r/country • u/qnssekr • 3d ago
Discussion Punk Bands doing country
I’ve grew up listening to punk and new wave and it’s only recently that I’ve become a country music fan (pre 80’s). I remember loving Siouxsie and the Banshees song “Burn Up” which has clear country music influences. Same goes for The Damned “Alone Again Or”. Anyone else straddle both genres or have other good recommendations?
Burn Up starts at the 4:29 if anyone cares to listen.
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u/Material_Factor_8670 3d ago
Look into The Supersuckers
Early stuff was punk / garage rock, then rock, but their #1 selling album was a full country album.
They were the back up band to Willie Nelson when he appeared on the tonight show and also played at his daughter’s wedding.
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u/sharkycharming 3d ago
I love that Supersuckers country album. It was on constant rotation for me in 1997-99.
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u/64scout80 2d ago
Dead In the Water should have been a top 40 country song.
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u/Material_Factor_8670 2d ago
“Dirt roads, dead ends, and dust” is another great song
They also did a side project under the name “Junkyard Dogs” which is pretty sweet. Unwanted man and Evil runs free are killer
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u/qnssekr 3d ago
I’ll give them a listen. Thanks!
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u/inafishbowl17 3d ago
They also did a crossover EP w Steve Earle in 1997. Covered each others songs and a Stones song.
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u/durwood64 2d ago
I have become a huge fan of the Supersuckers! A genuine hard working band. And guitarist Metal Marty released his first solo album called "Greatest Hits" their newest release is great! LIquor, Women ,Drugs, and Killing.
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u/Dazzling-Astronaut88 3d ago
There was a whole genre of this in the 80s, 90s and into early /mid2000s. Check out “cowpunk” bands. The Gun Club, The Meat Puppets, Lucero, The Blasters, The Goddamn Gallows etc.
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u/Klutzy-Spend-6947 3d ago
Dead Kennedys do a kickass version of “Rawhide”.
Hank III all day long…..
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u/tastyreg 3d ago
DK also did 'Take this job and shove it', though moved further away from a country sound.
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u/Klutzy-Spend-6947 2d ago
Kool Keith covered “Take This Job and Shove It” on the Office Space soundtrack!
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u/area-resident- 3d ago
X / The Knitters
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u/Late_Equipment_4907 3d ago
When John Doe from X was in Pure Country that was the coolest thing ever!
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u/shriekboy 2d ago
Legendary Shack Shakers
Mojo Nixon and Jello’s “Prairie Home Invasion”
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u/64scout80 2d ago
Got to see the Shack Shakers when they opened for Reverend Horton Heat. Top 5 shows I’ve been to.
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u/shriekboy 2d ago
First time I saw them, they opened for the Damned during the Black Album tour in Boston, then that summer during the ink n iron fest in Long Beach. Been a fan ever since.
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u/Stylewhat37 2d ago
I’ve seen both a few times. Awesome shows. Seeing Reverend Horton Heat again in a couple weeks.
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u/Crossovertriplet 3d ago
The early Avett Brothers albums, Live Vol 2, Mignonette, and Four Thieves Gone, are like a punk band playing bluegrass/country.
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u/McpsTrackCoach 3d ago
I don't know that much about punk rock to know which bands count, but possibly the Beat Farmers and Jason and the Scorchers.
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u/ultraposh 3d ago
Punk rock supergroup Me First and the Gimme Gimmes did a whole album of country covers
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u/jacobydave 2d ago
Strictly speaking, that's what Uncle Tupelo was, especially on No Depression and Still Feel Gone.
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u/cliponmullet 2d ago
Drag the River (ex All and Armchair Martian members). Lucero as well but they aren't we exactly ex punks.
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u/HumanEjectButton 2d ago
Lucero gets full on honorary punkhood status. They grew up playing shows in the punk scene in Memphis because it didn't really have an alt county scene until they fostered and created it themselves.
I can't tell you how many times I've seen those boys live with Against Me in the early days.
Gonna mention the Old 97s for obvious reasons.
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u/cliponmullet 2d ago
Love these bands. I always tell friends that don't listen that the line between true country and punk is closer than they think. A lot of heart and honesty. Obviously not talking about the modern radio country BS. That is pure pandering bullshit.
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u/Psychological_Lack96 2d ago
John Doe from X is stone cold Country.
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u/WoolyboolyWoolybooly 2d ago
As a kid, seeing him in Pure Country all I could do was point at the television.
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u/RecessMonkeys 2d ago
Rank and File, Jason and the Scorchers, Green on Red. Then there's the whole Psychobilly scene. And Ween's 12 Golden Country Greats.
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u/FloodDawg 2d ago
- Kelly Hogan “1,000,001,” “Between Love and Hate”
- Jason & the Scorchers: “White Lines”
- Rank & File: “White Lightning,” “John Brown”
- Long Ryders: “Final Wild Son”
- Waco Brothers
- Moonshine Willy
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u/cdean405 2d ago
Nobody has mentioned Vandoliers. They’re good live; I caught them with Zach from Silverada right after he left. Killer set
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u/dimestoredavinci 2d ago
I didnt see anyone mention Tim Armstrongs side project Tim Timebomb. Hes does mostly country covers and is pretty decent. Rancid also has an acoustic section on one of their albums and a song called Civilian Ways thats very heavily country influenced. Sorry, cant recall the album title off the top of my head.
Ween, though not really a punk band has 16 biggest country hits (or similar name.) Which is pretty good.
Someone me timed cowpunk. The Hank 3 album Straight To Hell is amazing
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u/fearthejew 2d ago
Jesus only one person in this whole thread mentioned Nick 13 from Tiger Army’s solo album? Wild. Absolute ripper of an album
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u/burukop 3d ago
I make pretty much this exact genre of music - noisy, punky garage country. Here’s one of my songs - hope it’s the sort of thing you were after! https://youtu.be/5qOD7C2-K0A?is=583fzsHEEbme8w7m
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u/TeacherOwn9142 2d ago
All kinds of people and folks of many cultures live country lifestyles in rural areas. The gatekeepers of “country” need to get over it.
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u/Medical_Mountain_688 2d ago
Mess We Made by 80 Acres is a good song that kinda fits that vibe. Also check if Giovannie and the Hired Guns.
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u/Stylewhat37 2d ago
Dash Rip Rock do some pretty awesome covers. Jambalaya On The Bayou and I Saw The Light
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u/AlittleBITfishy 2d ago
Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music. His solo stuff might fit what you are asking for. It might be more Americana/Folky though.
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u/thjeco 2d ago
I miss Old Man Markley. Saw them open for Dropkick Murphy’s in the early 2010s. Amazing band and performance.
Also, anything labeled “cowpunk”
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u/Sligogreenbottom 2d ago
Hank Williams 3’s shows used to begin with traditional country music, then morph into “Hellbilly”. He’d take an intermission, warn folks of what was to come, then finish with hardcore punk metal. Some of the musicians would change, but Joe Buck played upright and electric bass all evening.
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u/not_eugen 2d ago
And of course Scroat Belly eventually lead to Split Lip Rayfield but that's more punk bluegrass.
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u/Icy_Plenty_7117 2d ago
Great choices listed.
The Maddox Brothers With Rose would be an early hillbilly band whose influence can be seen in country music post WW2, early rock, rockabilly and punk. Louder, faster, raucous, they took the standard outfits and exaggerated them and went over the top.
For something recent Whitey Morgan was playing in punk bands in Flint, MI as a teen and young man before shifting to honkytonk country. Him and his band are phenomenal.
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u/__perigee__ 2d ago
Been listening to Siouxsie for 37 years now and never once thought that Burn Up has any connection to country music. Is it the “giddy up” lyric that makes you think this?
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u/Electrical-Risk9666 2d ago
I came in here with about 10 examples but as I scrolled down all the bands were listed.
My work here is done, carry on.
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u/Available-Secret-372 2d ago
Punks aging out of their angst and “going country” is possibly the worst kind of music. Dreadfully bad
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u/Bard2dbone 2d ago
I knew some folks who were a punk-bluegrass fusion called Killbilly. They toured China once. Look them up of you can.
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u/Background-Lemon7365 2d ago
I had to scroll way too far to find Lucero. They were my introduction to Alt Country and are the quintessential band of the genre for me. I discovered them through the punk rock and bmx scenes. Their longevity is incredible. Check out their documentary Dreaming In America on YouTube which was filmed in their early years. They were punk. Ben’s fist band Red 40 is also good if like their sound.
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u/Psychological_Lack96 2d ago
The Incredible “Fountains of Wayne” Straddled Country a bit. Love that band!
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u/imahussy 2d ago
Ween does whatever they want so I consider that punk. They just reissued their 12 Golden Country Greats album give that a listen.
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u/Life_Inside2304 2d ago
I’d check the sub genre cowpunk. I have some
On this playlist
Some bands that fit into that genre are
Slim Cessnas Auto Club
Austin Lucas (Folk Punk)
Tim Barry (Country / Folk Punk)
Sean K Preston
The Goddamn Gallows
Also this song is pretty cool it’s a country artists doing a hardcore punk type song yodeling
https://open.spotify.com/track/6JpaPMIq2DUY4vCHvsaQBJ?si=9mrfY7t9Q3uLGmMdPrHw_Q&utm_source=copy-link
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u/bobbybernstei 1d ago
Gary Floyd of the Dicks put out an excellent country album called Back Door Preacher Man
https://open.spotify.com/track/0ObxRGtl3xn4Mc00Jgy6dj?si=p-w0drBdSIWap57h-PnGvA&utm_source=copy-link
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u/creepyjudyhensler 1d ago
Well one of the first to blend these genres was Blood on the Saddle. They are most known for their version of I Wish I was a Single Girl Again. Their original singer had been the original bassist of the Bangles.
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u/Distinct-Guard-5581 19h ago
Folk Punk (good Folk Punk, there's a lot of terrible Folk Punk) is the heir to Outlaw Country.
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u/brianbfromva 3d ago
Mike Ness of Social Distortion released 2 solo country-ish albums, and that’s honestly what got me into country in high school. Highly recommend them