Why hasn't this reviewer heard the term "Alt-Blues" and what can be done about it?
Nice review here for GravelRoad but it begs the question: Why hasn't this reviewer heard the term "Alt-Blues" and what can be done about it? Is this still too obscure a sub-genre within an already obscure to the mainstream genre...that being blues? Going on the third year of the Deep Blues Festival not to mention the contless posts i've done on my blogs and website i've seen the alt-blues sound grow by bits and chunks. Who do we have to sleep with to hype this junque into the mainstream? Opinions?
http://jukejointsoul.blogspot.com/2009/03/gravelroad-shot-devil.html
-Rick
http://jukejointsoul.blogspot.com/2009/03/gravelroad-shot-devil.html
-Rick
Views: 24
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Benjamin Cox on -
Thanks for using my review.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Anne McLaurin on -
I don't think Rick is bashing the term "Alt Blues", but wondering why a reviewer hadn't heard the term. "Alt Blues" does nothing more than indicate that it's blues influenced/infected, but not exactly within traditional blues measures. It's a catch-all and encompasses everything outside the traditional blues box. I do think the blues community needs to come to a consensus on what exactly to call this non-traditional blues music. I'm with Eric on the term "Alt". It gives me the willys too. Chad's take on "Punk Blues" is right on. For lack of something better, and because it pretty accurately describes what we're talking about anyway in a manner that the masses can comprehend, my vote would go to "Alt Blues". I think we should all be relieved nobody's calling it "Indie Blues"! Or are they?
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Permalink Reply by Rick Saunders on -
Nope. Not bashing the term at all. Just mostly thinking out loud
and trying to decide what the hell to call this stuff that ain't Clapton
or SRV (tho may be influenced by it) which I guess is what is considered blues to the masses
anymore...and how to sell it to 'em.
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Permalink Reply by Rick Saunders on
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You are welcome and I thank you for writing about a great unknown band.
Anybody who can act as backing band for T-Model Ford has got to have some sort of skills!
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Permalink Reply by Chad Nordhoff on -
Great, so it's settled. Alt Blues is the perfect term to encapsulate the feelings, emotions and, rich history of this international musical revolution. Now let's hype this junque into the mainstream.
When fancy hollywood types want to tell you about something they put on concerts to promote awareness. We have one of those coming up. I've noticed that text in a myspace comment (and such) can often show up in a google search. If the digital flyers for the Deep Blues Festival included the TEXT "alt blues... whatever that is", the casual googler may click themselves into understanding whatever it may be.
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Permalink Reply by Rick Saunders on
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I mentioned to Chris a couple months back that No Depression magazine dropped using "Alt-Country Whatever that is" a few years back and that he should steal it so he co-opted and remixed it and off we go. I think he uses that phrase in everything now.
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Permalink Reply by Chad Nordhoff on
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How about "Alt-Blues... Git -R-Done!!!". That's catchy.
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Permalink Reply by Rick Saunders on
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now yr talkin'!
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Permalink Reply by Eric on -
And so the Alt Blues forum on LiveBluesWorld was born. And this thread will be the first post, so that folks can begin to understand. We'll bang the drum with Rick and Chris and keep spreading the word.
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Permalink Reply by Rick Saunders on
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cool. Thanks Eric!
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Permalink Reply by Dave Arcari on -
Hey all
I'm new on here, but gotta chuck in tuppence-worth. Alt.Blues does it for me - mainly because I reckon it can cover blues-based music in a number of directions (other than over-widdly guitar electric blues and cheesey covers...no offence to folks that play that kinda stuff, it's just not for me!), not necessarily punk blues or nu-blues etc. I started using the term to describe my music around 2000 as my stuff owes as much to trash country, punk and rockabilly as it does pre-war Delta blues. I have no idea where I'd seen the term used before or even if I'd heard it before. Regardless where it came from, it felt like a good, concise, catch all...
So gets my vote!
Cheers!
Dave
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Permalink Reply by Benjamin Cox on
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This is very true. However, Gravel Road is very much in the MS Hill Country Stomp tradition but still also very much a tip of the hat to Hard Rock/Punk, too.
I think if you ask "Americana" fans about Gravel Road if they were a part of that genre, they'd say hell no.
To me, I'm not really all about pigeonholing artists into this or that but I use the nomenclature so the folks that read my reviews can identify with the sound that I'm trying to describe.
For instance - I'm very much a self-proclaimed traditionalist/Chicago Blues fan. When I hear those two words in a review, I think, "Hey I should check that out."
© 2012 Created by Eric.
