Line Out - Comments on That High, Lonesome Sound http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound Question raised by a commenter to yesterday's Maldives post: Are the Maldives really alt-country? What about indie Americana? What about indie roots--the term foisted by the organizers of Pickathon and dissected by Chris McCann in this week's paper? There's... Copyright 2008 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:17:31 -0800 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:44:03 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by :: shawn :: Jebus! Don't leave out Neko Case!!!

]]> :: shawn :: http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774296 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774296 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 11:31:12 -0800 Comment by Sam Machkovech From a recent Neko Case interview in HARP:

"It's like we're saying, 'Don't worry, it's not country.' Well, I love country music. You just know that somebody who doesn't play music came up with it--because in music, things just blend into each other. It's not like I go, "OK, I'm taking a break from this genre now, please follow me over here."

You gonna take that kinda smack-talk, JZ?

]]> Sam Machkovech http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774299 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774299 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 11:34:25 -0800 Comment by Sam Machkovech Eerie timing, Shawn.

]]> Sam Machkovech http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774301 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774301 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 11:35:37 -0800 Comment by jz she's right. i don't play music. but i didnt come up w the terms, either.

so i guess its all just music? like, the fray, too?

]]> jz http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774310 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774310 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 11:43:39 -0800 Comment by Sam Machkovech I guess I should also mention that when I interviewed Neko Case a few years ago over the phone, her publicist asked me in advance to avoid using the phrase "alt-country" in the conversation. I think I'm just bitter that Mr. HARP guy was cut some slack.

]]> Sam Machkovech http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774322 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774322 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:00:45 -0800 Comment by Levislade How about the darker, weirder stuff, that still has echoes of country/folk/roots/whatever, a la Califone, etc.? I haven't been able to come up with a good term that doesn't use the word "post" and/or far too many slashes or dashes.

]]> Levislade http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774326 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774326 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:06:32 -0800 Comment by sam INDIE ROOTS

]]> sam http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774373 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774373 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:15:24 -0800 Comment by Orv To me, Neko Case is a return to an older style of country, the kind influenced by folk, blues, and cowboy music. The kind of country that's more Willie Nelson and John Denver, and less Toby Keith and Garth Brooks.

]]> Orv http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774532 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774532 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:40:40 -0800 Comment by Fawkes The best option, of course, would be "y'allternative."

]]> Fawkes http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774549 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774549 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:50:04 -0800 Comment by Orv @9: LOL! I love it.

]]> Orv http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774570 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774570 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 16:04:58 -0800 Comment by Mr_Friendly "Alt-country was the original term, referring to any non-mainstream country act"

Incorrect! The alt-country label was actually co-opted from the names of usenet groups devoted to music in the 90’s, and thus alt.music.country was simplified to alt.country to describe the bourgeoning genre (it was also a play on the "alternative rock" label that was so popular at the time).

In the 70's bands that fused country and rock music were called country rock (Flying Burrito Bros, Eagles, Poco), in the 80's it was dubbed cowpunk or roots rock (Jason & the Scorchers, Blasters, Long Ryders), and in the 90's the third wave of practitioners were bestowed the alt-country tag (Uncle Tupelo, Jayhawks, Old 97s). The Byrds didn't need a genre label to describe what they were doing, and they kept changing from album to album anyway.

]]> Mr_Friendly http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774592 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774592 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 16:28:42 -0800 Comment by jz @11--that makes a lot of sense. country rock would've been the first term, and i know that that, along w "cosmic americana" is what they called the burritos.

dunno about the eagles, though--isnt that california country?

]]> jz http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774599 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774599 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 16:35:16 -0800 Comment by Mr_Friendly I believe Gram dubbed his music "Cosmic American Music", but I don't think that term ever caught on with journalists or got applied to any other bands of that period. In retrospect it's a better label for the type of music he was trying to make, as it was a lot more ambitious than the country rock bands of that time.

When I think California Country I think Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, and definitely not the Eagles.

]]> Mr_Friendly http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774611 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774611 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 16:50:39 -0800 Comment by jz merle haggard=outlaw country, no?

the eagles=laurel canyon country?

this conversation is starting to make my brain hurt.

]]> jz http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774625 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774625 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:28:18 -0800 Comment by cw Joe Henry quote:

"For starters, you have to understand that when I was doing what they now call quote, unquote alt-country music, there was no such thing. I mean, that didn't exist as a category. I'm fond of saying they didn't call it anything except unpopular."

]]> cw http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774651 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774651 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:00:57 -0800 Comment by yep Here's what my trusted music writer friend says about it:
-------
What about going the way of the Mexicans? They don't drink soda or pop - they drink coke. 'What kind of coke do you want, Sprite or 7Up?' Applied to alt-country-indie-cosmic-whatever...

We listen to whiskeytown music: 'Man, I love that whiskeytown band, My Morning
Jacket.'
---------
It's just a short cut anyway, b/c right after you label it, you compare it to 2 or 3 other bands - music reviewers' standard protocol, right?

]]> yep http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774690 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/08/that_high_lonesome_sound#c774690 History Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:44:03 -0800