With the twang of country and the bang of rock, a small, but rapidly expanding musical movement called alt country is changing the perception of what a steel guitar and a cowboy hat might represent.
A reaction to the increasingly studio-savvy sounds from Nashville, alt country, sometimes called insurgent country or Americana rock, takes a more streamlined approach to American roots music by stripping it down, amping it up and paying tribute to the roots of country music.
Here's a primer on the genre.
Locally, country with crunch has been a firm favorite among music fans. Augusta acts such as the Livingroom Legends, Horsepower and, to some extent, Josh Pierce and Shaun Piazza, have all trafficked in a sound that might be considered alt country. We asked local practitioners, promoters and fervent fans of the music to define what, and who, might be considered alt country:
KEN STEPHENS
THE LIVINGROOM LEGENDS
"The absence of cowboy hats is sometimes a good indicator and an artist located outside of Nashville is also a positive. Being Southern and into punk rock is a good quantifier. The nature of current Nashville country certainly does seem to indicate there will always be those dissenters."
Recommended starting point: Johnny Cash, The Byrds and maybe Bob Dylan and R.E.M.
COCO RUBIO
THE SOUL BAR
"(It's acts with) an appreciation for true classic country music but also the same type of appreciation and respect for other kinds of music, like punk rock, for example. Give me Hank Sr. and The Clash."
Recommended starting point: Jason and the Scorchers were alt country before the term was ever used. Uncle Tupelo defined what it is now.
JOHN "STONEY" CANNON
LOKAL LOUDNESS
"There are always those looking to expand, create and push the envelope. For many years, country was almost a sacred genre, but it was only a matter of time before a new generation would attempt to take a love of classic country and meld it with an open-mindedness that inspired artists outside the South, even outside the U.S., to try their hand at country mixed with their own personal cultures."
Recommended starting point: Classic country - Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Willie Nelson. Also some Elvis, Big Star and Gram Parsons.
JOE GRAVES
NEATO TORPEDO
"I've always felt that alt country, Americana or whatever, has to possess a more traditional country sound. What is called "country music" these days sounds more like pop music with a cowboy hat. So I would associate a more traditional country sound with alt country."
Recommended starting point: "The first time I heard the terms alt country or Americana (was) about the time I first heard Uncle Tupelo. But if I went back further, Hank Williams Sr. is considered alternative to what's on country radio these days."
JOHN BENNETT
LIVINGROOM LEGENDS/VELLOTONES
"What we today somewhat loosely call alt country is really just the latest evolution of the good old country singer/songwriter genre that I grew up with in the late '60s and early '70s. It's music some say started when the late, great Gram Parsons joined The Byrds, but that would discount the equally important preceding/concurring contributions from Bob Dylan, the Buffalo Springfield, The Band, Poco and many others."
Recommended starting point: "I think either the Carter Family or Woody Guthrie. They both established a tradition of writing songs that spoke to people from all walks of life. From there, you can pretty easily connect the dots."
THE ARTISTS
Here's a rundown of some of the movers and shakers, or pickers and twangers, as the case may be, who have set the standards for the alt country sound:
GRAM PARSONS: The Georgia-born singer/songwriter was, in the 1960s, one of the first to consciously attempt to blend country and rock into an amalgamation he called "cosmic American music."
UNCLE TUPELO: A Missouri band that brought elements of folk and country to the college rock tradition. When the act splintered, members went on to form the equally influential Son Volt and Wilco.
JOHNNY CASH: One part rockabilly and one part hillbilly, Johnny Cash combined rebel cool with country twang. The chugging tempos found on Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the Line and Ring of Fire provided the backbeat model for alt country.
THE OLD 97'S: While the jury is still out as to whether this act is a rock band with country leanings or a country band that rocks, the Old 97's have garnered a reputation for skillful songcraft and rambunctious live sets.
STEVE EARLE: The eternal Nashville outsider, Mr. Earle embraces politics and crunchy electric guitars, keeping his particular brand of country rock on the fringes.
WHISKEYTOWN: This troubled band released only a few albums featuring its distinctive fiddle/rock dynamic, but dedicated fans still sing its praises. When the band broke up, string siren Caitlin Carey and pugnacious frontman Ryan Adams both went on to their successful solo careers.
LORETTA LYNN: Although considered by many to be the Queen of Nashville, her Jack White-produced Van Lear Rose might have been last year's finest alt-country release.
JON LANGFORD: Although he began his career with the British punk band The Mekons, Jon Langford's love of traditional American music has fueled brilliant releases as a solo artist and one of the Waco Brothers.
BOBBY BARE Jr.: Began his career as a 5-year-old, singing on a single by his father, a Nashville-centric artist. Re-emerged with a sound that combined traditional country will elements of post-punk and psychedelica.
Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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