Music Nibbs

Don't get me wrong there are some great Country artists and the ones I named above excellent in their own rights.  Nashville stars still turn out hit after hit, sell out shows, and have a truly loyal fan base, but many of the same fans are one in the same as the John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, and Jimmy Buffet fans.  Once again there is nothing wrong with this.  I am the first person to admit that music genres are used in labeling music almost as a joke.  Kid Rock - Country?  Ummm, no not really at all, but yes he may have some country influences in some of his tracks.  Does this make him country?  Of course not. Same as Carrie Underwood not being labeled as Pop Music, although many of her songs fit that label to a T.  

I suppose that what I am looking for in Country Music is the good ol' style that has long been forgotten.  Let's hear some Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves, or Tennessee Ernie Ford.  How about Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, or Patsy Cline?  Whatever happened to Alabama, or David Allan Coe, or Waylon, and Willie and the boys?   Yes I know those are all name drops, and I would not expect new Country to sound like the classic stuff, but some sort of attempt to bring a true American sound back to where it started would be refreshing.  

So please let me know of some current acts that I just haven't heard that will take me back to when Country really was Country.  There is a comment bar just below this article.  What do you think?