Recommended for Americana Fans: Amanda Ann Platt and the Honeycutters

@bdp24

Rodney Crowell first became a National name as the leader of Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band.

I know. We saw the classic line up of the Hot Band (the one on Luxury Liner) sans EmmyLou at a tiny venue in Santa Barbara (The Bluebird Cafe) in the late 70’s. For good measure, they brought along BOTH Albert Lee AND Frank Reckard ! Rodney was the de facto leader that night, singing most of the lead vocals.

I realize Hiatt did not begin as anything close to Americana. I agree -- "Bring the Family" is a killer album. And I’d agree that in the South, the various Roots genres tend to blend together. I’m just not sure that Americana music must be Southern.

I do get what you’re saying about Hiatt being almost a genre unto himself like Dylan. Both clearly draw from Roots genres deeply. This makes sense.

Another question: how would you classify recent Marty Stuart albums such a "Altitude" that seem to mostly refer to the Byrds’ Country forays?

Since we're on this topic...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vn0Dz7InjI

To quote Willie Nelson: "There are two kinds of men in the world; those who are in love with Emmylou and those who have not met her". 

Just read an interview with Amanda Ann Platt. She described her music as "rock -tinged Country". 

So much for me knowing what Americana is!  

@stuartk: Your comment about mine regarding Americana and the South had me reconsider the matter. Perhaps instead of using the term Southern, "rural" is more of what I'm taking about.

I've thought in terms of Southern for a number of reasons, first and foremost because that part of the U.S.A. is after all where the Hillbilly, Rockabilly, Bluegrass, and Blues first fermented. Also because when I started meeting and being around some musicians from the South, I noticed that they not only spoke English differently than do we Northerners, Westerners, and Easterners, but they also even walk differently. And when I played music with some (Bill Pitcock IV from The Dwight Twilley Band, Evan Johns), they played with a feel very different from what I was accustomed too, being a California boy.

But now that I think about it, one problem I have with the younger, Alt-Country guys is that they play in a way that feels very much of what I call "suburban". I grew up in and started playing in San Jose, California, which is not really a city, but rather one big suburb, very much like the San Fernando Valley of Southern California (San Jose is in the Santa Clara Valley). Not a city, and not at all rural. I have for years viewed The Swampers as the prime example of the Southern feel in music, but perhaps their style and feel are a result of the rural influence, not the Southern.

In a related matter, whenever the subject of the "best" American songwriters, singers, and musicians comes up, many consider Canadians not eligible for consideration (no Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, or The Band?!). I disagree. Canada is, after all, part of North America. Close enough, ay? And now that the stable genius has declared he wants to make Canada the 51st state, perhaps the matter is moot.