What Is Americana?

Randy1961

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According to Wikipedia:

Americana is an amalgam of roots music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influences.[1] Americana, as defined by the Americana Music Association (AMA), is "contemporary music that incorporates elements of various American roots music styles, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues, resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw. While acoustic instruments are often present and vital, Americana also often uses a full electric band."


My personal definition:

Americana is everything contemporary country music should be.
 

LG

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So you don't like what 'country music' has become Randy, by that I mean all the crossover pop/rock artists that moved into the Country where they felt more at home than the alternative rock scene. (By that I mean are you a traditional country music fan, Haggard, Cash etc.)
 

Randy1961

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So you don't like what 'country music' has become Randy, by that I mean all the crossover pop/rock artists that moved into the Country where they felt more at home than the alternative rock scene. (By that I mean are you a traditional country music fan, Haggard, Cash etc.)

Exactly. I make no value judgement on today's country; it just has developed into a sound that I don't like. I do like the classic country artists, but I also like a lot of younger artists who incorporate rock and blues, as well as bluegrass and old-time string music.

A short list of some of my favorite to give you an idea:

The Avett Brothers
Trampled By Turtles
Southern Culture On The Skids
Old Crow Medicine Show
Jason Isbell
Amanda Shires
Ray Wylie Hubbard
Justin Townes Earle
Hayes Carll
American Aquarium
Lincoln Durham
Ryan Bingham
Chris Knight
Lucinda WIlliams
Mary Gauthier
Lydia Loveless
Deadstring Brothers
Dawes
Blitzen Trapper
 

LG

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^^I've only heard of 2 artists off your list...:peek

Then again I don't listen to the radio anymore or watch streaming music online either so a lot of new bands slip past me until someone mentions/posts about them in the forum.
 

Fabio

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Gentlemen,
if I would start a basic country-rock discography (from the sixties untill now I would say) could you suggest me some records?
Wrong thread maybe?
 

LG

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Gentlemen,
if I would start a basic country-rock discography (from the sixties untill now I would say) could you suggest me some records?
Wrong thread maybe?

I'll recommend some of my country rock bands I grew up with Fabio.:D

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils (Their self titled debut)

Poco - Legend

Firefall - Elan

The Eagles - Everything before Hotel California

There are a handful to get you started, unless you have them already.
 

Fabio

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I'll recommend some of my country rock bands I grew up with Fabio.:D

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils (Their self titled debut)

Poco - Legend

Firefall - Elan

The Eagles - Everything before Hotel California

There are a handful to get you started, unless you have them already.

Thanks Lord. I will check Ozark and Firefall, never heard of them before.:grinthumb
 

Jonny Come Lately

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Gentlemen,
if I would start a basic country-rock discography (from the sixties untill now I would say) could you suggest me some records?
Wrong thread maybe?

Although probably a rather obvious choice, most of the tracks on Neil Young's Harvest have a very country-rock feel (excluding Words Between the Lines of Age, which does feature pedal steel but also has a lot of distorted guitar, and the two orchestrated songs, A Man Needs a Maid and There's a World).

The massive hit Heart of Gold is itself a country-rock classic but this is another good one, I think:


If you like this then also try his later album Harvest Moon (1992) which uses a lot of the same musicians and is even more country-rock in style.

This is the opening song, Unknown Legend:


Re: the Eagles, the first two albums are the most country-rock sounding, with Desperado probably being the most authentically country-rock (only the hard rocker Out Of Control has no ties to the genre) - the debut does have a lot of country-rock too but also has rockers like Witchy Woman, Chug All Night and Tryin'. On The Border and One Of These Nights have some country-rock tunes like The Best Of My Love and Lyin' Eyes, but have more electric rockers such as Already Gone, James Dean and One Of These Nights. Hotel California is not a country-rock record although New Kid In Town wouldn't have sounded totally out of place on one of their older records, whereas The Long Run is a clearly a rock album and has no country influences.
 

Randy1961

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Gentlemen,
if I would start a basic country-rock discography (from the sixties untill now I would say) could you suggest me some records?
Wrong thread maybe?

This is exactly the right thread for this question, Fabio!

I would say you have to start with the Father Of Country-Rock, Gram Parsons, in his various bands and solo:

International Submarine Band: Safe At Home
The Byrds: Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Flying Burrito Brothers: The Gilded Palace Of Sin
The Flying Burrito Brothers: Burrito Deluxe
Gram Parsons: GP
Gram Parsons: Grievous Angel

Then:

Dillard & Clark: The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark
Dillard & Clark: Through The Morning, Through The Night

Michael Nesmith: The Wichita Train Whistle Sings
Michael Nesmith: Magnetic South
Michael Nesmith: Loose Salute
Michael Nesmith: And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'

The Dillards: Wheatstraw Suite
The Dillards: Roots And Branshes
The Dillards: Copperfields
The Dillards: Tribute To The American Duck

That's a nice start, I think.
 
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