Americana (music)

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Americana is an amalgam of roots music fused by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, rhythm & blues, rock & roll and other external influential styles.^[1] Americana is popularly referred to, especially in print, as alt-country or sometimes alt.country.

Contents 1 Americana as a radio format 2 Notable Americana artists 3 Notes and references 4 External links

[edit] Americana as a radio format

Americana, as once defined by the Americana Music Association, is "American roots music based on the traditions of country. While the musical model can be traced back to the Elvis Presley marriage of 'hillbilly music' and R&B that birthed rock 'n roll, Americana as a radio format developed during the 1990s as a reaction to the highly polished sound that defined the mainstream music of that decade."^[1] Because of listener interest in the artists who do not fit as comfortably in the Country or Rock genres, a radio format called "Americana" has been developed by the Americana Music Association and reported by R&R. Born out of the "Triple A", "Non-Commercial", "Country" and other varied formats, the Americana format is the sum of the parts that have showcased Americana music since its inception.

The Americana Music Association (AMA) grew out of the radio format as an effort to bring all of the Americana Music supporters, performers, and professionals together in an organization designed to provide a platform for all artists and professionals working in that musical genre in order to further expand the visibility and viability of the music. The radio format, including the term "Americana" for it, actually began in early 1995 thru efforts of Rob Bleetstein of San Francisco, and Jon Grimson of Nashville. Rob became the first Americana chart editor as Gavin (a former radio trade publication) magazine created the first Americana radio chart which was published on Jan. 20, 1995. This came about when KFAT radio in Gilroy, CA. went off the air, and Rob went to the Gavin Report, asserting that they were missing a category of music. He described the KFAT format, which had the widest playlist of any station in the country, and most of whose artists whose music would come to be known as "Americana." The publisher agreed and gave Rob the job of creating and running the chart. Jon coined the term "Americana." Jon became the first Americana radio promoter after having promoted the music previously as an employee of Warner Brothers Records Nashville, and promoting those releases that WB worked to radio formats outside the mainstream country stations. The AMA was later established to expand the musical format outside of strictly radio, but still including the radio aspect as well. The non profit AMA now runs the Americana radio chart that is published in R&R (Radio & Records, a radio trade publication).

[edit] Notable Americana artists

Some of the significant artists in the genre are:

Ryan Adams Anchor & Braille Andrew Jackson Jihad The Band Band of Heathens Blitzen Trapper Bobby Bare Ryan Bingham Blue Mountain Jason Boland & the Stragglers Bottle Rockets Jimmy Bowen Wade Bowen BR549 Greg Brown Buffalo J.J. Cale Hayes Carll Mary Chapin Carpenter Johnny Carroll Peter Case Johnny Cash June Carter Cash Chris Castle David Allan Coe and his Eli Radish Band Guy Clark Copeland Cross Canadian Ragweed Rodney Crowell The Derailers Willy DeVille Drive By Truckers Bob Dylan Steve Earle Kathleen Edwards Alejandro Escovedo Joe Ely Jay Farrar John Fogerty Radney Foster Ruthie Foster Freakwater Robbie Fulks

Glen Glenn Golden Smog The Gourds Grateful Dead The Greencards Patty Griffin Hackensaw Boys Billy Hancock The Handsome Family Emmylou Harris Dale Hawkins Hayseed Levon Helm John Hiatt John Lee Hooker Bruce Hornsby Rita Hosking Howlin' Wolf The Jayhawks Eilen Jewell Will Kimbrough Bill Kirchen Buddy Knox Alison Krauss Jimmy LaFave Stoney LaRue Jim Lauderdale Amy LaVere Lyle Lovett Loretta Lynn Bill Malonee John Mellencamp Micky and the Motorcars Buddy Miller Gurf Morlix Van Morrison Murder By Death Willie Nelson Old Crow Medicine Show Joan Osborne Over the Rhine Van Dyke Parks Gram Parsons

Elvis Presley John Prine Reckless Kelly Brandon Rhyder Billy Lee Riley Bruce Robison Charlie Robison Tom Russell Jack Scott Ricky Skaggs Mindy Smith Todd Snider Son Volt Southern Culture on the Skids Bruce Springsteen Mavis Staples Star Anna and The Laughing Dogs Marty Stuart The Subdudes Gene Summers Sunny Sweeney Tangletown Uncle Earl Uncle Tupelo Stoll Vaughan Vigilanties Of Love (V.O.L.) Gene Vincent Porter Wagoner Tom Waits Muddy Waters Dale Watson Gillian Welch Whiskeytown William Elliott Whitmore Lew Williams Lucinda Williams Wilco Kelly Willis Tommy Womack Adrienne Young Neil Young Shawn Z.

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

• Americana Radio Chart
• AmericanaMusic.net
• Americana Music Association
• Radio Free Americana
• Americana Roots
• Americana Homeplace
• Americana-UK Homeplace