ALT. Country

[nealcassady]

Al Dukes once said how Alt. Country would be the next big thing in music. Personally, I love country music, but I also recognize that the whole "Nasheville sound" has done much to damage people's perception of what country music is. Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, the Dead, and the Flying Burrito Bros. are examples of beautiful country music (i.e. perfect mix of heart, soul, and alcoholism/drug addiction).

For those of you who want to see an incredible young country band, check out Slim Cessna's Auto Club. They are incredible! If you like country music check them out when they play the Motor City Bar in NYC on Dec. 19 and 20. TRUST ME! No, I'm not in the band I'm just a huge fan. Take my word for it... you will thank me.

What must do ya'll like?

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[Death Metal Moe]

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[The Chairman]

When I saw this post I got wood. Alternative County, No Depression, Y'Alternative, Roots Rock, Americana, whatever you want to call it...is, along with Death Metal, the only music worth listening to.

The influences germinated from seeds planted by The Carter Family, Johnny Cash, Flying Burrito Brothers, The Band, and the Byrds to name a few. Graft anything from CCR, The Stones, Beatles, Big Star, Iggy and The Stooges, The Faces, and The Replacements and you've got the start of a type of music that shouldn't be classified by name as much as appreciated for its trenchant lyrics and heartfelt songs. For my money it's the most vibrant music out there today.

Unfortunately, the appellation "Country" today is more often than not associated with the likes of "New Country" artists like Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Brooks and Dunn, Faith Hill, Dixie Chicks, Alabama and Asleep at the Wheel. These are the commercial artists and that get the airplay and the major money. Yet they usually have more in common with Venus Williams than Hank Williams.

The kind of music referenced here - "Alt. Country" ......is where it's at...It's got more in common with rock than country. Yeah, there can be some fiddle, some pedal steel, some banjo, some Dobro...but that's what makes it brilliant, and uniquely American (with a few exceptions, notably The Waco Brothers and Peter Bruntnell).

So who are we talking about? You may have heard some of these bands. Wilco, Ryan Adams, and Lucinda Williams are perhaps the names that you may recognize. But they (or former incarnations) have been around for years.

Out of 70's rock and punk sprang a band, Uncle Tupelo, that can be viewed as a good reference/starting point for what has become Alt. Country as well now know it. Uncle Tupelo created some brilliant albums that are now being reissued and rediscovered, since this band's two genius leaders split to form Son Volt and Wilco. Other great bands in this genre include The Jayhawks, Steve Earle, The Bottle Rockets, The Blood Oranges, and Whiskeytown. The list goes on and diverges into bands that are more bluegrass (Alison Krauss and Union Station, The Oh Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack), or more Southern rock (Drive By Truckers), more rockin (Old 97's), more country blues/mountain songs (Blue Mountain), bluegrass punk (Bad Livers) or even "youthgrass" (Nickel Creek)

In any case, the Chairman loves this music and that's why he just spewed so much about it. So if you're interested in giving it a try, here are some good starting points. And if someone makes me a good sig pick, maybe I'll even burn you a cd sampler..I do have 2,000 cd's 'ya know.....

Here's a very subjective list of some of my favorite bands, with representative entry-level albums.

Uncle Tupelo - An Anthology 89/93
Son Volt - Trace
Wilco - Being There
Steve Earle - I Feel Alright
Blue Mountain - Home Grown
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Golden Smog - Weird Tales
The Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass
Whiskeytown - Stranger's Almanac
Slobberbone - Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today
Old 97's - Too Far To Care

and then the AMAZING stuff:

Drive By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera ( A Lynyrd Skynyrd Concept Album)

Great Labels include Bloodshot and Lost Highway.



This message was edited by Chairman_Kaga on 11-22-02 @ 7:17 AM

[Tall_James]

Golden Smog - Weird Tales
One of the greatest albums that no one has ever heard of. Well said Chairman. I would add a few off the top of my head that are fantastic examples...
Straightaways - Son Volt
Wrecking Ball - Emmylou Harris
Bring the Family - John Hiatt (a stretch, but one of the best albums..EVER!)
And I can't stress how great "The Long Ryders" were in the mid '80s. "Looking for Lewis & Clark" was my anthem.

Oh yeah, and any of the later John Prine albums on the OH BOY! label. I just keep coming back to edit on this thread.

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This message was edited by Tall_James on 11-22-02 @ 9:19 AM

[Michael Fury]

Some GREAT picks here. I'd also throw in Townes Van Zandt's "Live at the Old Quarter".





The Good Humor man can be pushed only so far.

[Wolf]

Check out Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers http://www.azpeacemakers.com.
They come from Arizona and they have a great Alt Country sound. Roger was formerly the lead singer of The Refreshments with the big hit Banditos (Everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people.)

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[TheMojoPin]

I'd throw in Grandaddy. But that's just me.

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[GodsFavoriteMan]

I'm the one from Nashville. I hate all country. Except for a select few songs. But hey, who doesn't have a special place in their heart for "The Gambler"?

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[DarkHippie]

I thought I was the only one in NY that listened to alt country. you guys just brought a tear to my eye :)

WFUV is the best station for alt country in the city.

btw: did anyone see steve earle on conan obrian the other night? brilliant, as always

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[El Mudo]

i personally am a fan of bakersfield country, which is kind of a mash of rock, blues, folk and country, guys like dwight yoakam ("Buenas Noches from a lonely room" is one of the best country songs ever, and i will be picking up his new box set off of Rhino.com soon), buck owens, and merle haggard

lately ive been listening to this small indy group from SoCal called "The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash", just got their album "Walk Alone", they have some pretty good stuff..

ill quote alan jackson when i say there is nothing like a steel guitar to drown a memory...reminds you as bad as you feel there is always someone worse off

Today's garbage in nashville like Faith Hill and Shania Twain and all those other crappy female artists dont sing country. they sing soft rock, but its called country for some reason

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This message was edited by El Mudo on 11-22-02 @ 12:52 PM

[Tall_James]

i personally am a fan of bakersfield country, which is kind of a mash of rock, blues, folk and country
NICE !!! I love "Streets of Bakersfield"! Buck was a badass before he sold out on Hee Haw.

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[Tall_James]

they sing soft rock, but its called country for some reason
Amen to that.

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[The Chairman]

Cool Cool Cool. The world will be a better place when Al Duke's words augur true...

Alt Country is the current "best thing" though, not "next best' ....and has been for a while.

There are so many good bands. One's that are amazing and you can still get close to, still feel the emotion and energy without the packaging and the glitz. Imagine an alternate universe where you pick up Rolling Stone and Lucinda Williams is on the cover, not Christine Aguilera, Brittney, or Aviril..or when the Federal income tax is eliminated and everyone in the country just has to pay a small surcharge to support real bands so they can stay true, make the money they deserve, but not sell out and capitulate to evil record labels with an eye solely on the bottom line.

You may notice a conspicuous absence of Alt. Rock Poster Boy of the moment Ryan Adams on my list. He was cut off when I saw him in a Gap ad. And he's a pretty officious drunken prick. He made sublime music with Whiskeytown and his solo stuff is really good. I listen to him like I can listen to Wagner...separating the music from the messenger. But Ryan as a person gets no love from me.

Steve Earle was great on Conan. Now that he's clean (and more lean) he seems better than ever, although his latest, much understood but very excellent Jerusalem IMHO skirts lines that are at the same time portentous, prophetic and preachy.

You like softer stuff? Check out Nadine and Scud Mountain Boys.

In any case, if you're up to checking out some great music give alt. country a shot. Like The Rolling Stones and Bruce? Check out Steve Earle. Like The Replacements, The Beatles, and Johnny Cash? Check out Wilco, a melange of melody and genius. Want to buy the greatest album to drive cross country with the top down of your convertible at 3AM? Check out Son Volt's Trace. Want to hear arguably the greatest current songwriter in music? Check out Lucinda Williams. Do you love Southern Rock and wish you could travel back in a time machine to the three guitar wonder that was Lynyrd Skynyrd? Check out Drive By Truckers.

Want to numb the pain of listening to boy bands and the current crap that's on heavy rotation on a station near you?

Buy a Slobberbone album and take a handful of Percocets.

The pain will go away and you'll feel great. The only opportunity cost will be constipation, but that's what docusate sodium is for.....

LONG LIVE ALT. COUNTRY!

LONG LIVE RON AND FEZ!

The Chairman


This message was edited by Chairman_Kaga on 11-22-02 @ 4:34 PM

[TheMojoPin]

Ryan Adam's prickishness makes him entertaining. Too bad his live shows are so hit and miss. One night, most brilliant act you've ever seen. Next night, a stumbling, useless maroon.

Still, his solo work is better than Brett Miller's. What a letdown.

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"You can tell some lies about the good times you've had/But I've kissed your mother twice and now I'm working on your dad..."

[The Chairman]

Ryan Adam's prickishness makes him entertaining. Too bad his live shows are so hit and miss. One night, most brilliant act you've ever seen. Next night, a stumbling, useless maroon.


Kind of sounds like the Replacements....I've seen Whiskeytown and Ryan solo, he's off more than on. And that whole thing he did with the guy who requested the Bryan Adams song, total bullshit. Robby Fulks now offers prizes to anyone who "disturbs" a Ryan Adams concert in such a manner.

But the legends of mercurial hit or miss are definitely The Replacements. And they never sold out....

Aside#1 - Paul Westerberg's solo tour was great.

Aside #2 - Saw Wilco for the 10th time recently at Roseland. They were not good. Bad karma bad night. Nothing like Irving Plaza during the Being There tour for example.

Aside #3 - Aside from her proclivity towards not paying for things, Winona Ryder does have amazing taste in music. She dated Dave Pirner from Soul Asylum, Ryan Adams, Beck and had a rumored PW fling, the list goes on.

Aside #4. Can't wait for the DVD of Wilco's I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.






This message was edited by Chairman_Kaga on 11-22-02 @ 6:09 PM

[TheMojoPin]

Aside #3 - Aside from her proclivity towards not paying for things, Winona Ryder does have amazing taste in music. She dated Dave Pirner from Soul Asylum, Ryan Adams, Beck and had a rumored PW fling, the list goes on.

There must have been some kind of thing with Paul. She was almost insanely obsessed with the 'Mats during her "Heathers" days.

And his solo tour was indeed brilliant. Too bad he and Tommy couldn't have patched things up so it could have been the semi-reunion tour it was supposed to be.

And Adams kicking the guy out of the show was just pathetic. Oddly enough, however, when Fugazi pay the ticket price back to some mook in the crowd kicking people around and throw him out, it's righteous.

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VP #2 for the Coalition of Angry Micks, and Minister of Bloody Mayhem.
"You can tell some lies about the good times you've had/But I've kissed your mother twice and now I'm working on your dad..."

[The Chairman]

There must have been some kind of thing with Paul. She was almost insanely obsessed with the 'Mats during her "Heathers" days.

And his solo tour was indeed brilliant. Too bad he and Tommy couldn't have patched things up so it could have been the semi-reunion tour it was supposed to be.

And Adams kicking the guy out of the show was just pathetic. Oddly enough, however, when Fugazi pay the ticket price back to some mook in the crowd kicking people around and throw him out, it's righteous.

Winona is the hugest Replacements fan and in an interview I read once it said she was listening to Hootenanny during the interview. This was like two years ago.

Paul W(esterberg) was great but needs a band behind him. I saw Paul W(eller) solo and he was just as phenomenal in that context.

Hey, I can deal with pogoing at a Fugazi concert. But I'd rather mosh and see David Yow with The Lizard back in the day, or dare I say Agnostic Front. But I don't miss GG Allin. I can deal with sweat and spit. I draw my line at shit.


This message was edited by Chairman_Kaga on 11-23-02 @ 2:46 AM

[TheMojoPin]

Paul W(esterberg) was great but needs a band behind him

Without a doubt. "Mono" proved that alone, as did his tours in the mid-90's.

As for Allin, to miss him, I'd have to actually think he was something beyond a fat, intoxicated baboon simply wobbling around for people to point and laugh at. But that's just me.

And there's no longer a need to pogo at a 'Gazi show, hasn't been for a good 6-7. They've developed into nothing more than a pure, musical force of nature, and you'll miss too much if you're parading around like a goon. It's beautiful. Every year they have a free show at Fort Reno here in DC that a few thousand people show up to. No moshing, no fights, no idiots. It's stunning.

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"You can tell some lies about the good times you've had/But I've kissed your mother twice and now I'm working on your dad..."



This message was edited by TheMojoPin on 11-23-02 @ 8:33 PM

[The Chairman]

As for Allin, to miss him, I'd have to actually think he was something beyond a fat, intoxicated baboon simply wobbling around for people to point and laugh at. But that's just me.

And there's no long a need to pogo at a 'Gazi show,


Shows you how old I am. I actually road tripped from Boston to see Minor Threat in DC when I was in college.

As far as GG - I had Hated on VHS - just got it on DVD. It's still one of the funniest (and best) documentaries ever and the DVD version had 50 minutes of footage added on from his last show. Unbelievable.

Almost as good as Crumb.

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[TheMojoPin]

Shows you how old I am. I actually road tripped from Boston to see Minor Threat in DC when I was in college.

Hey, that doesn't make you THAT old. I saw my first Fugazi show a good ten years ago, so I'm getting up there...

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"You can tell some lies about the good times you've had/But I've kissed your mother twice and now I'm working on your dad..."