Pull your fingers out of your.... ears. V1

Now time for me to force music of merit onto you. I said it up front, so you know what to expect.

MURDER BY DEATH

Something I get sick of often, is country music.  Something I get sick of even more frequently is complaining there is no good country music.  It is terrible by and large.  But here is a secret, it has almost always been terrible.  I love the genre.  Let me repeat, I love it.  The really strong artists are rare and almost always overshadowed by the bad ones.  The point is that great artists are always on the fringe of the scene and that they are there representing the best of what the genre can do.

That being said, I want to tell you about one of my favorite groups, Murder by Death.  The group hails from Bloomington, IN and has four full length albums under their belts (with a fifth coming in a week or so).  Every album they have made is incredibly strong and you can't go wrong with any of them.  The group may or may not like being labeled a country act (sometimes I see them listed as Alt-Country), but including them there is meant in the best possible way.  This is a group that recalls Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, all while putting their own stamp on the sound.  

This is one of the few bands I would wholly recommend to anyone.  Like the best of the genre, song topics often include murder, whiskey, women, money and god.  Each album has a distinctive sound and is worthy of a listen (in addition to a purchase).  The music has a roots rock and country flavor that is anchored by Adam Turla's deep vocal delivery.  Songs have a strong sense of melody and have the power to transport you to where ever they are about.... which is often a place of six shooters where the spilt whiskey mingles with split blood.  Great stuff.  

If I had to suggest an album as a jumping on point or a hook to get into the band, I would suggest either Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left of Them?  or Red of Tooth and Claw.  Who Will Survive is what hooked me on the band.  It is a concept album about the devil coming to a small Mexican border town and the hell they bring upon themselves.  If a concept album with a story appeals to you, go this route.  Red of Tooth and Claw is probably their strongest collection of songs and is a bit punchier than their other releases.  If you like Johnny Cash and how his songs move along, this is a great album for you.

Oh... their first album has a song called Holy Lord, Shawshank Redemption is Such a Good Movie! - seriously.  

Murder by Death consists of four member - Adam Turla (vocals and guitar), Matt Armstrong (bass), Sarah Balliet (cello, keys), and Dagan Thogerson (drums).  Vincent Edwards plays keys in what seems to be an on again/off again capacity.  

Below are links to the two recommended starting point albums.  Below that is a song.   I would recommend going to THEIR WEBSITE if you want to order their newest album Good Morning, Mag Pie.  Doing so will more than likely net you some nice goodies directly from the band themselves and it only costs 10 bucks.