Too alternative for country, but too country for alternative, we have alt-country. Alt-country, or “alternative country”, was born at the crossroads of a ‘90s confluence of slackerism unlike ever seen before. The laidback easygoingness of country met with the angsty malaise of alternative rock and made for an explosion of too-cool-for-school musicality. In short, a paradigm concerning what might have happened if alternative music came from Nashville rather than Seattle.
The Source
This Venn diagram of mid-’90s fascinations came moseying out of obscurity largely from of the work of the band Uncle Tupelo. The Illinois-based band established many of the genre’s standby elements, matching the lo-fi, DIY spirit of punk bands and the folksy narratives and instrumentation of middle-American tradition. Their debut album, No Depression, took its name from a song from the Carter Family, one of America’s first families of country music.
The Scoop
The genre gained real traction throughout the mid-’90s through acts like Wilco, Son Volt, and the Drive-By Truckers and songwriters like Lucinda Williams. Alongside an explosion in alternative rock and a revitalization of pop country music, alt-country marked a cool little detour off the beaten path of either genre. This detour will treat you to dusty production, twangy acoustic guitars, soulful lyrics, and your classic grab bag of auxiliary string instruments like banjo and lap steel. Funnily enough, alt-country has re-entered the cultural conversation these days through celebrated releases from bands like Wednesday and singers like Waxahatchee.
The Verdict
Is it inevitable? The indie-to-folksy pipeline? Are all grimy, basement-born rebels destined to don feathery hats and sing about gas stations and skyscrapers? It certainly seems so, sometimes. For that classic transition between punky and folksy, we have alt-country to thank. Grab your acoustic guitar, your beat-up jeans, and someone who can learn to play a lap steel and you’ve got a time-tested recipe for an American form too true to deny.
Key listens
- No Depression – Uncle Tupelo (1990))
- Being There – Wilco (1996))
- Car Wheels on a Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams (1998)
- Key track: “Outtasite (Outta Mind)” - Wilco (1996)
