Whispering Pines wrote:Along these same lines, it's an intriguing wrinkle that Kasey Musgraves, who's been ignored by country radio, has swept most all of the year's major TV music awards and is now up for album of the year at the next Americana Awards. Go figure.
Which is extra-ironic given that her record Golden Hour probably fits more into the pop genre than anything related to country or Americana.
Being awarded the opening slot on Harry Styles' certainly helped Kasey grow and expand her brand.
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
- DPM
Smitty wrote:Even if you extend the alt.country label to the birth of country-rock in the 60's (I consider it late on the continuum - country rock>cowpunk/Paisley underground>alt.country), Wild Horses ain't the first anything. It's a perfect song but not at all groundbreaking or original. The Byrds, ISB, Burritos, Stone Poneys, Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young, the Band, Dylan, etc etc etc all beat "Wild Horses" to the punch.
Welp, it's all opinion. Burrito's are the only band listed that I would consider alt. country. Americana? Sure. Throw in CCR to some degree. Burritos never had a hit. Stones did country prior to Wild Horses, but again, none were really hits.
Stone Poneys, Byrds, Dylan (amongst others) had country-rock songs that charted before WH.
Alt.country, in my estimation and in most definitions that I've encountered, requires a punk influence (if not in sound at least in ethos). The first wave of what I would could consider alt.country started with Jason & Scorchers, Long Ryders, Blasters, green on red, rank & file, cowboy junkies etc, although I categorize them as being more proto alt country.
But yeah, it's all opinion.
One of the first bands that I saw labeled alt. country, and still read things claiming they are original leaders in the genre, are The Jayhawks. They have very little in common with the 80's bands you listed. Certainly nothing to do with punk. Opinions get wider, I guess.
The Jayhawks are certainly alt.country (among other things), but I always think of Uncle Tupelo as the original leader of what started being classified as alt.country. And, like all genres and sub-genres, there are varying shades of grey. Not all alt.country bands were created equal, nor do they all sound the same.
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
- DPM
cortez the killer wrote:The Jayhawks are certainly alt.country (among other things), but I always think of Uncle Tupelo as the original leader of what started being classified as alt.country. And, like all genres and sub-genres, there are varying shades of grey. Not all alt.country bands were created equal, nor do they all sound the same.
I discovered Uncle Tupelo after Jayhawks, but to me, those are the 2 faces of whatever that genre is. Lots fit in between those 2 bands and the Jay/Jeff offshoots.
The Jayhawks came out of the Twin City's hardcore scene, the same as Uncle Tupelo.
Sounding punk isn't a prerequisite for alt.country, but I doubt you'll find any literature on alt.country that doesn't include a punk sensibility as one of it's defining traits. That's what the "alt" represents, no different than it does in alt.rock.
That's also what I think is the difference between the subgenre of alt.country and major, all-encompassing Americana label.
Smitty wrote:The Jayhawks came out of the Twin City's hardcore scene, the same as Uncle Tupelo.
The Jayhawks might've been from that scene, but UT were a Belleville, IL/St. Louis based band. Their worlds eventually collided, but, to my knowledge, UT did not emerge from the Twin City's hardcore scene.
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
- DPM
Smitty wrote:The Jayhawks came out of the Twin City's hardcore scene, the same as Uncle Tupelo.
The Jayhawks might've been from that scene, but UT were a Belleville, IL/St. Louis based band. Their worlds eventually collided, but, to my knowledge, UT did not emerge from the Twin City's hardcore scene.
You're absolutely right, Cortez, for some reason I was thinking UT's first show was in Minneapolis (7 Ave) but that was Wilco's first show. I just re-read Learning How to Die earlier this year so that brainfart is indefensible.
Smitty wrote:The Jayhawks came out of the Twin City's hardcore scene, the same as Uncle Tupelo.
The Jayhawks might've been from that scene, but UT were a Belleville, IL/St. Louis based band. Their worlds eventually collided, but, to my knowledge, UT did not emerge from the Twin City's hardcore scene.
You're absolutely right, Cortez, for some reason I was thinking UT's first show was in Minneapolis (7 Ave) but that was Wilco's first show. I just re-read Learning How to Die earlier this year so that brainfart is indefensible.
All good, Smitty. For a minute there you had me believing it. Had to go back and reconfirm.
Ironically enough, Tupelo had a stronger allegiance to that hardcore punk sound/influence than The Jayhawks who were from an area with great punk bands like Husker Du. Jay & Jeff eventually moved away from those influences (and each other), but it's certainly part of both of their DNA.
It took me years to warm up to punk rock and all its offshoots, but, man, do I love me some punk rock these days.
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
- DPM
