This started out as a post called "While on the Subject of Recommendations...," but quickly became a big essay on me & alt-country. We'll start with the recommendation:
www.accuradio.com (specifically, the Twang channel)
I have gotten into internet radio in the last couple of years. For anyone (which should include everyone) who has ever felt their local radio offerings were too limiting, a near-limitless smorgasboard of genres and styles. I have been wildly debating with myself on which style to pursue for my next album; alt-country or rock n roll, and I credit accuradio's "Twang" station specifically for pushing me over the top in the direction of country. A whole new sub-genre of alt-country (or "insurgent country") that I was not even aware of a year or two ago. Paying honest homage to the sound and style of tradtional country western, but challenging a lot of the traditional themes, lyrically. I grew up with the sound. It was dormant for years and years with only a little occasional foray into Patsy Cline, Willie, Marty Robbins, and some of the old standards. But I have been introduced to a whole new set of wonderful musicians, including Mike Ireland & Hollar, Greg Buckner, Junior Brown (more of a "new traditionalist" than true "insurgent"), and just a slue of artists of the Bloodshot Records label (to which I plan to submit my work in about a year and a half, by the way). For me, it has been a true musical awakening, and a call I cannot resist. To sing about heartbreak is what I want to do!!!
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2 comments:
I can say that there are artists out there that would be comfortably called Alt-country that I like, listen to and own. One that comes to mind is Lucinda Williams. It's not my favorite genre, but my ears are open wide enough to enjoy music spanning many musical styles.
I would guess that my taste tends more towards just plain Alt, particularly of the period when it was created, or at least defined - the late 80's and early 90's, the heyday of bands like REM and hundreds of others. They had been around for years, creating music of the same style, but no one found it important to define the genre differently.
It seems to me that Alt-country is probably the same. There have probably often been bands and individuals out there making music that could be defined distinctly from the rest of C & W but no one found the need to. The niche-isization of our culture and the freedom of the internet to cater to those niches has caused that phenomenon to explode.
Happy listening.
PS - recently picked up an album by The Old 97's, who might wander into alt-country from time to time. Very good. The album I have is Drag it Up.
Will make note.
It's funny, but if you replaced the "Alt" in Alt-Rock, or Alt-Country with the words "Lyrically Good", the categories would remain unchanged.
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