Hi Todd, i saw the cave singers last summer and agree they do a nice job. I am also a big fan of Martin Sexton, Neko Case and Ryan Adams. I will have to check out Ryan Bygham and the Wood Brothers. Thanks for introducing me to some new music. David |
These are the first few of my favorites that come to mind:
John Prine The Jayhawks Steve Earle Lucinda Williams
This is one of my favorite Genres...... |
I agree with the Civil Wars album. "Barton Hallow" is indeed excellent.
Lucinda Williams is great too.
Not sure if this is in quite the same genre, but Over The Rhine is another terrific group. |
I also love a lot of alt/country roots music and share your enthusiasm for the Wood Brothers.
By far my favorite in the genre is Buddy Miller. His writing, guitar playing, musicianship and arrangements are as good as anyone's, in any genre. My opinion, of course. |
Uncle Tupelo-Anodyne, Son Volt-Staightaways, Whiskeytown-Pneumonia, Ryan Adams-Gold. All fit in this category I believe and if you haven't heard any of them, you should. |
I've been enjoying Ryan Adams lately. I think he qualifies for this genre. |
all the ones listed. john hiatt's new cd is great. thanks for the heads up on the new artists. my favorite genre also... |
Thanks folks for all the great sugestions. Keep em coming please. Dhel, do check out these two great, bands but don't forget the awesome Cave Singers. I posted one for you and everyone to sample .
Timrhu,I am a huge Ryan Adams fan and Gold is a masterpiece! He is for sure Alt Country. I have seen Lucinda Williams 3 times. Great live band. I recemmend Car Wheels On A Gravel Road of course and Essence ,and her double Live album is fantastic as well ( Live @ The Fillmore) I forgot to mention a few bands. The Avett Brothers last Album I and Love and You is STELLAR and a must own if you love Alt Country . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq4DsqiW2DI Mumford and Sons first album was another album that stopped me dead in my tracks for 4 months of straight listening. This may be my top favorite album of the last few years. Cave singers killer song and video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssN2_B7351U and a great live acoustic one from The Wood Brothers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lI6UrXqKhg |
Ryan Adams "Ashes & Fire" is pretty close to Gold. Some other excellent new releases include "The Lost Notebooks"(Hank tribute) and Jay Farrar and Yim Yames "New Multitudes"(Guthrie tribute). All sound great on vinyl. |
The Be Good Tanyas and Monsters of Folk have been getting some time on my platter lately. |
Tom Russell Bill Morrissey Dave Alvin Nanci Griffith Jimmie Dale Gilmore |
If you like the above music you might like John Mellencamp's "No Better Than This". Great writing and performance plus several different recording venues, each with their own story. |
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A couple that come to mind...
Hiss Golden Messenger "Bad Debt"
J. Tillman "Vacilando Territory Blues" (Former Fleet Foxes drummer...)
Brown Bird "Tautology" ("Salt for Salt" is not bad either)
James Vincent McMorrow "Early In The Morning"
and of course anything that says Calexico on it.... |
not sure if this quite fits but 'Odetta Sings Dylan' is quite good, a very simple classic sound that I have enjoyed many times
thanks everyone! |
Great suggestions! I love Naci Griffith. I saw her for free. Nice show! The John Mellencamp album No Better than this is REALLY Great!! Love the low-fi recording too! Check out Donna The Buffalo , a really fun Alt. Country Jam band. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2hlRwEY1hI Perfume Genius new album is near PERFECT!! It sounds like Paul Simon slams into Bon Iver. Lol... Todd |
Two more I have been really enjoying lately, both lean more to the folk side and both are great recordings.
Bowerbirds "The Clearing" (Recorded at Justin Vernon's studio and has a bit of his flavor)
Anais Mitchell "Young Man In America" (Ironically, also a friend of JVernon who often covers a song from this record. Good review on Pitchfork today). |
The gourds Robert Earl Keen Jayhawks Steve Earle Sarah Jarosz Slobberbone Green on Red Trailer Bride |
HERE WE GO, BRING OUT YOUR "iN tHE rEINS" lp. Put it on and foget all your troubles. |
check out drew nelson's "tilt a whirl". |
Todd Snider Casey Chambers Drive By Truckers |
Carrie Rodriguez Chip Taylor Guy Clark Kevin Welch |
I will throw in Harry Manx. He wont fit perfectly into any category but maybe closest to this. I am listening to Mantras for Madmen for the first time, picked up today. |
Dave Alvin, Beat Farmers, Calexico, Steve Earle, Joe Ely, Lucinda Williams |
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Thanks everyone! Mike I am enjoying the Henry Manx. Great voice and music. Bongo, I so enjoy Calexico,Steve Earl, and I have seen Lucinda two or three times over the years. I will have to check out many of the other recommendations. I also have enjoyed Have Gun Will Travel which was recommended on another thread. Johnny is of course The Man!! |
The "Boomchucks" out of Duluth, MN. Alt-country duo, drum and guitar. Jamie Ness writes weird fun cool country/punk songs with a good backbeat from "smokin" Brad Nelson of The "Black Eyed Snakes on drums. |
Peter Case "The Man With the Blue Post Modern Fragmented Neo-traditionalist Guitar" |
Neil Young and Crazy Horse have a new one coming out called "Americana". I don't know whehter it is electric or not. |
John Hiatt "Bring The Family" "Slow Turning" |
Some of my favorites are - (Mostly in or near the category) Greg Brown - If I had Known Greg Brown - Dream City Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac Rosanne Cash - Rules of Travel Eliza Gilkyson - Lost and Found Sarah Jarosz - Song Up in Her Head Buddy Miller - Midnight & Lonesome Buddy Miller - The Best of the Hightone Years Buddy Miller - Universal United House of Prayer Rusty Truck - Broken Promises Gillian Welch - Revival
Neil Finn - One All (Outside the category but a great pop effort) |
Check out Middle Brother. They are real fine!! |
I heard a song of "James Yorkston and the Athletes" and really enjoyed
it was from their "Moving Up Country" album
fwiw |
I "second" the Tom Russell nomination! You may also like James McMurtry and Delbert McClinton. If you lean just a little to the Country side give Billy Joe Shaver and Ray Wylie Hubbard a listen. |
Hey guys and girls, if you're at all interested in hearing some new alt-folk from the UK please check out www.leeswitzer.bandcamp.com for free downloads. Thanks |
Boy, I just can't say this enough ... Did you hear Anais Mitchell's brilliant HadesTown? Brilliant! I'm surprised that more people don't know this recording. Best of the current bunch, IMO, and that's a very good bunch indeed. And did you hear Otis Taylor's banjo records? Run! Run and get these now! Put the baby gently back in her crib first, what a sweetpea she is, look at her sleeping so peacefully. |
Rpeek,
thanks for the tip about Anais Mitchell's HadesTown
really nice music that reminds me of Tom Waits but more gothic and vibrant |
I am a pretty big Son Volt/ Uncle Tupelo fan. What more do you need? |
I am digging the Deep Dark Woods and the Stray Birds very much these days. |
Nice call on the Deep Dark Woods Rockadanny, enjoying 'the place I left behind' now. will seek out the Birds next, thanks. |
The Brothers Comotose: Respect the Van
Blue Rodeo: Five Days in July; Tremelo; The Days in Between
Neko Case: The Tigers Have Spoken; Blacklisted; Middle Cyclone
Dave Alvin: Public Domain
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Matraca Berg, The Dreaming Fields (2011). |
Rosanne Cash, The River and The Thread. This is the one where she fills her father's big shoes. |
Dgarretson...Rosanne Cash's new album is indeed excellent! My favorite so far this year, (yes, I know we are only a month into 2014), but still an fantastic release. |
Rosanne gets my vote too, nicely done! Also, Matraca Berg wrote the lovely "Back When We Were Beautiful" on Old Yellow Moon with Emmylou and Rodney. |
A hundred thumbs up for the Matraca Berg recommendation. She's a very talented writer and singer who released a few albums years ago and then dropped out of the Nashville scene, for quite a while except for session work (check out her harmonies on Oh, Cumberland w ELH on the Songcatchers soundtrack, or better yet, her singing lead on that song, which I believe she wrote, on The Dreaming Fields. Her work never quite fit the Nashville mold and so some of the old stuff is a bit overproduced, but if you like Dreaming Fields, check out The Speed of Grace and Sunday Morning to Saturday Night. Most highly recommended.
I'll also give a shout-out to Shelby Lynne's baby sister, Alison Moorer. If you can find it, her duet of Picture w Kid Rock is outstanding. |
Check out Amanda Pearcy (singer/songwriter from Austin). Esp. 2nd CD, Royal Street. Disclaimer: some personal bias at play here, but it's great stuff. |
A lot of good choices so far (Hiss Golden Messenger being my personal favorite among them), but there are a few names that I'd add.
First - since the OP mentions Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt/Wilco among his reference points - I'd suggest a quick listen to The Bottle Rockets. Tom Henneman was a guitar tech and "non-member" of Uncle Tupelo and I regard Bottle Rockets as the third "nephew" band. They've done some great stuff over the years (I'm a sucker for sad songs and Waiting on a Train is my gold standard for hard rockin' weepers). I'd think this is close to a "can't miss" recommendation given Todd's stated preferences - although I've been wrong before.
Two other names that immediately come to mind are 16 Horsepower (picture Uncle Tupelo as channeled by a bible thumping hillbilly on psychedelic drugs) and Alejandro Escovedo. When Escovedo was really on his game (roughly 1992 to 2005) , I'd argue that his output held his own with anyone's. An A list name for sure.
Straying further from rock music, Townes Van Zandt is also worth thinking about. Like Escovedo, I think Townes best material is is truly timeless music. |
Oops - Brian Henneman of Uncle Tupelo/Bottle Rockets. His brother, Tom wrote "Waiting on a Train" IIRC. |