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In the 1990s, the term alternative country, paralleling alternative rock, began to be used to describe a diverse group of musicians and singers operating outside the traditions and industry of mainstream country music.
- The Jayhawks. Formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, veteran roots-rockers The Jayhawks’ sparkling back catalogue includes nine full-length albums. Recorded for Rick Rubin’s Def American label, 1992’s Hollywood Town Hallarguably remains their acme.
- Giant Sand. Based in Tucson, Arizona, Giant Sand are the brainchild of the feverishly proficient Howe Gelb, whose catalogue has so far yielded over 30 studio albums including 1999’s magnificent Chore Of Enchantment.
- Uncle Tupelo. This influential Illinois trio brilliantly melded their love of artists as disparate as The Carter Family, The Replacements and The Stooges on their 1990 debut No Depression.
- Wilco. Post-Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy formed Wilco, gaining sustained critical plaudits for albums such as Being There, the experimental alt.rock classic Yankee Hotel Foxtrotand 2004’s Grammy Award-winning A Ghost Is Born.
- Uncle Tupelo – Anodyne (1993) The last entry in the band’s catalog before Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar parted ways saw the band at its most fully realized.
- Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998) Up until this album Lucinda Williams was primarily known for her songwriting, earning a Grammy for Best Country Song with Mary Chapin Carpenter’s crossover hit “Passionate Kisses.”
- Gillian Welch – Revival (1996) Gillian Welch and her musical partner may have hailed from Los Angeles and Rhode Island, respectively, but they arrived on the alt-country scene in 1996 as if they’d just melted out of Depression-era Appalachian Mountain ice.
- Son Volt – Trace (1995) Long before there was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, it looked like Jay Farrar was the genius behind Uncle Tupelo, as Trace was a near-perfect collection of laid-back alt-country ballads like the brilliant windows-rolled-down “Windfall” and guitar-charged college rockers like lead single “Drown.”
Alternative country-rock is often simply referred to as alternative country, but the two styles are actually somewhat distinct from one another -- simply put, alternative country performers come from the country side of the equation, whereas alternative country-rock is rooted more in rock.
Alternative country-rock is often simply referred to as alternative country, but the two styles are actually somewhat distinct from one another -- simply put, alternative country performers come from the country side of the equation, whereas alternative country-rock is rooted more in rock.
Sep 30, 2023 · Uncle Tupelo. To some extent, the alt.country movement crystallized in the early 90s around the fanbase of the country-influenced rock group Uncle Tupelo. The trio’s first album, No Depression,...
Mar 17, 2021 · But once the grit and twang of country music found its way into punk rock in the early 1980s, through the music of bands such as Rank and File, Meat Puppets and Mekons, an alternative to mainstream country had already begun to be cultivated.
