# Tell me about "alt-country" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869 "2005-09-15T22:43:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869/21 "2005-09-17T06:48:24Z")
I have been a huge fan of “alt-country” (or anything else you want to call it) for about 13 years and would like to add a few more worthy names to the list that haven’t already appeared and have had some recent releases: [ul] [li]New Pornographers (who include the already mentioned and fantastic Neko Case - their most recent release is Twin Cinema)[/li][li]Guy Clark[/li][li]Joe Ely (founder of Flatlanders & I believe was in Eagles for awhile)[/li][li]Jimmie Dale Gilmore (also founder of Flatlanders)[/li][li]Robert Earl Keen[/li][li]Laura Cantrell (a country girl and DJ from New York City)[/li][li]Robbie Fulks[/li][li]Jon Langford (this man is a study all by himself as he was a founder of the Mekons, who now lives in Chicago and in addition to own solor releases also formed Pine Valley Cosmonauts)[/li][li]Sally Timms (solo and also with Pine Valley Cosmonauts)[/li][li]Caitlin Cary[/li][li]Casey Chambers (an Australian who has learned her “country”)[/li][li]Stacey Earle (Steve’s sister)[/li][li]Radney Foster[/li][li]Rodney Crowell (an ex-mate of Emmylou)[/li][li]Butch Hancock (also in original Flatlanders)[/li][li]Maria McKee[/li][li]Buddy and/or Julie Miller (an awesome couple - he has played on tour with Emmylou)[/li][li]Old 97’s[/li][li]Throwing Muses (Kristen Hersh & Tanya Donelly both of whom have solo releases)[/li][li]Waco Brothers[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869/22 "2005-09-17T23:14:05Z")
The only musician whose music I have who has been described as “alt-country” is Michael Hurley, who most often bills his own tunes as “blues”. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869/23 "2005-09-18T00:40:46Z")
My take is that a lot of alt-country bands cut their teeth in Punk rock bands in the 80’s… or at least grew up in or around that culture. As they got older they realized that a lot of the subject matter of Punk and Country are actually the same, and it’s a lot easier to grow old gracefully as a Countryguy than as a punk. It’s true in my case anyway. You’ve got a lot of good advice here regarding bands to listen to, and I will second the recommendation to check out stuff on Bloodshot Records. I have one arguement with the Neko Case Blacklisted recommendations… I think _Furnace Room Lullaby_ is slightly better. I will also second some of the previous band recommendations and suggest a good album by them… **Blanche** - I We Can’t Trust The Doctors **Calexico** - Black Light **Johnny Dowd** - Cemetary Shoes **The Handsome Family** - Through The Trees **The Knitters** - Poor Little Knitter On The Road **Carolyn Mark** - The Pros And Cons Of Collaboration **The Meat Puppets** - Up On The Sun **The Old 97’s** - Wreck Your Life **Son Volt** - Trace **Trailer Bride** - Hope Is A Thing With Feathers **Uncle Tupelo** - Retrospective. **Gillian Welch** - Hell Among The Yearlings **Wilco** - A.M … actually pretty much all of Hunter Hawk’s list A couple of others I like are… **John Doe** - Forever Hasn’t Happened Yet **Carb Lund** - Five Dollar Bill **The Meat Purveyors** - More Songs About Buildings and Cows **Herald Nix** - What A World **Old Reliable** - Pulse Of Light, Dark Landscape **The Sadies** - Tremendous Efforts **David P. Smith** - Hurtin’ Dance Party **Split Lip Rayfield** - Never Make It Home **Jim White** - The Mysterious Tale Of How I Shouted Wrong-Eyed Jesus ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869/24 "2005-09-19T23:45:25Z")
Check out the _Lost Highway_ label. I’m also not sure whether Tift Merritt has been mentioned yet. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869/25 "2005-09-24T22:58:32Z")
TiVo/VCR Alert to Alt-country fans! The Americana Music Awards show is being broadcast by GAC on Monday, September 26th at 8:00 EST. From their [website](http://www.americanamusic.org/php/index_wide.php?content=conference): An all-star “house band” led by \*\*Buddy Miller \*\* will participate in several performances by a stellar group of nominees and special guests during the 4th Annual Americana Music Association Honors & Awards at the Ryman Auditorium on Friday, September 9 at 7pm CT. Hosted by two-time Americana Honors & Awards recipient **Jim Lauderdale** , the evening’s festivities will include appearances by nominees **Alison Brown, Hayes Carll, the Duhks, Steve Earle, Mary Gauthier, Tom Gillam and Tift Merritt**. There also will be separate performances by Jim Lauderdale and Buddy Miller. Special guests include\*\* Solomon Burke, Judy Collins, Elizabeth Cook, Radney Foster, Emmylou Harris, Robert Earl Keen, Raul Malo, Allison Moorer, Mindy Smith, Todd Snider and Billy Bob Thornton\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869/26 "2005-09-24T23:09:36Z")
Would this style of music be what is played on [X country](http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=12) on XM Satellite radio? ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869/27 "2005-09-24T23:35:51Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Would this style of music be what is played on [X country](http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=12) on XM Satellite radio? Yep, that looks like it. The **Jr. Brown** picture was a dead giveaway. ---
**Author:** ![misshannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@misshannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misshannah)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869/28 "2005-09-25T16:56:48Z")
> [@vl\_mungo](#): > > **The Knitters** - Poor Little Knitter On The Road teeny nitpick: The album is Poor Little Critter on the Road, which is excellent! Poor Little Knitter On The Road is also great, it’s a tribute album to the Knitters that includes many of the artists and bands already mentioned in this thread! ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869/29 "2005-09-25T17:56:10Z")
I’m strongly seconding the recommendations of: [Kelly Hogan](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004SGT8/qid=1127671230/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/002-7847013-8250428?v=glance&s=music) (what a wonderful, wonderful voice) [Old 97’s](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002HPH/qid=1127671280/sr=8-3/ref=pd_bbs_3/002-7847013-8250428?v=glance&s=music&n=507846) (great fun to see live) [Jimmie Dale Gilmore](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000005IV7/qid=1127671321/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/002-7847013-8250428?v=glance&s=music) [Jim White](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000DJDJA/qid=1127671361/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/002-7847013-8250428?v=glance&s=music) [Kasey Chambers](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004Y6ND/qid=1127671385/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/002-7847013-8250428?v=glance&s=music) [Rilo Kiley](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002M5T7A/qid=1127671444/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-7847013-8250428?v=glance&s=music) [Neko Case](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004KD4J/qid=1127671566/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/002-7847013-8250428?v=glance&s=music) I’ll add [Moonshine Willy](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000001HTG/ref=m_art_li_3/002-7847013-8250428?v=glance&s=music), [Anna Fermin](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000TB09G/qid=1127671664/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-7847013-8250428?v=glance&s=music), and, in a slightly different vein, ex-Monkee [Mike Nesmith](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000JOOI/ref=m_art_li_6/002-7847013-8250428?v=glance&s=music). The links are to my favorite albums by each. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869/30 "2005-09-25T20:35:34Z")
> [@misshannah](#): > > teeny nitpick: The album is Poor Little Critter on the Road, which is excellent! > > Poor Little Knitter On The Road is also great, it’s a tribute album to the Knitters that includes many of the artists and bands already mentioned in this thread! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869/31 "2005-09-25T21:21:02Z")
Everybody else has hit it pretty well. I just figured I’d go in on a plug for my favorite alt-country artist (hell, my favorite period): [Ryan Adams](http://ryan-adams.com/), who has a new album coming out this Tuesday the 27th (one of three albums slated for 2005. The first, a double disc called Cold Roses, is definitely him going back to his roots after some outright rock records, came out a few months ago). A few others have already mentioned Whiskeytown, of which Adams was one half (along with equally talented Caitlin Cary) the artistic driving force. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-alt-country/321869.md?page=1)