10 Essential Alt-country Albums

[Orkie]

First, it's nice to see a webzine actualy recognizing alt.country. This is the music people usually graduate to once they have to start paying bills (sorry Jay Reatard fans).

 

That said, the list is way off. Any true "best alt.country" list would have to include Townes Van Zandt and Gram Parsons. Those are the two guys most responsible for the genre. Later on, The Jayhawks ushered it back into vogue, and Uncle Tupelo followed. To have Ryan Adams ( a poser that gets $400 haircuts who never had an original idea) on the list but no Zandt, Parsons or Tupelo is tragic. Also, Being There is a nice record but it hasn't aged well and any Tupelo record would be a better choice. A proper list:

 

10. El Corazon - Steve Earle

9. Car Wheels On a Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams

8. The Late Great Townes Van Zandt - Townes Van Zandt

7. The Dirty South - The Drive By Truckers

6. Too Far to Care - Old 97's

5. Trace- Son Volt

4. Anodyne - Uncle Tupelo

3. GP/Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons

2. Hollywood Town Hall - The Jayhawks

1. Our Mother The Mountain - Townes Van Zandt

 

While The Byrds and Dylan are nice choices, they were too mainstream. This is "alt" country afterall.

 

Without question, the greatest alt.country song of all time is "Poncho and Lefty" by Townes Van Zandt. If you do not own "The Late Great Townes Van Zandt" and you love alt.country, get it immediately.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOzvGyv8ALo...o/search/townes

[Guest Hollinger.]

What does it matter what Ryan Adams pays for a haircut? And how is that information that you are privy to?

[Tanner]

http://cdn.stereogum.com/img/ryan-feels-mandy.jpg

 

I'd pay 400 for that hair.

 

Lists are pointless. Gold would be on mine, though.

[Doug C]

As I said previously in a more thoughtful and diplomatic way... it isn't a 'best of' list. Read the article.

[Spawn's dad]

could you read it for me? I'm kind of pressed for time.

[Doug C]

You are a quite the wit. Forgive me for posting my interpretation of something on an internet message board. If you did read it and still feel that it's a "Best of" type list, then I assume that our reading comprehension differs.

[CortezTheKiller]

8. The Late Great Townes Van Zandt - Townes Van Zandt

1. Our Mother The Mountain - Townes Van Zandt

This is "alt" country afterall.

Nope. Those are just plain ol' country.

[Littlebear]

Wikipedia got it right in my opinion:

 

Alternative country is a term used to describe a number of country music subgenres that tend to differ from mainstream or pop country music. The term is sometimes known as Alt. country and has included country music bands that have incorporated influences ranging from american roots music, bluegrass, rock & roll, rockabilly, americana, honky-tonk and punk rock.

 

History

 

"Alternative country" can refer to several ideas. Most generally, any musician who plays a type of country music different from the prevailing trend can be said to play "alternative country". By this standard, for example, the Bakersfield sound was alternative in the 1950s, and the Lubbock, Texas musicians were alternative in the 1960s.

 

In the 1990s, however, "alternative country" came to refer to a diverse group of musicians and singers operating outside the traditions and industry of mainstream country music. In general, these musicians eschewed the high production values and pop outlook of the Nashville-dominated industry, to produce music with a lo-fi sound, frequently infused with a strong punk and rock & roll aesthetic, bending the traditional rules of country music. Lyrics are often bleak, gothic or socially aware. In other respects, the musical styles of artists that fall within this genre often have little in common, ranging from traditional American folk tunes and bluegrass, through rockabilly and honky-tonk, to music that is indistinguishable from mainstream rock or country. Indeed, many alternative country artists come from punk and rock backgrounds. This already broad labelling has been further confused by alternative country artists disavowing the movement, mainstream artists declaring they are part of it, and retroactive claims that past or veteran musicians are alternative country. No Depression, the most well-known magazine dedicated to the genre, declared that it covered "alternative-country music (whatever that is)".

 

Despite this confusion, it is generally agreed that alternative country resulted from two opposing influences. The first is traditional American country music, the music of working people, preserved and celebrated by practitioners such as Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, and The Carter Family. The second is country rock, the result of fusing country music with an aggressive rock & roll sound. The artist most commonly thought to have originated country rock is Gram Parsons (who referred to his sound as "Cosmic American Music"), although Jason and the Scorchers, and Steve Earle are frequently identified as important innovators. These two styles merged in Uncle Tupelo's 1990 LP No Depression, and this album is widely credited with being the first "alt-country" album. The bands Whiskeytown and The Old 97's continued in this tradition, and former Whiskeytown singer Ryan Adams continues to shape the genre to this day in his solo career.

 

Alternative country is popularly referred to, especially in print, as "alt-country" or sometimes "alt.country". The genre is also referred to by many other names, including "americana", "rockabilly", "trashcan americana", "insurgent country", "neotraditional", "no depression", "cowpunk", "progressive country", "regressive country", "lo-fi country", "roots rock", "twang core", "rural contemporary", "country-punk", "y'allternative", "hick rock", "count-rock", "alternative country-rock" and many others.

 

Alt-country today

 

Today a growing collective of musicians from across the country are taking a darker, more rustic approach to the genre, creating a subculture commonly referred to as "Gothic Americana". Many credit this style's origins to the artists that came from the Denver scene in the mid to late 90s, such as the Denver Gentlemen and 16 Horsepower. Today's alt.country musicians blend traditional folk, Americana, gypsy, blues, bluegrass, country, and rockabilly with punk and alternative rock to create an original style of music firmly rooted in the alt.country trenches, but with a much darker side. Traditional instruments such as fiddles, banjos, harmonicas, accordions and mandolins mix with electric guitars, powerful drumming and upright bass to create a dynamic, raw sound. The scene encompasses a rogue's gallery of performers and musicians, sharing the stage with burlesque dancers and circus freaks. Drawn by bands such as Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Alex Zhort, Jay Munly, Strawfoot, Reverend Glasseye, Curtis Eller, the Monads, Creech Holler, William Elliott Whitmore, The Handsome Family and many others, fans are growing in large numbers around the world.

[LouieB]

It would, yes...and countless others. It read as some arbitrary starting point w/Anodyne.

 

Where's :

 

The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Dylan - Basement Tapes

Dylan - Blood On The Tracks

Flying Buritto Bros - Gilded Palace of Sin

Gram - GP/Grievous Angel

Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition of

Alt.country is something that started around the turn of the 90s I would say, the rest is country rock. Sorry old man.... all of us remember these albums from our youth, but they weren't called alt.country they were something else, along with Commander Cody and NRPS, etc.

 

LouieB

[people are leaving]

Alt.country is something that started around the turn of the 90s I would say, the rest is country rock. Sorry old man.... all of us remember these albums from our youth, but they weren't called alt.country they were something else, along with Commander Cody and NRPS, etc.

LouieB

You're correct Louie.

Back in the day it was called good songwriting.

 

Alt-country - Y'alternative - Cowpunk - Insurgent Country - Rootsrock - Americana

= none of these mean a thing to me

 

Just to elucidate I never endorsed NRPS

[bobbob1313]

Alt Country: anything with a fiddle, banjo, or slide guitar that critics actually like.

[Spawn's dad]

You are a quite the wit. Forgive me for posting my interpretation of something on an internet message board. If you did read it and still feel that it's a "Best of" type list, then I assume that our reading comprehension differs.

 

that's cool. your interpretation is just wrong though. and whatever they're trying to do with that

list is wholly misguided. it's a 'b' list of alt country albums.

[wheelco]

"advertisement"

yep

[Orkie]

Alt.country is something that started around the turn of the 90s I would say, the rest is country rock. Sorry old man.... all of us remember these albums from our youth, but they weren't called alt.country they were something else, along with Commander Cody and NRPS, etc.

 

LouieB

 

 

This is incorrect.

[Orkie]

Wikipedia got it right in my opinion:

 

Alternative country is a term used to describe a number of country music subgenres that tend to differ from mainstream or pop country music. The term is sometimes known as Alt. country and has included country music bands that have incorporated influences ranging from american roots music, bluegrass, rock & roll, rockabilly, americana, honky-tonk and punk rock.

 

 

The wiki article is completely wrong. No Depression the first alt.country record? lol. No mention of the Jayhawks, who released Bunkhouse and Blue Earth well before then? Alt.country is only a mixture of punk and country? lol. Ryan Adams ushered in alt.country?

 

[Analogman]

This is incorrect.

 

Well, as far as the label goes, I don't recall reading about people refering to the Byrds or Gram Parsons as alt.country in any of the reviews or articles I have read from the time period in which they created the music.

 

I think he is right - we have had this sort of thread/discussion about the label alt.country many, many times here over the past 6 years.

[Orkie]

Nope. Those are just plain ol' country.

 

Nope. Townes is widely considered the grandfather of alt.country because of his purposely non-commercial sound and unorthodox vocals.

 

http://www.mahalo.com/Townes_Van_Zandt

 

Along with Gram Parsons, Van Zandt is often cited as an early pioneer of the Alt. Country sub-genre. Unlike Parsons, however, he saw little to nothing in the way of mainstream recognition during his lifetime, and many of his records were out of print by the time of his death at age 52. Artists beside Nelson who have covered his songs include Steve Earle, Cowboy Junkies, Nanci Griffith, Ryan Adams and Emmylou Harris.

[bobbob1313]

I mean, this is all based on our opinions on what defines the sound known as alt.Country. Nobody is right or wrong here, but as always, some members are stating their opinions as fact.

[Analogman]

I mean, this is all based on our opinions on what defines the sound known as alt.Country. Nobody is right or wrong here, but as always, some members are stating their opinions as fact.

 

Go away.

[CortezTheKiller]

Nope. Townes is widely considered the grandfather of alt.country because of his purposely non-commercial sound and unorthodox vocals.

 

http://www.mahalo.com/Townes_Van_Zandt

I could give two shits what you or others want to categorize him as. Townes Van Zandt is country music.

[bobbob1313]

Go away.

 

Huh?

[Doug C]

that's cool. your interpretation is just wrong though. and whatever they're trying to do with that

list is wholly misguided. it's a 'b' list of alt country albums.

I'd be willing to risk a significant amount of money that the authors agree with my interpretation.

[dagwave]

Geez.....I'm glad theres one thing we can ALL agree on, the great grand-daddy of alt.country: Boxcar Willie.

[Analogman]

Huh?

 

 

You are jabbing at people - why?

 

We may not like them - but we all know these labels exist - dad rock, speed metal, heavy metal, alt. country, punk rock, etc. The term alt.country was not used in the 60s (as far as I know) it was called "country rock", or as Gram Parsons called it, "cosmic American music."

 

I don't think Townes or Stever Earle would much care to be called alt.country. To me, it is a movement that grew out of the Cowpunk and the punk/hardcore movement. Therefore, alt.country could not have existed until after bands such as The Clash and Black Flag were around and gone.

 

Now, this definition makes sense. . .

 

"Alternative country" can refer to several ideas. Most generally, any musician who plays a type of country music different from the prevailing trend can be said to play "alternative country". By this standard, for example, the Bakersfield sound was alternative in the 1950s, and the Lubbock, Texas musicians were alternative in the 1960s.

 

In the 1990s, however, "alternative country" came to refer to a diverse group of musicians and singers operating outside the traditions and industry of mainstream country music.

 

. . .and supports some peoples views here - but it is giving a definition from the present, to something from the past. No one called Buck Owens "alt.country" - at least not during the time he was making the music that was alternative.

 

I feel like I am back in college - yikes.

[bobbob1313]

You are jabbing at people - why?

 

I'm not jabbing at anyone, calm down.

 

The conversation was starting to turn to an "I'm right, you're wrong" type of thing, which is dumb when discussing something as obviously subjective as this.

 

There is no universally agreed upon definition of what anyone genre means, which is why something like this is up for discussion, and should be discussed. But condescending posts that basically write off someone's opinion make it not worth discussing.

 

I don't know if you were looking for a fight, or something, but you totally misunderstood the intent of my post. Whatever.