Which country artists pull the biggest crowds? Asking because Zach Bryan announced a pretty big 2027 tour and he seems like the type of artist people like to see live.

Pretty well known voice actress putting out some pretty great country…

Honkytonk is the original sound of electric country, the sound you associate with Hank Williams and early George Jones and Ernest Tubb and the sound that influenced a lot of neotraditional 1990's country such as Alan Jackson and of course the honky tonk man, Dwight Yoakam.

It was characterized by heavy dancing rhythm that goes well with the two step, and usually steel guitar and fiddle along with twangy electric guitar and a unique twangy vocal style that was developed to cut across the sound at a loud bar of drunks with a bad sound system in the early days.

It's developed over the years including some recent evolution. Some of the Texas dancehall bands have an even more exaggerated beat and singing style now than you would have heard in neotraditional 1990s country or the 1950's original. Tracking down the history of who influenced whom is really fun if you're into that kind of country music history hobby.

We'll be posting (mostly modern) honky tonkers every Saturday for your edification! Click on the 'honky tonk' flair tag to see other tracks and discussions we've posted here in the past.

Here's some reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honky-tonk

here's a playlist of old classic honkytonk through the ages: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL679_2jmbaFHAFebq3szErCvTD0CNyZdt

here's the same thing according to Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0NfjMqrzcGKVsbYZmhf4Md

I recommend giving the whole album a listen. I believe it dropped today.

fun video

If you start listening to The Merles' "Two Steppin' in the Moonlight", you can't skip any song. This album reaches the perfection, for its impressive production, its masterful production and its stellar instrumentation. Classic country music at its best.

I've been working on a playlist for a couple years now that consists of outlaw country, classic country, honky tonk, bluegrass, Americana, Southern rock and a select handful of modern acts. Not much of the glitzy, polished country.

If a Saturday night spent around a bonfire with a little bourbon and something to smoke sounds like a good time to you, something tells me this playlist is for you.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3iZ2Oig9s0mNA2PwVBu9aY?si=069804fb7bfb4f7b

https://youtu.be/70IWhyf04QE

OMG Erik Shicotte had a phenomenal album in 2021 or 2022 and then got injured right as he was getting ready to start touring when live music opened up after COVID. I'm SO excited to see there are new songs from this phenomenal singer.

the brand new Jesse Daniel album is full of super heavy sad songs, totally different than his past songwriting. It might be his best album yet.

I’m working on a project for my Facebook page where I discuss the opioid crisis and overall drug epidemic in coal country and other impoverished areas. So I am hoping to find songs about the darker side of addiction.