When not listening to prog, I'm a pretty big alt-country fan: Tift Merritt, Flatlanders, Steve Earle, etc.
Any particularly good new artists in this genre I should be listening to?
thx!
When not listening to prog, I'm a pretty big alt-country fan: Tift Merritt, Flatlanders, Steve Earle, etc.
Any particularly good new artists in this genre I should be listening to?
thx!
What is alt-country?
here's 1 example (tho they aren't new). Note: not every alt-country band uses an empty gas tank as a bass guitar
Those Darlins apparently are not labeled as alt-country, but I think they squeeze into it. FYI: the blond to the far left is no longer with them.
I've always interpreted the phrase as meaning quality artists who are not on mainstream country radio, often because they use more traditional instrumentation and/or have less clichéd lyrics. I mentioned some artists in my OP to give a sense of what I'm talking about.Originally Posted by JKL2000
Not new and only representative of a smallish portion of their material, but if you can't dig The Dixie Dregs doing their country thang, maybe you can at least appreciate the visual content somebody used to accompany their tune, "Gina Lola Breakdown."
This reminds me of the Far Side cartoon where, I think, the devil ushers a classical music conductor into a room full of banjo & fiddle players. a sign above the door read "Welcome to Hell". iirc. I'd be a fool to tell my wife, who loves mainstream country music, that my favorite music (e.g., stoner metal or maybe mid/late 60's Stones) is better 'quality' then hers.
I agree you would be a fool if you told her that! So would I... (told my wife, that is..., who is also a mainstream country fan).
Fortunately I wasn't making an argument that implied a difference in quality, and I don't think my wife reads PE anyway so I'm safe...
I listen to a bit of alt-country, but I don't know if anything I know about would qualify as new. If you are not already listening to them, you should check out The Gourds and 16 Horsepower. Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours might be worth your time. And Amy Allison (Mose Allison's daughter) put out a fine album called The Maudlin Years. If you are fond of virtuoso guitar picking, try Harvey Reid. Jamey Johnson has been making great country music since 2006, and with each album his hair and beard get longer.
We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
It won't be visible through the air
And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973
[YT]8mLtq-KO5qc[/YT]
"The woods would be very silent if the only birds that sang were those who sang best..." - Henry David Thoreau
I guess nobody told you that this is progressiveears.org.
Alt THIS...
Since I was not exactly sure what the definition of Alt. Country was I went to Wikipedia for a list of bands that supposedly fit that genre and found that I actually have albums by quite a few of them. Here are a few that I would recommend:
The Gaslight Anthem: More rock than country to my ears, but great stuff in a Springsteen-ish / heartland rock kind of way (and I mean that as a compliment). Recommended album: “American Slang”.
Avett Brothers: Like these guys a lot. Definitely country / bluegrass influenced, but different. I find them unique. Recommended album “Mignonette”.
The Civil Wars: Saw this duo on Palladia one night and they blew me away. I have heard they may no longer be together though.
Drive By Truckers: Love this band. They write great songs in a country rock vein. Recommended album “The Big Too Doo”.
The Jayhawks: This is an older band, but worth checking out. Not sure if they are still together or not. Recommended album “Hollywood Town Hall”.
The Punch Brothers: Jim Robinson from NJ Proghouse turned me on to these guys. I have yet to see them live, but hope to one of these days. I don’t have any of their albums, but have listened to a lot of their stuff on the net.
Todd Snider: Snider has been around since the 90’s, but I have always dug him as a great singer /songwriter. Recommended album “East Nashville Skyline”.
Steve Sly
Can't find how to post videos on the new site.
Best Canadian alt-country musician is Fred Eaglesmith. Does a variety of country influenced recordings but anything from "Lipstick, Lies, and Gasoline" or "50 Odd Dollars" or "Ralph's Last Show" or in that time period would be best reference. He's brilliant.
"The woods would be very silent if the only birds that sang were those who sang best..." - Henry David Thoreau
Not "new" artists but these are two I like a whole lot - dirt-under-the-fingernails rural roots/country rock.
The Bottle Rockets, from Missouri- but mostly their early stuff from the 90's.
The Backsliders, in a similar vein, from NC, released two albums in the 90s if you can find them. They must have gotten back together for a reunion perhaps as I found a live video from 2012:
EDIT: Apparently there's another country band from Texas calling themselves The BAcksliders (first two letters in caps) that started in 2005. Not to be confused with the Backsliders above.
You say Mega Ultra Deluxe Special Limited Edition Extended Autographed 5-LP, 3-CD, 4-DVD, 2-BlueRay, 4-Cassette, five 8-Track, MP4 Download plus Demos, Outtakes, Booklet, T-Shirt and Guitar Pick Gold-Leafed Box Set Version like it's a bad thing...
Thanks for all the suggestions. I am a fan of the Sadies, but have never heard the music of any of the others mentioned. Will check them out!
How about some Raging Slab?
I've always liked the arc of Uncle Tupelo>Sun Volt>Wilco. It brought me back into American music and bands such as My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses.
Far as I know they are not only still together, but Mark Olson has returned to the band. The 2011 'reunion' album, Mockingbird Time, is very good. In addition to Hollywood Town Hall and Mockingbird Time, I can recommend the EP Settled Down Like Rain, and the albums Blue Earth, Tomorrow The Green Grass and Sound Of Lies. Sound Of Lies is the first post-Olson disc.The Jayhawks: This is an older band, but worth checking out. Not sure if they are still together or not. Recommended album “Hollywood Town Hall”.
We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
It won't be visible through the air
And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973
I also own “Tomorrow The Green Grass” and like that one a lot too. I will have to check out the re-union album. I have not heard much about them in a long time which is why I was not sure if they were still together.
Steve Sly
I'm not typically a fan of alt-country, but I sure like Neko Case. Sorry cant provide a link, being at work. Hazeldine is nice too, even though they are alt country, they do a cover of Genesis' 'Cuckoo Cocoon'. Probably too pretty and folky for what you're looking for, but the Irish band Hank Dogs are great too.
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