Alt. Country

[sp-mac]

Anybody else round here enjoy Alt Country bands like Wilco, Son Volt, Jayhawks etc?

I like alot of these US bands but get bagged out by mates who assume it's redneck texas crap.

Some good melodies and lyrics in new country music IMO.

 

[Sheeds]

The whole genre of country is pretty misunderstood to be honest. Im mostly a heavy rock type guy but there is some great country music out there.Someone like Keith Urban is classified country but the music is much more diverse than that.

There is some good alternative county stuff coming out of Australia, bands like Crakajack spring straight to mind.

 

[Truck Rutten]

Anybody else round here enjoy Alt Country bands like Wilco, Son Volt, Jayhawks etc?

I like alot of these US bands but get bagged out by mates who assume it's redneck texas crap.

Some good melodies and lyrics in new country music IMO.

I am a massive Wilco fan (hence the Jeff Tweedy avatar). I'm curious if you like anything after Being There? Not having a go, but Wilco haven't really fit under the alt country banner for some time now, and that term doesn't do justice to the huge amount of musical territory they've covered over their 5 studio albums.

 

[sp-mac]

The whole genre of country is pretty misunderstood to be honest. Im mostly a heavy rock type guy but there is some great country music out there.Someone like Keith Urban is classified country but the music is much more diverse than that.

There is some good alternative county stuff coming out of Australia, bands like Crakajack spring straight to mind.

Nah Keith Urban is hat country- that borders on Pop- ie kieth Urban, Le-anne Rimes, Shania Twain. They all suck.

Anything on that Country music channell on foxtel is crap "hat country."

Good country can be played with basic chords and rhythm. It doesn't have to be diverse musically. Lee Kernigan could sing "Bohemian Rhapsody" in his stupid Garth Brooks accent in his stupid cowboy outfit and it'll sound cheap. Johnny Cash or Steve Earle can sing a three chord ballad and it can be brilliant and far more engaging than the more popular faces of country such as Garth Brooks or Keith Urban.

It's like comparing Shannon Noll to Paul Kelly, in an Australiana sense.

 

[sp-mac]

I am a massive Wilco fan (hence the Jeff Tweedy avatar). I'm curious if you like anything after Being There? Not having a go, but Wilco haven't really fit under the alt country banner for some time now, and that term doesn't do justice to the huge amount of musical territory they've covered over their 5 studio albums.

Yeah I know their new stuff is different, and I mostly have their old albums such as being there (I had bought them before I started downloading the new stuff!)

True that their new stuff isn't really alt country, but I mentioned them in the sense they were part of the big push of alt country into the record industry.

 

[MagpieScouser]

i must admit i used to hate country but im starting to like artists like keith urban ,toby kieth,sara evans and brooks n dunn

 

[CarterS]

Love the outlaw country, johnny cash, waylon jennings, kristofferson, shotgun willie, all joined together as the highwaymen, there's some bad bad men right there.

 

[ExTasDeeMan]

Don't mind Alt Country - Whiskeytown (and then Ryan Adams), Wilco and Beth Orton are some great examples for mine.

One debatable is Evan Dando and a lot of the songs with the Lemonheads behing Alt Country.

Hat Country sucks butts.

 

[Leaping Lindner]

I am a massive Wilco fan (hence the Jeff Tweedy avatar). I'm curious if you like anything after Being There? Not having a go, but Wilco haven't really fit under the alt country banner for some time now, and that term doesn't do justice to the huge amount of musical territory they've covered over their 5 studio albums.

I thought that was Dustin Hoffman in the movie "Lenny" - seriously!

 

[Shinboners]

Don't mind Alt Country - Whiskeytown (and then Ryan Adams), Wilco and Beth Orton are some great examples for mine.

Ditto for me.

You can add the Scud Mountain Boys/Pernice Brothers to that list. Beachwood Sparks also do a pretty good job too, whilst Yo La Tengo have dabbled in alt country waters. Lois Maffeo and Brendan Canty did a great album titled "The Union Themes" and that's worth chasing up.

A couple of Australian bands like Golden Rough, The Dearhunters, and Tim Rogers and the Twin Set, and Lisa Miller have done things that are worth a listen.

One debatable is Evan Dando and a lot of the songs with the Lemonheads behing Alt Country.

That's one thing that I've never been able to figure out. When does country turn into alt country?

 

[Truck Rutten]

I thought that was Dustin Hoffman in the movie "Lenny" - seriously!

No, if I was going to have an avatar of Dustin it would be a pic from Tootsie

 

[Truck Rutten]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Uncle Tupelo yet.

 

[bragg]

Jayhawks - Rainy Day Music album is pure class !!.. try some Joe Henry too around his " Kings Highway" Cd time or his " Shuffletown" Cd ...

 

[rooboy]

Wayne the train Hancock. Saw him at Byron Bay blues......brilliant. Also Junior Brown.