True Blood makes me love country. Not Shania Twain pop country, but true, bluesy blue grassy country, and the kind of music that traces its roots back to the old country twang.  It might just be that my obsession with the show has sunk to freakish levels of nerd-dom, but I walk away from every episode mimicking a southern accent and hankering to listen to some Jessie Coulter. For those not so into the show, the musical selection is really good, and has a lot to offer in the way of an introduction to country, a musical genre hitherto much misunderstood by myself (and, I suspect, many others). Here’re the top songs they’ve played so far:

“Lake Charles” Lucinda Williams

“Stumble and Pain” Joseph Arthur

“Bones” Little Big Town

“Two Wheels” Alligator Stew

“Honky Tonk Queen” Big Sandy &  His Fly-Rite Boys

“Snake in the Grass” Vallejo

“Far Far Away” Wilco

“Downtown” Alex Chilton

“Good Times” Charlie Robison

“Brand New Cadillac” Wayne Hancock

“Sparks Fly Out” Paul Burch

“Feel Alright” Steve Earle

“I Play Chicken With the Train” Cowboy Troy

Something for everyone.