let's start at the very beginning... it is, after all, a very good place to start.
Country music arose from the demanding
life experienced by the working class in 1920s America, specifically the
southern American states. Originally dubbed Hillbilly music it started in small
rural communities oppressed by poverty and demanding physical work country
sprung up to raise morale and bring people together. The 'first' country singer
to gain any kind of recognition was Jimmie Rogers in the 1920s. Born in
Mississippi Rogers created the 'Twang' associated with country music. His
combination of blues and yodelling quickly caught on in the South. The appeal
of country music then was its honesty and dedication to the old ways of life,
where New York was now a glitzy social hot spot, in the South, yet to be
connected by rail travel, they didn't move so fast. Being poor and the
underdog was part of Rogers star image and so many Southerners were able to
relate to the honesty of his music that he had a fair amount of success,
treading the way for new acts.
A
major leap for country was taken with the opening of the rail ways connecting
the rural South to the fast-paced New York. The train symbolized progress and
opportunity, connecting people in the country with city men and the jobs they
offered. Despite the new rush of trade and success country never drifted from
its roots of poverty and pain.The authenticity and honesty of country music
still remained popular. As the rail system grew its the sound of its chugging
is reflected clearly the instrumental sections of many country songs as its
steady beat created a good spring board into other melodies The next artist to
take over the country scene was the Carter Family.
The
Carter family were similar to a hillbilly-Vontrapp consisting of mother, father
and children. There big break came in 1927 when they recorded 'the sessions'
with, among other artists Jimmie Rogers. The Carter family were rising just as
the boom of the 20s wall St crash happened and America was swept into a
depression. At this time, heavily influenced by the low morale and poverty of
the working classes, country music re-vamped itself into a more glamorous and
showbiz affair, putting the dungarees and straw hats down to pick up tailored
suits and polished shoes. Gene Autry led the way, cheering up those hit by the
depression with his good-looks, voice and rebellious - answering to no one
allowing him to became a big success and inspiring the next generation of
glamorous country.
The Nashville - Hillbilly way. Country
music gravitated towards Nashville where there was a large radio station and
the Grande ole Opry where country artists sang and entertained the masses. The
sound of country music began to evolve with the arrival of Bill Monroe whose
sound; blues/grass/country combination without drums and electric instruments.
Country maintained the glamorous image Gene Autry had initiated and continued
to be performed by gentlemen. The costumes became more extreme and
the country - Bumpkin look was dropped altogether.
Hank
Williams is arguably the, if not one of the most significant figures within
country music, Having 35 singles, 5 posthumously all placing within the
top ten rankings and 11 at number one. Around in the 40s and 50s Williams
represented the soul of country music, discussing broken relationships and his
achy-breaky heart. He was of the old country music style and his authenticity
gained him a massive following. Williams was a troubled man moving through the
motions of depression, alcoholism and drug addiction as all great poets do,
until dying age 29. The 50s represented massive social change for America as
well as country music. Women started taking to the stage of the Grande Ole
Opry. The first to do so was Kitty Wells whose popular songs redefined the
overtly masculine nature of country music.
The
oil boom brought out new acts such as Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. They
modernized the country sound further, introducing western swing, a combination
of cowboy/blues/jazz. Costume also evolved moving into cowboy boots, slacks and
swept back hair as country fashion approached the rhinestone era.
When
the war came to an end in 1945 country changed direction again and Honky Tonk
was born. Honky Tonk represented a post war, hedonistic lifestyle. With social
change in motion young men and women would meet in bars and beer joints to
flirt, dance and drink. People were rebuilding their lives after the depression
and war thus, a more cheerful strand of country developed and Frank Williams
was the man behind it. Singing songs like Hey good-lookin' and being young with
a devil-may-care attitude Williams shot to success feeding of the new, excited
America. Williams also started the rhinestone cowboy movement with the help
form Nuddy Cone, the most famous cowboy costume designer around at the
time.Williams along with Little Jimmy Dickens were the first in Nashville to
get a swimming pool shaped as a guitar and traveled round in a custom car
featuring pistols for gears and all the associated cowboy paraphernalia.
The mid 50s marked the arrival of Elvis
Presley who redefined country, which up until then had been aimed at an adult
audience with sexual liberation on the horizon Presley's pelvic thrusting and
rock 'n' roll style brought in a teen audience.
What
was now lacking was a female artist to gain notable success. Patsy Kline did
this. Her style complied with the more traditional country sound, talking of
tragedy and loneliness.
A
fresh female voice was needed and this was Dolly Parton. Some believing her to
be the last true country artist Parton was different from her other female
competition, not singing of a men treating her badly, breaking up with her
etc., but of her pride in being a woman. this independence and feminism was
embraced by the 60s and her old country style made her a massive success having
composed over 3000 songs in her lifetime and working on numerous collaborations
with some of the biggest artists in the world. Nowadays there are new up and
coming artists such as The Felice brothers and Josh T. Pearson who are more
traditional in approach, using instruments associated with the old country
music such as accordions, harmonicas and banjos. today country still continues
to evolve with some electric groups springing up.
contemporary country; the evolution of sound - A demand for authenticity
Independent music,
abbreviated to indie describes a sound with no fixed style as a result of
artists within the genre being influenced by one another. The sound is fairly
melodic with simple, but well textured instrumentals. Indie is produced by
independent record labels due to its alternative nature not attracting a
massive audience. As a result the primary audience of indie music tend to be
people who don’t conform to mainstream society. In recent years indie has
become associated with a much larger proportion of society- particularly teens.
This has devalued the original intent of indie as an alternative style for
those who truly relate to it. Nowadays being indie is mainstream. In recent
years country music has recently begun to change its sound and image to
appeal to a modern indie audience. In the 1920s when country was beginning to
take off they assumed that only a narrow market of newly urban whites, would
purchase it. Old time country was to be left as a commodified symbol of a
fondly remembered past and place. It underwent a series of changes morphing
from blues/grass to country western and country. This was to meet the demands
of an ever-changing audience as social issues such as feminism, poverty etc.
began to be tackled. Today there are several different categories of country
music, varying on interpretation. These include; mainstream Nashville, folk,
blues grass, gospel and alt. country. Nashville country is thematically the
least cohesive of the categories; dominating the market as it represents a
national symbol of America and thus, has to constantly reinvent itself to
satisfy its ever-changing audience. Alt country is a mongrel breed, combining
country, folk, and bluegrass with styles that are typically considered
antithetical to the country tradition, like punk, indie, or garage rock. It has
added an aggressive attitude and an anti-establishment spirit, adopting artists
who have previously been unsuccessful in the Nashville market due to their
being branded ‘outlaws’, refusing to comply with the current trends of
Nashville. However, this appeals to the indie audience who already feel out
casts in society and relate to this sense of exclusion by mainstream
ideologies.
Alt country music, as
with all music is constantly reinventing itself and morphing into new
sub-genres. Recently alt music has morphed into Americana. Despite Americana
being a derivative of country they can be seen as binary opposites in the sense
that they represent the organic and synthetic. Modern country is artificial and
synthetic, engineered by producers and song writers to appeal to the widest
possible audience. This Nashville conveyer-belt music has pop undertones with
catchy tunes designed to trap the unwary listener into assuming it is authentic
country. The exaggeration of heartache and love is drilled into the consumer in
such an over-countrified fashion to appeal as to the patriotic Americans whose
undying love is ironic considering the mass produced trap they are stumbling
into when purchasing a CD. This use of hyperbole means modern country loses the
sincerity of the traditional country and alienates true advocates of the genre.
Americana arose from this demand for authenticity. Written by organic song
writers who move country music forward into a more contemporary market, while
sticking closely to its origins, branch out into present social issues within a
city/urban environment drifting away from the overtly country bumpkin
Nashville.
my God, we know so much. But what to listen to...
There are hundreds of fantastic alt.country
and indie artists out there. Here are a few i strongly recommend.
1. The Felice brothers - The felice
brothers are a group of brothers from New York; Ian, Jimi, Simone and Christmas
with Greg Farley, David Estabrook and Dave Turbeville also joining
the group (Simone felice has since left the group now to pursue a solo
career) The band fall within the alt.country genre. Their music
juxtaposes traditional instrumental soundscapes with a lexical dexterity
antithetical to the country tradition. the themes within their music follow
that of women, love, sex, death, loneliness and depression expressed in a
more articulate fashion to that of their predecessors. The
music conjours up images of great vistas of the open road, smoking Marlborough
cigarettes, dingy clubs where the floors are sticky from spilt whiskey and bums
queue at the bars waiting for the next greyhound bus. It relives a past we all
wish we'd had and though the themes of the music are somewhat depressing, it is
this desire to have what we can't which in my opinion makes the music all
the more profound and pure.
Albums worth a listen; All of them, but my favourites are ‘The Felice
Bothers’, ‘Tonight at the Arizona’, ‘Favourite waitress’ and ‘Yonder is the
clock’
2. John Grant -
John Grant is an American rock artist formerly associated with the band ‘The
Czars’. Grant split form the band, struggling with an alcohol and drug
addiction as well as coming to terms with his sexuality. In 2010 Grant launched
his solo career with his first album ‘Queen of Denmark’. The album has a more
contemporary sound with a piano and electric guitar accompanying. It has a
somewhat electric rock feel at times and it’s daring use of instrumental make
this album a cracker. His second album ‘Pale Green ghosts’ is just as good as
the first with tracks such as GMF. Albums worth a listen; ‘Queen of Denmark’ and ‘Pale Green Ghosts'.
3. Mark Mulcahy - Mark Mulcahy is an
American musician formerly associated with the rock band 'Miracle Legion;
between 1980 and 1990. Mulcahy split from the band and launched a solo career
fairly quickly after his departure. His music is very quirky and
all-though he is by all-means his own act, parallels can be drawn between
him and the velvet underground in terms of lyrical choices. His most recent album
in my mind is his best - 'Dear Mark J Mulcahy, I love you'.
4. Uncle Tupelo - Uncle
Tupelo was an alt.country music group from Illinois and were active
between 1987-1994. The
band were one of the earliest fashions of punk/rock and
country, taking influence from the sex pistols, Hank Williams and Beat
authors such as Jack Kerouac. Some consider them to be the sole founder of the
genre. The music has a definite country sound, but is paired with an
anti-authoriarian attitude and punk undertones that give the music a sense
of rebellion as achieved through the lyrics. The music is slightly more
upbeat than many of the other alt.country artists i have mentioned, but
most definitely worth checking out. Albums - 'No depression',
'Still feel gone', 'March 16-20, 1992', 'Anodyne' and '89/93, anthology'.
5. Jim Sullivan - Jim Sullivan was an Irish-American musician, who in 1975 disappeared outside Santa Rosa, New Mexico never to be seen again. He was stopped by the police 15 hours having begun his journey from LA to Nashville for swerving. Sometime later his VW was found abandoned, with wallet, guitar and albums left untouched. Some believe he got lost in the dessert, some believe mafia were involved and some believe he was abducted by aliens. Sullivan's perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not album U.F.O was only recently given the release it deserved. Sullivan skirted around the edge of fame, becoming a well-known face around Malibu and even having a cameo in the cult-classic 'Easy-rider'. Light in the attic (record label) became obsessed with finding out the truth as to what happened (remains unknown) and upon doing so stumbled across the album U.F.O and vowed to give it the recognition it deserved. The music has a relatively up-beat sound, however, the lyrics and sullivan's deep and expressive voice lend a sadness to the music. It has been described as 'a slice of American pop music filtered from the murky depths of Los Angeles, by way of the deep south' (Light in the Attic). Albums - 'U.F.O'.
6. A.A.Bondy - A.A.Bondy is an American folk/alternative artist from Birmingham, Alabama, and the former lead singer and guitarist in the rock band Verbena, founded in the 1990s. When the band broke up in 2003 Bondy re-constructed a solo image, releasing his first American Hearts in 2003. Bondy's music is alternative country, focusing on the use of instruments such as the acoustic guitar and harmonica. His 2007 album marked a shift to a more minimalistic, traditional country sound in his music in comparison to the more rock/country sound of his previous band Verbena. Albums worth listening to; ‘When the Devils Loose’.
7. Wilco - Wilco is an American rock band based in Illinois. The band was formed by remaining members of Uncle Tupelo after their split in 1994. The band is not altogether similar to Uncle Tupelo. It has a far-less obvious country influence, with rock being the predominant style. The music is more rock, but not too heavy, the lyrics not upbeat and the overall sound is more experimental and contemporary than a large portion of alt.country music. Wilco have been a successful band and continue to produce quality music. Albums - 'A,', 'Sky Blue Sky', 'Wilco', 'Yankee Hotel Fox-Trot'.
8. Michah P Hinson - Micah P. Hinson is an American musician whose work falls under the country genre. The sound of his music is very much country with some songs opening with old grammar phone recordings. Hinson describes himself as searching for the American dream and has some fairly controversial political standings which caused a stir when he chose to share them. The music is a strange combination of past and present, embodying elements of burlesque and neo/burlesque while fusing sounds that conjour up images of formal dances, and lullabies with old gramophone recordings being included on some tracks. Albums worth a listen; Micah P Hinson and the Empire Orchestra and ‘The gospel of progress’.
9. Mark
Lanegan - Mark Lanegan (1964 - present) is an American singer songwriter.
During his adolescence Lanegan became heavily involved in drugs, supposedly
escaping a dysfunctional family. He was arrested and faced a year in gaol, but
instead went on a rehab course and avoided imprisonment, He started out forming
grunge and heavy rock bands, but as he got older his music mellowed,
collaborating with Isobel Campbell on the album 'Ballad of the Broken Seas' and
began to produce music with a more alt.country than grunge sound. During this
transition he wrote the album ‘Field Songs’. This is a very good album,
with Lanegan's rugged voice and somewhat depressing tune and sinister
undertones that give an almost uncomfortable feel, Lanegan embodies the alt.country
image.
11.Josh T Pearson - Josh t Pearson is an American singer/songwriter. Originally from Texas, Pearson launched his career in 1996, forming the band 'Lift to experience'. Though short lived the band was critically acclaimed and gave Pearson a launching pad for his solo career. In 2010 Pearson left Bella union and was signed by Mute records, who launched his first solo album 'Last of the country gentlemen'. I'll make no bones about it, this album is depressing. The slow tempo of the songs and borderline incomprehensible durgy vocals make the album undeniably dreary. But no one ever said dreary was bad, the lyrics are strong and most definitely sum up the images of whiskey and broken love that are synonymous with country and alt.country. Albums to cheer you up - 'Last of the country gentlemen' and 'The Texas-jersualem Crossroads'.
12. Ryan Bingham -
Ryan Bingham is an American singer songwriter from Texas, but is
currently situated in California. His music falls under the Americana bracket. Bingham
had a disrupted adolescence with his mother drinking herself to death
and his father committing suicide. Bingham developed an interest in the
guitar at 16 when he was shown how to play a classical Mariachi song called "La Malaguena". Bingham
pursued a solo career in music. He only plays guitar, having no
accompaniments. His lyrics create an impression of a profound unhappiness and
his instrumentals a sense of loneliness. His songs are incredibly moving
and his skills for writing and incredibly deep, cracked voice aren't
too dissimilar to Leonard Cohen. Albums - 'Mescalito', 'Roadhouse
Sun', 'Junky Star' and 'Tomorrowland'.
13. Jonathon Wilson - Jonathon Wilson is an American musician from North Carolina. He has been described as falling within the alternative rock and psychedelic rock genres. Wison's music has experimental instrumental arrangements and the structure of his songs is unusual. He has been relatively successful in the UK charts and his most recent album 'Fanfare' has received critical acclaim.
