The genre known as "alt country" is difficult to define, and every alt country fan has a different notion of which artists are truly alt country. Almost all would agree that the band "Uncle Tupelo" that emerged from Illinois in the late 1980s is alt country, and most consider it to be the paradigm of the genre: a "roots rock sound" with an authentic, country-folk sensibility and a dash of contemporary grunge. Many date the beginning of the alt country movement to be the release of Uncle Tupelo's first album, "No Depression."

I'll interject a bit of my own opinion here and there, but this guide is designed to reflect what I believe to be the opinion of most alt country fans, based on what I've read in magazines and websites dedicated to the genre.

Uncle Tupelo And Its Progeny

For those exploring alt country for the first time, you may wish to begin with the recently-released '89/93: An Anthology', as it gives a good overview of the band's material. However, I think I would advise against it. Not that it's a bad compilation, but the Uncle Tupelo albums are so consistent, the material on the compilation isn't that much better than the stuff left off. If you end up liking Uncle Tupelo, you're going to want to buy all the individual CDs, in which case the compilation is redundant. Among Uncle Tupelo fans, there's no concensus - each fan has a different favorite. They're all good. My recommendation would be 'Anodyne'.

After the breakup of Uncle Tupelo, the two creative forces, Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, went their separate ways and founded the bands Son Volt and Wilco, respectively. There is a bitter deabte about which band is better. I'm in the Son Volt camp, and I consider 'Trace' to be the best album in the Uncle Tupelo family tree. As for the Wilco branch, I favor their first album, 'A.M.', since it retains more of the alt country sound. However, I think many Wilco fans like their later albums better, so they might recommend 'Being There'.

The Bottle Rockets are very nearly offspring of Uncle Tupelo, since singer/guitarist Brian Henneman was a friend of Farrar and Tweedy before Uncle Tupelo and served as a roadie on an Uncle Tupelo tour. Their best is "The Brooklyn Side" (not listed on Halfvalue) followed by 'Bottle Rockets'.
Whiskeytown And Its Progeny

North Carolina-based Whiskeytown is another quintessential alt country band. Both 'Faithless Street' and 'Strangers Almanac' are simply amazing albums, and will be in the collection of any true alt country fan. After the group disbanded, its lead singer Ryan Adams put out two fantastic albums that are on par with his Whiskeytown work: 'Heartbreaker' and 'Gold'. Fiddle player Caitlin Cary also went solo, and her album 'While You Weren't Looking' is worth checking out.

The Jayhawks And Its Progeny

The third seminal alt-country band is the Minnesota-based The Jayhawks. Most would consider 'Hollywood Town Hall' to be their best, followed by 'Tomorrow the Green Grass'.

In 1995, co-founder Mark Olson left the band due to differences with the Jayhawks' other creative force, Gary Louris. Louris was trying to pull the band in a more mainstream pop direction, while Olson sought a rougher, folksier sound. Some like the Jayhawks' recent albums, but in my opinion they have strayed so far towards a mainstream pop sound, I can't still call them "alt country" with a straight face.

On the other hand, Mark Olson's projects since 1975 have received less commercial success, but they're brilliant. Working with his wife, Victoria Willaims, under the name "The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers," Olson's work isrough, gritty and wonderful. Personally, I think 'My Own Jo Ellen' is sheer brilliance, much better than anything the Jayhawks have done in their post-Olson years.

The Women of Alt Country

Lucinda Williams is the reigning queen of alt country.Her best album is 'Car Wheels on a Gravel Road', with 'Lucinda Williams' a close second. As a collaborator with Gram Parsons (see below), Emmylou Harris deserves a place as one of alt country's predecessors, and she moved back towards more of an alt country sound with 'Wrecking Ball' (still her best album to date). All of Gillian Welch's albums are about equally good, so take your pick - I think many alt country fans would recommend 'Hell Among the Yearlings'. Also worthy of note is relative newcomer Kasey Chambers ('The Captain').

Some Other Alt Country Bands

The Band Golden Smog contains an ever-changing line-up of musicians from a variety of alt-country bands. 'Down by the Old Mainstream' comes most highly recommended.

Other widely acclaimed alt country bands include The Old 97s 'Too Far to Care', Slobberbone 'Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today', and Blue Mountain 'Home Grown'.

The Texans

There are a number of artists who may or may not be alt country, depending on who you ask. Most of these Texans defined their style since before the term "alt country" was coined. Whether or not they are truly alt country, if you like alt country, you may want to check them out. Steve Earle's best album is 'Transcendental Blues'; 'Train a Comin'' is also good, and 'Ain't Ever Satisfied: The Steve Earle Collection' is a good overview of his early material. Personally, 'Step Inside This House' is my favorite Lyle Lovett album, although probably the majority of fans would rate 'Pontiac' as his best. You should probably begin with Robert Earl Keen's live album, 'No. 2 Live Dinner', although I like 'Picnic' best. As for Joe Ely, I don't think he's done anything nearly as good as 'Honky Tonk Masquerade', but many would recommend one of his live albums, such as 'Live at Antone's'. Butch Hancock is one of my favorite artists (and wrote most of Joe Ely's best material), and I think he should be considered alt country, but he's overlooked by most fans of the genre. Check out 'Eats Away the Night'. Also check out the Flatlanders (Joe Ely and Butch Hancock were two of the three members), particularly the classic 'More a Legend Than a Band'. Billy Joe Shaver is a legend who was alt country before his time. Listen to 'Unshaven: Live at Smith's Olde Bar' and tell me that isn't alt country.

The Roots of Alt Country

Gram Parsons is the grandfather of the genre. 'G.P./Grievous Angel' is a must-have CD release containing his only two solo albums. 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo' is Gram Parsons working with the Byrds, and 'The Gilded Palace of Sin' represents his work with The Flying Burrito Brothers.

Other bands often revered by alt country fans include: The Band ('The Band'), Townes Van Zandt ('Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas'), Bob Dylan ('Blood on the Tracks'), Neil Young ('Harvest'), and Johnny Cash ('American III: Solitary Man'). Although you might not think of the Rolling Stones as alt country, their album 'Exile on Main St.' is often listed as an alt country classic. The came could be said of Bruce Springsteen's 'Nebraska'.

A Couple of Newcomers of Note

In 2003, two young, new artists released first albums that are simply amazing - Kathleen Edwards ('Failer') and Graham Lindsey ('Famous Anonymous Wilderness'). Both seem to have emerged as fully mature artists on their debuts.