Country Music's Not Dead (It's Just Sleepin') -- RR
My buddy Cindy Chaffin calls attention to an article in the Dallas Morning News by Thor Christensen, How did alt country become musical roadkill?
It's a pretty pessimistic piece that includes this wholly pessimistic quote from Alejandro Escovedo:
"The exuberance it had in the beginning has faded away now," says singer Alejandro Escovedo. "I don't think alternative country really exists anymore. It was just a little spark, and it didn't really change anything."
We can perhaps forgive a sick man (and fusion alt-country pioneer in his own right) for a bit of bitterness.
But I'm not quite ready to give up on the alt-country "movement" just yet.
Yeah, it didn't become the next "grunge rock." Thank gawd.
But that doesn't mean it's dead. Just trip around Texas any given thurs-saturday, and you're gonna find roadhouses in cities and in some pretty remote places that are jamming with Texas alt-country artists. It's what our bud Randy Rogers would call the country music revival. It's there. It exists.
But it's not on KILT. It's not on MTV. Hell, now that Time Warner has dropped their Americana music channel, it's not even on cable. But it's out there. Jack Sparks knows where to find it. Cindy Chaffin knows where to find it. TFG hosts it from time to time. Ken Layne records it. It surely exists.
Is it ever going to be really big? Beats me. Probably not. Randy Rogers may just not be pretty enough for the MTV and Nashville crowds. But for folks who like musicians who write and practice and play their music, it's there. It exists. Texans are blessed to be surrounded by it.
If you want an example of it, come on out to Dan Electro's on Friday and see the Dead End Angels. Escovedo even produced their debut CD, so one supposes that he might just think they really exist.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/18/04 22:46 | Music | Technorati
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That article alone is enough to make me want to quit typing into the internet. You and me and Cindy can type all day, but who gets the bucks and the coverage from stupid mofos like Thor? Big and Fucked Up. Not Randy, not Scott Merlott, not Alejandro. Not unless they're talking about the death of alt-country. Makes me vomit even more.
Posted by Buckaroo @ 23:10 on 08/18/04
Whoa, dude, is that Leonard Peikoff on guitar????? Ayn's intellectual heir shows off yet another talent. I'll have to listen to him on that Memphis station some weekend when I'm home. R
Posted by R Bryan @ 16:54 on 08/19/04
I just hope enough artists stay with it despite the lack of big financial rewards. This is one area in which the internet can hopefully help artists, since we know the "mainstream" entertainment media won't
Anyway, I'm enjoying the Randy Rogers Band album and I plan to catch DEA tomorrow. Tonight it's orange is in at the Rhythm Room. I had given some thought to catching Jolie Holland at Rudyard's, but I'll go with the local boys instead.
Posted by Gary C.-s Lame Local Music Page. @ 19:04 on 08/19/04
R: No no, that's one Rick Poss, playing that pretty Rickenbacker like the badass that he is.
Gary C: It should be a good DEA show! See ya there!
Posted by Kevin @ 22:33 on 08/19/04
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