Both these bands are sui generis in their own way but decidedly outside of the mainstream on the same side of the fence: the Bottle Rockets and Uncle Tupelo.
The Bottle Rockets As Mid-America as it gets (St. Louis, where all of America comes together or flows through.). They are smart w/o shoving that in your face, they are as tuneful as can be in whatever genre the song is or whatever blending of elements, and, having heard some interviews with'm, righteous blokes you'd like to spend time with, music or not (and this mos' def' includes the women here on the Board). Here's the Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bottle_Rockets << read that last sentence--that's some strong company to be included with. They came out of the chute storming in '93, stumbled in the late '90's but since '01 (a superior tribute album to Doug [Sir Douglas] Sahm) have consistently pleased critics and fans alike. Don't forget they are essentially a bar band writ large, so if you get the opportunity to see them...: http://www.bottlerocketsmusic.com/ << currently touring, doing selected dates with Marshall Crenshaw
http://www.bottlerocketsmusic.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGyDdrrhvWY << tough early song by them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2DnmObuK4E << ditto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lRlTyd5-A4 << Love this song--it rocks and is so true
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaLglLs3bfU << this puts you in the picture as well as Robert Cray's best do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWe4-a7PD4c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzim1iYhmGA << fun song here...or is it? Metaphors and all that...
SEMI-BONUS: a recent TV studio interview/appearance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMpk6bIZXU
Uncle Tupelo Giant in the '90's alt-everything movement. One quality measure of an eclectic group (many elements, many different talent sources combined) is the quality of the aftermath, the split-offs, the side-bars they produce (see: Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead). And so it is with UT: Wilco (Jeff Tweedy et al.) and Son Volt (Jay Farrar). UT itself only existed for 4 or so years but did a bunch in that limited time and are a strong influence still: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tupelo
4 albums in 3+ years: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/uncle-tup...iscography << all killer, no filler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy3WkIfgkSQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppiol9oetOk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7CGkuLEs5U << It's named after a Missouri town on a big bend of the Mississippi River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3qSlwMnLWw << kinda muddy vid...sorry abou that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uZQo3mtnBk
BONUS: Full 1-1/2 hour concert in '94: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWiUkQMs5zM
2 by Wilco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-1hadSOhd4 (from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5-TglwOhR4
2 by Son Volt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86EWwNHQzI0 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhsryMt3TP0
The Bottle Rockets As Mid-America as it gets (St. Louis, where all of America comes together or flows through.). They are smart w/o shoving that in your face, they are as tuneful as can be in whatever genre the song is or whatever blending of elements, and, having heard some interviews with'm, righteous blokes you'd like to spend time with, music or not (and this mos' def' includes the women here on the Board). Here's the Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bottle_Rockets << read that last sentence--that's some strong company to be included with. They came out of the chute storming in '93, stumbled in the late '90's but since '01 (a superior tribute album to Doug [Sir Douglas] Sahm) have consistently pleased critics and fans alike. Don't forget they are essentially a bar band writ large, so if you get the opportunity to see them...: http://www.bottlerocketsmusic.com/ << currently touring, doing selected dates with Marshall Crenshaw
http://www.bottlerocketsmusic.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGyDdrrhvWY << tough early song by them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2DnmObuK4E << ditto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lRlTyd5-A4 << Love this song--it rocks and is so true
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaLglLs3bfU << this puts you in the picture as well as Robert Cray's best do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWe4-a7PD4c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzim1iYhmGA << fun song here...or is it? Metaphors and all that...
SEMI-BONUS: a recent TV studio interview/appearance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMpk6bIZXU
Uncle Tupelo Giant in the '90's alt-everything movement. One quality measure of an eclectic group (many elements, many different talent sources combined) is the quality of the aftermath, the split-offs, the side-bars they produce (see: Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead). And so it is with UT: Wilco (Jeff Tweedy et al.) and Son Volt (Jay Farrar). UT itself only existed for 4 or so years but did a bunch in that limited time and are a strong influence still: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tupelo
4 albums in 3+ years: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/uncle-tup...iscography << all killer, no filler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy3WkIfgkSQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppiol9oetOk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7CGkuLEs5U << It's named after a Missouri town on a big bend of the Mississippi River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3qSlwMnLWw << kinda muddy vid...sorry abou that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uZQo3mtnBk
BONUS: Full 1-1/2 hour concert in '94: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWiUkQMs5zM
2 by Wilco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-1hadSOhd4 (from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5-TglwOhR4
2 by Son Volt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86EWwNHQzI0 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhsryMt3TP0
A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind--Dr. Johnson
What he said. Amen, Bro--JazzboCR
What he said. Amen, Bro--JazzboCR