Americana or, the Inverse of Prog

[Jerjo]

Although a good portion of the music I listen to is, if not prog, at least progressive in spirit, there is another side. Anthems of the heart to contends with anthems of the mind I guess. It started a few years ago with a deeper foray into Dylan's catalog, finding a lot of unreleased/live Stone tracks, and Robert Plant's recent forays into roots music. I started digging into more roots or roots-inspired music, stuff played quite loose but with plenty of passion. There are plenty of new acts out there playing with those themes, walking that fine line between blues, country, and two-fisted soul. I know there's plenty of fans of Dylan and/or The Band here. I'm just curious if anyone else is interested in this stuff and what else they've found.





No, it's not anywhere close to prog but a curious mind has always got to be exploring something different.

[bob_32_116]

I have more time for Americana, or Australiana, or whatever-iana, where the performers are open about the fact that it's legacy music, nothing more and nothing less, than I have for musicians who profess to be progressive but are not.

Example: Bruce Springsteen - The Seeger Sessions (which, bizarrely, did not contain any music actually written by Pete Seeger, at least not on the original release).

[Trane]

TBH, neither of the two YT clips really sound close tio what I call "Americana", but then again, I won't claim to have the terem's definition pinpointed down

The way I picture it, it's much more"country-er" or "folk-ier" (as in bluegrass-ier or cajun-ier)

You mention Plant's forays with Alison Krause and that's a little more "americana-ier" to me.

[iguana]

here is some rumination and shoehorning about a genre that i – a grumpy old european – seem to have little time for or in-depth comprehension of:

https://manversusmedia.wordpress.com...that-is-o-s-i/

happy 2016 PE’ers!

[Fracktured]

16 Horsepower and Wovenhand


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[Zeuhlmate]

I generally dont like it, but if Chris Whitley is americana, there is an exception.

[iguana]

PS: SOULSAVERS, for another modern take on the genre. never really took to them, though.

there is a german band called ELEMENT OF CRIME (with excellent lyrics in their native tongue; their lead singer sven regener is now one of the country’s leading nouveau literature novelists. i'd consider them americana-ish with their slightly geriatric blues shuffles and the mariachi feel.

CALEXICO? huge band worldwide, i have so far failed trying. just not my cuppa, i suppose…

[zombywoof]

Jack o the Clock have a knack for taking Americana and combining it with chamber music.

[spellbound]

Features Buddy Miller, Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot and Greg Leisz

[spellbound]

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

[TheH]

Jack o the Clock have a knack for taking Americana and combining it with chamber music.

I was exactly thinking this when I read the thread tiltle. AWESOME BAND!

[ronmac]

The Band pretty much exemplifies the genre, IMO.

[3LockBox]

I'm not sure if I'm down with the term "Americana". Seems a tad presumptuous. As if we invented folk music and had zero European influences.

[Reid]

I'm mainly into the acoustic musicians. John Fahey, Norman Blake, Tony Rice, Leo Kottke, Harvey Reid, and the Delta Blues guitarists. And Geoff Muldaur. He knows this music better than anyone, and he's a great singer and guitarist. Try his album, The Secret Handshake, or Paul Butterfield's Better Days.

[rcarlberg]

For a combination of old timey Americana with a touch of progressivity, you can't beat Conrad Praetzel's band Clothesline Revival.

[Jerjo]

The Band pretty much exemplifies the genre, IMO.

Hell, you could even say they invented it. It was a pity that they never really matched the peak set by those first two albums.

[Yaman Aksu]

John Royen

[Jerjo]

Features Buddy Miller, Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot and Greg Leisz

I saw this album described on a site as "prog country". I love Buddy Miller. I've got a recording for Robert Plant playing at the BBC Electric Proms with the Band of Joy. Buddy Miller steps into the spotlight to do "Somewhere Trouble Don't Go" and it just sends shivers up my spine.

[Rarebird]

The Band pretty much exemplifies the genre, IMO.

My thought as well. They may not be progressive rock, but I love them. Not sure about the period that came after The last waltz.

[Trane]

I'm not sure if I'm down with the term "Americana". Seems a tad presumptuous. As if we invented folk music and had zero European influences.

I'd say that if there isn't that countryish "twang", then it isn't "americana"

Still IMHO, though

Ragtime piano jazz sounds "americana" to me as well.

[Dave (in MA)]

Norwegian-Americana.

[jake]

TBH, neither of the two YT clips really sound close tio what I call "Americana", but then again, I won't claim to have the terem's definition pinpointed down

The way I picture it, it's much more"country-er" or "folk-ier" (as in bluegrass-ier or cajun-ier)

You mention Plant's forays with Alison Krause and that's a little more "americana-ier" to me.

I agree. I think Tom Waits is trying to create a catalogue of Americana but I just don't buy his schtick - too self-conscious for my liking.
How about these songs - would they qualify as slices of Americana with tangential or just no connection to prog.




I'm only allowed to post three videos in one post - I would also have included Harry Irene by Captain Beefheart.

[davis]

Do people like The Dead Brothers, The Builders & the Butchers, or Those Poor Bastards or Angry Johnny and the Killbillies fall under this banner? I know there's a lot of dark humor in the latter 2, but just asking.

[Progbear]

Apart from Time (The Revelator) by the aforementioned Gillian Welch, probably the most anti-prog release I own is Clear Waters Remembered by for-real folk singer Jean Ritchie. I’m almost certain I must have heard something by her before, probably in elementary school music class, because her voice just feels so familiar. Notice I did not list the other album I have by her: None But One. While that one has some out-and-out country songs on it, and a couple of a’cappella choral hymns at the end, it was also produced by Ron Frangipane, who sneaks in some electric guitar, drums, synthesizer and Chamberlin into the mix, turning stuff like “Flowers of Joy” and the title track into something like progressive folk. They wouldn’t be out of place stuck next to something like Trees or Mellow Candle.

[markwoll]

Bill Frisell has been mining American for quite a few years. Nashville, Good Dog Happy Man, Disfarmer, History/Mystery, Gone Just Like A Train. To name a few.
Second Dave Rawlings Machine, also Sam Amidon.
A lot of people see it as Alt-Country. Much of the twang is applique, and there are potentially more effects used than in straight folk or bluegrass.
Although I do tend to filter out much of the hipster stuff I have heard in the last five or so years ( gotta have a banjo for cred ).
I see 'Americana' shows at least 10 percent of my total.