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Thread: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

  1. #1

    Default NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Hi everyone. I am looking for some good bluegrass bands. I am having a bit of trouble though.. I despise country music... I hate that signature whine/half yodel all country vocalist do to sound like each other, I hate that signature country fiddle and/or dobro/lapsteel sound that immediately lets you know you're in for some tractor ridin, #### kickin, cry in your beer fun lol.. no offense to any country fans.. I personally just do not like that type of music.. not near enough variety for me. It seems a lot of bluegrass tends to have a lot in common with country. But there are those that have their own sound and its amazing.

    I love bluegrass guitar, banjo, mandolin, cello/bass... I love the fast pickin pure acoustic sound. Obviously, I'm looking for good bluegrass bands that dont have much in common with country. So far I really like The Dead South, some Greensky Bluegrass("Burn Them" is my fave from them), Mumford and Sons(probably more indie than bluegrass), some Punch Brothers/Chris Thile... what do you guys/gals suggest?

    Maybe I'm confused and bluegrass isnt even the right genre for me?

    Thanks.

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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?


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  4. #3

    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Ever listen to Trampled by Turtles or Yonder Mtn String Band?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0sgKnDiDOk

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERjlLEHlltQ

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    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    When you mention some bluegrass bands, maybe we can talk.
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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Trampled by Turtles is a favorite of mine! Brothers Comatose, Infamous Stringdusters, Cabinet to name a couple of others.

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    Registered User Ky Slim's Avatar
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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Soooo..... Twang ain't your thang??

    2 words: Pandora Radio

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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    I'm going to help you out a little here.

    When many people refer to "Bluegrass" they refer to the music that it was named after, specifically Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys.



    Yes, it is hillbilly music, twangy, stuff from the hills. It can be an acquired taste. But, it is the root of many of the music you listed or atleast part of it.

    Now, much music has derived from Bill Monroe. There are now several sub genres that bluegrass purists would not consider bluegrass because it does not follow the format Bill Monroe (and predecessors Flatt and Scruggs, Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin, etc) laid out.

    You have Jamgrass (Greensky, Stringdusters, Yonder)

    You have NewGrass (Sam Bush)

    You have Americana music that features some of the same instruments as bluegrass (Trampled by Turtles, Mumford, Cabinet)

    You have bluegrass influenced string quintets (Punch Bros) - I'm not really sure what to call them as they are just as much Bach as bluegrass.

    So, in conclusion, if you ask a bluegrass purist for bluegrass music that does not sound like hillbilly music, it is like asking for an orange that isn't orange, since at its root this music is hillbilly music. You may be looking for a sub genre of music that bluegrass has influenced or something that is loosely defined as bluegrass by a non purist.

    PS. The idea of plugging the bands into Pandora that you like and seeing what it kicks out is a great idea.

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by Spock89 View Post
    no offense to any country fans.. I personally just do not like that type of music.. not near enough variety for me. It seems a lot of bluegrass tends to have a lot in common with country. .
    I understand. It can be for some an acquired taste, and not everyone acquires it.

    Many, (like me) find it very compelling. It sort of like the blues - progressions and themes we have heard a million times, but I have to hear it to the end!

    I am thinking you are liking the line up of traditional bluegrass acoustic instruments, but playing music that has departed some, or a lot, or completely, from bluegrass music itself.
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  12. #9

    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by JWalterWeatherman View Post
    I'm going to help you out a little here.
    Thanks, this is actually helpful. However you misunderstood me... I dont have a problem with "hillbilly", if anything thats something I find refreshing about it. Hell, Duelling Banjos was one of the first songs I learned on guitar lol. Its country that I do not like. To me there is a big difference between country and hillbilly. Take almost every country song ever, they all have a few things in common... twanged singing, country violin/fiddle, & country dobro/lapsteel. As soon as you hear any one of those things you immediately know the song belongs to country and no other genre. I also dont care for most lyrics that come with country... "She Thinks my Tractor's Sexy", "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", "Boot Scoot and Boogie".... 90% the songs you'd hear playing in a diner/cafe in Texas or Oklahoma.. lol


    But I am new to the genre(or whichever genre I'm chasing after, Americana maybe?) and maybe its conflicting to say you want bluegrass without country? I grew up on rock and blues, 2 bands/artist in either genre can sound nothing alike, share literally none of the same qualities, sound style, lyrical themes, culture, style of singing, or anything, but they still belong to the same genre.. take Beatles, Pink Floyd, & Jimi Hendrix as an example ... same era, same genre, wildly different bands/artists in every other way. So with that in mind, tossing anyone that kind of sounds bluegrass in with all bluegrass is kind of an easy mistake for someone like myself to make.

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Well your given examples are, in the eyes of many country music aficionados, examples of pretty dismal country music. So even within country music (as you are seeing with bluegrass) there is a wide range of stuff, some of which you might find you like.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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  14. #11

    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD View Post
    I understand. It can be for some an acquired taste, and not everyone acquires it.

    Many, (like me) find it very compelling. It sort of like the blues - progressions and themes we have heard a million times, but I have to hear it to the end!

    I am thinking you are liking the line up of traditional bluegrass acoustic instruments, but playing music that has departed some, or a lot, or completely, from bluegrass music itself.
    Definitely, you're correct... I absolutely love the bluegrass instrument lineup as well as the flawless fast picking style that is found in bluegrass. The impossibly fast banjo rolls, smooth and blazing fast mandolin and guitar scale progressions.. cello/bass throwing some mood in.. yea.. man, way too much skill and talent in it not to love.

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    Registered User wildpikr's Avatar
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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    There's a group called Iron Horse...maybe check them out...a bluegrass band doing tributes to Metallica, Ozzy, rock music...
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  17. #13

    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by Spock89 View Post
    Thanks, this is actually helpful. However you misunderstood me... I dont have a problem with "hillbilly", if anything thats something I find refreshing about it. Hell, Duelling Banjos was one of the first songs I learned on guitar lol. Its country that I do not like. To me there is a big difference between country and hillbilly. Take almost every country song ever, they all have a few things in common... twanged singing, country violin/fiddle, & country dobro/lapsteel. As soon as you hear any one of those things you immediately know the song belongs to country and no other genre. I also dont care for most lyrics that come with country... "She Thinks my Tractor's Sexy", "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", "Boot Scoot and Boogie".... 90% the songs you'd hear playing in a diner/cafe in Texas or Oklahoma.. lol
    I'm not sure if you are just trolling or what, but it sounds like you are listening to modern pop country music, not bluegrass music. Granted high harmonies, fiddle and dobro are all part of bluegrass, I would love for you to point me to bluegrass singing about trucks and badonkadonks. You obviously like some of what you are talking about as Greensky features dobro on lead constantly. So I guess if you look for actual bluegrass or subgenres you should be fine? Just don't listen to country music.

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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Part of the problem here is semantics. I think what you are looking for is acoustic string music. Bluegrass is acoustic string music, but not all acoustic string music is bluegrass. There are bands that exist on the periphery of bluegrass that while not everyone can agree as to whether or not they are bluegrass, they are undeniably acoustic string bands. The first band that came to mind was Nickel Creek, Chris Thile's old band. Della Mae is another. I would also put The Tony Rice Unit and David Grisman's many contributions to acoustic string music in this category. What all of these bands have in common is their focus on string instruments.
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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    i'm looking for some jazz that's not so darned jazzy.

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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Spock89. You want good Americana check out Jason Isbell. Great song writer and guitar player. Warning.....you could get hooked.

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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by Spock89 View Post
    "She Thinks my Tractor's Sexy", "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", "Boot Scoot and Boogie".... 90% the songs you'd hear playing in a diner/cafe in Texas or Oklahoma.. lol
    That ain't country. Please go listen to Waylon, Willie, Merle. .... Or don't

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    Registered User Kevin Stueve's Avatar
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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Can some one point me to some blues but not that 8bar or 12 bar blues scale crap.

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  27. #19

    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin Stueve View Post
    Can some one point me to some blues but not that 8bar or 12 bar blues scale crap.
    Maybe. Old stuff though, dunno about modern. Some contenders, although I didn't transcribe the notes to see if they're "12 bar blues scale crap" but I'd hazard a guess the notes are a little different from the usual:



    Now, back to the topic of bluegrass...

    Quote Originally Posted by Spock89 View Post
    ... I am looking for some good bluegrass bands. ... hate that signature whine/half yodel... I love bluegrass guitar, banjo, mandolin, cello/bass... I love the fast pickin pure acoustic sound. ...
    What about instrumental bluegrass tunes? Instead of songs where the emphasis is on singing. I've always loved this Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs album "Foggy Mountain Banjo" - 12 great instrumental bluegrass tunes[1] on this video:


    (or direct link)

    I don't know if any modern bands are doing instrumental bluegrass stuff though.

    I suppose vocal stuff (songs with words) bring in more income, compared to instrumentals, at least from the non-musician general public who seems to need lyrics to latch onto in order to appreciate the music. (Never understood that myself, but whatever.)


    Edited to add:
    Hm, just found this, a 1976 Rounder Records album featuring Jack Tottle on mandolin, "Back Road Mandolin", plenty of instrumental stuff:


    (or direct link)
    (Saw somewhere else where that album was described as "progressive bluegrass", no clue if that's right though. Shows what I know, I didn't even know there was a progressive bluegrass genre.)

    ___
    Footnote:
    1. About that Earl Scruggs album, a better description would probably be "traditional tunes played in a bluegrass style". Or something like that.
    Last edited by Jess L.; Jul-20-2017 at 9:01pm. Reason: Added 2nd video, footnote. Fixed a bunch of typos.

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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    There are so many "citybilly" bluegrass bands from the '70's-'90's that meet OP's criteria, I could spend an hour listing them. Non-nasal vocals -- because the singers were from Connecticut or Southern Cal, not Kaintuck -- non-standard arrangements, songs that sounded like folk or folk-rock or jazz or whatever. Try some of these (many LP's available in their entirety on You Tube):

    Country Cooking
    Skyline (with Tony Trischka)
    New Deal String Band
    Buffalo Gals
    New Grass Revival
    Tasty Licks
    Whetstone Run
    Bottle Hill
    Salamander Crossing
    City Limits (Lynn Morris banjo)


    I'll just link one example: Cloud Valley's first album, A Bluegrass Ensemble:


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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    I never lose an opportunity to praise Jack Tottle's amazing Back Road Mandolin, and it reminds me that it's time for my annual note to Rounder Records pleading, begging, demanding that they release this on CD--paired with his (and Bela Fleck's) Tasty Licks record Anchored to the Shore. Best fluid, liquid, slithery mandolin you will find anywhere (even cross-picking), wonderful vocals, and great songs, many written by Tottle. Totally exciting; totally tasteful. After learning from Jack's Oak Publications Mandolin book, I wore out this LP trying to copy everything. And then I personally met Frank Wakefield (whom I had learned about from Jack's book). I started at the top.

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  32. #22

    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin Stueve View Post
    Can some one point me to some blues but not that 8bar or 12 bar blues scale crap.
    Quote Originally Posted by Warren H View Post
    i'm looking for some jazz that's not so darned jazzy.
    So just to clarify, you guys are saying that bluegrass and country are one in the same? Or maybe you're saying something like: just add a banjo to a country song and you have bluegrass? Cause thats honestly the only difference I hear in a lot of them.

    Idk... I know I'm new to the genre but it seems to me the world of music is usually a little more versatile than that.

  33. #23

    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin Stueve View Post
    That ain't country. Please go listen to Waylon, Willie, Merle. .... Or don't
    Err.. I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.. I've heard all of them more than I care to admit lol. Yes they are a different type of country. Still not my thing though.

    Closest to old school country I like is Johnny Cash. And even then I'm pretty picky and only really like his darker more, bluesy/rock type stuff... "Folsom Prison", "Gods Gonna Cut You Down", "The Man Comes Around", his cover of "Hurt", etc..

  34. #24
    poor excuse for anything Charlieshafer's Avatar
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    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Well, for the non-bluegrassy styles, since you mentioned the Punch Brothers, try one of the early innovators in the non-trad area and listen to some Crooked Still.There are two periods there, the rougher first two cd's with Rushed Eggleston on cello, and the later more elegant and thought-out pieces with Tristan Clarridge on cello a and Britt Haas on fiddle. There's also the currently-touring Mr. Sun, and then going back in time again, early Mammals.

  35. #25

    Default Re: NonCountry Bluegrass suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by JWalterWeatherman View Post
    I'm not sure if you are just trolling or what, but it sounds like you are listening to modern pop country music, not bluegrass music. Granted high harmonies, fiddle and dobro are all part of bluegrass, I would love for you to point me to bluegrass singing about trucks and badonkadonks. You obviously like some of what you are talking about as Greensky features dobro on lead constantly. So I guess if you look for actual bluegrass or subgenres you should be fine? Just don't listen to country music.
    No, not trolling at all. You just misunderstood me again. I'm not listening to modern country pop and thinking its bluegrass lol. I was just trying to explain what I dont like in a lot of the bluegrass I have found. As well as hinting at the cultural difference between "hillbilly" and country. I'm aware badonkadonks, trucks, and tractors are a country thing and not bluegrass. I was more or less saying to take that type of country.. or really any country. How about a Garth Brooks or George Strait song.. . compare that song with a lot of bluegrass songs, and mentally deconstruct or change the bluegrass song.. take away or change anything that makes the two songs sound like they might be in the same realm of music. The things you'll be removing or changing are the dobro, violin, and vocal stylings. You'll be left with all acoustic fast picking awesomeness, completely void of any hints at honky tonkin, hat tippin, or square dancing. Thats the sound I'm searching for. If that means its not bluegrass anymore then I guess its not bluegrass I'm looking for lol. Check out The Dead South, Poor Mans Poison, (some not all)Old Crow Medicine Show, (Some)Split Lip Rayfield, etc..


    Yes I know Greensky Bluegrass has a lot of country style dobro lead. Which is why I said I like some(not all) of their stuff. Some of their stuff doesnt have much dobro at all.. Listen to "Burn Them".. and some of their stuff has a strong dobro presence but its pretty far from country style.. check out "Demons" from them to see what I mean.

    I dont have a problem with the inclusion of a dobro or violin.. either instrument is a tool that can be used to play J.S. Bach or they can used to play that Honky Tonkin square dancin stuff. Lol.. its how they are played that matters.

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