New reissue of Exile on Main Street

I guess I always thought of alt.country as basement guitars plugged into white boy roots music. Plus something a little harder to peg, about rest stops, interstates, and "three hour away" towns.

I don't think the Stones really tapped into this; touring America as rock stars ain't Americana. That the Stones themselves recognized this is evident in their characteristically shrewd parody/self-parody in "Far Away Eyes." (I'm willing to count the lovely "Moonlight Mile" as alt.country, though.)

I'd have thought Neil Young (Canadians do Americana!) was a more important influence than Parsons (and the Stones) on alt.country bands like Uncle Tupelo; in addition to the sonic affinities, Neil is constantly covered by bands in the tradition, such as one of the most inspiring direct heirs to UT, Two Cow Garage.

An underappreciated album that I'd peg as "early" alt.country is Lucinda's "Happy Woman Blues," even though it doesn't fit my own "definition."

Arguments about musical styles are likely to be as inconclusive as arguments about cables, of course.

John

FWIW, allmusic lumps "alt-country", "americana" and "neo-traditional folk" within the same subgenre, "alternative country", and generally defines these styles as country stripped to its basics and subverted; the unifying factor being that they're simple, traditional forms made outside the nashville system and, in the case of alt-country and americana, infused with rock and roll aesthetics. allmusic doesn't classify either the stones or neil young as alternative country.

That's interesting Loomisjohnson, although I suspect that if one is inclined to argue genre's they're also not much inclined to treat allmusic as definitive.

I fear Neil may be classified as "classic rock."

John

alt country/americana's birth? 'the dillards'

From the Stones to the Dillards. Perfect!

Jaybo, can you recommend on the Dillards for an entry disc with good sonics?

Thx,

J