For whatever record exists for someone who posts with a fake name, I don't like a lot of the alt-country superstars like Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams & Ryan Adams. Can't stand 'em! Mainly cuz they seem to believe their own press. Or maybe cuz a bunch of people I think are fuckfaces absolutely fawn over them. So, like, suck-by-association.
Anyway,any music label will ultimately be proven false or redundant unless it is at heart meaningless (the label, like say, crunk or gobot-pop (good-time music made by cars that turn into robots with very few moving pieces).
― Huckleberry Heehaw, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 03:10 (twenty years ago) link
― spittle (spittle), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 03:52 (twenty years ago) link
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 04:43 (twenty years ago) link
― Huckadelia (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 14:50 (twenty years ago) link
Well, the Eagles having made better records than Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, the Bottle Rockets, Casey Chambers, Ryan Adams, Jason and the Scorchers, Lone Justice, Alejandro Escovedo, Wilco, Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo, the Jayhawks, Lambchop, Iron & Wine, and just about everybody else mentioned on this thread *might* have something to do with it. But that's just a wild guess.
― chuck, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:43 (twenty years ago) link
― bnw (bnw), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:56 (twenty years ago) link
― Huckadelphia (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Chris V (Chris V), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:09 (twenty years ago) link
― Chris V (Chris V), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:11 (twenty years ago) link
― Chris V (Chris V), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:12 (twenty years ago) link
― christoff (christoff), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Huckadelphia (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:14 (twenty years ago) link
― Huckadelphia (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:16 (twenty years ago) link
― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:20 (twenty years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:36 (twenty years ago) link
I never liked the Goats much, myself. Or Lubricated Goat, for that matter. Or Lambchop, though I guess we already mentioned them. Or Lamb, for that matter. Or the High Llamas. I think I like the Mountain Goats okay, though (and not just because John Darnielle might be reading this), but I need to listen to them more. And I definitely think "I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't no Sheep" by Blue Oyster Cult is an excellent song, for whatever that's worth.
― chuck, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:39 (twenty years ago) link
― Huckadelphia (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:40 (twenty years ago) link
― chuck, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:42 (twenty years ago) link
― Huckadelphia (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:43 (twenty years ago) link
just read this excellent article which is a few weeks old: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/far-from-the-old-country-music-1643705.html
the assessment of alt country at the end rang 100% true for me
― Christopher Cross, Thursday, 30 April 2009 11:53 (fourteen years ago) link
yes, Bush totally OTM here, and I think this is well put...
Bush can barely hide his impatience at alt.country's arrogance. "The songs that will survive 40 years from now will have to do, not with their excellence at how they interpreted post-modern Appalachia, but how they interpreted the human condition. And in the end, as much as I'm a huge Wilco fan, no one's going to remember them. They're going to remember Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" – because that story is true. There'll be another girl sitting at a window who's kissed someone and that song speaks to her. And really, (Wilco and ex-Uncle Tupelo singer-songwriter) Jeff Tweedy singing about being lonely and poor and dumped, all these things which he is not...
"There are only so many thirtysomethings who'll emotionally connect to style over substance, which a lot of (modern) Appalachian stuff is. I'm a huge Gillian Welch fan, but she's from Malibu, California. I'm from Dolly Parton's hometown Sevierville, Tennessee. I should be playing what she's playing, according to our histories. Our song "Baby Girl" deals with some sort of human archetype, anyway, a story of the hero. It just rings differently in your bones. Country music is unafraid of that human substance."
BUT...and this is a big but...dude is the heir to the Bush's baked beans fortune! Black pot, meet black kettle...
― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Monday, 22 June 2009 10:02 (fourteen years ago) link
Please can anyone recommend some good and recent alt-country from a UK band? I was asked to import some. I forgot. And I have no idea what's out there anyway, let alone what's new and decent. So I need to raid Amazon, but not until I've had your advice.
― Jblujlama (ljubljana), Sunday, 17 January 2010 04:42 (fourteen years ago) link
brinsley schwarz "silver pistol"
― Joint Custody (ian), Sunday, 17 January 2010 05:17 (fourteen years ago) link
not actually recent.
― Joint Custody (ian), Sunday, 17 January 2010 05:18 (fourteen years ago) link
Sorry ljubljana - i kept meaning to return yr email but I couldn't think of anything. How about Dropkick though?
― Ned Trifle II, Sunday, 17 January 2010 09:41 (fourteen years ago) link
What do The Mekons sound like now?
― Ned Trifle II, Sunday, 17 January 2010 09:57 (fourteen years ago) link
Thanks Ian, Ned - have ordered the Brinsley Schwartz on the basis that it's old enough to be interesting so scores as many points as something new enough to be interesting. Also got the latest Dropkick. I think the Mekons are already well-known here in the US. Any more thoughts welcome...
― Jblujlama (ljubljana), Sunday, 17 January 2010 16:37 (fourteen years ago) link
Other mandatory U.K. country-rock/roots rock from the early 1970s: Mighty Baby (jug of love album), Help Yourself (first couple albums), Ernie Graham solo album (f'n brilliant) and Cochise (first two albums).
― QuantumNoise, Sunday, 17 January 2010 17:03 (fourteen years ago) link
In defense of Steve Earle:
Steve is venerated by No Depression by I don't think he should be lumped in with Ryan Adams or even Lucinda in the "timid, whitebread, a-rhythmic alt-country" category that someone described
He's a damn good songwriter IMO
and listen to a song like "Copperhead Road" or "I Feel Allright"
those songs ain't timid, they kick ass!
― lukevalentine, Sunday, 17 January 2010 21:22 (fourteen years ago) link
i think my main problem with this genre is that I actually like real good old fashioned twangy country music quite a bit, always have, so most of this stuff sounds pretty diluted for my taste
one thing about this "genre" is that there are people coming at "altcountry" from a lot of different dierctions. some come an indie rock background, some are looking for the next Crazy Horse, some are punks mellowing out from the meat puppets & mekons & black flag, etc
a lot of so called cowpunk bands pretty much just sounds like barbands it seems
― lukevalentine, Sunday, 17 January 2010 21:27 (fourteen years ago) link
http://www.dixiestreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ryan-bingham-junky-star.jpg
this is the cover of a record called "junky star"
listen to it
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Monday, 11 October 2010 09:17 (thirteen years ago) link
What's been great in the alt country scene the last few years? Bloodshot's slipped lately but I dug the Paul Burch/Waco's album. It seems like lots of my old faves have moved away from the sounds I loved - Ryan Adams turned into Jerry Garcia while Chris Mills and Neko Case are still making great music but moved away from the country underpinnings.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 7 September 2013 02:27 (ten years ago) link
Phospherescent, Richmond Fontaine
― Old Boy In Network (Michael B), Saturday, 7 September 2013 02:29 (ten years ago) link
The Volebeats have been one of the best alt country bands since the 80s. Their self-titled record from a few years back is fantastic.
Here is an older song of theirs, one of my favorites. If you like this, you'll like everything they do.
One of their singers, Matthew Smith is also the singer of Outrageous Cherry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQAYK8PGL_c
― kornrulez6969, Saturday, 7 September 2013 14:37 (ten years ago) link
Fred Eaglesmith's last album "6 Volts" has been curing my alt-country jones for the last month.
― Heez, Saturday, 7 September 2013 15:43 (ten years ago) link
I love that Volebeats song.
― banjoboy, Sunday, 8 September 2013 16:28 (ten years ago) link
The Volebeats are the best. They have about ten albums of songs like that.
Here's another great one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2PCio6zM0o
― kornrulez6969, Sunday, 8 September 2013 16:52 (ten years ago) link
^OTM, The Volebeats are the best. I'm partial to The Sky and the Ocean and the Mosquito Spiral. Buried treasure.
― that's not my post, Monday, 9 September 2013 05:01 (ten years ago) link
I've been enjoying the 2012 release by the Harmed Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEoynN4V44s
― nicky lo-fi, Friday, 19 August 2016 17:44 (seven years ago) link
Over on Rolling Country, alpine static introduced us to the excellent Western Centuries:
Rolling Country denizens, I hope you'll check out this Western Centuries record ... it is great, and they played one of the best sets I saw at Pickathon last weekend:
http://www.westerncenturies.com/music/
― alpine static, Sunday, August 14, 2016 12:03 AM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Thanks so much, alpine static, I'm totally smitten with this! Even the rueful philosophical response to life's funky details with is part of the honky tonk catchiness--just bite the token and roll with it, son. And daughter.Whole thang's on youtube: hitp://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=western+centuries and Spotify and I'm fixing to order it anyway.Along with xpost Kelsey Walson's album, another unexpected source of cool steel guitar.
― dow, Tuesday, August 16, 2016 6:18 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
dammit hitp://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=western+centuries
― dow, Tuesday, August 16, 2016 6:19 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmb_RVPqTMAqOfa5-jvM03hzjPmQlw9Js
― dow, Tuesday, August 16, 2016 6:21 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Western Centuries got a fleet, fleeting sound--little hints of bluesy disconnection in the backing, and I like the lyrics a lot. Very good.
― Edd Hurt, Tuesday, August 16, 2016 7:08 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
glad y'all dig it. I'm a longtime HUGE fan of Cahalen Morrison's work, back to his folk duo with Eli West ( http://cahalenandeli.com/ ) ... those guys had/have a sort of interesting/unconventional way with melodies, and they can sure pick. I guess they're still together, but Cahalen's clearly been putting more time into his country music the past few years, first under the name Country Hammer ( http://www.cahalen.com/country-hammer/ ) ... they put out a really good record last year, I think. But it seems they must've added a significant member or two and changed the name to Western Centuries. At least that's my understanding ... one of y'all more patient learners may be able to read up and find out more.
I didn't know they'd changed the name, though, until a couple days before Pickathon, when I went to try to investigate some of the bands I wasn't familiar with and realized this was a Cahalen project. Loved the songs I could find online, bought the vinyl at the fest merch table, saw the band, was blown away ... I went from having no clue about Western Centuries to having a favorite new country band in the span of about 5 days.
― alpine static, Wednesday, August 17, 2016 12:25 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
here's a graf from their bio. Donna the Buffalo connection here:
Comprised of Seattle-based country musician Cahalen Morrison, jam band veteran Jim Miller (co-founder of Donna the Buffalo), R&B and bluegrass-by-way-of-punk rock songwriter Ethan Lawton, pedal steel player Rusty Blake, and bassist Dan Lowinger, Western Centuries are clearly a diverse bunch. The band is collaborative in nature, but they are – albeit subtly – helmed by Morrison. After years of performing in prominent roots duo Cahalen Morrison & Eli West (whose music made fans of Tim O’Brien, Jim Lauderdale, Dirk Powell, and BBC Radio’s Bob Harris along the way), Morrison formed and led the band Country Hammer, made up of members who have mostly crossed over into Western Centuries.
― Edd Hurt, Wednesday, August 17, 2016 10:22 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Yeah, the philosophical asides from daily-nightly rounds def. go w Donna The Buffalo inclinations, though all three songwriter-vocalists interact pretty seamlessly. I figure they bond via primo Hunter-Garcia x country jukebox staples (incl. yer better b-sides).
― dow, Wednesday, August 17, 2016
― dow, Friday, 19 August 2016 18:00 (seven years ago) link
re that mention of Kelsey Waldon and her excellent steel player (whose name I'm blanking on, sorry), her new album is real good folk-country with some alt appeal, whatever that is, and she covers a Gosdin Brothers song (they were Byrds associates, and Byrd Clarence White plays great on it, although the Byrds' own cover is not so hot), so we also discussed and posted Gosdins and Vern Gosdin w Emmylou etc on Rolling Country.
― dow, Friday, 19 August 2016 18:06 (seven years ago) link
Way too soft-focus to compete with prime Rhett Miller/Old 97's, and far too Tom Petty-ish for my tastes, Andrew Leahey is pretty decent alt-. Here's what I wrote about him for the Nashville Scene:
After receiving a clean bill of health following 2013 surgery to remove a brain tumor, Nashville singer-songwriter Andrew Leahey cut his new full-length, Skyline in Central Time, which reveals Leahey as a tunesmith indebted to such all-American rockers as Tom Petty, Ryan Adams and Rhett Miller. A music journalist from Virginia, Leahey had already recorded the 2011 Andrew Leahey & the Homestead and an EP, 2013’s Summer Sleeves, and the records had their moments as examples of lightweight country-rock. Skyline in Central Time is an electric-guitar record, with producer Ken Coomer layering tracks in the manner of Petty and Adams. “Little in Love” stands as the record’s most effective Petty homage, and the rest of Skyline combines American guitar moves with nods to British Invasion pop — the dreamy, Beatles-esque ballad “Who Wants an Easy Love?” is Leahey at his subtlest, and not to be missed. Thursday night, Leahey and his backing band the Homestead will celebrate the release of Skyline. EDD HURT
― Edd Hurt, Friday, 19 August 2016 18:37 (seven years ago) link
https://open.spotify.com/track/1kposE7NRJXVYcGidBX2tK?si=k8f0IG7PSjewr6fNX6nmZw
Dusk - eyes in dark corners
― calstars, Saturday, 23 June 2018 03:48 (five years ago) link
My mom’s really into this dude named Will Johnson... she goes to his shows, sends me YouTube clips, etc. I’ve never seen him come up via any other channels, but guess he’s legit.
His stuff seems fairly dull to me, but it’s not really in my usual vein (and admittedly, even as a grown adult, I probably have a slight knee-jerk resistance to whatever a parent is pushing)...
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Saturday, 14 July 2018 14:56 (five years ago) link
He’s from centro-matic.
― Heez, Saturday, 14 July 2018 15:31 (five years ago) link
The Vulgar Boatmen. Oh man if you don't know them you are in for a treat.
― kornrulez6969, Saturday, 14 July 2018 15:43 (five years ago) link
Dean from the Waco Brothers has been putting out great stuff the last few years, mostly for free:https://deanschlabowskemusic.com/ramblin-deano
Lots of clever commentary on the state of America with great guitar and fiddles.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 14 February 2020 02:35 (four years ago) link