surreal poetry of the solo "Dirt Floor" an absolute masterpiece that echoes bad times, and heartbreak. One man with his amazing poetry and stunning resonator work.
Totally. I think “Gothic Country” is the perfect description of the song Ball Peen Hammer. The literary style (and influences) in his lyrics work with that label too, as you mention. “Gonna swing my scythe, got a hand upon the handle Gonna shape my children ways I understand Milk the trigger, kill the hunger Staring down this broken land” That’s some Gothic soundin’ sh!t right there. 😂
Gothic anything is amazing to me and I always appreciate introductions to new material in any medium. I don't know about anyone else, but I'd like to see that gothic folk video sooner, rather than later; we need more of this stuff outside of the Halloween season.
Yeah, I don't think I'll be waiting quite that long... Honestly, I was afraid this video would get very few views, so I didn't want to promise anything, but it's gone past my expectations. I definitely won't get to it before end of the year, but could definitely see doing that one in January or February!
I can’t thank you enough for this video! Been a fan of gothic country for the last 15 years, and still listening to it often. The band that got me into it was 16HP. Dee is a monolith of this genre for sure. I’d kindly recommend the other bands that were not mentioned in this video, but do deserve attention: - Palodine (cinematic and grande sound) - Headstone Brigade (more neo-folk leaning) - Snakes (Slim Cessna’s son George plays in it) And also JB Nelson (aka Sleepy Eyes Nelson) - although from the UK, it’s a haunting low-fi dark country that worth a listen! His recent album Body Bags Clapping is one of my favs of 2024.
Thanks for this comment. I hadn't come across JB Nelson before, but now I've listened to Body Bags Clapping a few times and I'm loving it. And it looks like he's got a lot of earlier stuff to explore, too.
Digging it! Grew up a southern Baptist/Catholic! Yes I’m drinking right now. Been looking for a genre to evoke the fire and brimstone revival feel from my youth. Now be got some research to do. Cheers!
I live in south Georgia and if you've ever been in the swamp at night then you can kinda understand how the south can be a gothic/macabre/spooky place lol i love artists like tom waits, good ol johnny cash and shawn james. You also cant go wrong with colter wall and tyler childers
I love that Lankum are in the playlist 💚 Listening through, I'm noticing a very strong pattern and seeming influence from Irish sean nós singing traditions, in particular in the style of the more stripped back artists like Tim Eriksen's The Gallows Tree. Really cool noticing the Irish, Scottish+ British folk traditions in country, funny how much more obvious it can be when the topic is dark
@@heatherduke4545 That’s interesting, I’ve not heard of sean nós singing before, so I’ll need to explore some! I wouldn’t be surprised if Eriksen knows all about it… he’s a musicologist with an impressive depth of knowledge, and I know he also explores another traditional a cappella style of singing called sacred harp singing. I love seeing how some folk songs from Europe, like that one, were adapted to the musical folk styles of the US, and the lyrical changes that sometimes come with this. This is something I wanted to cover here, but I’m gonna save it for another video on gothic folk 😊
Thanks for this video. I've been exploring country and I've found real gems, but mainstream country keept keeping me off and I didn't know where to look.
Yeah, I've not found much mainstream country I enjoy either! There are a few directions you might want to explore... alt-country is less lyrically dark than a lot of the bands in this video, but it also has more independence and less of a commercial sound. Uncle Tupelo and Gillian Welch are both excellent places to start with that. Cheers!
Thank you so much for this video. I’m utterly obsessed with all things David Eugene Edwards so this made me very happy. I hadn’t come across Devotchka before but can see them becoming my next obsession. I see someone else has mentioned Tarnation so I won’t go on about them except to say that they’re incredible.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, D.E.E. is terrific, and I feel like he's just getting better as time goes on. Somehow I still haven't tried out Tarnation, but I just now added them to the queue, so it's happening. Thanks for the rec!
hey. Just stumbled on this video in my recommended and loved it. definitely subscribing and checking out the backlog, as someone who grew up listening to country, abandoned it for hardcore punk, and then rediscovered my love for country as I got into my late 20s. It's cool to hear the history of some of these guys that I've listened to for a while. Also, seeing the note regarding Sturgill and Childers and such, I'm inclined to agree. For me, they're on the same playlist of country music I like alongside Slim Cessna and Johnny Cash, but they're a bit tonally different. Definitely more on the Outlaw side. But also it shows that there's always a bit of room for different ways to articulate the hardships of poverty and substance abuse and other dark topics, that both Outlaw Country and Gothic Country do well.
Glad you enjoyed the video! Yes, that's true... I see outlaw country and alt-country working perfectly well on the same playlist, but I still wouldn't use the word 'gothic' regarding a lot of it. Not to mention how impossible it would be to try and cover it all in a video... even for gothic country, I feel like a movie-length documentary would work better than a 20-ish minute video if you want to capture even the most essential stuff.
Great video. Didn’t catch any references of the work of Will Oldham but would certainly suggest his work (particularly under his various Palace monikers: Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers, and his more current Bonnie “Prince” Billy designation.). All lovely haunting stuff.
I need to explore his Palace albums again, it's been a very long time. But "I See a Darkness" was something I wanted to talk about in here and didn't get around to... A very good, very dark album, with the title track being a big standout for me.
Nice enlist of artists (some of them I barelly know), I will put it a try, for sure. The revision and details of research are also well done and polish. Thanks in advance!
I would also have mentioned The Knoxville Girl by the Louvin Brothers in Act I and Mother of Earth by Gun Club in Act II. Gun Club introduced me to Country Music as a 16yo Punk Rocker in the mid-80s. Now I pluck the bass in a Honky Tonk / Western Swing band in Germany.
The Gun Club are a band that always feels peripheral to videos I'm making, yet so far hasn't quite made it into one, despite being one of my favourites, haha! And I did have a section on Louvin Brothers that got cut during one of the edits, although I hadn't talked about that track in particular.
Friend, I rarely watch random UA-cam videos when they come up in my feed. But I bought some merch from Deathwish Inc years ago and they threw in a Wovenhand record for free. I spun it out of sheer curiosity and fell in love immediately. Since then I’ve always been vaguely interested in this sound/genre but didn’t really know where to start. I still don’t know where to start, but now it’s because I have a flood rather than a drought. Thanks for your work putting this together. If I can repay the favor, my old band (which has one country-tinged song) played a show with this post-punk/country band from NC called Wailin’ Storms, I think you’ll dig them.
Thanks for the kind words, and I'm happy you stumbled across this one :) There's a lot of great stuff I didn't have time to go into in this one as well... and other bands I've heard great things about I haven't had time to dig into yet. Thanks for the recommendation, I'm checking out Wailin' Storms' first album right now and I dig them!
This is great stuff. I subscribed to your channel after watching the underated post punk goth bands video. There was a few I hadn't heard of that were great. Cheers dude. Much respect. 🖤
Thank you for this great channel ! The first band that came in mind , when i read your thumpmail was " Heathen Apostles".may be you did not know them, but you shoud ! Best haggety
Eeire spooky country is one of my favorite types of music and I wasnt really sure what to call it but I'll definitely look into these folks. Some i really like are, as mentioned, the dead south, but also Mean Mary, Ian Noe, and the White Buffalo
Duuuude! I love dark country, dark americana, folk polk... Never heard of any of the newer bands mentioned here ('cept Dead South, of course) looks like I've got a new rabbit hole.
Great video! I have listened to 16 Horsepower before and they are a pretty cool band. If you want to hear David Eugene Edwards dive into the world of neofolk, his 2023 solo album is excellent.
Oh yeah, I've liked Waxahatchee for quite a while! Her last couple albums exploring more of a folk/country sound have been excellent, but I liked Cerulean Salt and Out in the Storm a lot too.
I've seen some good live shows in my day, but 16 Horsepower is absolutely the best I've seen. Saw them in the early 00s and, yeah, if there's one show I could relive, it'd be that one.
The Heavy Horses "Murder Ballads & other love songs" is a freaking masterpiece in my opinion. Got hooked on them after finishing RDR2 and looking for something in the same vibe.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed! I hadn't come across your videos either before, and I love the videos you do covering new reissues. It can be tough to keep up. Cheers!
That's interesting, partially because I've had people tell me I should have talked about Dead Moon in my grunge videos as well... apparently they've covered enough ground that they'll fit in with a lot of niches!
Honorable mentions House of the rising sun "libby holman" Psycho "eddie noack" Its nothing to me "sanford clark When i was a cowboy "leadbelly" Tales of the yukon (the whole album) "hank snow" "Skip james" (i know blues but from when blues jazz contry and folk all played the same 40 songs) Id also throw in murder by death and o'death in there too. Hell, some Shel Silverstein. Also good vid watched the whole thing should def do another vid on the topic if you have the work already done.
i think this is a good pointer because i’ve been looking for slower, moodier country tracks, similar to emmylou harris’ snake song. haven’t been able to find anything that sounds like it, but will definitely check some of your recommendations out!
Do yourself a favor and listen to The Abigails. Both their albums are available here or on spotify, with their song "Black Hell" having over 2 million listens. Also available on youtube are their albums and videos. The singer is now performing one man band style as Warren Thomas' Death Country
I'm in the middle of putting a bunch of genres together... And watching this video reminded me of a local band that hasn't been together for ages. They were mostly a Rowdy Folk-Punk band, but that tag does them a disservice. They had stuff that melded their influences really well, like this: ua-cam.com/video/p69eg0fsIFk/v-deo.htmlsi=lWpJm5nKX-tV7Mlo Anyways, enjoy your day!
@@astralmass Nice, I just listened to that one and really enjoyed it! It’s firmly punk, but has some nice western/country touches as well. I’m glad to see they’re on streaming, too!
I wanted to, but as the script grew out of control, they were one of the bands I decided to save for something more specifically focused on dark folk... They're an awesome band, though!
Another great one! I recommend checking out Aquarian Blood from Memphis, TN. More folk, with a country vibe; definitely Southern gothic in spirit. Their song Alabama Daughter on Bending the Golden Hour (2021) is a good introduction.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed this one :) I was afraid it was gonna be like the Halloween Ambient album and get very few views, but it's doing alright so far! Thanks for the recommendation...In all my explorations so far, I've not come across Aquarian Blood, so I'll definitely check it out.
Thoughts on the 80s cowpunks … a couple of who started as Horror Punks…. New Math became The Jet Black Berries, The Fleshesters became The Divine Horsemen…? Also I have long thought that The Gun Club were a major influence on a lot of the dark punk infuse folk, country and blues…
I like the bands I mainly think of being in that style, with Meat Puppets being my favourite--at least of the bands I think of as PRIMARILY cowpunk... if The Gun Club counts, they'd be the #1! Cowpunk is one of those terms that feels like it has so much overlap with other genres that I don't have a clear picture in my head of who does and doesn't count! Speaking of The Gun Club, if you haven't heard it, there's a whole project called the The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project, where a lot of artists remake his songs. It's not all gothic country, but includes a good bit, including some bands in this video.
Hey man,I suggest you check out Primeval Well, Crestfallen Dusk, and the other works of Ryan Clackner (released under Moonlight Cypress Archetypes) if you've gotten into Wayfarer. Very similar blends of southern gothic and atmoblack. Talkin in Tongues With Mountain Spirits is a high water mark in his discography.
Another great list. Only know a few bands in this genre (Wovenhand/16 Horsepower, and some of the Jay Munly projects). certainly gonna look into Sons Of Perdition. Lately I'm listening to Micah P. Hinson, who certainly got some goth-country vibes.
I've seen his name around, but I didn't try him out until just now. I quite like what I've heard so far! It really amazes me how few listeners most of these bands have, and I wonder why there's never been more of a commercial push... a lot of people love country and folk, and a lot of people like dark, creepy stories, so why wouldn't the combination of the two be a success? You have a bit of it in artists like Colter Wall, but it's certainly turned down in intensity compared to most of these artists.
I am aesthetically a Crust-Goblin...Fields of the Nephilim meets DOOM, lol...and I love old Country. Settling in rural Arkansas after years of wandering has surely influenced my tastes.
Very cool. Thanks for making the video. I think this Jesus thing is so removed from modern man that it acts more as a mirror then as moral lesson. If one is a happy person, they bond with the happy Jesus. If one is a sad person they relate to the sad Jesus, and yes, in our modern days, there are more than a fare share of people that find harmony with the angry Jesus. If this Jesus really did exist, I think it would be shocking for both sides to actually meet each other. Thanks again for making this video sir.
Good video, will be checking some of this stuff out. Surprised Orville Peck didn't come up, or Sturgil Simpson, unless they hew too close to the mainstream. One thing I would suggest to fans of this genre, and this is a single project because the rest of this artists output isn't like this: the album Kentucky by Panopticon. This is Blackened folk-metal with the specific folk tradition being drawn on in this case being American labour ballads. The whole thing is themes around the class struggle and despoliation of the natural environment of the Kentucky hills at the hands of the coal industry. Its brilliant. Includes a cracking version of Which Side Are You On? Where do you see Lingua Ignota / Hayter's subsequent work fitting in with all of this?
I was really debating whether to talk about Kentucky, actually, but the fact that it leans more bluegrass/folk than strictly country made me decide to hold off on talking about that one. But this is definitely a good shout for anyone who is curious about the intersection of black metal and gothic folk/country! Autumn Eternal also mixes in some nice folk elements, although it doesn't have the social commentary element that is a strength of Kentucky. Oh, the newest Panopticon album is one of my favourites from last year, too! Interesting question about Hayter. I'd say her most recent solo album could definitely fit, with its dark religious themes, and the use of gospel... Actually, Sinner Get Ready, too. That one was my favourite of the Lingua Ignota albums, and it might be because it mixes her fury with the more accessible country and folk elements. While I can respect her earlier albums, they were so heavy and oppressive I haven't listened to them that often!
Fun little fact Lupercalia is an ancient ancestor worship holiday where you commune with the dead. So I'm guessing the "fictional towns" those albums are talking about are from beyond the grave. Fitting of the Gothic Country umbrella.
Ooh, I had no idea about that... Given that the map of the region is similar to the layout of Denver, CO, I wonder if he imagines it as a set of afterlife communities that overlap with the living. And with there being three, I immediately start to wonder if they connect to Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven... but this is massive speculation, haha
@eclecticism-uk I have no clue, but it would be pretty neat. I was just surprised anyone knew of Lupercalia, I only learned about it this year myself...But artists tend to learn a lot of niche information.
This was really interesting. I learned about some more artists I need to check out. Have you checked out bands like Amigo the Devil and Bridge City Sinners? I would put them more as dark folk/country, but I've definitely used "murder ballads" to describe at least half of Amigo's songs 😂 They're worth checking out, though they're perhaps another related sub-genre to Gothic country.
David Allan Coe is one of the greatest country singer songwriters to ever live. 'Revenge' and 'Living on the Run' would fit in fine here. 'Psycho' by Eddie Noack, the Hank Snow album 'Songs Of Tragedy', and lots of Bob Dylan, especially 'Ballad of Hollis Brown'. None in this paragraph would necessarily be called 'gothic country' because its older classic stuff, but its dark.
@@Isahiyella I’ve heard of Coe but never explored him. That’s a big hole in my music knowledge I should fill! I think before you get to that Denver scene, it’s mostly artists doing songs here and there that would fit the right tone, including Dylan for sure, Townes Van Zandt, and I really should’ve talked about the Louvin Brothers, too. I think there’s definitely room to expand on the ‘early influences’ section of this video, and Cash is really just one of many I could’ve covered there.
@@eclecticism-uk Expanding on earlier influences would make a great video, I forgot about the Louvin Brothers too. Early 20th century country/blues music came from the heartland, created by people that had lived through some rough times. I do encourage you and everyone else to explore David Allan Coe. Back in the 70s he came out with an X-rated album that tanked his career, but in my opinion, it was overblown and just a goofy side project that he'd done that got released without his approval. The album 'Longhaired Redneck' is one of my favorites by DAC, but he has many gems across his career on each album. Some are better than others, but its from the heart. I'm veering off here, but also check out John Prine, his self titled album is a masterpiece in songwriting. Looking forward to more stuff from you brother, I enjoyed this video.
So, here's some of my recommendations. They're dark but idk if they're officially gothic country lol. Shovels & Rope, and Brown Bird, and Scott H. Biram.
Nice video. I love finding odd genre combinations. Unfortunately, UA-cams algorithm is overtuned, and you can't go looking for new bands like you used to. If you've never heard of "Diablo Swing Orchestra," you should check them out. They're heavy metal swing
I've seen that name come up, but I don't think I have listened to them, and assumed they were more of a dark jazz thing. Thanks for the rec, I'll give them a try! Glad you enjoyed the video :)
Thanks, glad you liked it! I'm not actually familiar with A Whisper in the Noise, but I'll look them up! Murder by Death definitely has some material that fits within gothic country, but I've always found their sound a bit less dark overall than a lot of these bands. I'd consider them gothic country, but probably more on the lighter end of the spectrum, and I'd also probably think of them as an alt-country band first! Either way, they're a good band who get extra props for being from my home state, haha.
Excellent, informative video. I would also recommend for anyone interested in this genre to check out Jim White (especially the “Wrong Eyed Jesus” album).
There’s a documentary movie called “Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus”, with Jim White as host, that’s marvelous. I don’t think it’s streaming anywhere, so you’d have to find a dvd.
I saw a trailer for that recently and was very curious! I remember reading that at least some of the bands in the film weren't happy with their portrayal, but I'd still like to see it whenever I get a chance.
Just came across Your channel and I subscribed after watching this video, great work. I would love to get your opinion on the rise of "Dark Country" as a genre, bands artists like blues saraceno, North Country Gentlemen and War Hippies have all been labeled as "dark country".
@@MrKangaroo123 Thanks for subscribing, glad you enjoyed this one! I think there’s some definite overlap there, and dark country might just be a slightly broader umbrella term. For example, Wovenhand may not always be gothic in their lyrics, but you’d always call them dark. The newest Blues Saraceno has lyrics that feel gothic for sure, sort of a gothic blues country-which I’m absolutely down for!
Thank you for a great video, checked out a few of the bands. Sons of perdition were one of the standouts. That said they’re hoeing a field that has been previously sewn by the likes of Nick Cave. Not that I don’t like it, just an observation you’ve gained a new subscriber. Thank you.
Thanks, glad that you enjoyed the video! Yeah, a lot of the music at this intersection of styles is indebted to Nick Cave at least to some extent. If I made a full-length documentary out of this and not just a 20-minute exploration, I'd definitely have to expand more on Nick Cave as one of the bigger influences!
I'm under the impression Edwards became much more open-minded in his spirituality with Wovenhand. He started traveling a lot with his special needs son, and began exploring Native American and Arabic spirituality. He seems much less judgmental or fundamentalist now. My two favorites are Murder By Death and Wovenhand/16 Horsepower.
That's good to know! I don't think I've listened to any interviews more recent than late 16 Horsepower era, so hopefully he's grown and become more openminded over time.
Always been into cow sex. Hyped about it getting some representation. Great video.
As someone who's always enjoyed heavy genres, but has never liked country music, give gothic country a go. It's changed my whole perception of country music and opened me up to a lot of other interesting music as a result. Great video.
Thank you! Along with outlaw country and alt-country, gothic country tends to be what I gravitate to when I'm in the mood for country. And Dolly Parton, just because she's a hell of a songwriter and performer.
Nice to see Sons of Perdition mentioned, a similar sounding band to them would be Those Poor Bastards and Lonesome Wyatts solo work.
I'm so stoked you mentioned Wovenhand. One of my favorite bands.
So proud of my hometown for this 🖤
This video just came at a pivotal point in my life, and you have no clue how much I appreciate it. I've, rather recently, been going on a journey of myself. I've been told that I am gothic and goth (though I listen to all sorts of music) despite being country-I grew up in the sticks. I live in the south now. I've been in the open plains of North Dakota. I've been in the frigid cold. I've been reflecting on these experiences, and I consider them gothic. It was to my surprise that I discovered Southern Gothic. On top of that, I've always enjoyed Lead Belly, Cash, etc., especially their darker songs-so bringing them up was, for me personally, a perfect introduction. I also ironically just really got into raw black metal, and Wayfarer sounds awesome; I'm about to check them out after I leave this comment. Anyways, thank you for this video! It's definitely helped me realize that I'm not the only one out here that falls under the gothic cowboy category.
EDIT: Ive always considered a lot of folk music to be dark, and now i consider them to be gothic. I also want to recommend checking out 69eyes - wasting the dawn. The music video captures country gothic perfectly; though i wouldnt say the music falls under that.
Thanks for watching, and I'm glad it made an impression and gave you some more musical directions to explore! from what you've said, I also think you would enjoy Panopticon, who does black metal with bluegrass, and on the 'Kentucky' album, also weaves in some folk music too. Thanks for the rec of 69eyes, I don't think I've ever heard of them, but I'll check them out!
Those Poor Bastards are essential to this genre for me. Incidentally, their cover of a Munly song is how I discovered the Denver scene. When I describe them to people I call them "doom gospel." Lots of sinners and death.
Out of all the possible names I've heard used for this combo of elements, "Doom gospel" is a really good one!
Clicked this just to see if someone mentioned Those Poor Bastards. They’re literally the epitome of this entire idea. Them and King Dude, but I guess KD is a little more folky than country.
I absolutely LOVE Those Poor Bastards. Them and Dad Horse Experience are probably my favorite acts who play this sort of music.
Got to them via Hank 3
I'm surprised you didn't mention SWANS, with albums like Children Of God, A Burning World, White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity, The Great Annihilator, them with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds where the reason why this genre grew so much in the late 80s to 90s, but if anyone is interested check them out they are one of the most, if not the most uncompromising bands of all time in these albums I've mentioned, they have a blend of Dark Gothic Americana with Folk, and their own brand of Noise Rock, it's the best!
@@drackaryspt1572 I did put the Swans side project Angels of Light on the playlist, but no, I felt like going into either Cave or Swans would cut down on how much I could go into other lesser-known artists. But they’re both definitely important for the development of this kind of thing!
The band Murder By Death is one of my favorites to come to mind.
Second this band!
Oh yeah, they're good... and from Indiana, my home state!
Third! They were two of the best live shows I've ever caught, both in support of Red of Tooth and Claw
just listened to their first album. they kick ass!!
Great vid, bro! Glad to see Nick Cave mentioned - heavily influenced by rural gothic literature, in particular. Would also like to throw in some more of my Aussie Brethren who excel in the darker aspects of folk music traditions..... A local guy in my parts Jimmy Willing (& the Real Gone Hickups) and especially his "Preacher Man Blues" a murder tale of the highest order. One; f the finest post punk blues/coumtry albums ever to come out us "The Axemans Jazz", by the Beasts Of Bourbon. This debut L.P. is a blues/country/punk/psychobilly masterpiece. Murder and death abounds, all passionately performed without a hint of irony. The entire album is on yt, but if nothing else, check out the video for "Psycho" - a slow dirge, country twanger backs the deadpan, baritone narrative of Tex Perkins first hand account of the death of his brother, neighbour, mother..... Dark!
Hey man great video, very informative. Just want to make a recommendation of another Southern Gothic band called Tarnation. They were out of San Francisco in the 90s on 4AD, the same music label as Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins, and Pixies to name a few. Keep up the good work.
Interesting, I've not come across them before, and I'm a huge 4AD fan. Thanks, I'll check them out!
Ironically, two of the most 'country' feeling bands that I love are All them Witches and Clutch. Both are rock bands that dabble in blues and sometimes tip toe into metal, but they both play music that makes me think of a big plain of wheat, a single dude in a thresher, and mountains on the horizon. More modern Clutch writes more grooving and Sci-fi referential songs, while All them Witches tend to do some bluesy philosophical songs about religious ideas, self inspection, and the odd punky jams about a sandwich, some blue collar working stuff, and feeling alienated in more metropolitan environments. Good shit.
Totally forgot one of my favourite bands and albums: BOG - Who Spins The Wheel. Hard as hell to find, but it's heavy as Crowbar and bluegrass as it gets. A good couple recommendations for similar stuff is Big Business or Harvey Milk. big business writes music you'd listen to while exploring Appalachia and getting lost. Harvey Milk feels like you took a Texas Army brat, gave em the anger and angst of a Seattle punk, and then forced them to experience living in the great depression. Wonderful meanings behind their music, heavy subjects and crushing performances.
21:01 Gothic Folk Video - YES 👏PLEASE👏 Freaking LOVED this one! I grew up on a healthy mixture of rock and metal from my dad and old country from my mom, so this kind of country has always pulled me in like a moth to a flame. Loved that you mentioned Coffinshakers and Dead South, two favorites of mine. Absolutely checking out Wayfarer - boyfriend's been on a huge post/atmospheric black metal binge all year so I'll have to share this with him! Absolutely love how you're diving into a lot of niche genres that not a lot of other channels probably even know about. Keep the awesome videos coming! 🤘🖤
Thanks for the kind words! This one was a lot of fun to explore, which is part of why I wrote so much and ended up with nearly two videos-worth :D If you are into that boundary between country and metal, you may also want to check out Panopticon, a Kentucky musician. The album 'Kentucky' includes some actual bluegrass, and he has folk passages throughout a lot of his music. His album from last year, 'The Rime of Memory' was one of my favourites of the year!
Thanks for the dive, obviously you could probably do hours on this stuff and I'd probably still watch. For me, I love several of the artists mentioned but I just can't get past 16 Horsepower. Literally everything they recorded is gold. I also love Wovenhand but I ADORE 16 HP. I also believe the Live album holds the best recordings of several of their songs. Not to mention the absolutely stunning covers of Leonard Cohen's Partisan and Joy Division's 24 Hours. The 16 Horsepower live album is one of the greatest live albums ever released.
The thought of doing a full-length documentary on this topic has occurred to me... there's definitely enough material out there, even without talking about gothic folk! 16 Horsepower really does nail their covers, don't they? Their version of "Black Moon Rising" by CCR is amazing.
This video goes really well with a black coffee and the grim southern (England) dawn. Kudos Michael!
I would have never imagined wayfarer being mentioned in this video and props to you for mentioning them, another band worthy of mention (in the same vein of Wayfarer) is Panopticon, his blend of bluegrass/country and black metal is outstanding, he's also written a lot of straight up gothic country songs which are just beautiful.
Yeah, Panopticon is excellent. His album from last year, while lighter on the bluegrass/country than some earlier ones, was one of my favourites of the year! I thought about talking about the album 'Kentucky' on here, actually, but it was one of the many, many things I cut... this is a topic that gets bigger the more you think about what could fit, haha
Great video, looking forward to more of the side genres. Also appreciate the playlists!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
I took a dive into this genre some years ago, without even knowing it. Thx for the video. A friend of mine once called it "emo" country, haha. Great info!
Great informative video! Nailed it on many artists that I’m shocked most people have come to know. Definitely many of my favorites on here. Awesome job!
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
ANOTHER completley new world to explore? I´m in! Thank you
This was a breath of fresh air as I grew up around this scene and I have always felt that Denver's music is criminally overlooked. The musicians here just love to play and jump at any chance to do so. Everyone is in several bands it seems. If you want to go further down the Black Metal rabbit hole, Denver is having an amazing revival of that genre right now.
@@EvanCamomile Who would you recommend checking out beyond Wayfarer?
@@eclecticism-uk Blood Incantation, Black Curse, and Spectral Voice form one web. Akhlys and Nightbringer are another scene around a single front man Naas Alcameth. Encyclopedia Metallum can lead you down a rabbit hole of shared members, etc.
@@EvanCamomile Ah, thanks! I know and love Blood Incantation, but I’ll need to look into the rest of this rabbit hole.
Where’s the Joy Division?! Haha! I’m kidding!
EXCELLENT video, sir! It is incredible to see this being covered and shown some great artists that I haven’t come across yet. I can’t praise your research enough. Great job.
Thanks for the kind words! I did get a couple details wrong, but I'm happy with how this one came out. Hope you enjoy some of the bands that are new to you!
Although more associated with blues, I feel Chris Whitley could have been mentioned here. His debut "Living With The Law" and the stark, surreal poetry of the solo "Dirt Floor" an absolute masterpiece that echoes bad times, and heartbreak. One man with his amazing poetry and stunning resonator work.
Totally. I think “Gothic Country” is the perfect description of the song Ball Peen Hammer.
The literary style (and influences) in his lyrics work with that label too, as you mention.
“Gonna swing my scythe, got a hand upon the handle
Gonna shape my children ways I understand
Milk the trigger, kill the hunger
Staring down this broken land”
That’s some Gothic soundin’ sh!t right there. 😂
Gothic anything is amazing to me and I always appreciate introductions to new material in any medium.
I don't know about anyone else, but I'd like to see that gothic folk video sooner, rather than later; we need more of this stuff outside of the Halloween season.
Yeah, I don't think I'll be waiting quite that long... Honestly, I was afraid this video would get very few views, so I didn't want to promise anything, but it's gone past my expectations. I definitely won't get to it before end of the year, but could definitely see doing that one in January or February!
the handsome family is one of my fave gothic country/dark americana artists. (weightless is my personal fave of that album)
I can’t thank you enough for this video! Been a fan of gothic country for the last 15 years, and still listening to it often. The band that got me into it was 16HP. Dee is a monolith of this genre for sure.
I’d kindly recommend the other bands that were not mentioned in this video, but do deserve attention:
- Palodine (cinematic and grande sound)
- Headstone Brigade (more neo-folk leaning)
- Snakes (Slim Cessna’s son George plays in it)
And also JB Nelson (aka Sleepy Eyes Nelson) - although from the UK, it’s a haunting low-fi dark country that worth a listen! His recent album Body Bags Clapping is one of my favs of 2024.
Thanks for this comment. I hadn't come across JB Nelson before, but now I've listened to Body Bags Clapping a few times and I'm loving it. And it looks like he's got a lot of earlier stuff to explore, too.
Pretty sure I just discovered like a dozen of my new favorite artists thanks to you.
Everyone owes it to themselves to check out Slim Cessna's Auto Club. One of the best American bands that doesn't have a genre or any radio airplay.
Would love to see more like this
Really glad that the Gods of the algorithm blessed me with this gem ✨💫
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
Digging it! Grew up a southern Baptist/Catholic! Yes I’m drinking right now. Been looking for a genre to evoke the fire and brimstone revival feel from my youth. Now be got some research to do. Cheers!
@@ZO5150 Oh man, then definitely dive into Sons of Perdition and Wovenhand!
I live in south Georgia and if you've ever been in the swamp at night then you can kinda understand how the south can be a gothic/macabre/spooky place lol i love artists like tom waits, good ol johnny cash and shawn james. You also cant go wrong with colter wall and tyler childers
I love that Lankum are in the playlist 💚
Listening through, I'm noticing a very strong pattern and seeming influence from Irish sean nós singing traditions, in particular in the style of the more stripped back artists like Tim Eriksen's The Gallows Tree. Really cool noticing the Irish, Scottish+ British folk traditions in country, funny how much more obvious it can be when the topic is dark
@@heatherduke4545 That’s interesting, I’ve not heard of sean nós singing before, so I’ll need to explore some! I wouldn’t be surprised if Eriksen knows all about it… he’s a musicologist with an impressive depth of knowledge, and I know he also explores another traditional a cappella style of singing called sacred harp singing.
I love seeing how some folk songs from Europe, like that one, were adapted to the musical folk styles of the US, and the lyrical changes that sometimes come with this. This is something I wanted to cover here, but I’m gonna save it for another video on gothic folk 😊
@@heatherduke4545 Also, I love Lankum! I just saw them on their last tour and they were brilliant.
What a wonderful video. Thank you for your hard work.
I have a lot of recommendations to follow up on.
Thanks for this video. I've been exploring country and I've found real gems, but mainstream country keept keeping me off and I didn't know where to look.
Yeah, I've not found much mainstream country I enjoy either! There are a few directions you might want to explore... alt-country is less lyrically dark than a lot of the bands in this video, but it also has more independence and less of a commercial sound. Uncle Tupelo and Gillian Welch are both excellent places to start with that. Cheers!
Modern country is indeed awful.
Thank you so much for this video. I’m utterly obsessed with all things David Eugene Edwards so this made me very happy. I hadn’t come across Devotchka before but can see them becoming my next obsession. I see someone else has mentioned Tarnation so I won’t go on about them except to say that they’re incredible.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, D.E.E. is terrific, and I feel like he's just getting better as time goes on. Somehow I still haven't tried out Tarnation, but I just now added them to the queue, so it's happening. Thanks for the rec!
hey. Just stumbled on this video in my recommended and loved it. definitely subscribing and checking out the backlog, as someone who grew up listening to country, abandoned it for hardcore punk, and then rediscovered my love for country as I got into my late 20s. It's cool to hear the history of some of these guys that I've listened to for a while.
Also, seeing the note regarding Sturgill and Childers and such, I'm inclined to agree. For me, they're on the same playlist of country music I like alongside Slim Cessna and Johnny Cash, but they're a bit tonally different. Definitely more on the Outlaw side. But also it shows that there's always a bit of room for different ways to articulate the hardships of poverty and substance abuse and other dark topics, that both Outlaw Country and Gothic Country do well.
Glad you enjoyed the video! Yes, that's true... I see outlaw country and alt-country working perfectly well on the same playlist, but I still wouldn't use the word 'gothic' regarding a lot of it. Not to mention how impossible it would be to try and cover it all in a video... even for gothic country, I feel like a movie-length documentary would work better than a 20-ish minute video if you want to capture even the most essential stuff.
Great video. Didn’t catch any references of the work of Will Oldham but would certainly suggest his work (particularly under his various Palace monikers: Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers, and his more current Bonnie “Prince” Billy designation.). All lovely haunting stuff.
I need to explore his Palace albums again, it's been a very long time. But "I See a Darkness" was something I wanted to talk about in here and didn't get around to... A very good, very dark album, with the title track being a big standout for me.
Awesome vid and topic by the way...😊
I'm a big fan of Munly and Cessna but I never really looked into other bands, so this will be great, thanks for the video
Nice enlist of artists (some of them I barelly know), I will put it a try, for sure. The revision and details of research are also well done and polish. Thanks in advance!
@@darkn1n3fl3sh Thanks for the kind words, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
“ Down the River “ by Chris Knight is dark AF! Chris has a real feel for the southern gothic ideal.
This video was fantastic
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)
I would also have mentioned The Knoxville Girl by the Louvin Brothers in Act I and Mother of Earth by Gun Club in Act II. Gun Club introduced me to Country Music as a 16yo Punk Rocker in the mid-80s. Now I pluck the bass in a Honky Tonk / Western Swing band in Germany.
The Gun Club are a band that always feels peripheral to videos I'm making, yet so far hasn't quite made it into one, despite being one of my favourites, haha! And I did have a section on Louvin Brothers that got cut during one of the edits, although I hadn't talked about that track in particular.
Great video. I always referred to this " musical genre", as Dark Twang.
Yeah before I knew what blues were, I called it something similar
Dark Twang is a fantastic name for the genre
Friend, I rarely watch random UA-cam videos when they come up in my feed. But I bought some merch from Deathwish Inc years ago and they threw in a Wovenhand record for free. I spun it out of sheer curiosity and fell in love immediately. Since then I’ve always been vaguely interested in this sound/genre but didn’t really know where to start. I still don’t know where to start, but now it’s because I have a flood rather than a drought. Thanks for your work putting this together. If I can repay the favor, my old band (which has one country-tinged song) played a show with this post-punk/country band from NC called Wailin’ Storms, I think you’ll dig them.
Thanks for the kind words, and I'm happy you stumbled across this one :) There's a lot of great stuff I didn't have time to go into in this one as well... and other bands I've heard great things about I haven't had time to dig into yet.
Thanks for the recommendation, I'm checking out Wailin' Storms' first album right now and I dig them!
You have to check out Murder By Death if you like this strain of music, it is incomparable, but fits right in.
This is great stuff. I subscribed to your channel after watching the underated post punk goth bands video. There was a few I hadn't heard of that were great. Cheers dude.
Much respect. 🖤
@@YesBruv105 Thanks for the kind words, I’m glad you enjoyed the last couple! I’ve got quite a few more in the works. Cheers!
Thank you for this great channel ! The first band that came in mind , when i read your thumpmail was " Heathen Apostles".may be you did not know them, but you shoud !
Best
haggety
Eeire spooky country is one of my favorite types of music and I wasnt really sure what to call it but I'll definitely look into these folks. Some i really like are, as mentioned, the dead south, but also Mean Mary, Ian Noe, and the White Buffalo
Duuuude!
I love dark country, dark americana, folk polk... Never heard of any of the newer bands mentioned here ('cept Dead South, of course) looks like I've got a new rabbit hole.
Enjoy the new rabbit hole, it's a fun one! It goes way deeper than I had time to go in this video, too.
Thank you for the excellent video. Very informative! I would very much like to hear your analysis of Bobbie Gentry.
Thanks! I'm hoping I can find a place to talk about it soon... Maybe I'll just make a short video covering it :)
Great video! I have listened to 16 Horsepower before and they are a pretty cool band. If you want to hear David Eugene Edwards dive into the world of neofolk, his 2023 solo album is excellent.
Oh yeah, that's an excellent album too!
Great video! There is very little music I love more than Wovenhand, and DEE's collaboration with Carpenter Brut is also stunning.
I'd missed that collaboration, but just gave it a listen and it's very cool!
Great video
Thanks for the great recommendations! Any love for Waxahatchee here?
Oh yeah, I've liked Waxahatchee for quite a while! Her last couple albums exploring more of a folk/country sound have been excellent, but I liked Cerulean Salt and Out in the Storm a lot too.
I've seen some good live shows in my day, but 16 Horsepower is absolutely the best I've seen. Saw them in the early 00s and, yeah, if there's one show I could relive, it'd be that one.
The Heavy Horses "Murder Ballads & other love songs" is a freaking masterpiece in my opinion. Got hooked on them after finishing RDR2 and looking for something in the same vibe.
1st time I've seen one of your videos. Subbed and I'll be sure to take a look at some of your other stuff...
exact same for me
Thanks, glad you enjoyed! I hadn't come across your videos either before, and I love the videos you do covering new reissues. It can be tough to keep up. Cheers!
Was shocked Dead Moon was not mentioned...that's the only band that come to mind for me when it comes to "country goth".
That's interesting, partially because I've had people tell me I should have talked about Dead Moon in my grunge videos as well... apparently they've covered enough ground that they'll fit in with a lot of niches!
Honorable mentions
House of the rising sun "libby holman"
Psycho "eddie noack"
Its nothing to me "sanford clark
When i was a cowboy "leadbelly"
Tales of the yukon (the whole album) "hank snow"
"Skip james" (i know blues but from when blues jazz contry and folk all played the same 40 songs)
Id also throw in murder by death and o'death in there too.
Hell, some Shel Silverstein.
Also good vid watched the whole thing should def do another vid on the topic if you have the work already done.
i think this is a good pointer because i’ve been looking for slower, moodier country tracks, similar to emmylou harris’ snake song. haven’t been able to find anything that sounds like it, but will definitely check some of your recommendations out!
I'd not heard her version of that song, but after just listening, it's excellent!
My funeral doom opened for Wovenhand in 2019 and it ridiculously seemed like a near perfect fit. David Eugene Edwards is a generational artist.
That's such a good pairing of musical styles! Yes, he's so talented, and has such a unique artistic vision, too. What was your funeral doom band?
@eclecticism-uk my doom band is Ulkum
Do yourself a favor and listen to The Abigails. Both their albums are available here or on spotify, with their song "Black Hell" having over 2 million listens. Also available on youtube are their albums and videos. The singer is now performing one man band style as Warren Thomas' Death Country
Dude, keep it up.
I'm in the middle of putting a bunch of genres together...
And watching this video reminded me of a local band that hasn't been together for ages.
They were mostly a Rowdy Folk-Punk band, but that tag does them a disservice.
They had stuff that melded their influences really well, like this:
ua-cam.com/video/p69eg0fsIFk/v-deo.htmlsi=lWpJm5nKX-tV7Mlo
Anyways, enjoy your day!
@@astralmass Nice, I just listened to that one and really enjoyed it! It’s firmly punk, but has some nice western/country touches as well. I’m glad to see they’re on streaming, too!
Might be worth a shout out to Osi and the Jupiter as well, Appalachian neo folk.
Cool video and i grabbed the Spotify playlist. I saw Lankum on there and was hoping you would mention them😊
I wanted to, but as the script grew out of control, they were one of the bands I decided to save for something more specifically focused on dark folk... They're an awesome band, though!
Hello, thanks to your video. I am German and widh to fund more thrilling country artists as i do not like mainstream country music. Thank you again
You're welcome, thanks for watching :) I hope you enjoy some of the artists that are new to you from this.
Another great one! I recommend checking out Aquarian Blood from Memphis, TN. More folk, with a country vibe; definitely Southern gothic in spirit. Their song Alabama Daughter on Bending the Golden Hour (2021) is a good introduction.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed this one :) I was afraid it was gonna be like the Halloween Ambient album and get very few views, but it's doing alright so far!
Thanks for the recommendation...In all my explorations so far, I've not come across Aquarian Blood, so I'll definitely check it out.
I'm in a band that covers some of this stuff! Valley James is an interesting new name in this style, openly calls herself goth country.
Thoughts on the 80s cowpunks … a couple of who started as Horror Punks…. New Math became The Jet Black Berries, The Fleshesters became The Divine Horsemen…?
Also I have long thought that The Gun Club were a major influence on a lot of the dark punk infuse folk, country and blues…
I like the bands I mainly think of being in that style, with Meat Puppets being my favourite--at least of the bands I think of as PRIMARILY cowpunk... if The Gun Club counts, they'd be the #1! Cowpunk is one of those terms that feels like it has so much overlap with other genres that I don't have a clear picture in my head of who does and doesn't count!
Speaking of The Gun Club, if you haven't heard it, there's a whole project called the The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project, where a lot of artists remake his songs. It's not all gothic country, but includes a good bit, including some bands in this video.
Anybody remember Tim Renner's projects circa 2000 - Stone Breath, Mourning Cloak, Timothy the Revelator and possibly more I've forgotten?
Awesome! Another band to check out is Timber Timbre
I would love to see one of these videos dedicated to the neofolk scene and all the stories and contradictions behind it
That would be an interesting topic, and it's a fascinating subgenre!
Hey man,I suggest you check out Primeval Well, Crestfallen Dusk, and the other works of Ryan Clackner (released under Moonlight Cypress Archetypes) if you've gotten into Wayfarer. Very similar blends of southern gothic and atmoblack. Talkin in Tongues With Mountain Spirits is a high water mark in his discography.
Another great list. Only know a few bands in this genre (Wovenhand/16 Horsepower, and some of the Jay Munly projects). certainly gonna look into Sons Of Perdition. Lately I'm listening to Micah P. Hinson, who certainly got some goth-country vibes.
I've seen his name around, but I didn't try him out until just now. I quite like what I've heard so far! It really amazes me how few listeners most of these bands have, and I wonder why there's never been more of a commercial push... a lot of people love country and folk, and a lot of people like dark, creepy stories, so why wouldn't the combination of the two be a success? You have a bit of it in artists like Colter Wall, but it's certainly turned down in intensity compared to most of these artists.
the .357 string band, devil makes three, and Hackensaw boys come to mind when I think of gothic country or dark western music.
I am aesthetically a Crust-Goblin...Fields of the Nephilim meets DOOM, lol...and I love old Country. Settling in rural Arkansas after years of wandering has surely influenced my tastes.
Very cool. Thanks for making the video. I think this Jesus thing is so removed from modern man that it acts more as a mirror then as moral lesson. If one is a happy person, they bond with the happy Jesus. If one is a sad person they relate to the sad Jesus, and yes, in our modern days, there are more than a fare share of people that find harmony with the angry Jesus. If this Jesus really did exist, I think it would be shocking for both sides to actually meet each other. Thanks again for making this video sir.
This is well outside my typical listenings but you paint a compelling picture. I'll give that Spotify list a shot
Thanks, I hope you enjoy!
Good video, will be checking some of this stuff out. Surprised Orville Peck didn't come up, or Sturgil Simpson, unless they hew too close to the mainstream.
One thing I would suggest to fans of this genre, and this is a single project because the rest of this artists output isn't like this: the album Kentucky by Panopticon. This is Blackened folk-metal with the specific folk tradition being drawn on in this case being American labour ballads. The whole thing is themes around the class struggle and despoliation of the natural environment of the Kentucky hills at the hands of the coal industry. Its brilliant. Includes a cracking version of Which Side Are You On?
Where do you see Lingua Ignota / Hayter's subsequent work fitting in with all of this?
I was really debating whether to talk about Kentucky, actually, but the fact that it leans more bluegrass/folk than strictly country made me decide to hold off on talking about that one. But this is definitely a good shout for anyone who is curious about the intersection of black metal and gothic folk/country! Autumn Eternal also mixes in some nice folk elements, although it doesn't have the social commentary element that is a strength of Kentucky. Oh, the newest Panopticon album is one of my favourites from last year, too!
Interesting question about Hayter. I'd say her most recent solo album could definitely fit, with its dark religious themes, and the use of gospel... Actually, Sinner Get Ready, too. That one was my favourite of the Lingua Ignota albums, and it might be because it mixes her fury with the more accessible country and folk elements. While I can respect her earlier albums, they were so heavy and oppressive I haven't listened to them that often!
Nick Shoulders: Turn on the Darkness. Gothic country rules
Check out Those Poor Bastards. Wisconsin goth country band. 👍
Oh yeah, they were in that super long draft of the video that got edited down! Definitely worth exploring.
Fun little fact Lupercalia is an ancient ancestor worship holiday where you commune with the dead. So I'm guessing the "fictional towns" those albums are talking about are from beyond the grave. Fitting of the Gothic Country umbrella.
Ooh, I had no idea about that... Given that the map of the region is similar to the layout of Denver, CO, I wonder if he imagines it as a set of afterlife communities that overlap with the living. And with there being three, I immediately start to wonder if they connect to Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven... but this is massive speculation, haha
@eclecticism-uk I have no clue, but it would be pretty neat. I was just surprised anyone knew of Lupercalia, I only learned about it this year myself...But artists tend to learn a lot of niche information.
King Dude deserves a mention.
This was really interesting. I learned about some more artists I need to check out. Have you checked out bands like Amigo the Devil and Bridge City Sinners? I would put them more as dark folk/country, but I've definitely used "murder ballads" to describe at least half of Amigo's songs 😂 They're worth checking out, though they're perhaps another related sub-genre to Gothic country.
David Allan Coe is one of the greatest country singer songwriters to ever live. 'Revenge' and 'Living on the Run' would fit in fine here. 'Psycho' by Eddie Noack, the Hank Snow album 'Songs Of Tragedy', and lots of Bob Dylan, especially 'Ballad of Hollis Brown'. None in this paragraph would necessarily be called 'gothic country' because its older classic stuff, but its dark.
@@Isahiyella I’ve heard of Coe but never explored him. That’s a big hole in my music knowledge I should fill! I think before you get to that Denver scene, it’s mostly artists doing songs here and there that would fit the right tone, including Dylan for sure, Townes Van Zandt, and I really should’ve talked about the Louvin Brothers, too. I think there’s definitely room to expand on the ‘early influences’ section of this video, and Cash is really just one of many I could’ve covered there.
@@eclecticism-uk Expanding on earlier influences would make a great video, I forgot about the Louvin Brothers too. Early 20th century country/blues music came from the heartland, created by people that had lived through some rough times. I do encourage you and everyone else to explore David Allan Coe. Back in the 70s he came out with an X-rated album that tanked his career, but in my opinion, it was overblown and just a goofy side project that he'd done that got released without his approval. The album 'Longhaired Redneck' is one of my favorites by DAC, but he has many gems across his career on each album. Some are better than others, but its from the heart. I'm veering off here, but also check out John Prine, his self titled album is a masterpiece in songwriting. Looking forward to more stuff from you brother, I enjoyed this video.
The blue flowers from Detroit
So, here's some of my recommendations. They're dark but idk if they're officially gothic country lol. Shovels & Rope, and Brown Bird, and Scott H. Biram.
Nice video. I love finding odd genre combinations. Unfortunately, UA-cams algorithm is overtuned, and you can't go looking for new bands like you used to.
If you've never heard of "Diablo Swing Orchestra," you should check them out. They're heavy metal swing
I've seen that name come up, but I don't think I have listened to them, and assumed they were more of a dark jazz thing. Thanks for the rec, I'll give them a try! Glad you enjoyed the video :)
I want something that has the grit and dark vibes of Gothic country, but the rowdiness of what texas has going on right now with stuff like Koe Wetzel
Awesome video! I'm curious where you might place Murder by Death and A Whisper in the Noise on the spectrum of Gothic country?
Thanks, glad you liked it!
I'm not actually familiar with A Whisper in the Noise, but I'll look them up! Murder by Death definitely has some material that fits within gothic country, but I've always found their sound a bit less dark overall than a lot of these bands. I'd consider them gothic country, but probably more on the lighter end of the spectrum, and I'd also probably think of them as an alt-country band first! Either way, they're a good band who get extra props for being from my home state, haha.
Excellent, informative video. I would also recommend for anyone interested in this genre to check out Jim White (especially the “Wrong Eyed Jesus” album).
There’s a documentary movie called “Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus”, with Jim White as host, that’s marvelous. I don’t think it’s streaming anywhere, so you’d have to find a dvd.
@davestagner Yes, it's excellent! I've got a copy. Cheers
I saw a trailer for that recently and was very curious! I remember reading that at least some of the bands in the film weren't happy with their portrayal, but I'd still like to see it whenever I get a chance.
Just came across Your channel and I subscribed after watching this video, great work. I would love to get your opinion on the rise of "Dark Country" as a genre, bands artists like blues saraceno, North Country Gentlemen and War Hippies have all been labeled as "dark country".
@@MrKangaroo123 Thanks for subscribing, glad you enjoyed this one! I think there’s some definite overlap there, and dark country might just be a slightly broader umbrella term. For example, Wovenhand may not always be gothic in their lyrics, but you’d always call them dark. The newest Blues Saraceno has lyrics that feel gothic for sure, sort of a gothic blues country-which I’m absolutely down for!
Nice video. Where does the Black Heart Procession fall genre-wise? Not country enough to fall in the gothic country arena?
Thank you for a great video, checked out a few of the bands. Sons of perdition were one of the standouts. That said they’re hoeing a field that has been previously sewn by the likes of Nick Cave. Not that I don’t like it, just an observation you’ve gained a new subscriber. Thank you.
Thanks, glad that you enjoyed the video! Yeah, a lot of the music at this intersection of styles is indebted to Nick Cave at least to some extent. If I made a full-length documentary out of this and not just a 20-minute exploration, I'd definitely have to expand more on Nick Cave as one of the bigger influences!
I like your show I like it very very very very very much
Thank you very very very much!
I think you forgot about Hank 3
I did, in fact... he'd 100% fit with this sort-of-genre!
Jaye Jayle and Orochen have that American gothic vibe too! But where's the spotify playlist??
Oh my god, I never circled back around and put it in the description, did I? It's added now, haha
I'm under the impression Edwards became much more open-minded in his spirituality with Wovenhand. He started traveling a lot with his special needs son, and began exploring Native American and Arabic spirituality. He seems much less judgmental or fundamentalist now. My two favorites are Murder By Death and Wovenhand/16 Horsepower.
That's good to know! I don't think I've listened to any interviews more recent than late 16 Horsepower era, so hopefully he's grown and become more openminded over time.