Old Time Music

1001tunes.com

I got volume 1 earlier this year: over 300 mp3s of old time tunes on one cd.
Also, my friend Nikolai's band, The Bogstompers, has their cd available there as well.
Really good stuff all in all.
The trajectory of my musical tastes has been odd, beginning with punk to metal to indie rock to hippy music to bluegrass to old time...
Not that I don't like any of these genres any the less: I'd gladly play in a band from any one of these genres. But it's funny how I just go backwards: I don't listen to all that much new music.
I do find modern country music to be pretty funny. Every 50 songs or so, you get a good one. Some examples of good songs (IMO) on modern country radio are "I Don't Even Know Your Name" (Alan Jackson); "What Was I Thinking?" (Dierks Bentley, which is a really fucking lousy name); "She's Unbelievable" (Diamond Rio, a band and a song so lame it's kinda good in a really idiotic way); and "Gone", a great song from a really cheesy band, Montgomery Gentry.

Most of it is dreck. Anything by Toby Keith is dreck, especially "American Soldier." Oh my god. WORST. SONG. EVER. It's not so much a song as it is a commercial, and I mean that. The actual melody sounds like something you'd hear on the break during The Simpsons. Just maudlin, dripping with crocodile sincerity.
Keith Urban needs to be removed. Kenny Chesney needs to be locked in a safe and then tossed into the Mariana Trench. Cheley Wright deserves to be run over by an SUV.
Whoever sings "Being Mr. Mom" needs to get out of the country music business and into Broadway musicals. [Update: this would be Lonestar. I linked to their site because they look so.. well, whatever.] Diamond Rio offers "Beautiful Mess", with the insipid chorus,
What a beautiful mess, what a beautiful mess I'm in
Spending all my time with you
There ain't nothin' else I'd rather do.
What sweet addiction that I'm caught up in
Cause I can't get enough
Can't stop the hunger for your love
What a beautiful mess, what a beautiful mess I'm in (ah ah).
Phil Vassar has recorded what is perhaps the most laughably bad country song in recent history, "I'll Take That As a Yes." Imagine a contemporary country band trying to sound like Aerosmith, including the singer. The song starts with a throbbing bass and a "rockin'" guitar with lots of "distortion" and the the lyrics begin. My favorite part is the chorus:

You wink, I laugh 'cause we know
A little hug leads to a foot rub
Then a hot tub
Then a French kiss on a bear rug
Do you like it
Do you like it
How about this
Wanna try it?
Oh, oh, oh
I'll take that as a yes

And then you have the Skillet Lickers, which is goddam good music.