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Swordfishtrombone · 08-14-2014, 12:38 PM

I listen to a lot of alt-country, so this is going to be a fun thread for me.

Looks like most of my go to picks have already been put up here. I'll add that Uncle Tupelo did some really amazing stuff back in the 90s, and I'll also enthusiastically double down on recommendations for William Elliot Whitmore and Neko Case.

There's a group called Lucero that's done some really interesting alt-country. Their best was a 2003 record called That Much Further West , although, really, you can't go wrong with them. Any group that names an album off a George RR Martin appendix can't be bad.

My avatar-and-username-provider, Tom Waits is by no means an alt country artists, but provides a few great examples of that Handsome Family-esque sound. "Gun Street Girl", "Chocolate Jesus" and "Murder in the Red Barn" should are be squarely up your alley if you don't mind his offbeat singing voice.

A sort of alternative supergroup called the Hard Working Americans put out their debut record this year, and it's worth a listen if you're into alt-country. The've got a big, heavy psychedelic infusion that's just awesome. I'm not allowed to post links yet, but they cover the country classic "Blackland Farmer", and it's wonderful.

I could go on about alt-country all day, but I'll give you one last recommendation. This one's for the adventurous. There's an alt-country act by the name of Those Poor Bastards, headed by an equally interesting artist who goes by Lonesome Wyatt. This music is...intense. It's got some very heavy gothic overlays, but there's no mistaking it for anything but country. They do a lot of dark songs about murder, rural decay and creepy religious zealotry. It's all got a very old-timey feel to it, too which just helps it be creepy as hell. It's definitely not for everyone but if you want something a little on the crazy side, I can't recommend them highly enough. A few standout tracks are "Dust Bowl", their cover of "Walk the Line" and "He of Cloven Hoof."

Let me know if you like what I've thrown your way. I've got a million recs where those came from.

08-14-2014, 12:38 PM	#10 (permalink)
Swordfishtrombone Groupie Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 25	I listen to a lot of alt-country, so this is going to be a fun thread for me. Looks like most of my go to picks have already been put up here. I'll add that Uncle Tupelo did some really amazing stuff back in the 90s, and I'll also enthusiastically double down on recommendations for William Elliot Whitmore and Neko Case. There's a group called Lucero that's done some really interesting alt-country. Their best was a 2003 record called That Much Further West , although, really, you can't go wrong with them. Any group that names an album off a George RR Martin appendix can't be bad. My avatar-and-username-provider, Tom Waits is by no means an alt country artists, but provides a few great examples of that Handsome Family-esque sound. "Gun Street Girl", "Chocolate Jesus" and "Murder in the Red Barn" should are be squarely up your alley if you don't mind his offbeat singing voice. A sort of alternative supergroup called the Hard Working Americans put out their debut record this year, and it's worth a listen if you're into alt-country. The've got a big, heavy psychedelic infusion that's just awesome. I'm not allowed to post links yet, but they cover the country classic "Blackland Farmer", and it's wonderful. I could go on about alt-country all day, but I'll give you one last recommendation. This one's for the adventurous. There's an alt-country act by the name of Those Poor Bastards, headed by an equally interesting artist who goes by Lonesome Wyatt. This music is...intense. It's got some very heavy gothic overlays, but there's no mistaking it for anything but country. They do a lot of dark songs about murder, rural decay and creepy religious zealotry. It's all got a very old-timey feel to it, too which just helps it be creepy as hell. It's definitely not for everyone but if you want something a little on the crazy side, I can't recommend them highly enough. A few standout tracks are "Dust Bowl", their cover of "Walk the Line" and "He of Cloven Hoof." Let me know if you like what I've thrown your way. I've got a million recs where those came from. Last edited by Swordfishtrombone; 08-14-2014 at 03:27 PM.