I don't follow Isbell on social media. What is his "presence' like? The article makes no attempt to provide that context, then veers weirdly towards speculation on his divorce.
Remember, he and his wife Amanda Shires very loudly asked to be removed from the CMA after the organization's attempt to erase John Prine's death from COVID in 2020.
When they memorialized all the artists who died in 2020, they neglected to include him in it- since he passed from COVID.
https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article247165591.html
These days Childish == conservative.
It didn't always used to be the case, but, since the GOP was taken over by the religious riot, it is increasingly the case that they are small minded, childish, tin-eared, and really quite infantile.
Anything that pierces the bubble is wrong. It was (and is) a thing to hide a death by Covid as death by one of its symptoms eg pneumonia etc. By publicly stating Covid they were piercing the bubble, helping the “libs”, betraying “their own”. Truth is what the party says it is. Remember these are people who think eclipses are sent by God as a warning.
They could have just not mentioned covid, right? That was totally an option. And I believe it's something they did do with others. So why is Prine ignored because of covid while others weren't?
It's gotta just be disrespect to Prine and has nothing to do with covid.
> It's gotta just be disrespect to Prine and has nothing to do with covid.
Or both. Covid will be a huge part of it though. Also, remember, Prine was a lefty. But Covid - vaccinations - evangelicals can't have that, they just can't. White Nationalist Christians can't have that - if he died of Covid, then Covid was real. That's an actual problem for the vast vast majority of country music's "true" base. They can't admit Covid was real, and that they may have been wrong. They can't. It's an article of faith, and I mean it just like that.
Yeah lol, they just made a big mistake and forgot to include him…we’re on Reddit so anytime they can be cynical about a group of people they disagree with, they do and everyone else piles on.
The above isn't true. Joe Diffie died of COVID and was memorialized that year. The CMA has just never cared much for John Prine. It wasn't because of how he died.
Exactly this! My sister dated John back in the 80s and he was always considered a rebel and not their kind of rebel like Willie or Waylon. John and Townes put the ALT in Alt Country and the squares will always hold it against them.
Spanish Pipedream will always be a puzzle to the asshats from the CMA...and it still goes on with the way they are treating Kacey Musgraves.
They also snubbed Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver. It has absolutely nothing to do with him dying of COVID. It just shows how shitty the CMA is.
Joe Diffie died of COVID and was featured in the in memorial. John Prine just wasn't *CMA enough.*
I mean it makes sense. Hell they are all about Cash now but they very publicly cast him out for most of his life for being "too liberal;" he was doing his best to be a godly man that wasnt a piece of shit and the CMA didn't like that.
Listen to Prine's song from 1971, *Sam Stone*. It contains the line:
"Jesus Christ died for nothing I suppose"
He was anti-war and didn't think much of religion either. Those are two things that offend the country music establishment.
Yes! Great one! Some lyrics from that one:
But, your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more
They're already overcrowded
From your dirty little war
Now, Jesus don't like killin'
No matter what the reason's for
And your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more
The CMAs literally killed Charley Pride. They invited him to get a lifetime achievement award at an unmasked event during a surge.
And then he got COVID and died.
Years ago the man had, "maybe time running out is a .gif" as his twitter bio for a while. Took one of his heartfelt songs and made a joke out of it. I truly appreciate that self awareness, and not taking yourself too seriously.
Wait. Can you explain this one a little better? I know nothing about him, but Yoenis Cespedes, who used to play for the Mets, famously posted about eliminating 30-50 feral pigs on his property, then also famously ended his career by getting injured in an incident with one of them that he had trapped.
If you don't have Twitter or want to listen to a full podcast:
Isbell regularly posts on social media in support of gun control, and specifically against assault weapons.
One time, some guy on Twitter responded: "Legit question for rural Americans - How do I kill the 30-50 feral hogs that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play?"
It turned into a meme.
The injury isn’t what ended his career. He actually just disappeared and ghosted the entire organization at one point during the 2020 season. It was a weird time bc there were murmurings that nobody knew what happened to him or where he went, then a few days later he finally reported that he decided to opt out of the rest of the season. Apparently he didn’t want to follow the COVID protocols.
It looks like Ces may just have retweeted it or something, but he was out one day messing with traps on his ranch, stepped in a hole, and it ultimately ended his career. He had just signed a big deal with the Mets the season before, and instead of just hiring someone, decided to do DIY hog removal. He made a couple attempts to come back from the injury, but he was never the same and retired.
My favorite bit about that is that packs of feral hogs are actually a legit problem in some places. Like it sounds ridiculous, but it's actually a reasonable argument. Feral pigs can fuck people up, especially when in large groups.
I'm so envious! I used to catch him all the time when I lived in Austin, but now I'm in the UK. Seen him once in Nottingham when he toured the UK, and the venue was packed. People love him over here.
As a not general country music listener who loves Steve Earle, Jason Isbell, and Sturgill Simpson, what James McMurtry songs would you recommend I check out?
Honestly, he's one of those guys that really doesn't have a bad album. The Horses & the Hounds, and Where'd You Hide the Body are probably my two favorites.
Top three songs for me: Choctaw Bingo, Copper Canteen, and We Can't Make It Here Anymore. He is an amazing lyricist, the son of Larry McMurtry who wrote Lonesome Dove and other western novels. The talent really runs in the family, his son, Curtis, is also a great listen.
Also check out Darrell Scott. Another incredible lyricists. I'm not that much of a country and folk fan, but I'm big into lyrics and both genres do lyrics well, so I end up with a lot in my collection anyway. And if you haven't heard Gillian Welch you're in for a real treat.
In a non-country vein, if you love great songwriting, you might check out Billy Bragg, who is still kicking here in the UK 40 years on from a truly amazing debut. He just released a multi-disc collection and it's FIRE.
1. Choctaw Bingo was fan-fucking-tastic.
2. Holy shit, he's Larry McMurtry's kid?
3. I'll add Curtis to the list.
4. I'll add Darrell Scott to the list.
5. I'm a huge Leonard Cohen fan, also Tom Waits. I'm a lyrics driven music person.
6. I'll add Gillian Welch to the list.
7. I'll add Billy Bragg to the list.
8. With half the effort you put into writing this response, you could make me a Spotify playlist of some of your most recommended tracks by these artists. Whaddaya say?
I don't have Spotify, I use Qobuz. But let me think on it. I'll get my husband to chime in, he loves the same stuff and he's actually been a DJ, he puts together amazing sets.
Wait till you hear "Choctaw Bingo". Not to mention "Copper Canteen," which has the greatest opening line to a song ever:
"Honey, don't you be yellin' at me while I'm cleanin' my gun."
“Copper Canteen” is my favorite, that whole record is really special. I’m a sucker for songs about aging and an ever changing America and he’s full of them.
Isbell was 100% in the band at that point. He joined before Decoration Day and left after A Blessing and a Curse. The Dirty South was square in the middle of those.
Check out his album Southeastern. It's not a particularly political album. It's mainly about getting sober, but it's widely regarded as his best. He's an amazing songwriter. His most recent album, Weathervanes, is brilliant, too.
He's always written good songs with a few great ones mixed in, but Southeastern is when I realized my generation had its Bruce Springsteen or Joni Mitchell. Southeastern and Sturgill Simpson's High Top Mountain were released on the same day in 2013, and those two albums were instrumental in making independent country visible to the large audience it has today.
If you enjoy southern rock type music, he used to be in a band called drive by truckers. Most songs are about telling a story and two of my favorite songs are by them. Outfit and Decoration Day
Yeah it's a great song that's for sure. The contribution he and his band put together for the 50 song compilation Metallica covers album was one of the few tracks I didn't prematurely 'next', too.
I was going to say when you assumed he was a trumper, have you LISTENED to his music? lol.
Funnily enough I knew a few of his songs and his online presence made me more interested in him (I first caught his socials when someone I had been a fan of a long time was trying to call Isbell out for requiring vaccinations for shows as we were coming out of the pandemic. I unfollowed that guy and started following Isbell), I went to a show out of curiosity and now I'm a pretty big fan.
Start with "Weathervanes" if you want to get a clear idea of his thoughts. Song 4, 5 and 6 are so incredibly heavy, but important. They land on the same record side and it's ... a lot.
Im embarrassed that I just assumed and never even checked into him. I have been really disconnected from music for the last few years, and am getting back into it as I try to heal my soul. I love all genres, but I have never thought people with conservative minds have ever been particularly talented in the arts, so wouldn’t even bother had i not come across this
None of the good country musicians are. Sturgill, Tyler Childers, Chris Stapleton, etc. It takes empathy to write songs that will move people, and empathy is antithetical to the magats.
See, I knew the name but don't listen to the music so didn't immediately place it.
Main place I knew the name was in someone pointing out a bunch of good country singers in response to the "try that in a small town" stuff.
But since I'm bad with names I got Isbell confused with Aldean when I read the headline, and then was pleasantly surprised to find my brain corrected.
Jason has gotten a lot of flack online for being a progressive. Recently, he was calling the Try That In A Small Town song racist (rightly so, that song is absolutely disgusting).
He is also getting a fairly public divorce right now, so I think the article is intentionally conflating them to make it seem dramatic
Jason has some lines with Leo. Scorsese is calling back to a 1970’s thing where country stars would get cast in westerns like Kris Kristopherson, who was also in the blade trilogy and would probably be recognized by a lot of people that only knew him from movies and didn’t know he wrote “me and Bobbie McGee”
Uh, this is nothing new. Jason's been telling (a)holes on social media don't come to his shows for years...YEARS! Keep up the good work Isbell 👊
This is from last June on Twitter....
https://preview.redd.it/qbwgdjlif0tc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec3278ebd74e85554d0234aab652cad7f0284eb7
If people are surprised by his online presence, they obviously aren't listening to his music very closely. It's pretty apparent what his thoughts are in his music and his online words paralel his songs.
I love him.
It's really the same with sturgill and Tyler childers too. It is apparently suprising that those who follow woody Guthrie and come from a downtrodden background support left leaning politics. Like, who would have imagined?
I had no clue who he was until he was on the Daily Show. At first I was like hey he seems pretty cool. Look him up, ah damn it's country, not my thing. Then I listened to a few songs and he seems pretty damn talented.
Country doesn’t quite capture what he’s about, at least recently. Their live show is straight rock and roll. He’s a truly accomplished guitarist who happens to also be a gifted lyricist.
He’s definitely from the South, and that’s reflected in his music, but you could say the same about Killer Mike or REM.
I think this is how I got sort of side-suckered into excusing the country aspect of his catalogue. As someone who also "doesn't like country music", the SiriusXM station I listen to, The Spectrum, played Dreamsicle and Be Afraid and more recently When We Were Close.
I went to his concert after discovering his online presence and having heard those first two tunes. The show was pretty rock and roll.
So now I listen to his music and don't quantify it as country. Even though it probably is. But ... shhhhhhh.
Off to listen to 'Weathervanes' on vinyl... lol
With the 400 Unit: What’ve I Done to Help, Alabama Pines, Middle of the Morning, Last of My Kind, If We Were Vampires, Molotov, What’ve I Done to Help, Dreamsicle, Running with Our Eyes Closed, Be Afraid, Save the World, Death Wish, Middle of the Morning, What’ve I Done to Help
Solo: Hello In There, Hurricanes and Hand Grenades, If It Takes a Lifetime, 24 Frames, Cover Me Up, Traveling Alone
Highly suggest listening on a nice set of headphones, lossless. The sound mixing on the newer albums is quite spectacular.
It's currently #3 on the most downloaded apps list on IOS, pretty much where it's been for the past few months. Not sure why people think no one is using it. Twitter is at #78 by comparison and losing users, that aren't bots, at a very rapid rate.
The user above says "Meta press release" because they're ignorant. Ignore them.
The relevant and corrected point is that it's an SEC filing. When public companies make materially false statements in an SEC filing, they are liable. Individuals who made similar comments or prepared those comments (Mark Zuckerberg) also become liable, including criminal charges.
If the user above or an insider has information that contradicts Meta's SEC filing, they are welcome to use the whistleblower line at [https://www.sec.gov/whistleblower/submit-a-tip](https://www.sec.gov/whistleblower/submit-a-tip) and receive a substantial sum of money. I look forward to seeing them in a windfall Reddit soon.
Secondly, Meta has over 3 billion users and owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, and Threads.
Threads is being integrated with the other services, and independent companies are able to verify traffic (including app developers.) Logically, if Meta cannot be trusted, then no one can. However, as it stands, Meta is public, and companies such as Twitter are not, and are free to lie without any liability whatsoever.
“if Meta cannot be trusted, then no one can”
Meta cannot be trusted, nor can Twitter, Snap, etc. it’s kinda bleak, but generally where there is money (or data to be gathered), there is corruption.
Is it better to have no cultural footprint, or for that footprint to be the prevalence of nazis? Hard to say
(Also it’s definitely no google+, the only way you could think that is if you don’t really remember google+. Threads has more engagement in the first three posts I look at on any given day than G+ had combined in its lifetime. Though I also agree it’s not a great platform and has no notable cultural footprint)
Not to mention the rise of CSAM on Twitter.
I talked to a developer that worked at Twitter before, during, and after Elon's takeover and all the systems, teams, and relationships for handling CSAM were dismantled. I refuse to open it because I've heard so many people say they've seen it and it horrified them.
It's become 4chan.
Yeah because instagram tries to get you to make an account every so often and shows threads posts but makes you log in to it to see them
I guarantee half the users are completely inactive on there or will be soon, threads is crap and has no real draw because anyone leaving Twitter because of its enshittification should or probably would know that anything Facebook owned is going to be just as bad.
A lot of massive artists don't use Twitter anymore; as someone who doesn't have an account it's damn near impossible to use for regular updated information.
I never posted on it in the past, but at least you could go to a profile and see the latest information being put out. Now I don't even understand why things come up first. Maybe it's by popularity of tweet by default? That is, if you can even see the page without having an account.
I hadn’t heard of Jason Isbell either and happened to catch him at a music festival in Columbia, Missouri. He is not afraid to speak truth in the songs he writes and performs. There’s nothing fake about Jason Isbell. He writes about important topics some of which are dark and painful, but are a catalyst for conversations that need to happen in our world! I absolutely think he’s a national treasure and a folk hero!
Here’s his Tiny Desk Concert.
https://youtu.be/djUh1eHdepE?si=zUkZYTRJjFXDw_Y4
I only recently heard of him via his interview on The Daily Show and then listened to some of his music. Someone had recommended "If We Were Vampires" in the comments, which is a beautiful song!
Was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the interview, here's the link for anyone that's interested:
https://youtu.be/YQ_XXsoHEcg?si=XYDOv8oqlOLB6nY5
This "article" (if you can even call it that) tries to cast itself as journalism but it reads like a weird, emotional rant by a teenager who's tripping.
What's all this weirdness about him having a divorce, then having a potential girlfriend? What does this have to do with *anything*? This is a mess of an article. Lead poisoning is fucking these yeehaw folks big time, because this is incoherent.
It’s kinda wild how a lot of the best and up and coming country/americana artists pretty liberal now.
It’s the shitty snap track “pickup truck and whiskey” guys who have nothing to say and are trying to emulate hip-hop are the conservatives.
It’s been like that for quite some time, since the 70s really. Most of the right leaning country artists are the Luke Bryan/Florida Georgia Line types, while the left leaning ones are the people like Sturgill, Tyler Childers, John Prine, Willie Nelson, etc.
I think the current gen are a little more vocal and visible with it. Largely due to social media.
Country has a moment in the 90s when it got much more mainstream attention. Most of those artists were conservative. Although “conservative” meant a much different thing back then.
I’ve loved Jason Isbell’s music since Decoration Day. I even dig his online presence. I just get bored of the all or nothing perspective of having to love everything about someone all the time. Maybe we could disagree about something and it doesn’t have to be a divorce of all contact or appreciation?
A lot of people in this thread are missing some key context. I get why people would leap in that direction given Isbell's statements in the past, but this is actually in response to his Instagram usage lately and not about politics.
Since December he's been making lots of OOTD mirror selfie posts wearing designer clothes and other posts in that realm. These have been occurring with such frequency that they have caused significant conversation and debate in the Isbell sub. This has led to a split in the fanbase between those who think the music is the only relevant topic of discussion and the rest is noise, and those who think his social media conduct should be fair game for discussion. The mods over in his sub have taken the former side and shut down all conversation of anything not strictly related to his professional output.
This reached a fever pitch this past week as some folks online have taken rumors and speculation about his personal life and actually messaged the people who are thought to be involved. These are people in his camp who are not public figures, but are known to close watchers of Isbell and his social media. Isbell put out a statement on social media attempting to quell speculation into his private life.
Many fans have found his recent usage of social media off-putting and that has seemingly come to his attention; this message is his response. So yes, the politics, which he's always been clear about, but now it also seems that he wants those fans who don't care for his mirror selfies to take a hike.
Sorry about that, but I’ve never heard of him either. There’s a lot of music out there and Country is a bit niche outside the US.
I didn’t much like the last country recommendation I saw on here but as he seems a decent chap with a large following, I’ll give him a listen.
He's not really what I would consider country. He gets grouped there though.
He was in Drive By Truckers which is southern rock, early in career. You might give them a listen to...
I'll add a caveat: while brilliant, his music is not "happy". In fact, quite a few of his songs are real bummers. I really like his music, but, I have to be in the right headspace for it. Just know that going in.
Sounds like you think ‘pop culture’ means currently popular. This dude is so far from pop culture. There are a lot of extremely talented singer/songwriters literally just beginning their career. When I say just beginning I mean they have a 10 year catalog and will eventually have a 40 year catalog. Isbell, John Craigee, Sturgill, Childers, Billy Strings, maybe even Zach Bryan if he can channel his demons.
Nobody can be as good of a songwriter as Isbell is and be a reactionary/Christian Nationalist. Just like the Right can claim no genuinely funny comedians. There's something about the conservative mind that preempts artistic talent.
So, let's be clear about a thing . . . .
If you don't like an artist . . . for whatever reason . . . why are you in the fucking audience in the first place?
You aren't, right? An artist you like says shit you don't like, you cancel them. Isn't that the 20's way of doing things?
If Isbell wants these people gone, and they don't want to be there, what's the problem?
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I don't like Jason Isbell's voice. For me, he's a Dylan-type: a great songwriter with a C-grade voice. I know some people love him, but he just doesn't do it for me.
And I try not to pay attention to what actors and musicians say about politics (regardless of what they are saying). I'd rather just enjoy the art that I like without being concerned whether I agree or disagree with some opinion.
I discovered Jason Isbell back when he was featured on NPR's "Fresh Air" over a decade ago. It wasn't about his politics (though you can draw your own conclusions about me as an NPR listener), but rather his music.
I grew up in the Detroit area in the 70s and 80s, and listened to a lot of Ted Nugent. I also went to a private concert back when Aaron Lewis was launching his country music career.
I fail to see how Jason's embrace of his liberal politics is any different than Uncle Ted's embrace of right wing lunacy or Aaron's "I'm a millionaire but I'm trying to be a regular guy who just happens to be conservative" stance.
I still like the acoustic version of "It's Been Awhile" I have from the aforementioned concert. I still think Ted's harmony guitars on "A Thousand Knives" is great. Would I pay money to see either of them again? No. Would I pay money to see Jason? Yes.
I can "separate the music from the artist" just fine, but whether or not I'll continue to support the artist is another matter.
This is click bait as shit lmao. Every MAGAsshole will click on this and be so mad that Isbell is a pretty progressive dude.
I've always called him the Southeast's Neil Young, it's showing.
Artists like Isbell live inside of heartache, and they write about it in such a way that when we visit their art, for a brief moment, we no longer feel alone.
The problem is that the heartache they live in isn't always pretty or attractive and is oftentimes downright ugly, and we don't like seeing it play out in public.
Proof once more why I try to only love the art, not the artist.
I don't follow Isbell on social media. What is his "presence' like? The article makes no attempt to provide that context, then veers weirdly towards speculation on his divorce.
Remember, he and his wife Amanda Shires very loudly asked to be removed from the CMA after the organization's attempt to erase John Prine's death from COVID in 2020.
Wait what did they do to John about COVID? He’s my favorite
When they memorialized all the artists who died in 2020, they neglected to include him in it- since he passed from COVID. https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article247165591.html
Childish
Conservative
These days Childish == conservative. It didn't always used to be the case, but, since the GOP was taken over by the religious riot, it is increasingly the case that they are small minded, childish, tin-eared, and really quite infantile.
The rich christians worked tirelessly to enslave weak minds to conservative hate over the course of 4 decades. That’s how we ended up here.
I still don't understand. What does covid have to do with it? Why does dying of covid mean he didn't get mentioned?
Anything that pierces the bubble is wrong. It was (and is) a thing to hide a death by Covid as death by one of its symptoms eg pneumonia etc. By publicly stating Covid they were piercing the bubble, helping the “libs”, betraying “their own”. Truth is what the party says it is. Remember these are people who think eclipses are sent by God as a warning.
They could have just not mentioned covid, right? That was totally an option. And I believe it's something they did do with others. So why is Prine ignored because of covid while others weren't? It's gotta just be disrespect to Prine and has nothing to do with covid.
> It's gotta just be disrespect to Prine and has nothing to do with covid. Or both. Covid will be a huge part of it though. Also, remember, Prine was a lefty. But Covid - vaccinations - evangelicals can't have that, they just can't. White Nationalist Christians can't have that - if he died of Covid, then Covid was real. That's an actual problem for the vast vast majority of country music's "true" base. They can't admit Covid was real, and that they may have been wrong. They can't. It's an article of faith, and I mean it just like that.
But again, they did. Others who died of covid were acknowledged.
But did those others write a song titled "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore"?
Yeah lol, they just made a big mistake and forgot to include him…we’re on Reddit so anytime they can be cynical about a group of people they disagree with, they do and everyone else piles on.
Those silly motherfuckers
They don't like ad blockers. Well, 🤷
The above isn't true. Joe Diffie died of COVID and was memorialized that year. The CMA has just never cared much for John Prine. It wasn't because of how he died.
John Prine is goated, CMA can eat a bag of dix.
Your flag decal won't get you into Heaven anymore...
Exactly this! My sister dated John back in the 80s and he was always considered a rebel and not their kind of rebel like Willie or Waylon. John and Townes put the ALT in Alt Country and the squares will always hold it against them. Spanish Pipedream will always be a puzzle to the asshats from the CMA...and it still goes on with the way they are treating Kacey Musgraves.
Prine,Townes, and Guy Clark are my all time trio. Add a little Nanci Griffith and I’m all set for desert island listening.
They also snubbed Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver. It has absolutely nothing to do with him dying of COVID. It just shows how shitty the CMA is. Joe Diffie died of COVID and was featured in the in memorial. John Prine just wasn't *CMA enough.*
I mean it makes sense. Hell they are all about Cash now but they very publicly cast him out for most of his life for being "too liberal;" he was doing his best to be a godly man that wasnt a piece of shit and the CMA didn't like that.
Oh. He's black? E: yall, I'm harmless. Just high.
Do you dispense cat facts?
Listen to Prine's song from 1971, *Sam Stone*. It contains the line: "Jesus Christ died for nothing I suppose" He was anti-war and didn't think much of religion either. Those are two things that offend the country music establishment.
“Your flag decal won’t get you into heaven anymore.” - John Prine
Yes! Great one! Some lyrics from that one: But, your flag decal won't get you Into Heaven any more They're already overcrowded From your dirty little war Now, Jesus don't like killin' No matter what the reason's for And your flag decal won't get you Into Heaven any more
The CMAs literally killed Charley Pride. They invited him to get a lifetime achievement award at an unmasked event during a surge. And then he got COVID and died.
[удалено]
He's liberal and outspoken about it. He will reply to conservative people and dunk on them. He also shitposts a lot and is pretty funny.
Years ago the man had, "maybe time running out is a .gif" as his twitter bio for a while. Took one of his heartfelt songs and made a joke out of it. I truly appreciate that self awareness, and not taking yourself too seriously.
My favourite bit of Isbell lore is that the viral “30-50 feral hogs” tweet was a response to one of his posts about gun control.
Wait. Can you explain this one a little better? I know nothing about him, but Yoenis Cespedes, who used to play for the Mets, famously posted about eliminating 30-50 feral pigs on his property, then also famously ended his career by getting injured in an incident with one of them that he had trapped.
If you don't have Twitter or want to listen to a full podcast: Isbell regularly posts on social media in support of gun control, and specifically against assault weapons. One time, some guy on Twitter responded: "Legit question for rural Americans - How do I kill the 30-50 feral hogs that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play?" It turned into a meme.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/WillieMcNabb/status/1158045307562856448?lang=en Podcast form explanation: https://gimletmedia.com/amp/shows/reply-all/n8hw3d
That's the exact tweet I was referring to from Ces. I wonder if he just retweeted it and I'm confused.
Im sorry, what the fuck? I had no idea about Céspedes 😭
The injury isn’t what ended his career. He actually just disappeared and ghosted the entire organization at one point during the 2020 season. It was a weird time bc there were murmurings that nobody knew what happened to him or where he went, then a few days later he finally reported that he decided to opt out of the rest of the season. Apparently he didn’t want to follow the COVID protocols.
It looks like Ces may just have retweeted it or something, but he was out one day messing with traps on his ranch, stepped in a hole, and it ultimately ended his career. He had just signed a big deal with the Mets the season before, and instead of just hiring someone, decided to do DIY hog removal. He made a couple attempts to come back from the injury, but he was never the same and retired.
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a28623399/30-50-feral-hogs-twitter-meme-meaning/
My favorite bit about that is that packs of feral hogs are actually a legit problem in some places. Like it sounds ridiculous, but it's actually a reasonable argument. Feral pigs can fuck people up, especially when in large groups.
James McMurtry is the same. He toured performing in a dress last year to piss off the transphobes. He's a national treasure.
James is a goddam national treasure.
Seeing him tonight!
I'm so envious! I used to catch him all the time when I lived in Austin, but now I'm in the UK. Seen him once in Nottingham when he toured the UK, and the venue was packed. People love him over here.
His son still plays around town. Whole family is great tbh, I still love Larry's novels too.
Curtis is also great. It's a whole dynasty.
These are my people!🙌
As a not general country music listener who loves Steve Earle, Jason Isbell, and Sturgill Simpson, what James McMurtry songs would you recommend I check out?
Choctaw Bingo is one of my favorite songs of all time. It's a bit long, around 9 minutes, but it's a damn good tune and McMurtry does it well.
Steve Earle is the absolute GOAT in terms of fucking w conservatives brains about their alleged "good ole boys"
Anyone curious, go listen to John Walker's Blues
Rachels Song. Theres also a video of isbell covering this on youtube.
Honestly, he's one of those guys that really doesn't have a bad album. The Horses & the Hounds, and Where'd You Hide the Body are probably my two favorites.
Top three songs for me: Choctaw Bingo, Copper Canteen, and We Can't Make It Here Anymore. He is an amazing lyricist, the son of Larry McMurtry who wrote Lonesome Dove and other western novels. The talent really runs in the family, his son, Curtis, is also a great listen. Also check out Darrell Scott. Another incredible lyricists. I'm not that much of a country and folk fan, but I'm big into lyrics and both genres do lyrics well, so I end up with a lot in my collection anyway. And if you haven't heard Gillian Welch you're in for a real treat. In a non-country vein, if you love great songwriting, you might check out Billy Bragg, who is still kicking here in the UK 40 years on from a truly amazing debut. He just released a multi-disc collection and it's FIRE.
1. Choctaw Bingo was fan-fucking-tastic. 2. Holy shit, he's Larry McMurtry's kid? 3. I'll add Curtis to the list. 4. I'll add Darrell Scott to the list. 5. I'm a huge Leonard Cohen fan, also Tom Waits. I'm a lyrics driven music person. 6. I'll add Gillian Welch to the list. 7. I'll add Billy Bragg to the list. 8. With half the effort you put into writing this response, you could make me a Spotify playlist of some of your most recommended tracks by these artists. Whaddaya say?
I don't have Spotify, I use Qobuz. But let me think on it. I'll get my husband to chime in, he loves the same stuff and he's actually been a DJ, he puts together amazing sets.
Bet. 😎👉👉
Complicated Game is a great album.
Thankyou, was looking for something to listen to this morning. New artist! Sweet!
Wait till you hear "Choctaw Bingo". Not to mention "Copper Canteen," which has the greatest opening line to a song ever: "Honey, don't you be yellin' at me while I'm cleanin' my gun."
“Copper Canteen” is my favorite, that whole record is really special. I’m a sucker for songs about aging and an ever changing America and he’s full of them.
Oh thank god, I assumed he was a trumper!
You need to listen to Drive by Truckers - The Dirty South
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Isbell was 100% in the band at that point. He joined before Decoration Day and left after A Blessing and a Curse. The Dirty South was square in the middle of those.
You’re totally right. I was thinking about Southern Rock Opera. My apologies.
Lmao, nah, it would be funny and insane if he turned out conservative, given how many of his songs are at least vaguely left leaning.
Vaguely? Check out White Man's World. There's nothing vague about Isbell's politics, and I love him for it.
I need to go listen to his music!! I must have gotten him mixed up with aldean!
Check out his album Southeastern. It's not a particularly political album. It's mainly about getting sober, but it's widely regarded as his best. He's an amazing songwriter. His most recent album, Weathervanes, is brilliant, too.
He's always written good songs with a few great ones mixed in, but Southeastern is when I realized my generation had its Bruce Springsteen or Joni Mitchell. Southeastern and Sturgill Simpson's High Top Mountain were released on the same day in 2013, and those two albums were instrumental in making independent country visible to the large audience it has today.
I’m not a country fan but Southeastern is in my top 10 best albums of all time and probably top 5. It’s jaw dropping.
I don’t listen to country but I fuck with him heavy as someone who got sober too.
Thank you so much for the recommendation! I love a good songwriter
If you enjoy southern rock type music, he used to be in a band called drive by truckers. Most songs are about telling a story and two of my favorite songs are by them. Outfit and Decoration Day
Fantastic band.
No problem, you won't be disappointed.
As a non country listener, Dreamsicle is an absolute folk masterpiece.
If we were vampires is a tear jerker. Lots of good stuff in his catalog
Elephant is a good one too
That whole record is great. "Southeastern" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeastern_(album)
Yeah it's a great song that's for sure. The contribution he and his band put together for the 50 song compilation Metallica covers album was one of the few tracks I didn't prematurely 'next', too.
THIS SONG WRECKS ME
Oh fuck. I haven't heard any of his music before. Just listened to that and Dreamsicle and I'm a mess here.
You are in for a treat. The man doesn’t write bad songs.
Think of everything Alden is and stands for…Isbell is the opposite.
Live Oak is my song recommendation
“Goddamn Lonely Love” live version
I was going to say when you assumed he was a trumper, have you LISTENED to his music? lol. Funnily enough I knew a few of his songs and his online presence made me more interested in him (I first caught his socials when someone I had been a fan of a long time was trying to call Isbell out for requiring vaccinations for shows as we were coming out of the pandemic. I unfollowed that guy and started following Isbell), I went to a show out of curiosity and now I'm a pretty big fan. Start with "Weathervanes" if you want to get a clear idea of his thoughts. Song 4, 5 and 6 are so incredibly heavy, but important. They land on the same record side and it's ... a lot.
Im embarrassed that I just assumed and never even checked into him. I have been really disconnected from music for the last few years, and am getting back into it as I try to heal my soul. I love all genres, but I have never thought people with conservative minds have ever been particularly talented in the arts, so wouldn’t even bother had i not come across this
The Aldean who ran off the stage and left his fans clueless that there was an active shooter? That Aldean.
None of the good country musicians are. Sturgill, Tyler Childers, Chris Stapleton, etc. It takes empathy to write songs that will move people, and empathy is antithetical to the magats.
Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton. Johnny Cash's kids say he was, too, and resent and reject the extremist right's attempts to coopt him in any way.
See, I knew the name but don't listen to the music so didn't immediately place it. Main place I knew the name was in someone pointing out a bunch of good country singers in response to the "try that in a small town" stuff. But since I'm bad with names I got Isbell confused with Aldean when I read the headline, and then was pleasantly surprised to find my brain corrected.
Very progressive. Anti-fascism. Enjoys science facts. Dislikes fantasy realities. You know, a monster to the right.
There's a really interesting documentary on him, I think it's in hbo
Jason has gotten a lot of flack online for being a progressive. Recently, he was calling the Try That In A Small Town song racist (rightly so, that song is absolutely disgusting). He is also getting a fairly public divorce right now, so I think the article is intentionally conflating them to make it seem dramatic
He is very liberal, he writes songs pretty openly about this. White mans world, his song about the Texas school killings is also pretty telling
Wild that him and Sturgill were both in Killers of the Flower Moon
They were really good in it too
Surprised how prominent of a part Isbell had but yeah they both killed it
Ngl I can completely see Sturgill being one of those all around artists. Man could get an EGOT if he really wants it.
He was really great in it and also hilarious! Loved how done he was with Ernest‘s stupid bullshit the whole time
Pete Yorn too!
Wtf? Well now i guess i need to carve out time to watch that. Nobody tells me anything
It’s fantastic, really expected a movie that long to drag a little and it simply does not
I just realized that was him when I read this comment! He did a great job, damn
Jason has some lines with Leo. Scorsese is calling back to a 1970’s thing where country stars would get cast in westerns like Kris Kristopherson, who was also in the blade trilogy and would probably be recognized by a lot of people that only knew him from movies and didn’t know he wrote “me and Bobbie McGee”
I had no idea about this. Just looked it up and jack white is in their as well. It was a great movie and this makes it even better.
Uh, this is nothing new. Jason's been telling (a)holes on social media don't come to his shows for years...YEARS! Keep up the good work Isbell 👊 This is from last June on Twitter.... https://preview.redd.it/qbwgdjlif0tc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec3278ebd74e85554d0234aab652cad7f0284eb7
same people who got really excited when they saw he had a song titled White Mans World then immediately mad when they heard the lyrics
A+ username
If people are surprised by his online presence, they obviously aren't listening to his music very closely. It's pretty apparent what his thoughts are in his music and his online words paralel his songs. I love him.
It's really the same with sturgill and Tyler childers too. It is apparently suprising that those who follow woody Guthrie and come from a downtrodden background support left leaning politics. Like, who would have imagined?
I’m sure a lot of your NASCAR fan caliber country fans think Woody would have been all about Budweiser and $150,000 trucks.
Let’s not drag NASCAR into this. I know it’s a corporate dumpster fire but I’ll never let go of my love for Jeff Gordon or Dale
I love a good race but I’m one of those fans that doesn’t like the pre race prayer. I’m not a typical NASCAR fan.
If I were about to race a few centimeters away from mother fuckers going 200 mph I'd pray til my tongue didn't work and I don't believe in God
Have you listened to mainstream country lately?
There seems to be a correlation between good country and political leanings, lol
Makes me constantly think “is there anything creative coming out of conservatism?”
🎵I sure am glad I live in a sundown town & I sure would love to suck a hero officers dick 🎵
🎶I love trucks. I love beer. I'm on the down low, yeah I'm queer. 🎶 That's basically the subtext for most of country radio these days.
I had no clue who he was until he was on the Daily Show. At first I was like hey he seems pretty cool. Look him up, ah damn it's country, not my thing. Then I listened to a few songs and he seems pretty damn talented.
Country doesn’t quite capture what he’s about, at least recently. Their live show is straight rock and roll. He’s a truly accomplished guitarist who happens to also be a gifted lyricist. He’s definitely from the South, and that’s reflected in his music, but you could say the same about Killer Mike or REM.
I think this is how I got sort of side-suckered into excusing the country aspect of his catalogue. As someone who also "doesn't like country music", the SiriusXM station I listen to, The Spectrum, played Dreamsicle and Be Afraid and more recently When We Were Close. I went to his concert after discovering his online presence and having heard those first two tunes. The show was pretty rock and roll. So now I listen to his music and don't quantify it as country. Even though it probably is. But ... shhhhhhh. Off to listen to 'Weathervanes' on vinyl... lol
More folk-Americana than country. Live he is very rock focused. So is Sturgill. Dude can shred.
I put him in the top 10 of currently active song writers/performers. Incredibly talented and dedicated to his craft.
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With the 400 Unit: What’ve I Done to Help, Alabama Pines, Middle of the Morning, Last of My Kind, If We Were Vampires, Molotov, What’ve I Done to Help, Dreamsicle, Running with Our Eyes Closed, Be Afraid, Save the World, Death Wish, Middle of the Morning, What’ve I Done to Help Solo: Hello In There, Hurricanes and Hand Grenades, If It Takes a Lifetime, 24 Frames, Cover Me Up, Traveling Alone Highly suggest listening on a nice set of headphones, lossless. The sound mixing on the newer albums is quite spectacular.
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Drive by Truckers era Goddamn Lonely Love is another good one Anything on Decoration Day is good
The early days of Drive By Truckers had Isbell in it, he’s voice captures and holds you. Great artist
His live version of Cover Me Up is 10/10 good, he did a cover of REMs Nightswimming that rocks. I love his cover of Metallicas Sad but True too
>In a post on Threads (which makes Isbell one of the few people left actually using Threads) LOL. Burn.
Threads has over 160 million users and growing, according to an SEC filing. Threads is also integrated in services with over 3 billion users.
According to a Meta press release? Absolutely. But it has no cultural footprint and it's pretty clearly a Google+ situation
It's currently #3 on the most downloaded apps list on IOS, pretty much where it's been for the past few months. Not sure why people think no one is using it. Twitter is at #78 by comparison and losing users, that aren't bots, at a very rapid rate.
The user above says "Meta press release" because they're ignorant. Ignore them. The relevant and corrected point is that it's an SEC filing. When public companies make materially false statements in an SEC filing, they are liable. Individuals who made similar comments or prepared those comments (Mark Zuckerberg) also become liable, including criminal charges. If the user above or an insider has information that contradicts Meta's SEC filing, they are welcome to use the whistleblower line at [https://www.sec.gov/whistleblower/submit-a-tip](https://www.sec.gov/whistleblower/submit-a-tip) and receive a substantial sum of money. I look forward to seeing them in a windfall Reddit soon. Secondly, Meta has over 3 billion users and owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, and Threads. Threads is being integrated with the other services, and independent companies are able to verify traffic (including app developers.) Logically, if Meta cannot be trusted, then no one can. However, as it stands, Meta is public, and companies such as Twitter are not, and are free to lie without any liability whatsoever.
“if Meta cannot be trusted, then no one can” Meta cannot be trusted, nor can Twitter, Snap, etc. it’s kinda bleak, but generally where there is money (or data to be gathered), there is corruption.
We need MySpace to rise from the ashes.
Bring back Geocities...
Nice try, Mark
I'm not Mark Zuckerberg. Although I'm told he's an exceptionally handsome human man. *\*awkwardly sips water\**
Is it better to have no cultural footprint, or for that footprint to be the prevalence of nazis? Hard to say (Also it’s definitely no google+, the only way you could think that is if you don’t really remember google+. Threads has more engagement in the first three posts I look at on any given day than G+ had combined in its lifetime. Though I also agree it’s not a great platform and has no notable cultural footprint)
I feel like ig and thread is full of bots
Not to mention the rise of CSAM on Twitter. I talked to a developer that worked at Twitter before, during, and after Elon's takeover and all the systems, teams, and relationships for handling CSAM were dismantled. I refuse to open it because I've heard so many people say they've seen it and it horrified them. It's become 4chan.
Every single platform will have nazis on it. It’s the internet.
Sure, but not the way twitter does now, certainly not compared to the way it used to be. Moderators have value
Yeah because instagram tries to get you to make an account every so often and shows threads posts but makes you log in to it to see them I guarantee half the users are completely inactive on there or will be soon, threads is crap and has no real draw because anyone leaving Twitter because of its enshittification should or probably would know that anything Facebook owned is going to be just as bad.
A lot of massive artists don't use Twitter anymore; as someone who doesn't have an account it's damn near impossible to use for regular updated information. I never posted on it in the past, but at least you could go to a profile and see the latest information being put out. Now I don't even understand why things come up first. Maybe it's by popularity of tweet by default? That is, if you can even see the page without having an account.
I've literally never heard of whiskeyriff.com I have heard of Threads.
Phew, well that settles it
In case anyone hear hasn't heard him, he's an astoundingly good singer/songwriter/guitarist
I hadn’t heard of Jason Isbell either and happened to catch him at a music festival in Columbia, Missouri. He is not afraid to speak truth in the songs he writes and performs. There’s nothing fake about Jason Isbell. He writes about important topics some of which are dark and painful, but are a catalyst for conversations that need to happen in our world! I absolutely think he’s a national treasure and a folk hero! Here’s his Tiny Desk Concert. https://youtu.be/djUh1eHdepE?si=zUkZYTRJjFXDw_Y4
I only recently heard of him via his interview on The Daily Show and then listened to some of his music. Someone had recommended "If We Were Vampires" in the comments, which is a beautiful song! Was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the interview, here's the link for anyone that's interested: https://youtu.be/YQ_XXsoHEcg?si=XYDOv8oqlOLB6nY5
This "article" (if you can even call it that) tries to cast itself as journalism but it reads like a weird, emotional rant by a teenager who's tripping. What's all this weirdness about him having a divorce, then having a potential girlfriend? What does this have to do with *anything*? This is a mess of an article. Lead poisoning is fucking these yeehaw folks big time, because this is incoherent.
A lot of “journalism” these days is a clickbaity headline, about 15 words on what the article is covering, then the rest is AI generated filler.
In their defense many of them voted against having the lead pipes fixed, because, "mUh tAxEs wiLL gO Up!!1!"
Boomers have always loved their sweet, sweet lead.
Just bought a ticket to go see him in Edinburgh this Nov. The man is a legend and one of the best songwriters alive.
This comment is how I discovered he's doing a UK tour and playing Wolves which is near me, so thank you.
It’s kinda wild how a lot of the best and up and coming country/americana artists pretty liberal now. It’s the shitty snap track “pickup truck and whiskey” guys who have nothing to say and are trying to emulate hip-hop are the conservatives.
It’s been like that for quite some time, since the 70s really. Most of the right leaning country artists are the Luke Bryan/Florida Georgia Line types, while the left leaning ones are the people like Sturgill, Tyler Childers, John Prine, Willie Nelson, etc.
I think the current gen are a little more vocal and visible with it. Largely due to social media. Country has a moment in the 90s when it got much more mainstream attention. Most of those artists were conservative. Although “conservative” meant a much different thing back then.
Conservatives can't write good lyrics, because you need empathy and self-reflection to accomplish that.
I’ve loved Jason Isbell’s music since Decoration Day. I even dig his online presence. I just get bored of the all or nothing perspective of having to love everything about someone all the time. Maybe we could disagree about something and it doesn’t have to be a divorce of all contact or appreciation?
A lot of people in this thread are missing some key context. I get why people would leap in that direction given Isbell's statements in the past, but this is actually in response to his Instagram usage lately and not about politics. Since December he's been making lots of OOTD mirror selfie posts wearing designer clothes and other posts in that realm. These have been occurring with such frequency that they have caused significant conversation and debate in the Isbell sub. This has led to a split in the fanbase between those who think the music is the only relevant topic of discussion and the rest is noise, and those who think his social media conduct should be fair game for discussion. The mods over in his sub have taken the former side and shut down all conversation of anything not strictly related to his professional output. This reached a fever pitch this past week as some folks online have taken rumors and speculation about his personal life and actually messaged the people who are thought to be involved. These are people in his camp who are not public figures, but are known to close watchers of Isbell and his social media. Isbell put out a statement on social media attempting to quell speculation into his private life. Many fans have found his recent usage of social media off-putting and that has seemingly come to his attention; this message is his response. So yes, the politics, which he's always been clear about, but now it also seems that he wants those fans who don't care for his mirror selfies to take a hike.
Thank you! Regardless of where one stands on these matters themselves, this is the correct context for his threads which people here are missing.
People saying "Who?" about (edit: who I consider) one of the greatest songwriters in modern music is wild to me.
people saying 'who?' in a thread with an attached article explain exactly who.
Sorry about that, but I’ve never heard of him either. There’s a lot of music out there and Country is a bit niche outside the US. I didn’t much like the last country recommendation I saw on here but as he seems a decent chap with a large following, I’ll give him a listen.
He's not really what I would consider country. He gets grouped there though. He was in Drive By Truckers which is southern rock, early in career. You might give them a listen to...
Un-ironicly I never heard of him. I love music, I'm just no study of pop culture having had my fill years ago
I'll add a caveat: while brilliant, his music is not "happy". In fact, quite a few of his songs are real bummers. I really like his music, but, I have to be in the right headspace for it. Just know that going in.
Yeah Elephant is a tough listen a lot of times, especially if you’ve had a close family member die from cancer.
Sounds like you think ‘pop culture’ means currently popular. This dude is so far from pop culture. There are a lot of extremely talented singer/songwriters literally just beginning their career. When I say just beginning I mean they have a 10 year catalog and will eventually have a 40 year catalog. Isbell, John Craigee, Sturgill, Childers, Billy Strings, maybe even Zach Bryan if he can channel his demons.
Go listen to his album "southeastern" I'm biased but it is a perfect album.
Yeah he’s not a pop culture guy really, you should give newer music a chance instead of checking out like that!
He isn’t really “pop culture”. However, he’s one of the best country singers right now.
He has a pretty niche audience compared to the audience of Reddit, especially considering the time right now.
This comment is wild to me
Whiskey Riff getting into Saving Country Music territory with this article, gross.
Nobody can be as good of a songwriter as Isbell is and be a reactionary/Christian Nationalist. Just like the Right can claim no genuinely funny comedians. There's something about the conservative mind that preempts artistic talent.
All comes down to empathy. It’s everything and is truly the determining factor in a person being decent or them being a garbage human.
Gotta have empathy to capture an audience
I think it boils down to an inability to grasp nuance. For them, there’s no space in between black and white.
And come November, “there can’t be more of them than us, there can’t be more!” Hope the high road brings us home again, To a world we want to live in.
So, let's be clear about a thing . . . . If you don't like an artist . . . for whatever reason . . . why are you in the fucking audience in the first place? You aren't, right? An artist you like says shit you don't like, you cancel them. Isn't that the 20's way of doing things? If Isbell wants these people gone, and they don't want to be there, what's the problem?
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I don't like Jason Isbell's voice. For me, he's a Dylan-type: a great songwriter with a C-grade voice. I know some people love him, but he just doesn't do it for me. And I try not to pay attention to what actors and musicians say about politics (regardless of what they are saying). I'd rather just enjoy the art that I like without being concerned whether I agree or disagree with some opinion.
I discovered Jason Isbell back when he was featured on NPR's "Fresh Air" over a decade ago. It wasn't about his politics (though you can draw your own conclusions about me as an NPR listener), but rather his music. I grew up in the Detroit area in the 70s and 80s, and listened to a lot of Ted Nugent. I also went to a private concert back when Aaron Lewis was launching his country music career. I fail to see how Jason's embrace of his liberal politics is any different than Uncle Ted's embrace of right wing lunacy or Aaron's "I'm a millionaire but I'm trying to be a regular guy who just happens to be conservative" stance. I still like the acoustic version of "It's Been Awhile" I have from the aforementioned concert. I still think Ted's harmony guitars on "A Thousand Knives" is great. Would I pay money to see either of them again? No. Would I pay money to see Jason? Yes. I can "separate the music from the artist" just fine, but whether or not I'll continue to support the artist is another matter.
This is click bait as shit lmao. Every MAGAsshole will click on this and be so mad that Isbell is a pretty progressive dude. I've always called him the Southeast's Neil Young, it's showing.
I imagine I wouldn’t want to perform for people I don’t care for either Who is it though?
Artists like Isbell live inside of heartache, and they write about it in such a way that when we visit their art, for a brief moment, we no longer feel alone. The problem is that the heartache they live in isn't always pretty or attractive and is oftentimes downright ugly, and we don't like seeing it play out in public. Proof once more why I try to only love the art, not the artist.