Alternative Country...

Mark Krutke · From: Tomahawk, WI USA

At the 2001 ISGC many of us heard a term that was kind of new, at least to me. I believe it was mentioned by Jeff Newman: Alternative Country - and it's gaining popularity. Wait a minute you gray-headed stringpullers....Don't leave this post yet until you understand what "Alternative Country" is!!
Did anybody else hear Jeff talk about this? Did he not say this style of music was nothing other than the traditional-style country music that we all love (with a lot of steel) under a different name? The younger crowd might not go for "Old-fashioned Country & Western", but they might go for Alternative Country....

Big Band music is back with the younger generation as well as those who grew up with it, maybe all it would take is a different title to bring our Old-time...I mean alternative music back? Just a thought

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

Nice thinking, Mark! Put a new tag on our old country and big band music. That will do it! So what will we name it? It has to be cool and The NOW ......al

Mark Tomeo · Posted 9 Nov 2001 8:38 am

Yeah, but the real hangup with Alternative Country is radio. "Country" radio is like McDonalds - the exact same format coast to coast. The burgers taste the same and the playlists sound the same no matter what state of the nation you're in.
Rock or pop radio, on the other hand, is completely fragmented. You have stations that play urban and dance music, adult contemporary, hard rock and metal, soft rock, alternative rock, oldies - why hasn't country radio broken down into different formats?
From the comments about the CMA show, it's obvious there's an audience for more than new hot country. I don't understand why country radio hasn't followed the model of rock and pop radio segmenting by audience Country music has certainly imitated the sounds and style of rock and pop music. There ought to be room enough on the airwaves for all tastes.

Adrian Wulff · From: Portland, OR, USA

Alternative country has been around since the late 80's. Bands like Jason and the Scorchers, Uncle Tupelo, Whiskey town, Old 97's, and the Gourds have been mixing up rock,punk, and traditional country sounds with some really good results. A lot of young people have gotten into Buck Owens, Johnny Cash, Merle, and George Jones by listening to these bands. They get played on college and public radio stations across the country.

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Mark Tomeo · Posted 9 Nov 2001 2:13 pm

Yeah, but college and public radio doesn't count the same way commercial radio does. They're important markets but they're not where country bands break big. Gavin doesn't even chart alternative country, which it used to call "Americana," anymore. It's never going to be the next big thing with country radio as tightly formatted as it is at present.

John Paul Jones · From: San Diego

If you guys want some authentic "alternative" music (Merle, Conway, 'Possum Jones, Tammy, etc.) tune in to a Texas station. You may have to turn the dial a bit but you'll find it. And, they're starting to play more and more of it.

Texas...I love it (and Country Music)

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John Paul Jones

GFI U-12
Evans FET500 amp
ART T2 effects
HM-4 harmony machine

Red Kilby · From: Pueblo, CO, USA * R.I.P.

Alternative Country, what a novel subject.That is what I have been dub as by the country market place. If you want to check out what they are calling alternative country go to www.google.com then type in my name red kilby. Listen to about 15 seconds of each cut, and let me know what you think??
P.S Check out WHO did my LINER NOTES, you steelers will love this!!!!!!!.If you want a copy let me know????

Red Kilby · From: Pueblo, CO, USA * R.I.P.

P.S.S, by the way Mark I was at the ISGA 2001 and the only alternative country that was played on Jeff's show was when Hal Rugg played the intro to "Ones On the Way" and brought the house down<<<<. That was awsome<<<.

Mark Tomeo · Posted 12 Nov 2001 7:09 am

Hey Red...I'll check out your site and sound files as soon as I get a chance. I'm not sure what you mean about Jeff's show, Hal Rugg and "One's on the Way," but then I wasn't there. Why would his intro to an old Loretta song be considered alt.country?
And JPJ, I know you guys think the rest of the U.S. is just a part of Texas where the people aren't enlightened enough to appreciate barbecue and boots, but we can't get your radio stations no matter how much we turn the dial.

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

Now I know what kind of music I'm playing !!

I don't have any alternatives !! So that would make this: "My Alternative Country..."

Beats not playing and sitting at home waiting for that Halloween Guy with the big sythe (an old Country device used to cut grain for harvest.).

Regards, Paul

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

I was part of the discussion with Jeff about ALT-Country, at the 2001 ISGC.

Jeff's point was that it is a fact that ALT-COUNTRY, to the radio programming industry, means George Jones, and all the others we consider Country.

Equally ironic is that "Country" means (to these industry-types) acts that most of us refer to as "New Country".

Most everyone I know thinks "Alt-Country" refers to the current day "outlaws", (the type of bands refered to in Adrian Wulff's above post).

That's not true, according to Jeff, the radio industry has defined "Alt-Country" to be what I call "Classic Country".

Jeff's main point was the irony of this.

This is the first time I've realized that this new "Alt-Country" definition might just be a good thing, as far as marketing traditional country to a younger audience.

Like it or not, this young audience has grown up thinking "Country" means the hit Hat-Acts of the 90s.

[This message was edited by Joey Ace on 12 November 2001 at 10:38 AM.]

Chris Schlotzhauer · From: Colleyville, Tx. USA

http://www.alternativecountry.com/

Steve Stallings · From: Houston/Cypress, Texas

I played a job recently at a county fair opening and closing for Jack Ingram. He does not play country music of any kind...period. He reminds me of a drunken John Cougar Mellencamp. He didn't have a steel player. I have both of his CD's. There is zero notable steel on these. Charlie Robison on the other hand does play alt-country with tons of steel.

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Steve Stallings
Bremond, Texas

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

When I was first out of highschool I worked with a "union" guitarist/teacher..and I still remember his complaining about the "string-stretchers" guitar players who were "destroying" the music business....does anything ever change?

Mark Krutke · From: Tomahawk, WI USA

Joey Ace mentioned the ideas that came out that night at the convention that I was hoping someone besides myself gathered. I'm sure there are many different definitions (and even a website) for Alternative Country, but this particular meaning that Al Marcus, Joey and I and others comprehend is the meaning of bringing back the classic era of Country music, say from the 50's and 60's and putting the name "Alternative Country" on it, although it may get confused with other styles already named as such.

A different name for Classic Country would perhaps be more suitable, but yet the name has to sound "today". It has to appeal!! How about.....

"Cool Classic Country" or "Hip-Honky Tonk"

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

There's also terms like 'Retro-Twang' or Twang core, another term for Alterna-country is the 'No Depression' scene.

In the early 1980s there were a series of bands that mixed punk and country and R&B, I suppose you might call that the original Cowpunk scene, Jason & The Scorchers is probably the most famous outfit in that style, while the early Southern culture on The Skids and latter period CDs by the Supersuckers are probably the most current and notable of the crop.

Then there were the 'space-country' or the rain parade era of bands, there was a whole series of 1980s groups that seemed to want to mix the sounds of the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young, although not incrediably country, this was a big scene in L.A. for a while there and the general style did spawn some interesting outfits, Rain Parade, The Triffids (Australian), The Long Ryders and others.
Some later groups in this style include the now defunct Mazzy Star and the Cowboy Junkies,who are still going.

I suppose one of the most influential 1980s groups would have to be Uncle Tupelo, the name of one of their albums coined the term 'No Depression' and when the group split in the 1990s it produced Son Volt and the much more famous Wilco.

Another groundbreaking alt-country act was the Jayhawks, their still around in one form or another,their debut was in the late 1980s and they formed out of various guys who were sick of the punk scene and wanted to play something more along the lines of the Flying Burrito Brothers, but there were heaps of 1980s roots rockers, from Boston, New York, L.A., Miineapolis, etc.

Then you've got acts like Big Sandy, the Derailers, the Mavericks (moreso the early albums), the late great Desert Rose Band, Dale Watson, Wayne Hancock, Patty Booker, etc who draw on earlier popular styles of country music for their style and sound, whereas the alterna-country crowd seems to draw more influence from the country-rock era.

Of course the Alterna-country scene was also partially built on 1980s folk (lots of cool Texas stuff), old timey music revival bands, and the various Rockabilly and Western Swing revivalists that keep popping up over the years.

Ally · From: Edinburgh, UK

Amazing.
A long debate on alt-country, and no-one mentions Gram Parsons, and just one Burittos reference. This must be some kind of record.

Red Kilby · From: Pueblo, CO, USA * R.I.P.

Hi Ally, well in my personal opinion, of Gram Parsons the best part of his music was James Burton playing lead guitar and Buddy Emmons playing Steel. He wasn't COUNTRY.Thats like trying to say, that The Byrds were country cause they did the "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" album. The only good part about the LP was Lloyd Green's playing.

Steve Stallings · From: Houston/Cypress, Texas

Hmm...can't say I agree that Gram Parsons was not country. "Grievous Angel" sounds pretty country to me. I also liked NRPS at about the same time. The Byrds "Sweethearts of the Rodeo" is my favorite country album period. This and Poco is what got me into this. A little later, PP League caught my fancy. Just goes to show that what some don't consider country, others do.

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Steve Stallings
Bremond, Texas

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

When those big wheels, in the radio adn recording industry, hear the words"Classic Country" they close their pocketbooks.

So let's call it something else and fool them. How about "Real Country" or "Big Country", anything to get them out of their time warp......al

Red Kilby · From: Pueblo, CO, USA * R.I.P.

Hey Steve and Rayman, well like they say everyone has an opinion. I read your comment and had to go and listen to the Grevious Angel album again,and I feel the same as before, He sounds like "A Sick Cat in the bottom of and Oil Barrel" the music behind him is great as is EmmyLou.But he was a wanna be country artist,that should have stuck with Greenwich Village Scene.As far as The Byrds go,Like I said about Gram, they should have stuck with "Turn,Turn,Turn" country was not there bag. Lloyd's playing was the only highlight on the LP,the Music was country,the singers??
"Are you Serious???"

Mark Krutke · From: Tomahawk, WI USA

You got it, Al.

Something that'll stick....For example, I know of a recording studio near my home called..Are you ready?...."EXTRA FISH".

Yea, a recording studio. I went over to visit the guy who runs it and asked him why call a recording studio "Extra Fish"??? He plainly said, "So people will remember it". I remembered it for sure. That doesn't have much to do with the names we're putting on the old music, but it's just additional food for thought (pun intended). I think I'll go work on my "scales", now. Sorry.

Then again there is a method to that madness. They put catchy words in advertising.... A new name for an old item is how things sell.

Barrel rings.......hula hoops
Classic Country..... ?

Red Kilby · From: Pueblo, CO, USA * R.I.P.

P.S. If you want to hear some REAL COUNTRY ,listen to a Mel Street,Faron Young, Moe Bandy,Charley Pride,Merle Haggard,Buck Owens,Dale Watson,Loretta Lynn,Connie Smith or GENE WATSON<<< LP sometime.Then you can hear GOOD PLAYING and GOOD SINGING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Red, I could not disagree with you more, Sweetheart is basically the first alterna-country album although there are other contenders with the Band, Dylan, The Everly Brothers and the Beau Brummels producing some fine country-ish releases in 1968.

It ain't Haggard, Jones, Dave Dudley or Buck Owens, but that's really not the point. ...it's something altogether wonderfully different. To me it's another case of ever evolving and mutation musical genres.
I suppose one man's musical pioneer is another's sick cat.
Long live the Mutated States of America I say.

John Steele · From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

I'll bypass the personal saga and say this:
Re: Gram Parsons - He's a good part of the reason that alot of us under-40 steel players are here.
-John

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