Extreme Listening Mode!

Well, my friends, if it hasn’t gone and happened again; yes, Friday has rolled around once more. It’s a time for the working man to put down his tools, to wipe the sweat from his brow and to relax. Well, traditionally anyway, what it generally means in these modern times is productivity drops to the floor, you decide that you’ll do it on Monday and you surf until 5 o’clock. Be honest. That’s why you are reading this. No wonder this country is in a mess. You make me sick.

Today the 5 is looking at some of the bands who blazed the trail for alt.country. As a genre, it’s always been like the weird cousin of traditional Country. With bands who looked like they could have come straight from Seattle, playing music which owed as much to Hank Williams as Henry Rollins, it speaks very directly to a certain type of music fan.

There’s an honesty and an integrity to the whole genre which has always lent it a certain wounded dignity. Some bands here sold about three records, but it doesn’t matter; much like the Velvets, everyone who bought the record formed a band or spread the word. This list is obviously the antithesis of definitive. There are so many great acts I’d be writing for three weeks. Here are bands to act as a starting point for newbies, or for old hands to reminisce over. Whilst chewing a toothpick and looking grizzled, obviously.

The Long Ryders – Like Gram Parsons joining the Clash, the Long Ryders knew their way round three chords as well as they did round a banjo. Formed in LA in 1983 and led by main songwriters Sid Griffin and Stephen McCarthy, they were lumped in to the Paisley-Buckskin Underground scene of the 1980’s (basically anyone who wore a check shirt and had shared a bill with R.E.M. – at the time, everyone.)  They were melodious, they were exciting and they were fun. In thrall to the Byrds, and the 60’s in general, they briefly threatened to achieve the breakthrough R.E.M. had in alternative circles, even gracing the cover of the NME, but it wasn’t to be. That said, they introduced a new generation to the delights of country and they left a plethora of great albums. They re-formed for a brief tour in 2004; they were still amazing.

Download - ‘Looking for Lewis & Clark’

Uncle Tupelo – The alt.country Beatles. With their cover of old folk song ‘No Depression’, the three piece from Illinois (pictured) created the manifesto for the whole shindig. Based around the songwriting of Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, their freewheeling , mercurial sound often masked brutal lyrics dissecting the flipside of 80’s America. Poverty, loss, death, illness, fear….it wasn’t Belinda Carlisle. Success was always just one step away and something always superseded them. When grunge broke, they fell apart in 1993, despite being just that one turn of the dial away from what was getting on radio. Farrar was seen as the main man, and went on to deliver several brilliant albums, both solo and with his new band Son Volt. Tweedy rather surprised everyone…

Download - ‘No Depression’

Wilco – ….by creating this brilliant band. Always seen as number 2 to Farrar, no matter how unfairly, Tweedy’s new band were the continuation of the Tupelo sound but with added extras. Of course, it’s a great metaphor for the whole scene that when Tweedy, burned by his experiences of chasing success, gave up that chase, he actually achieved it. Wilco slowly but insidiously became a word-of-mouth success and managed the  rare trick of being critically lauded and selling a good few albums into the process. They’ve constantly evolved; from the simple country-pop of ‘A.M.’ to the emotional holocaust of ‘Summerteeth’ to the almost-Krautrock of ‘A Ghost is Born’ they’ve constantly pushed the boundaries of what they can do. Tweedy has always refused to sit back and accept he’s ‘just’ an alt.country performer.

Download - ‘She’s a Jar’

The Jayhawks – There are things in this life that puzzle me. Right up there with ‘who watches ice skating?’ and ‘do people actually find Jim Carrey funny?’ is ‘why aren’t the Jayhawks massive?’ And I mean, stadium massive. That they are still reasonably big restores some of my faith in humanity. If Uncle Tupelo were the Beatles in the narrative, then the Jayhawks were the Beatles on record. Huge, shimmering pop songs stuffed full of choruses. Builders should whistle these songs. Radio One should play them. A truly wonderful band.

Download - ‘Smile’

Whiskeytown – That Ryan Adams can be a colossal twerp at times should not, cannot, deflect from some of the wonderful music he has made. His three albums with his original band are as good as anybody’s back catalogue. We’ve raved on here about ‘Strangers Almanac’ here before, but it can’t be overstated; it was a true landmark album in the genre. Almost every song they did resonates with a passion punk bands ascribe to themselves but simply couldn’t get near. As damn near essential as the word gets.

Download – ‘Excuse Me While I Break My Heart Tonight’

So there you have it, y’all. Have a great weekend and please, drink irresponsibly. You are a long time dead. Here’s Uncle Tupelo performing ‘No Depression’ in 1992.