When people asked what kind of music I liked as a kid, my typical answer was “anything but country music.” But the truth is, just like we acquire a taste for beer and wine, there is nothing quite like a good country song. The Cocaine and Rhinestones podcast is about the history of modern country music so it may not be your cup of tea. It is also extremely focused on white artists and does not even nod towards country music’s roots in black culture so one might not call it a complete history.
However, from Merle Haggard to Wynonna to Buck Owens and Don Richards, Cocaine and Rhinestones provides a chance to discover the stories behind the (white people) twang. If you have a deep rooted love of country music, and you can get beyond the fact that host, Tyler Mahan Coe sometimes comes across as a polished version of Jack Black’s know-it-all character in High Fidelity, this podcast is for you.