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Alt-Country
Goes Power Pop: The Death of Alt-Country?
The Summer of 2006 has
witnessed the release of several new CDs from many of the icons of
the musical movement known as "alt.country." New
releases from members of The Jayhawks, Wilco and Slobberbone
reflect the evolution of the music which sparked a revival of
interest in country-rock in the 1990s. But alt.country fans may be
surprised by the new sounds emanating from some of their favorite
bands. Some have even declared the death of alt.country. But
are rumors of alt.country's death greatly exaggerated? First,
let's examine the musical evidence.
Jeff
Tweedy and Gary Louris were members of some of the most important
bands of the alt.country era. Tweedy's work with Uncle Tupelo and
Wilco have helped him to achieve iconic status among alt.country
aficionados. Gary Louris's contributions as a member of The
Jayhawks is held in similar high regard. Since the heyday of
the alt.country movement, both musicians have contributed to the
side project known as Golden Smog. The Smog reappeared this
Summer after an 8 year hiatus with a new CD entitled Another
Fine Day. Much to the surprise of many, however, the
"alt.country" supergroup's new release is far removed
from the country-rock roots of the band's various members. The luscious
pop rock of Another Fine Day represents modern power pop at
its best. Of course, Tweedy and Louis have long abandoned
any pretense of being alt.country artists. Wilco has emerged
as one of the most progressive and critically acclaimed rock bands
of this decade. Meanwhile, Louris guided The Jayhawks toward
a more commercial rock sound after the departure of Mark Olson in
1995. In this context, Another Fine Day is a natural
musical progression for its various members.
While
Tweedy and Louris were slowly moving away from country-rock in the
later half of the 1990s, Slobberbone were just getting started.
The Texas-based band led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Brent Best
never achieved any degree of commercial success, but their
authentic roots-rock sound endeared them to the hearts of
alt.country fans everywhere. Unfortunately, Slobberbone
officially called it quits in March of 2005. But Best has
now joined with Slobberbone bandmates Tony Harper and Jess Barr to
form a new band called The Drams. Joined by Keith Killoren
and Chad Stockslager, the new group recently released its debut CD
entitled Jubilee Drive. Much like the latest release
from Golden Smog, the Drams' debut CD is a clear embrace of power
pop with little regard to the group's alt.country roots. But is
also a powerful collection of finely crafted songs written by one
of the best songwriters of the alt.country
era.
As
previously noted, the fact that such notable alt.country icons
have adopted a pop rock sound with minimal country influences has
not gone unnoticed by the mainstream music press. On July
16, the New York Times wrote an article
declaring the death of alt.country. A few weeks later, the Phoenix
chimed in with its own obituary for the music genre.
So
is alt.country really dead? The answer is yes and no. There
is little doubt that the term "alt.country" is dying a
slow - but inevitable - death. But the music represented by
the term is very much alive and well despite the fact that a few
of its original ambassadors have moved on to other musical
styles.
The
decline of the term "alt.country" has been well
documented. Even No Depression magazine has dropped the term
from its tagline. But new terms have been introduced in its
place. Perhaps the most popular term provides the name for
this very website. Slowly but surely, the broader term
"Americana" has begun to emerge as the preferred label.
The
marriage of country, rock and folk has existed since the beginning
of the rock era. Each decade has seen its own variations
with its own terms to describe the musical hybrid. From
"rockabilly," to "Cosmic American Music," to
"country rock," to "cowpunk," to "alt.country,"
to "Americana," the labels change but the musical
approach is part of a consistent theme which will almost certainly
continue. While some alt.country icons may embrace other
musical styles, there will always be a new generation of artists
to fill their shoes. As long as country and rock exist,
there will be an alt.country - or Americana - or whatever label we
may use to describe it.
Grammys
to Establish Americana Category
The folks over at Cybergrass.com
reported this weekend that the Grammys have decided to rename
the "Best Contemporary Folk Album" category as the
"Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album" category. Those
of you who have been reading this page for some time probably know
that we were very happy to see this change. Last year we wrote an
article entitled "Grammys
Fail to Recognize Americana as a Distinct Genre" in which
we made the following case for a name change:
"Given the
rapid growth of interest in Americana music and its diverse
nature, it is about time the Grammys recognized Americana as its
own unique style or genre. The closest thing the Grammys have to
an "Americana" category is Contemporary Folk. Nominees
in that category this year include Ry Cooder, Rodney Crowell,
Nickel Creek, John Prine and Bruce Springsteen. That sounds a lot
like Americana to me.
Actually, for
reasons that I will not address here, "Americana" and
"Contemporary Folk" are probably synonymous terms in the
strict academic sense. However, the popular perception of
"folk" music is Pete Seeger and Joan Baez strumming
acoustic guitars and singing protest songs in the 1960s. For this
reason, we think the Grammys should re-name the "Contemporary
Folk" category to be either the "Americana"
category or the "Americana/Contemporary Folk"
category."
This
is a great piece of news for the many Americana supporters out
there working behind the scenes to establish Americana as its own
unique musical format. Thank you Grammys.
Former
Fleetwood Mac Guitarist Revisits the Blues One
of the more remarkable comebacks in popular music occurred on July
18 when Jeremy Spencer released his first album/CD in 26 years. Precious
Little marks Spencer's return to commercial music after a
hiatus which began after the release of the 1979 album Flee.
Though he was an original member of Fleetwood Mac, he spent most
of his tenure with the band in the shadow of legendary British
blues guitarist Peter Green. The events which led to his sudden
departure from the band, and the resulting 35 year odyssey as a
member of the Children of God, are the stuff of great fiction
novels. However, in the case of Jeremy Spencer, the story is all
too true.
In
1967, Spencer was invited to join Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood and
John McVie as an original member of the group which was initially
billed as "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac featuring Jeremy
Spencer." The young slide guitarist was prominently
featured on the band's early releases, but his talents clearly
paled in comparison to the highly regarded Green. His initial
contribution to the band's sound consisted mainly of Elmore
James-derived songs and imitations of other well-known artists
during the group's live performances. The addition of Danny
Kirwan as a third guitarist in 1968 further marginalized Spencer
within the group. Filled with self-doubt and strongly-held
religious views that questioned his occupation and lifestyle,
Spencer's role in the band diminished to the point that his
presence was barely noticeable on the band's 1969 release Then
Play On.
Green's
sudden and surprising decision to leave Fleetwood Mac in 1970 left
the band in a state of shock. The remaining members
retreated to the English countryside to record Kiln House
in 1970. Kiln House once again featured Spencer as a
prominent songwriter and vocalist. The effort was probably the
group's closest embrace of what we now call
"Americana." Heavily influenced by the emerging
country-rock movement, the album marked a clear change in
direction away from the band's blues-based sound and resulted in a
collection of twangy songs steeped in country and folk music.
Spencer's
self-doubt reappeared on the 1971 American tour in support of Kiln
House. His last performance with the band occurred on February
9, 1971 at San Francisco's legendary Fillmore West.
The performance coincided with a massive Los Angeles earthquake. The band's next gig was in the epicenter of the
earthquake at L.A.'s Whiskey A-Go-Go. A reluctant Spencer has to
be convinced to get on the airplane to L.A. Upon arriving in Los
Angeles, the aftershocks of the earthquake mixed with the ozone
and yellow haze of the atmosphere to create a strange and eerie
setting. The band checked into its hotel and Spencer announced he
was going to step out for a few minutes to check out a bookstore
down the street. Spencer left the hotel room never to return to
Fleetwood Mac.
When
Spencer failed to returned to the hotel, the band started a
frantic search for the missing guitar player. Four days later, the
band's manager located Spencer at a warehouse in downtown Los
Angeles which served as the headquarters for the Children of God
religious sect. Spencer renounced his music career and
essentially disappeared from the music scene altogether. For the
next three decades, he traveled around the world as a member of
the Children of God. Occasional reports placed Spencer in Sri
Lanka and the Indian subcontinent. In the wake of Fleetwood Mac's
stunning success after the release of Rumors in the late
1970s, Spencer briefly reappeared with a largely forgettable solo
album entitled Flee.
Now,
35 years after he walked away from Fleetwood Mac, Spencer has once
again entered the studio and released a blues-based solo album
entitled Precious Little. Perhaps the most surprising
aspect of Spencer's return to the music business is the quality of
his latest recording. Backed by a Norwegian band, Spencer mixes
original songs like "Psychic Waste" with blues classics
like "It Hurt's Me Too" and "Bleeding Heart"
to produce a compelling collection of contemporary blues. Another
highlight is a reworked version of "Corina Corina"
entitled "Serene Serena."
It
is rare that a musician returns to recording after such a long
absence from the music business. It is even rarer to reappear in
prime form. In the words of the Grateful Dead, what a long
strange trip it's been.
Johnny
Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways On
July 4, American Records released the final collection of studio
performances by Johnny Cash prior to his death in 2003. The
CD is the fifth release for American Records which rejuvenated
Cash's career in the mid-1990s. Entitled American V: A Hundred
Highways, the CD was once again produced by Rick Rubin and
recorded with many of the musicians who contributed to Cash's
earlier American Recordings releases. In fact, Cash began work on
the CD the day after completing his previous CD, American IV:
The Man Comes Around. On July 12, Billboard
reported that the CD topped both the pop and country music charts
- the first Johnny Cash album to achieve that special honor since
1969's Johnny Cash at San Quentin.
Darrell
Scott - The Invisible Man Even
if you don't know who Darrell Scott is, you probably know his
songs. Scott's catalog of songs has served as a reservoir
for many mainstream country artists. Artists like Travis
Tritt ("It's A Great Day To Be Alive"), Garth Brooks
("When There's No One Around"), and The Dixie Chicks
("Long Time Gone," "More Love") have turned
Scott's songs into commercial hits while Scott has remained
largely unknown to the casual radio listener. His latest CD -
entitled The Invisible Man - may not be a reference to his
anonymity among country music fans, but it could be.
Nevertheless, The Invisible Man finds Scott producing
another collection of songs which will probably be mined by other
artists for years to come. Why not check out the songs now
in their original
form?
Sam
Bush - Laps In Seven As
one of the founding members of the ground-breaking newgrass band
New Grass Revival, Sam Bush revitalized bluegrass as a musical
genre and the role of the mandolin in popular music. Bush's
latest release Laps in Seven continues his embrace and
consolidation of rock, country, folk and bluegrass influences.
Laps in Seven follows on the heels of 2004's King of My
World. However, unlike the previous CD, Laps in Seven
is a more focused effort with an emphasis on songwriting. Of
course Bush's musicianship is on prominent display, but the star
of the CD is not just Bush's mandolin - it is also the collection
finely crafted and well-executed
songs.
Allison
Moorer - Getting Somewhere The
latest release from Allison Moorer reflects yet another change of
musical direction for the 34-year old singer-songwriter. Getting
Somewhere finds Moorer embracing a pop-rock sound which was
absent from her earlier recordings. After a series of
attempts at mainstream country success, Moorer left MCA for Sugar
Hill Records in 2004. The first release for her new label
was entitled The Duel - a dark and brooding CD which marked
a clear change of musical direction away from mainstream country
to a more alt-country sound.
Moorer
then embarked on a tour in support of The Duel with Steve
Earle which culminated in the marriage of the two performers in
2005. Moorer spent much of
the following year on the road with Earle playing solo acoustic
performances as her husband's opening act.
Moorer's folk
music direction of the past year has given way to another apparent
attempt at commercial success on Getting Somewhere.
However, this time the goal may not be the country music
charts. The short collection of radio-friendly songs (the
entire CD is just 32 minutes in length) seems to be aimed at an
audience closer to that of her husband's than the mainstream
country audience she once
coveted. Of course, that isn't necessarily a bad thing -
especially if you're a fan of Americana music.
Tracks
like "If It's Just For Today" suggest a 60s pop
influence. Other songs take a straight-ahead rock approach.
"Work To Do" and "Fairweather"
are pop-rock gems more suited for VH1 than CMT. Even the CD's more
subdued moments like "You'll Never Know" and
"Hallelujah" (which Allison has been performing
in concert for the past year) show a confidence in style which
Moorer may have lacked in her work with MCA.
A
lot of people wrote off Allison Moorer after her marriage to Steve
Earle. For a while it appeared that she was content in the
shadow of her husband. Getting Somewhere proves that
Allison is still a voice to be heard in
Americana.
The
Bottle Rockets - Zoysia The
Bottle Rockets latest studio effort was recorded in Memphis in
about 10 days last November. Entitled Zoysia, the CD
follows the March release of a live CD of the band recorded last
year in Heilbronn, Germany. Zoysia takes its name from a
tenacious type of lawn grass common in the band's home state of
Missouri. What better way to represent a band whose music is
rooted in the rural Midwest? The Bottle Rockets use zoysia to
symbolize small town America and the title track takes a look at
political tolerance in rural America. (Note the grassy American
flag on the CD's cover.)
Cracker
- Greenland On
June 6, Cracker released its latest CD entitled Greenland.
Greenland is the first release since the band's 2003
countrified effort Countrysides. Cracker has always
occupied the gray area between alternative rock and
alt-country. While Greenland is not the rough and
twangy effort of Countrysides, it still represents the band
in alt-country mode. Cracker is supporting the release of the new
CD with a summer tour of the US. Cracker frontman David
Lowery continues to tour with Camper Van Beethoven between Cracker
gigs and several of the tour dates feature both bands on a unique
double-bill.
Chatham
County Line - Speed of the Whippoorwill On
May 30, Chatham County Line released their third album entitled Speed
of the Whippoorwill. The latest release from the North
Carolina-based bluegrass band continues the "new
traditionalist" approach to bluegrass which the band featured
on their previous releases - 2003's Chatham County Line and
2005's Route 23. The band first achieved notoriety from
their association with Tift Merritt. Guitarist Dave Wilson
and bassist Greg Reading both played in Merritt's backing band The
Carbines. Wilson and Reading often joined CCL bandmates
Chandler Holt and John Teer to serve as Merritt's opening
act. It was this exposure which ultimately led to a
recording deal with Yep Roc Records. Since signing with Yep
Roc Records, the band has acquired a growing fan base and a solid
reputation for keeping bluegrass music fresh and exciting.
Jeff
Tweedy and Gary Louris were members of some of the most important
bands of the alt.country era. Tweedy's work with Uncle Tupelo and
Wilco have helped him to achieve iconic status among alt.country
aficionados. Gary Louris's contributions as a member of The
Jayhawks is held in similar high regard. Since the heyday of
the alt.country movement, both musicians have contributed to the
side project known as Golden Smog. The Smog reappeared this
Summer after an 8 year hiatus with a new CD entitled Another
Fine Day. Much to the surprise of many, however, the
"alt.country" supergroup's new release is far removed
from the country-rock roots of the band's various members. The luscious
pop rock of Another Fine Day represents modern power pop at
its best. Of course, Tweedy and Louis have long abandoned
any pretense of being alt.country artists. Wilco has emerged
as one of the most progressive and critically acclaimed rock bands
of this decade. Meanwhile, Louris guided The Jayhawks toward
a more commercial rock sound after the departure of Mark Olson in
1995. In this context, Another Fine Day is a natural
musical progression for its various members.
While
Tweedy and Louris were slowly moving away from country-rock in the
later half of the 1990s, Slobberbone were just getting started.
The Texas-based band led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Brent Best
never achieved any degree of commercial success, but their
authentic roots-rock sound endeared them to the hearts of
alt.country fans everywhere. Unfortunately, Slobberbone
officially called it quits in March of 2005. But Best has
now joined with Slobberbone bandmates Tony Harper and Jess Barr to
form a new band called The Drams. Joined by Keith Killoren
and Chad Stockslager, the new group recently released its debut CD
entitled Jubilee Drive. Much like the latest release
from Golden Smog, the Drams' debut CD is a clear embrace of power
pop with little regard to the group's alt.country roots. But is
also a powerful collection of finely crafted songs written by one
of the best songwriters of the alt.country
era. 
One
of the more remarkable comebacks in popular music occurred on July
18 when Jeremy Spencer released his first album/CD in 26 years. Precious
Little marks Spencer's return to commercial music after a
hiatus which began after the release of the 1979 album Flee.
Though he was an original member of Fleetwood Mac, he spent most
of his tenure with the band in the shadow of legendary British
blues guitarist Peter Green. The events which led to his sudden
departure from the band, and the resulting 35 year odyssey as a
member of the Children of God, are the stuff of great fiction
novels. However, in the case of Jeremy Spencer, the story is all
too true.
Green's
sudden and surprising decision to leave Fleetwood Mac in 1970 left
the band in a state of shock. The remaining members
retreated to the English countryside to record Kiln House
in 1970. Kiln House once again featured Spencer as a
prominent songwriter and vocalist. The effort was probably the
group's closest embrace of what we now call
"Americana." Heavily influenced by the emerging
country-rock movement, the album marked a clear change in
direction away from the band's blues-based sound and resulted in a
collection of twangy songs steeped in country and folk music.
On
July 4, American Records released the final collection of studio
performances by Johnny Cash prior to his death in 2003. The
CD is the fifth release for American Records which rejuvenated
Cash's career in the mid-1990s. Entitled American V: A Hundred
Highways, the CD was once again produced by Rick Rubin and
recorded with many of the musicians who contributed to Cash's
earlier American Recordings releases. In fact, Cash began work on
the CD the day after completing his previous CD, American IV:
The Man Comes Around. On July 12, 
Even
if you don't know who Darrell Scott is, you probably know his
songs. Scott's catalog of songs has served as a reservoir
for many mainstream country artists. Artists like Travis
Tritt ("It's A Great Day To Be Alive"), Garth Brooks
("When There's No One Around"), and The Dixie Chicks
("Long Time Gone," "More Love") have turned
Scott's songs into commercial hits while Scott has remained
largely unknown to the casual radio listener. His latest CD -
entitled The Invisible Man - may not be a reference to his
anonymity among country music fans, but it could be.
Nevertheless, The Invisible Man finds Scott producing
another collection of songs which will probably be mined by other
artists for years to come. Why not check out the songs now
in their original
form? 
As
one of the founding members of the ground-breaking newgrass band
New Grass Revival, Sam Bush revitalized bluegrass as a musical
genre and the role of the mandolin in popular music. Bush's
latest release Laps in Seven continues his embrace and
consolidation of rock, country, folk and bluegrass influences.
Laps in Seven follows on the heels of 2004's King of My
World. However, unlike the previous CD, Laps in Seven
is a more focused effort with an emphasis on songwriting. Of
course Bush's musicianship is on prominent display, but the star
of the CD is not just Bush's mandolin - it is also the collection
finely crafted and well-executed
songs.
The
latest release from Allison Moorer reflects yet another change of
musical direction for the 34-year old singer-songwriter. Getting
Somewhere finds Moorer embracing a pop-rock sound which was
absent from her earlier recordings. After a series of
attempts at mainstream country success, Moorer left MCA for Sugar
Hill Records in 2004. The first release for her new label
was entitled The Duel - a dark and brooding CD which marked
a clear change of musical direction away from mainstream country
to a more alt-country sound.
The
Bottle Rockets latest studio effort was recorded in Memphis in
about 10 days last November. Entitled Zoysia, the CD
follows the March release of a live CD of the band recorded last
year in Heilbronn, Germany. Zoysia takes its name from a
tenacious type of lawn grass common in the band's home state of
Missouri. What better way to represent a band whose music is
rooted in the rural Midwest? The Bottle Rockets use zoysia to
symbolize small town America and the title track takes a look at
political tolerance in rural America. (Note the grassy American
flag on the CD's cover.) 
On
June 6, Cracker released its latest CD entitled Greenland.
Greenland is the first release since the band's 2003
countrified effort Countrysides. Cracker has always
occupied the gray area between alternative rock and
alt-country. While Greenland is not the rough and
twangy effort of Countrysides, it still represents the band
in alt-country mode. Cracker is supporting the release of the new
CD with a summer tour of the US. Cracker frontman David
Lowery continues to tour with Camper Van Beethoven between Cracker
gigs and several of the tour dates feature both bands on a unique
double-bill. 
On
May 30, Chatham County Line released their third album entitled Speed
of the Whippoorwill. The latest release from the North
Carolina-based bluegrass band continues the "new
traditionalist" approach to bluegrass which the band featured
on their previous releases - 2003's Chatham County Line and
2005's Route 23. The band first achieved notoriety from
their association with Tift Merritt. Guitarist Dave Wilson
and bassist Greg Reading both played in Merritt's backing band The
Carbines. Wilson and Reading often joined CCL bandmates
Chandler Holt and John Teer to serve as Merritt's opening
act. It was this exposure which ultimately led to a
recording deal with Yep Roc Records. Since signing with Yep
Roc Records, the band has acquired a growing fan base and a solid
reputation for keeping bluegrass music fresh and exciting.