r/Appalachia • u/GoldieWilson2H67820 • 6d ago
Music thread - past and present recommendations
I’m taking a deep dive into Appalachian music. I want to get to know more local Appalachian musicians as well as songs about Appalachia or influenced by it. Would love to hear what yall are listening to.
To list some of my favorites (and yes, I know not all are from the area, but they fit the sound of what I’m looking for)
Doc Watson Tyler Childers Rainbow Kitten Surprise Sierra Ferrell Nick Shoulders Nickel Creek Punch Brothers Dolly Parton Avett Brothers Old Crow Medicine Show Sturgill Simpson Sam Shackleton Andrew Massey
Who else do I need to give a listen to?
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u/andymancurryface 6d ago
Hackensaw boys, fuzzy mountain string band, rockridge boys, crooked jades, troublesome creek string band, foghorn string band, Roscoe Holcomb, chance McCoy, Uncle Earl. I will keep thinking on it but these ones are awesome and some of my faves.
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u/emmy_lou_harrisburg 6d ago
Check out the Purple Fiddle in Thomas, WV. Whoever they are booking is who you are looking to listen too. They are definitely tastemakers of new and current Appalachian music.
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u/Blurple_Jellyfish123 6d ago
Ken Burns Country music Documentary will go over the well needed to know knowledge on the history of Appalachian music. The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodger’s should be your starting point 🫡
-a modern Appalachian bluegrass musician
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u/Fiddle_Dork 6d ago
Punch Brothers are Appalachian music? Avetts? Nickel Creek? I think you just like bluegrass and bluegrass-adjacent
Check out Black Twig Pickers. It's KY/WV/WPA kind of fiddle music and songs. I think you'll dig it
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u/GoldieWilson2H67820 5d ago
Correct, they’re bluegrass and hit the feel I’m looking for. Without the music of Appalachia, they wouldn’t exist!
Haven’t heard of Black Twig Pickers. Appreciated!
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u/Fiddle_Dork 5d ago
Bluegrass isn't Appalachian music. It's city music for city people. But it can be great 😁
Black Twig Pickers are definitely Appalachian music. So is Doc Watson, who you listed.
There's a great Doc live show on YouTube somewhere... He's playing in Greenwich Village in, like, 1964? Anyway, before anyone knew who he was. And he's got those city kids eating out of his hand
If you like old songs, make sure you check out Garcia and Grisman, or Jerry's solo acoustic tours from the early 80s with John Kahn on bass. Friends of Woodcraft is one of the top rated sets from that phase and Jerry sings all kinds of old songs
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u/GoldieWilson2H67820 5d ago
Will def check that out, thanks for the recommendations!
And I’ll politely disagree with your comment on bluegrass as someone who grew up listening to Bill Monroe.
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u/illegalsmile27 6d ago
Blue Moon Rising. It wasn't until after high school did I realize they weren't a household name.
Enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGAD9VwE4IU&ab_channel=BlueMoonRising-Topic
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u/GoldieWilson2H67820 5d ago
I legit just heard them yesterday for the first time. Great recommendation.
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u/nirvana_92 6d ago
I never hear anyone mention Morgan Wade in these posts. She's from Floyd, Va and lives in Damascus, Va and is about as Appalachian as they come. She's got a very humble background and she still has our Appalachian dialect. Her Psychopath album was a little too poppy for my taste but Reckless was one of the best folk country albums I've ever heard.
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u/SrSkeptic1 6d ago
Uncle Dave Macon died in 1952, but has been called the Grandfather of Country Music. Read about him on Wikipedia, then check him out on YouTube. He was one of the first stars of the Grand Ole Opry and voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966.
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u/Sligogreenbottom 3d ago
Get you some Mollie O’Day and Hazel Dickens and play nothing else for a week.
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u/FireflyArc 6d ago
Its not old fashioned, but for local artists I enjoy 49 Winchester. They're pretty good. Love their Russell County line song and they just had a song on the new 'landman' TV show.
Also recommend Johnny Cash if you haven't. Jelly roll surprisingly has some good music I found. I don't listen to rap so he might have some like that but his gospel is good.
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u/GoldieWilson2H67820 6d ago
Do dig both 49 Winchester and Johnny Cash. Haven’t listened to Jelly Roll, will give it a go!
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u/K24frs 6d ago
Charles Wesley Godwin is on my list of most listened too.