How to Listen to Alternative "Outlaw" Country

A little country, a little rock 'n' roll, with folk and Western swing music mixed in, Outlaw Country Music came to the public eye when Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings left Nashville. Now, when you find an artist's work classified as "Americana" or "country/rock," you've found another musician on the trail of the original outlaws.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• CD Changers
• CD Players
• CD Scratch-repair Kits
• CD Stack Organizers
• Car Stereo
• Portable CD Players
• Portable Stereo Players
• Stereos
• Alternative Country CDs
• CD Club Membership

The Old Gunslingers

1. Trace the outlaws back to Johnny Cash's early recordings at Sun Records in Memphis.

2. Remember that it was Waylon Jennings and his contrary attitude toward the record-company mandated style that began to force critics to recognize this genre.

3. Follow Willie Nelson's evolution from a slick song stylist writing for Ray Price to outlaw interpretations of alternative songs like Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty."

4. Look up the work of Jerry Jeff Walker, songwriter of "Mr. Bojangles," an artist who was never co-opted by the Nashville scene.

5. Check out the rockabilly power of the Charlie Daniels Band - big hats, big sound.

6. Review the catalog of Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes Scholar who made the rounds in Nashville, hung out with Johnny Cash, and wrote "Me and Bobby McGee" for Janis Joplin.

The New Breed

7. Look for Steve Earle, whose raw, rough-edged sound cracks the veneer of regular country radio only occassionally.

8. Check the songbook of the late Townes Van Zandt, son of a pioneer Texas family and a gifted writer who could embed a novel in a 4-minute melody.

9. Sit back and listen to the laments of Guy Clark.

10. Find a hard-rockin' beer joint and listen to Robert Earl Keen, Jr., folk poet of the first order.

11. Look for recordings of singer/songwriter Kevin Welch, who's written for popular country stars like Trisha Yearwood and now performs his own songs.

12. Watch the magic fingers of Junior Brown, master of the double guitar.

13. Remember women of Americana country/rock like the songwriter/performer Nanci Griffith. Her song, "From a Distance," was a hit for Bette Midler.

14. Look for the literate Lyle Lovett. He's taken alternative country to a sophisticated level, sometimes blending Big Band and gospel into his performances.

15. Check out other powerful and talented women on the alternative country scene like Lucinda Williams, Rosie Flores, Tracy Nelson, Shawn Colvin and Tish Hinojosa.

16. Look for artists like Jimmie Dale Gilmore, BR-549, The Derailers, John Hiatt, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and The Tractors.

[xdragoox]

on 11/20/2006 Texas Country - The scene is filled with real songs by real travelin' musician's. These guys play lots of college towns with lots of beer. Check out Pat Green, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jack Ingram (old stuff), Stoney LaRue, Jerry Jeff Walker.

on 8/8/2006 Hank III

Wayne Hancock

Dale Watson

BR-549

Big Sandy

Scott H. Biram

Legendary Shack Shakers

Hazard County Girls

Joe Buck

Shooter Jennings can drive off a cliff with Jesse Dayton for all I care.

on 8/8/2006 Listen to Hank III's second album for solid classic country and his hillbilly sound. It seems to be the happy medium between the 3 albums for public consumption.

on 3/17/2006 With new guys like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland, Stoney LaRue, Wade Bowen, Randy Rodgers, and so on. Many great acts going on down in that area. Men who write their own music and don't fold to Nashville's standards.

on 1/5/2006 Also check out that Coe's music vocally supports racism, drug dependency, and assaulting women; It is not typical of the entire genre. And choose your David Allen Coe listening time carefully, your company may not take it lightly that you play music supporting these topics. That would be an awkward situation.