Originating Location: USA

Originating Era: Late 1980s-early 1990s

Key ArtistsEdit

• Laura Cantrell
• The Handsome Family
• Cracker
• The Refreshments
• Johnny Dowd
• Steve Earle
• Lambchop
• Wilco
• Uncle Tupelo
• Clem Snide
• Centro=matic

Key AlbumsEdit

• Uncle Tupelo - No Depression
• The Handsome Family - Through The Trees
• Laura Cantrell - Not The Tremblin' Kind

Genre DescriptionEdit

A move starting in the early 1990s to move back to the traditional country sound, instead of the Pop Country which had been dominating the Nashville sound since the Urban Cowboy movement. Typically, done on small labels, though every so often, an alt. country group will have mainstream country success (like Alison Krauss, for example), or once mainstream artists will find themselves later saddled with the alt.country label (Dwight Yoakam, Mary Chapin Carpenter; if he weren't already so established, probably Johnny Cash's recordings with American).

Artists in this genre Edit

• Cracker
• Ditty Bops, The
• Fluffy Kittens, The
• Handsome Family, The
• Frank Black Francis
• Frank Black & The Catholics
• Elvis Costello & The Imposters
• John Darnielle
• Barefoot Manner
• Laura Cantrell
• Jim Sangster
• Purty Mouth
• Blanche
• Idlewild (artist)
• Love Psychedelico
• Keith Urban
• The McClymonts
• Catherine Britt
• Miranda Lambert

Labels in this genreEdit

• Sub Pop
• Bop Tart
• Rough Trade
• Rounder
• Yep Roc
• Hello CD of the Month Club

See Also:

• Essay:The Downfall Of Country