The Geraldine Fibbers - Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home (1995)

Here on 1995's Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home, Carla Bozulich and company craft an honest sincerity and authentic emotionality while still being able to retain an unapologetic approach to their brand of alt-country and cowpunk; this record exists somewhere in the strata between the layers of the avant-garde and traditional folk, wedged right up against blues-based rock and noise.

This version of the band would feature Carla on vocals and guitar, Daniel Keenan on guitar, Jessy Greene on violin, William Tutton on bass and Kevin Fitzgerald on drums. Later incarnations would include Nels Cline (who's basically played with everyone and anyone in the LA avant-garde and jazz scene, and now of Wilco) and Jessica Moss (who's played with almost every "important" Canadian band of the last ten years), but this debut record would feature less of that straight-ahead guitar sound and focus more on Bozulich's stellar songwriting.

The Geraldine Fibbers - Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home (1995; Virgin Records)

Palace Music - Viva Last Blues (1995)

Will Oldham, along with his brother Ned on bass, Sebadoh's drummer Jason Lowenstein, pianist Liam Hayes (who also records under the moniker Plush) and lead guitarist Bryan Rich set out to record a ragged and raw folk-tinged country rock-and-blues album (with none other than Steve Albini twiddling the knobs behind the glass) and it's probably my favorite thing Will's done under any of his Palace-named projects (the others being Palace Songs, Palace Brothers, Palace Soundtrack, Palace Contribution and just plain Palace...) and my favorite thing he's done outside of his more well known Bonnie 'Prince' Billy character. The man of 1,000 names...

There's nothing I can ever say that would do justice or be enough praise to Mr. Oldham; to pay homage to one of the greatest American songwriters of the last 30 years by writing this little blurb here and giving you one of his loveliest of records is all I have right now. I strongly recommend you download this album, then get your ass to a record store and start systematically buying the bulk of his discography. Whenever I walk into a record store and see one of his albums I don't yet have (and there aren't that many left) I scoop it up.

Palace Music - Viva Last Blues (1995; Drag City Records)

Uncle Tupelo - No Depression (1990)

Before there was a Wilco or a Son Volt, there was an Uncle Tupelo. Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar's hatred for each other wouldn't reach critical status until three years after this here record so it's nice to see whatever vitriol they had wasn't for each other. Yet.

No other American band has been able to mix punk, college rock and country so thoroughly and convincingly like UT, plus this was years before Jeff cleaned up so the booze was flowing almost as steady as the fists, women, ideas, van rides and resentments; Jay was more or less the big man on campus during these days, and eventually... well, we all know more Wilco songs than Son Volt tunes, am I right? Most fans will point to 1993's Anodyne as their best work, but No Depression catches the band in a more embryonic state, hinting at what was to come.

So here's a nice slice of electrified Americana, in case you were wondering where bands like The Jayhawks, Steve Earle, Ryan Adams, Old 97's and Lucero got all their best ideas...

Uncle Tupelo - No Depression (1990; Rockville Records)

Silver Jews - American Water (1998)

"Wild metaphors and dry wit..."

I'd say that's David Berman's mission statement. I was trying to think of the most American music possible; (Will Oldham's various projects and monikers come to mind) but Berman is way smarter and what's more American than rampant intellectualism? I swear half of these songs could be little snippets of college thesis statements...

Silver Jews - American Water (1998; Drag City Records)

Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel (1974)

The term alt-country didn't exist back in the '70s, but Gram Parsons existed so far outside of the contemporary country music scene he was definitely the "alternative" to Nashville, not just for his associations with The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Rolling Stones; more for his desire to blend country and rock so that the two were blended seamlessly into a more accessible brand of country rock.

This is my favorite of his two solo albums, it really should be labeled "Gram Parson featuring Emmylou Harris" because she absolutely shines on every song; between Gram's heartbreaking pitch and shaky phrasing, Harris' steady and confident vocals sit high up in the mix on top of everything- it's really a beautiful record. 

Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel (1974; Reprise Records)

Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co (2003)

An album that lies at the intersection of "working class rock, white soul, swamp rock and outlaw country" (according to the one-sheet accompanying this record), Songs: Ohia has been native Buckeye-stater Jason Molina’s singular vision since 1996. His songs of love and hate on here are heralded as a major change for him both lyrically and musically, but ask him and he’ll tell you previous release Didn’t It Rain was the last Songs' record- he leaves behind the spare arrangements in favor of a bigger, fuller sound.

Either way, Molina is channeling the kindred spirits of Springsteen, Neil Young and John Cougar- blue collar country rock with an attitude; a shot and a beer with Jason and his road crew while Hank Williams plays on the jukebox at some hole in the wall in Skokie or Wabash. Guest vocalists Lawrence Peters (doing his best Merle Haggard impression) and Scout Niblett appear on two tracks right in the middle of the record; meshing with the material perfectly.

Oh, and it’s produced by Steve Albini himself, so…

Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co. (2003; Secretly Canadian Records)