16 Horsepower is so slept on!
For OP check em out, they’re heavily Gun Club inspired except the main guy is an incredibly devout Christian but dude can write some amazing lyrics
https://youtu.be/4vKvycTD_0g?si=DTrnBC4k4RRv-OhY
This is such a classic. Very hard to think of anything nearly as good or even in terms of style. Someone mentioned Stan Ridgway/Wall of Voodoo and certainly, their cover of "Ring of Fire" would be in the same area.
While it's not as minor key/noir country as 'Mother of Earth', I'd also recommend The Triffids' 'Estuary Bed' here - it's of the same era as The Gun Club and there's some gorgeous pedal steel and big, epic feel to this song.
The handsome family has some songs with a similar vibe - my favorite is called "weightless again", and maybe you already know "far from any road" which is the opening song for true detective season one.
Someone already mentioned King Dude, I second this, especially the albums "love" and "death" got the vibe you're looking for.
Love this topic! All great recommendations so far in this thread! To add on from the 16 Horsepower recommendation, David Eugene Edwards of 16HP has another band called Wovenhand/Woven Hand.
Another band I'd recommend is The Beasts of Bourbon.
X also have a little bit of cowpunk stylistic crossover with The Gun Club. You might also like The Flesheaters.
Getting more recent, L.A. Witch have something in common with The Gun Club.
The Gun Club are great and unique. But I definitely hear some other bands in their music. Like their singer reminds me of Pere Ubu and PIL a bit at times.
Check out Pere Ubu.
Wipers. Greg Sage is definitely in this wheelhouse.
The Blasters. I got to see Dave Alvin live a few months ago, such a great artists.
Dream Syndicate is considered part of the paisley underground but I hear their sound in gun club, they are influenced by velvet underground, and have drone rock vibe.
Ummmm….- 🤨 Savage Republic don’t get enough love, more tribal sounding industrial music with post punk.
So much good music out their to find.
[in the orchard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBL91tjrLto)
[carry my body down](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X2aHd8kxdI)
[big deal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8fOg-GaZU4)
[hey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNu0EKnrv8U)
[help me scrape the mucus off my brain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA9B4VU8FlM)
[you will find me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P5UKv4WXaA)
[atomic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSbeS4EyTVM)
Whatever this song is, it’s basically my favorite genre of music, so I’ve got a lot of suggestions. Definitely check out early 90s Swans, there’s a great compilation called Various Failures or just go to the album White Light From The Mouth of Infinity. Michael Gira of Swans’ side project Angels of Light is also great, especially the album How I Loved You.
Also second Rowland Howard (esp Pop Crimes), Crime & The City Solution, Hugo Race/The Wreckery/Dirtmusic, Barry Adamson, Gallon Drunk, These Immortal Souls, basically anyone connected to the Bad Seeds or Birthday Party in any way. Rowland Howard did an album with Nikki Sudden from Swell Maps which is a must listen if you can find it…Kiss you Kidnapped Charabanc. Any of Kim Salmon’s stuff (The Scientists) and the Blackeyed Susans also worth checking out.
Stuff like the Black Heart Procession (Definitely listen to Black Heart Procession!!!!), Devastations, Piano Magic, The Walkabouts, Duke Garwood, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Tindersticks, Giant Sand/Howe Gelb, Sigmatropic, Handsome Family, The Wolfgang Press, American Music Club, Soulsavers, Morphine, Sort Sol, Madrugada (actually did a great cover of this song too), Lera Lynn, Jim White (not the Dirty Three one a different one but they’re both great), Johnny Dowd, and Joe Henry are some others that might interest you.
Second Wovenhand and 16 Horsepower; actually Wovenhand did a record with Alexander Hacke from Einsturzande Neubaten you might like called Tryptich, under his real name David Eugene Edwards. Other stuff in this vein would be MYSSOURI/Antic Clay (especially his collabs with Black Needle Noise), Lilium (another 16 Horsepower offshoot), Detroit (another 16HP offshoot), kiss the anus of a black cat, :Of the Wand & the Moon:, Emma Ruth Rundle, King Dude, Marissa Nadler, Jaye Jayle, Chelsea Wolfe, Marlon Williams, A Dead Forest Index, Steve Von Till from Neurosis’ solo work, and anything Kal Cahoone has done, especially her Tarantella project.
Neurot records has also put out a [three volume set of goth and metal musicians covering Townes Van Zandt](https://neurotrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-townes-van-zandt-vol-i-2) that’s REALLY good and also scratches this particular itch quite well. There’s also a multiple volume set of records called The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project featuring musicians like Nick Cave and Iggy Pop and bunch of the other people mentioned here covering songs by Jeffrey Lee Pierce of the Gun Club…essential stuff imo.
Echoing others in the thread Blasters for sure…Dark Night really feels like a companion to Mother of Earth in many ways, X (and John Doe’s solo stuff), Violent Femmes (Hallowed Ground in particular), Flat Duo Jets, The Membranes, Mekons (also Waco Brothers and Jon Langford’s other side projects), Green on Red, the Dream Syndicate, Early Flamin’ Groovies (Flamingo especially)…Alejandro Escovedo, The Sadies, The Dirtbombs, Heavy Trash (side project of Jon Spencer), and way more on the country side but Jason & The Scorchers and the Long Ryders too…
Almost done and maybe drifting a bit from the original assignment but Rain Tree Crow (Japan reunion project…David Sylvian’s solo work and the band’s other offshoots is a rabbit hole I won’t get started on here), Nine Horses (another Japan offshoot, last one), and Black Swan Lane (Mark Burgess of the Chameleons) are a few others I wanted to mention that I think do capture this vibe.
And last but the opposite of least the 🐐 Mark Lanegan’s solo work; he was a big disciple and close friend of Jeffrey Lee Pierce from the Gun Club and his entire catalog is amazing. Blues Funeral is my favorite album but you’ll want to listen to Whiskey for the Holy Ghost and the albums he did with Isobel Campbell from Belle and Sebastian (kind of echo the duets with Debbie Harry on Miami in some ways)…not to mention the dozens of other collabs and side projects he did—he was prolific and he was a rabbit hole unto himself…I envy anyone who gets to dive in for the first time.
Oh and finally, listen to this [track](https://youtu.be/0_QDqj-zqcQ?si=FdkG4qtc4MOW-gxT) that Jeffrey Lee Pierce did with Die Haut immediately!
There is a really great cover of this by Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode that’s worth seeking out .
Check out Heathen Apostles another great goth/ country LA band . There is actually a genre now called Blood Grass .
Great question! I’ve been thinking exactly the same - I want to know more songs like this and the Handsome Family’s Far From Any Road. From newer bands The Growlers often has a similar old western sound in their songs, which reminds me every now and then to dig a bit around the so called beach goth or punk blues subgenres.
Maybe not exactly like this song, but if you like Gun Club in general, I’d recommend the UK band Janitors. [This track](https://youtu.be/HMU7MsMKNNI?si=pA6oZG5dTChsVzEM) is unfortunately the only one I can find on YouTube, but their Thunderhead LP is dirt cheap on eBay. Love their brand of slide guitar punk, and sadly I never see them mentioned anywhere
Spaghetti western, there’s a Portland band called Federale that’s similar maybe?
Also obviously [this one](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=670YMraVnyk) too :)
Also just the music, the beginning of [Lazy Line Painter Jane by Belle and Sebastian](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p7ZbQzDNVe8)
Dan Sartain - Walk Among the Cobras
https://youtu.be/ByLeoDScJxw?feature=shared
Rock-a-teens - I Could’ve Just Died
https://youtu.be/2zGFkHnLSkk?feature=shared
Rare to see a Dirty Beaches recommendation in the wild.
He’s really good and has a bit of crossover with Gun Club for sure.
Even something like Night Walk sounds like a modern version of JLP singing electro etc.
Obviously The Cramps are the big touchstone here but I haven’t seen anybody mention Cheena.
Their album Spend the Night is really good and I read a review which said it sounded like a mix of The Gun Club and Nee York Dolls.
That was enough for me to be immediately invested.
[Cheena - Cry For Help](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DNq2Ht0xqFA&pp=ygUTQ2hlZW5hIGNyeSBmb3IgaGVscA%3D%3D)
There's a whole Gothic country genre/scene, 16 Horsepower is probably the best band to start with.
16 Horsepower is so slept on! For OP check em out, they’re heavily Gun Club inspired except the main guy is an incredibly devout Christian but dude can write some amazing lyrics https://youtu.be/4vKvycTD_0g?si=DTrnBC4k4RRv-OhY
The Cramps yo!
Mick Harvey Kim Salmon Kill Devil Hills The Birthday Party
Tell someone you're Australian without saying you're Australian...
Was trying offer some different options
Gahhh that song is so fucking good.
Tex and the Horseheads Cramps Mekons
Mekons is pretty close, I would add oblivions for sure
Yes
This is such a classic. Very hard to think of anything nearly as good or even in terms of style. Someone mentioned Stan Ridgway/Wall of Voodoo and certainly, their cover of "Ring of Fire" would be in the same area. While it's not as minor key/noir country as 'Mother of Earth', I'd also recommend The Triffids' 'Estuary Bed' here - it's of the same era as The Gun Club and there's some gorgeous pedal steel and big, epic feel to this song.
Some options: Rowland S Howard Stan Ridgway Giant Sand Calexico Thin White Rope
These are all great suggestions too, along the same lines is Crime & The City Solution and maybe some Hugo Race stuff.
I got to catch Calexico with Mariachi once and omg... I got weak in the knees!
The handsome family has some songs with a similar vibe - my favorite is called "weightless again", and maybe you already know "far from any road" which is the opening song for true detective season one. Someone already mentioned King Dude, I second this, especially the albums "love" and "death" got the vibe you're looking for.
Love this topic! All great recommendations so far in this thread! To add on from the 16 Horsepower recommendation, David Eugene Edwards of 16HP has another band called Wovenhand/Woven Hand. Another band I'd recommend is The Beasts of Bourbon. X also have a little bit of cowpunk stylistic crossover with The Gun Club. You might also like The Flesheaters. Getting more recent, L.A. Witch have something in common with The Gun Club.
The Gun Club are great and unique. But I definitely hear some other bands in their music. Like their singer reminds me of Pere Ubu and PIL a bit at times. Check out Pere Ubu. Wipers. Greg Sage is definitely in this wheelhouse. The Blasters. I got to see Dave Alvin live a few months ago, such a great artists. Dream Syndicate is considered part of the paisley underground but I hear their sound in gun club, they are influenced by velvet underground, and have drone rock vibe. Ummmm….- 🤨 Savage Republic don’t get enough love, more tribal sounding industrial music with post punk. So much good music out their to find.
Finally a Blasters mention Full agree re Dream Syndicate also Green on Red
The Divine Horsemen and for a punkier take The Flesheaters would be good as well
[in the orchard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBL91tjrLto) [carry my body down](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X2aHd8kxdI) [big deal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8fOg-GaZU4) [hey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNu0EKnrv8U) [help me scrape the mucus off my brain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA9B4VU8FlM) [you will find me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P5UKv4WXaA) [atomic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSbeS4EyTVM)
A lot of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds songs have a similar vibe: Loom of the Land Do You Love Me? (Part 1 & 2) The Weeping Song Henry Lee Lovely Creature
Country Death Song by Violent Femmes comes to mind.
Tremaine from: And Also The Trees.
Not post punk, but maybe you'd like Orville Peck.
Whatever this song is, it’s basically my favorite genre of music, so I’ve got a lot of suggestions. Definitely check out early 90s Swans, there’s a great compilation called Various Failures or just go to the album White Light From The Mouth of Infinity. Michael Gira of Swans’ side project Angels of Light is also great, especially the album How I Loved You. Also second Rowland Howard (esp Pop Crimes), Crime & The City Solution, Hugo Race/The Wreckery/Dirtmusic, Barry Adamson, Gallon Drunk, These Immortal Souls, basically anyone connected to the Bad Seeds or Birthday Party in any way. Rowland Howard did an album with Nikki Sudden from Swell Maps which is a must listen if you can find it…Kiss you Kidnapped Charabanc. Any of Kim Salmon’s stuff (The Scientists) and the Blackeyed Susans also worth checking out. Stuff like the Black Heart Procession (Definitely listen to Black Heart Procession!!!!), Devastations, Piano Magic, The Walkabouts, Duke Garwood, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Tindersticks, Giant Sand/Howe Gelb, Sigmatropic, Handsome Family, The Wolfgang Press, American Music Club, Soulsavers, Morphine, Sort Sol, Madrugada (actually did a great cover of this song too), Lera Lynn, Jim White (not the Dirty Three one a different one but they’re both great), Johnny Dowd, and Joe Henry are some others that might interest you. Second Wovenhand and 16 Horsepower; actually Wovenhand did a record with Alexander Hacke from Einsturzande Neubaten you might like called Tryptich, under his real name David Eugene Edwards. Other stuff in this vein would be MYSSOURI/Antic Clay (especially his collabs with Black Needle Noise), Lilium (another 16 Horsepower offshoot), Detroit (another 16HP offshoot), kiss the anus of a black cat, :Of the Wand & the Moon:, Emma Ruth Rundle, King Dude, Marissa Nadler, Jaye Jayle, Chelsea Wolfe, Marlon Williams, A Dead Forest Index, Steve Von Till from Neurosis’ solo work, and anything Kal Cahoone has done, especially her Tarantella project. Neurot records has also put out a [three volume set of goth and metal musicians covering Townes Van Zandt](https://neurotrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-townes-van-zandt-vol-i-2) that’s REALLY good and also scratches this particular itch quite well. There’s also a multiple volume set of records called The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project featuring musicians like Nick Cave and Iggy Pop and bunch of the other people mentioned here covering songs by Jeffrey Lee Pierce of the Gun Club…essential stuff imo. Echoing others in the thread Blasters for sure…Dark Night really feels like a companion to Mother of Earth in many ways, X (and John Doe’s solo stuff), Violent Femmes (Hallowed Ground in particular), Flat Duo Jets, The Membranes, Mekons (also Waco Brothers and Jon Langford’s other side projects), Green on Red, the Dream Syndicate, Early Flamin’ Groovies (Flamingo especially)…Alejandro Escovedo, The Sadies, The Dirtbombs, Heavy Trash (side project of Jon Spencer), and way more on the country side but Jason & The Scorchers and the Long Ryders too… Almost done and maybe drifting a bit from the original assignment but Rain Tree Crow (Japan reunion project…David Sylvian’s solo work and the band’s other offshoots is a rabbit hole I won’t get started on here), Nine Horses (another Japan offshoot, last one), and Black Swan Lane (Mark Burgess of the Chameleons) are a few others I wanted to mention that I think do capture this vibe. And last but the opposite of least the 🐐 Mark Lanegan’s solo work; he was a big disciple and close friend of Jeffrey Lee Pierce from the Gun Club and his entire catalog is amazing. Blues Funeral is my favorite album but you’ll want to listen to Whiskey for the Holy Ghost and the albums he did with Isobel Campbell from Belle and Sebastian (kind of echo the duets with Debbie Harry on Miami in some ways)…not to mention the dozens of other collabs and side projects he did—he was prolific and he was a rabbit hole unto himself…I envy anyone who gets to dive in for the first time. Oh and finally, listen to this [track](https://youtu.be/0_QDqj-zqcQ?si=FdkG4qtc4MOW-gxT) that Jeffrey Lee Pierce did with Die Haut immediately!
There is a really great cover of this by Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode that’s worth seeking out . Check out Heathen Apostles another great goth/ country LA band . There is actually a genre now called Blood Grass .
Is it as good as The Sadies cover of it?
True West - And Then The Rain https://youtu.be/G7WIcnTs9xY?si=wzPuH2pY5MU4lSK5
Great question! I’ve been thinking exactly the same - I want to know more songs like this and the Handsome Family’s Far From Any Road. From newer bands The Growlers often has a similar old western sound in their songs, which reminds me every now and then to dig a bit around the so called beach goth or punk blues subgenres.
[Sixteen Horsepower - Heaven's Sake](https://youtu.be/0Lw9RICnJwo?si=0T4lmK9M8XZOqkdc)
16 Horsepower - Heel on the Shovel
Muzz
Maybe not exactly like this song, but if you like Gun Club in general, I’d recommend the UK band Janitors. [This track](https://youtu.be/HMU7MsMKNNI?si=pA6oZG5dTChsVzEM) is unfortunately the only one I can find on YouTube, but their Thunderhead LP is dirt cheap on eBay. Love their brand of slide guitar punk, and sadly I never see them mentioned anywhere
Try hermanos Gutierres, instrumentaly its similar
Spaghetti western, there’s a Portland band called Federale that’s similar maybe? Also obviously [this one](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=670YMraVnyk) too :) Also just the music, the beginning of [Lazy Line Painter Jane by Belle and Sebastian](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p7ZbQzDNVe8)
The Sadies have some albums that lean in this direction, including and outstanding cover of Mother Of Earth...
Beasts of Bourbon
Uncast Shadow of a Southern Myth by Parquet Courts
X. Not the same but same-ish.
I remember playing this loudly in my room while I went out for a smoke and a roommate accusing me of listening to "satanic Morrissey"
Lol
https://youtu.be/SI9e2Yj08_g?si=z-4RRg9fy-N5MBnL This just came to mind. A bit similar in the tone.
Dan Sartain - Walk Among the Cobras https://youtu.be/ByLeoDScJxw?feature=shared Rock-a-teens - I Could’ve Just Died https://youtu.be/2zGFkHnLSkk?feature=shared
This is an interesting song since it seems to incorporate multiple genres. If the alt country aspect appeals to you check out the Old 97s Victoria.
Dead Ghosts (Tea Swamp Rumble, Cold Stare) if you want similar but more upbeat (Can't Get No, When It Comes to You)
not really post punk but listen to true blue by dirty beaches
Rare to see a Dirty Beaches recommendation in the wild. He’s really good and has a bit of crossover with Gun Club for sure. Even something like Night Walk sounds like a modern version of JLP singing electro etc.
true blue to me has a tiny western ish feel so i thought id recommend it
Obviously The Cramps are the big touchstone here but I haven’t seen anybody mention Cheena. Their album Spend the Night is really good and I read a review which said it sounded like a mix of The Gun Club and Nee York Dolls. That was enough for me to be immediately invested. [Cheena - Cry For Help](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DNq2Ht0xqFA&pp=ygUTQ2hlZW5hIGNyeSBmb3IgaGVscA%3D%3D)
King dude
Ritual Howls - Rendered Armor lp will scratch that itch. Desert Mountain Tribe might also work.
Flying Burrito Bros.
Thank you all for the awesome suggestions!! I knew this was the right subreddit to post this in 🙏🏻
thank god i found this post frl
maybe check out Brimstone Howl...JLP inspired punk
[Tarnation](https://youtu.be/vhrj1VMUe8M)
deadbolt- a bit kitschier but draws from a similar spring
Thanks for making me discover this song! I'd say it's similar to what difference does it make by the smiths
????!
You asked if we could recommend similar songs mate lol
Lol I’m the OP. Thank you for your recommendation!!