Bluegrass Legend Endorses Obama

I generally try to stay away from politics here at STWOF, but I thought you might find it interesting that bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley has recorded a radio spot for Barack Obama.



Article: Bluegrass Legend Cuts Radio Ad for Obama in Va.

Check the post immediately below for a great song by Ralph Stanley.

Are you bluegrass curious?

Tired of the same old country and rock? Looking for something new? Why not give bluegrass a shot?

It's folky without being maudlin. It features great technical playing without sacrificing its downhome soulfulness. It's got those wonderful close harmonies. And it's a truly independent music scene. (There's not much money in bluegrass.)

Today's bluegrass sales pitch is prompted by a great bluegrass mix over at Stranger Dance. Check it out! It's just about the right size for CD and makes for some nice autumnal listening. My little girl and I had it on the car radio yesterday on our way to go apple picking. Good stuff. (Anybody need a ton of fresh-picked Michigan apples?)

Now enjoy some great old bluegrass from some of the giants of the genre:

The Dillards - Dooley (buy). Read about The Dillards at AMG.

Ralph Stanley - Rank Stranger (buy). I've always loved this one.

Doc Watson - My Rose Of Old Kentucky (buy). Read about this great album.

The Osborne Brothers - Down In The Willow Garden (buy). You can't have a bluegrass post without at least one murder ballad.

The Country Gentlemen - Fox On The Run (buy). For sentimental reasons, this is probably my favorite bluegrass song. My daughter's too. My son prefers Rocky Top. Can't argue with that.

Bill Monroe - Rocky Road Blues (buy) Read more about the Father of Bluegrass over at Old Blue Bus.

If you're intrigued but not sure where to get started, check out this post by Brendan (from The Rising Storm) about The Essential Bluegrass Discography.

A man in Kentucky sure is lucky . . .

Last week's theme at Star Maker Machine was the fifty states.

Going through my “state” songs, I wasn't surprised to see that Texas, California, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee inspired more than their fair share of good songs. Another top tier state, with a deep roster of quality tunes, is Kentucky.


The Bluegrass State has a great musical tradition. Notable Kentuckians include Bill Monroe, Loretta Lynn, and Tom T. Hall.

In addition to great music, Kentucky is also known for its bourbon, tobacco, horse racing, basketball, and fried chicken.

Sounds like a fellow could have a pretty good time there.

Anyway, here’s a Kentucky mix to enjoy with a nice bourbon over the rocks:

Dwight Yoakam – South Of Cincinnati (buy)
The Gosdin Brothers – Bowling Green (buy)
Emmylou Harris – Blue Kentucky Girl (buy)
Bill Monroe – Blue Moon Of Kentucky (buy)
Bill Monroe – Kentucky Waltz (buy)
Loretta Lynn – Coal Miner’s Daughter (buy)
The Louvin Brothers - Kentucky (buy)
Merle Travis – Kentucky Means Paradise (buy)
Merle Haggard – Kentucky Gambler (buy)
The Kinks – Kentucky Moon (buy)
Randy Newman – Old Kentucky Home (buy)
The Osborne Brothers – My Old Kentucky Home (buy)
Jann Brown - Louisville (buy)
Tom T. Hall – I Flew Over Our House Last Night (buy)
Ralph Stanley & Dwight Yoakam – Miner’s Prayer (buy)
Jimmie Davis – Roll Along, Kentucky Moon (buy)

For more state songs, check out Divinyl's excellent, and growing, list at Ceci N'est Pas un Blog.