alt country

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Someone once described alt-country as country music performed by and for Democrats. Which I think is the best description I've heard.

 

I tell you why I tend to take exception to this in a more serious fashion: it tends to put a 'slumming' aspect to the enjoyment of this music.

 

I would imagine you would be hard pressed to guess my politics, but the thought that 'alt country' is safe for Democrats is too exclusive and toney. I find it akin to saying 'alt country music is for the rich suburbanites who think country music is too corny'. Neither captures the cultural essence of the music. It is a return to the roots of where country, gospel, blues and vaudeville came together. 'Alt-Country' is about the more grown up aspects of personal life where 'Modern Rock' has degenerated into "I hate my Dad" or "Satan is cool" music.

 

I don't have any angst and the only time I gaze at my shoes is to make sure I have a matching pair on.

 

As an Urban Southerner in his late 40's, I relate to the novelistic story telling approach of this music.

 

Same reason I love Springsteen and Dylan.

[uncle wilco]

I would imagine you would be hard pressed to guess my politics, but the thought that 'alt country' is safe for Democrats is too exclusive and toney. I find it akin to saying 'alt country music is for the rich suburbanites who think country music is too corny'. Neither captures the cultural essence of the music. It is a return to the roots of where country, gospel, blues and vaudeville came together. 'Alt-Country' is about the more grown up aspects of personal life where 'Modern Rock' has degenerated into "I hate my Dad" or "Satan is cool" music.

 

I don't have any angst and the only time I gaze at my shoes is to make sure I have a matching pair on.

 

As an Urban Southerner in his late 40's, I relate to the novelistic story telling approach of this music.

 

Same reason I love Springsteen and Dylan.

 

that's pretty much my take on it as well. to me it's a more real and authentic form of music. especially at my age. in less than a year, my 30's will be gone. i have a totally different perspective on life in general now than i did even a couple of years ago.

[ction]

I'm pretty sure the description was made with tongue firmly planted in cheek (at least that's how I took it, and why I like it).

 

But I do think there is a grain of truth to this kind of statement, certainly among a percentage of fans:

 

'alt country music is for the rich suburbanites who think country music is too corny'.

 

Only I'd substitute "people" for rich suburbanites.

 

Because there are plenty of people attracted to alt country stuff who would never otherwise check out music with twang. It might be a small percentage, I have no idea, but its there.

[fortuneinmyhead]

I don't think Gram and the International Submarine Band's "The Older Boys" sounds very 'traditional country'

[Lammycat]

I don't think Gram and the International Submarine Band's "The Older Boys" sounds very 'traditional country'

The International Submarine Band definitely had a Country feel to it. Also a Rock feel, as well as some Folk and even an R&B feel to them. They were only around for a few years but you can certainly hear the Country influences in that incarnation.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

I don't think Gram and the International Submarine Band's "The Older Boys" sounds very 'traditional country'

Solo

[fortuneinmyhead]

ok .. i see your point.

 

i'd say his solo stuff adhered mostly to trad country styles. i mean got nashville cats to be his studio players.

[Orkie]

What he said...alot of what people are calling alt.country is either rock or country (The Carter Family alt.country?? I think not...Johnny Cash??...as country as it gets unless you count the American Recordings material.)

 

Bruce, Neil, Gram etc. are certainly not alt.country. Nor is Big Star even close to alt.country. And with all due respect to my buddy Mountain Bed, New Riders was country rock, a great genre that flourished in the 70s along with Poco and a bunch of other great bands and not so great bands. Alt country didn't really come around until the late 80s or even early 90s.

 

For more alt.country, but what is also called insurgent country, check out the Bloodshot catalogue and the very fun Waco Brothers. Check out some of the Mekons mid 80s stuff too.

 

LouieB

 

 

 

Some aspects of Neil are definitely alt.country. Same for a huge chuck of Townes Van Zandt's stuff. Check out "Our Mother the Mountain" for a truly brilliant alt.country record.

[Mystik Spiral]

how about jenny lewis & the watson twins? i'd never categorize rilo kiley as alt country, but her solo record seems to fit the bill.

 

steve earle; calexico; emmylou; amy millan?

[LouieB]

Some aspects of Neil are definitely alt.country. Same for a huge chuck of Townes Van Zandt's stuff. Check out "Our Mother the Mountain" for a truly brilliant alt.country record.

Townes may be the god-father of alt.country, but back in the 70s when he was getting started there was no such thing, he was simply one more guy from Texas trying to make it as a singer and songwriter. In fact country rock was still a reasonable term and those records on Tomato were all sort of in that vein (sort of over produced by todays standards.) If Townes is alt.country (which he isn't really) so are his contemporaries like Guy Clark, all of the Flatlander guys, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, etc. etc. Most of them were just trying to get by and make a living in music.

 

LouieB

[Analogman]

It is my understanding that term Alt.country came about as a way to separate Uncle Tupelo and the like from the country music of the day - such as The Judds, Garth Brooks, etc. As LB said, no one was calling it alt.country in the early 70s - it was called country rock. Which I think is different from so-called alt. country - I mean, I don't see The Eagles or New Riders of The Purple Sage having anything in common with Uncle Tupelo. The other thing one finds in alt.country, is a punk background, which I don't think The Flatlanders ever had - as they pre-date the punk era of course. Although, Butch Hancock did get friendly with The Clash - but that was later on.

[LouieB]

It is my understanding that term Alt.country came about as a way to separate Uncle Tupelo and the like from the country music of the day - such as The Judds, Garth Brooks, etc. As LB said, no one was calling it alt.country in the early 70s - it was called country rock. Which I think is different from so-called alt. country - I mean, I don't see The Eagles or New Riders of The Purple Sage having anything in common with Uncle Tupelo. The other thing one finds in alt.country, is a punk background, which I don't think The Flatlanders ever had - as they pre-date the punk era of course. Although, Butch Hancock did get friendly with The Clash - but that was later on.

A-man and I are on the same page on this....

 

(New Riders were a fun band....) The dividing line on this is somewhere in the late 80s at least, whereas teh 70s was the follow-up to what had been going on with the Burrittos and Byrds, as well as bands like Marshall Tucker and Poco and the like, as well as the Outlaw movement which was Willie and Waylon and the Boys (and a few girls as well.) Combining country with punk is what some of the bands in the 80s did, such as the Mekons, the Beat Farmers, Lone Justice, etc.

 

Actually it was Joe Ely who opened with the Clash, resulting in his first live album, Live Shots,which is excellent. Somewhere along the line Joe Ely's Flatlander friend Jimmie Dale Gilmore got associated with the grunge scene, one of the more unsual hook-ups, but nearly all Jimmie Dale's albums are great and came just in time to ride the alt.country bandwagon too, along with Ely and Butch Hancock. But really those guys are far more associated with the earlier Austin scene.

 

Everyone has a better understanding of country music in general and alt.country helped that. Now people can actually listen to the classic country singers without cringing. This is partially in thanks to Gram and Emmylou, but also thanks to lots of alt.country type figures. Back in the day even guys like Johnny Cash were shunned by people listening to the Burrittos and the other country rock groups. (Politics and the Vietnam War had alot to do with this.) But still there are plenty rock fans that don't like "country" music, because if its association with various Nashville styles that weren't cool.

 

(Hey A-man..do you know anything about the blues fest in Wheeling in August...my sister and bro in law are going...)

 

LouieB

[Analogman]

Yes - I got the name wrong. He actually talks about meeting The Clash in that HARP magazine Joe Strummer issue from a few years back. I have never been to that festival or Wheeling very many times for that matter. There are, however, some amazing Victorian mansions one can check out there.

[Orkie]

It is my understanding that term Alt.country came about as a way to separate Uncle Tupelo and the like from the country music of the day - such as The Judds, Garth Brooks, etc. As LB said, no one was calling it alt.country in the early 70s - it was called country rock. Which I think is different from so-called alt. country - I mean, I don't see The Eagles or New Riders of The Purple Sage having anything in common with Uncle Tupelo. The other thing one finds in alt.country, is a punk background, which I don't think The Flatlanders ever had - as they pre-date the punk era of course. Although, Butch Hancock did get friendly with The Clash - but that was later on.

 

 

alt.country is very far from a punk background. You are correct that it wasn't termed "alt.country" until the Jayhawks (and then Uncle Tupelo),but it wasn't based on punk.

 

Townes may be the god-father of alt.country, but back in the 70s when he was getting started there was no such thing, he was simply one more guy from Texas trying to make it as a singer and songwriter. In fact country rock was still a reasonable term and those records on Tomato were all sort of in that vein (sort of over produced by todays standards.) If Townes is alt.country (which he isn't really) so are his contemporaries like Guy Clark, all of the Flatlander guys, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, etc. etc. Most of them were just trying to get by and make a living in music.

 

LouieB

 

 

Waylon and Willie sounded like mainstream country. Townes sounded alternative IMHO. Check out "Our Mother the Mountain".

[Analogman]

I meant those dudes were into punk as well as country. So they mixed them together - some more than others.

[ImWalken]

LIMBECK

 

Feel-good alt country by three really good guys from southern california and one guy from wisconsin. Fantastic summer tunes too! check it out

[Ludwig Von Drake]

No Nico Case?

[Analogman]

I have lightning

If the stars dry out to guide me

I have soft clay

To knit my bones astride

What a miracle they say

Dark clouds gather

Velvet holes

Gaping wide oh

And they pour it down

And they sing to me

Of wonders

Unseen

Like clouds that rise

From the sea, oh

And I'm sorry

I'm so sorry

That I missed the point

Of this pageantry

But I'm grateful

That you love me

[awatt]

You should get all the Freakwater cds - forget Pneumonia.

 

I should have listened to you. Bought the Whiskeytown and on first listening, it sounds pretty weak, embarrassing almost. But I'm going to give it a little more time. I did hear a bit of Freakwater and liked, so will return to the used cd store and find it.

 

So Springsteen is not much of an precursor to alt country? Some of UT and Whiskeytown's Faithless Street reminds me of The River and Nebraska. And Costello's Almost Blue has no relevance at all, I guess.

[Analogman]

Well - that was the last Whiskeytown album - and if I recall correctly, that was not the first mix, but rather the one that came out. I use to hate that album - but it's alright. I guess I have always viewed Almost Blue as Elvis Costello's cover album of country songs. Almost Blue, the song, is one of my very favorite EC songs though.

 

another alt.country precursor- cowpunk

[Embarcadero skies]

Great thread - thanks all for some great suggestions - Freakwater sound worth exploring.

 

Am surprised no mention of Giant Sand/Howe Gelb..........

[nettles]

No Nico Case?

 

Indeed, I would say Neko's first record 'The Virginian' is one of the Finest alt. country records.

[Littlebear]

alt.country is very far from a punk background. You are correct that it wasn't termed "alt.country" until the Jayhawks (and then Uncle Tupelo),but it wasn't based on punk.

Waylon and Willie sounded like mainstream country. Townes sounded alternative IMHO. Check out "Our Mother the Mountain".

 

Uncle Tupelo had definitely a punk background. They were listening to Black Flag!

 

Now, why didn't we call it "cowpunk" anymore, like we used to for The Gun Club, Jason & the Scorchers, Social Distorsion, etc? Well, it's a 90s thing I believe.

 

Everything from that decade that wasn't hardcore country was called "alt.country".

[Synthesizer Patel]

this should explain alt country for anyone unsure.

[nettles]

this should explain alt country for anyone unsure.

 

 

awwwsome!