Old-Time Country Sounds Even Better In Today's AI-Generated Hellscape

From Sturgill Simpson to The Onlies, a new cohort of artists are redefining traditional country music for our metamodern times

One of the things I love most about contemporary, traditional music is its ability to capture the tension between tradition and change.

In the old-time scene, much respect is given to the historical evolution of each tune. At old-time fiddle conventions today, people spend more time listening to a history lesson of each tune from the musicians than the music itself.

But, the best traditional musicians today can stay true to the music's roots while pushing the genre forward in new and interesting ways. 

For example, just a few weeks ago, The Onlies released an official video for their recording of "Matty Groves.” Sonya Badigian and Nokosee Fields created the video, and their mix of traditional music with clips from the YouTube meme video Hellscape is absurd and disturbing—and I love it.

Watch "Matty Groves” by The Onlies

The Onlies are known as one of the top old-time string bands of the moment, digging deep into traditional material to create music that resounds with the present. And while they might seem young by old-time standards, they already have half a decade of touring experience under their belts and are breathing new life into old music.

Sami Braman, Leo Shannon, and Riley Calcagno founded the group in 2005 at age seven, playing their first gig at Seattle’s Northwest Folklife Festival. Since adding singer and guitarist Vivian Leva of Lexington, Virginia, they have toured around the U.S., taught at top American roots festivals and camps, and have been lauded as the first-place winners of the 2017 Appalachian Stringband Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia. Along the way, the band has performed and collaborated with Elvis Costello, Bruce Molsky, and Foghorn Stringband, to name a few. Nokosee Fields, one of the top old-time musicians in America today, plays bass in this recording.

Not long ago, country songs were taught by ear on front porches and at contra dances. Then, a new generation learned the songs through recorded albums and the radio. Nowadays, people learn these tunes, often written before the invention of electricity, through YouTube videos and internet tabs.

"Matty Groves," also known as "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" or simply "Little Musgrave," is a ballad that originated in Northern England. The song tells the story of an adulterous affair between a young man and a noblewoman, which comes to an end when the woman's husband discovers and kills them. The ballad dates back to at least 1613 and is one of the Child ballads collected by the 19th-century American scholar Francis James Child under the title "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard."

But many traditional music fans might know the tune from Doc Watson’s 1966 recording from his album Home Again!.

Watch "Matty Groves” by Doc Watson

While many artists in Country music attempt to stay true to the traditions defined by the industry elites, a new cohort of “metamodern” artists today recognize that change and adaptation are written into the genes of the genre.

Metamodernism is a term for contemporary culture that has moved beyond postmodernism. It engages with the resurgence of sincerity, hope, romanticism, and the potential for grand narratives while remembering all that we have learned from the past.

Sturgill Simpson is a well-known artist in the contemporary country music scene. He gained popularity with his debut album, "High Top Mountain," in 2013 and defined the “Metamodern Sound” in country music with his 2014 album, “Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.”

 In 2019, he released his album, "Sound and Fury,” which many country critics called absurd. And to be fair, it is.

"Sound and Fury" is a 41-minute visual album available on Netflix. It is a nonlinear dystopian anime featuring a variety of art styles played over blues, hard rock, psychedelic rock, and, of course, country music. During the recording process, Simpson felt his work was not eclectic enough. As a result, he decided to collaborate with five legendary animation directors from Japan to animate the entire album.

Watch: Sturgill Simpson Presents Sound & Fury

The film draws inspiration from Mad Max, Heavy Metal, and Cowboy Bebop, among others. Its visuals range from a live-action skateboarding sequence to a gory watercolor battle to a pop art dance party. The film's versatility is remarkable, and it is a must-watch for anyone interested in music, anime, or visual art.

Simpson and Mizusaki want you to get mad. “Sturgill Simpson Presents Sound and Fury depicts the revenge we all want against corporate authoritarian greed that takes precedence over the greater good.

Weird right?

Not if you remember that hillbilly music was created by union coal miners playing African banjos, Italian Mandolin, Scotch-Irish fiddles, and  Spanish guitars. At the time, in the hills of Appalachia, I’m sure it all seemed pretty absurd.

But then again, Rednecks never really make much sense.