Hi, y’all! This is episode 171 of Adobe & Teardrops, and I’m your host Rachel Cholst. Last week, we talked about anti-racist country music, and this week we’re talking about honky…tonks.
Before I go further, remember that you can always get a transcript of the episode over on Adobe & Teardrops dot com. I will also link to the transcript in the shownotes!
I have a very broad mental outline of music history, so I’m really appreciative of Cocaine and Rhinestones for putting things into context for me. I think I simply just didn’t have the mental connection between honky-tonks as a venue, and how these were the feeder clubs for country music.
I did a brief search about honky-tonks on Wikipedia, and the word seems to have originally been used for dive bars along the Barbary Coast, which makes me think it came from a French or Arabic word. Regardless, in 2021, honky-tonky music seems more nostalgic than shady, and it’s funny to me to equate it with something like gangster rap or death metal — music that’s supposedly on the fringes of society.
And of course, a lot of the artists I’ll be playing today aren’t even nostalgic for that time, they’re nostalgic for the outlaw country artists of the 70s who were nostalgic for the honky-tonk artists of the 40s. Maybe part of my fascination with country music is watching history become mythology in real time.
Anyway, this week, we’re gonna play a lot of new music that sounds old. This year I’m already noticing two big trends in the indier-than-indie music I’ve been receiving: people digging into the Americana punk of bands like Lucero and American Aquarium, and people diving into classic country sounds. I guess everyone got tired of doing shrooms and playing steel guitar, which was pretty much what’s been coming out of East Nashville for the last 5 years or so.
We’ll start this set off with one of the best in the game right now: Charlie Marie. Her self-titled EP is one of my favorites, and her debut full-length Ramble On leans heavily into 70s influences. I feel that the songs here are more…strategic? I can’t think of a better word…it’s just a little less off-the-cuff-feeling than the EP, but it’s good in a different way! And no matter what she’s doing, Marie’s voice is fascinating: almost like she’s taking cues from Johnny Cash.
Since we’re talking about classic country sounds, it makes sense to start the set off with a song that talks about ‘em! We’ll listen to “Soul Train” from Ramble On, and Patreon subscribers will listen to “Bad Seed.”
- Charlie Marie — “Soul Train” (Ramble On) (3:44)
- Soo Line Loons — “What They Don’t Tell You” (Soo Line Loons) (7:41)
And that was Soo Line Loons — a name that is murder on my lisp. They’re a fantastic Americana band out of Michigan (hence the name.) Their self-titled debut is heavy on the grit — a lot of songs about frustration and disappointment, but who isn’t feeling that way right now? I felt that “What They Don’t Tell You” fit in the best sonically with this episode, but if you’re more of a rock and cowpunk person, you gotta give the rest of the album a listen.
Well, what’s there to say about the Shootouts that hasn’t been said? I reviewed their album, out a couple of weeks ago, on No Depression (link in shownotes, of course!) The band is nothing if not careful archivists of the genre, and songs like “Rattlesnake Whiskey” give a modern sensibility to honky-tonk. Patreon subscribers will also listen to “Missing the Mark.” Both songs are on Bullseye.
- Shootouts — “Rattlesnake Whiskey” (Bullseye) (11:47)
- Steel Woods — “I Need You (feat. Ashley Monroe)” (All of Your Stones) (14:52)
Maybe not so classic honky tonk, but definitely those harmonies have a 90s vibe. Steel Woods have some POWERFUL pipes in their lineup, and if you listen to the rest of All of Your Stones you’ll hear some HEAVY heavy metal influences and 90s alt-rock goodness. These guys don’t play around. We heard “I Need You,” with country singer Ashley Monroe pitching in on vocals.
Before we get into our last set, here are some housekeeping notes: send me music through SubmitHub! Follow me on social media! Recommend this podcast to someone! Check out the merch on the site, or sign up for Patreon or drop me a line through Ko-fi. There are so many ways to support the podcast and help it grow!
Next week, I’ll be chatting with Kasey Anderson about baseball, and songs about baseball. So batter up!
Our last set hints at where honky-tonk can take us. First up is Fiver With the Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition. Country Queer described their sound perfectly as “taking country music to art school.” The band does a lot of REALLY cool things with country music. We’ll start out with “Yeah But Uhh Hey” and Patreon subscribers will listen to “Sick Gladiola.”
Then, we’ll end on Ashleigh Flynn and the Riveters with “Deep River Hollow.” Ashleigh Flynn is a queer country singer, and the Riveters are a crackshot all-women band of honky-tonkers. Live From the Blue Moon does a great job of capturing the band’s energy. To me, the band has a cool confidence that reminds me of Girls on Grass. The full album will be out next week.
Thanks for listening! In music we trust, in music we believe!
- Fiver With the Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition — “Yeah But Uhh Hey” (Fiver With the Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition) (23:50)
- Ashleigh Flynn and the Riveters — “Deep River Hollow” (Live From the Blue Moon) (29:46)
Next week’s topic: Baseball! w/ Kasey Anderson
Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters”
Send me music via SubmitHub! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst