Uncut's Alt-Country Infatuation - What's The Fucking Point

"Uncut: Music Journalism that's not for kids". Except that the only two Ryan Adams fans I know are 18 year old Ronan and some v.young looking girl who was apparently trying to chat me up on New Year's Eve. Go figure.

I've tried turning a blind eye to Uncut's cowboy fetishism (though this month, with the Americana primer, it's a bit tough), but it's tough. Especially when they preview next month's issue - CSN&Y!!!! Oh, wow! Yay! Are they merging with Mojo or something? Will March find Uncut celebrating the 20th anniversary of Keef's last solid bowel movement?

That said, I did buy both versions of the Rolling Stone issue to get those CDs. Of course, I haven't listened to them yet.

The thing is in my local WHSmiths there are stacks of unsold Uncut magazines this month - people don't want this crap.

Uncut over the past year has looked out of touch, stodgy and irrelevant - and its all down to the editorial policies of Mr Jones.

This music has very limited appeal, apart from the few Americana scenesters - that anyway have dedicated music zines such as Comes with a Smile and No Depression.

I am sure there are many others that agree with me - GET RID OF the totally disproportionate coverage of Americana/ Alt Country from UNCUT !

It's amazing how these UK mags fall all over any U.S. music that reinforces vague notions about the country or its roots -- alt.country, bands plugged in to the exisiting rock histories of New York City or Detroit, indie bands that have an expansive, "big," sound (that arguably "fit" romanticized sea-to-shining-sea images of the U.S. ; bands such as Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips, Grandaddy, Giant Sand, Chicago and Louisville post-rock) as opposed to the more compressed, claustrophobic sounding groups (DC hardcore and its followers; the Pacific NW types).

[It does not take NME long to continue the bullshit into the new year, next week it's blinking commercial EMO with Jimmy Eat World !]

It perhaps might be more honest for AJ to chuck the multicultural pretence and just call the mag "Alt.Country." But Gunnip OTM re. obsession with "harrowing lyrics," "wracked and despairing." As with CTCL, Uncut's about the most CHEERLESS music mag going. Did AJ forget the word "No" in the term "No Depression"?

That having been said, please leave Gillian Welch out of this; I continue to maintain that "Time (The Revelator)" was the most radical record (both in terms of form and content) to be released in 2001, and if I ever get that bloody thread finished, I'll explain exactly why.

But if you're saying magazines should promote music based on whether or not "the kids" will like it then that's bollox. Music magazines are shit. ALL OF THEM. And the free cd is crap in Uncut because it's such a mishmash of acts you could never get to give any of them a decent listen anyway.

[The reference to commercial emo - was in reference to the NME slogan EMOtional "Rock's Underground storms the Mainstream "]

Ha! Out of curiousity, who did they praise? Jimmy Eat World?

Well that's what it's like down here in Twickenham, David. You can't help but be influenced by your environment!

Prolly 'cos I know Mr. Jones and he's a nice bloke, I've defended Uncut in these pages in the past. But yes, the recent issue was appalling and lazy. The Lambchop and Ryan Adams pieces were sycophantic, uncritical syntheses of loads of other articles they've done too often before.

The sad thing is that bizzarely, with Adams maybe there's an opportunity for a story which was missed. Whether you like his music or not (I don't) there is possibly some interest in looking at exactly *how* someone with such mediocre talent is going global with such an unfashionable and outdated offering. Instead they put the goonish Nigel Williamson (does anyone know where he sprang from) on the case ensuring a sucking-up whitewash. Almost as bad has some of his Shelby Lynne wank pieces. Williamson let the slobbish Adams mess him around by not constantly being 'too-tired' or 'too in the mood the party' to do the bloody interview. I'd leave him to it, but no NW was mollified by getting to hear *unreleased* demos, and given champagne and such. Jeez!

Uncut should put Reynolds or Roberts to good use, instead of giving the wretch Williamson so many pages. I am no alt country fan, BUT there was some good stuff on the first one. Like everything it's died a death. Onto the next thing.

Handsome Family are really the only band that I'm interested in from this territory. I've only heard 4 or 5 tracks, but I like the black humour and the husband/wife duo thing is interesting.

It's terribly indie of me to go on about the first album and Whiskeytown albums being better, but they are. The reason I am percieved as such a big Ryan Adams fan here is probably because Heartbreaker is genuinely one of my favourite albums. I listened to it for months. Gold is good too I think, but it got boring after a few weeks.

I wish the magazine was as eclectic as the c.d. instead of the usual Jim Beamheads it constantly promotes. Even the movie coverage is pissing me off. Can we have less bullshit about Peckinpah? He sucked except for "The ballad of Cable Hogue".

*which is the mentality 90% of musicians and record label staff seem to think critics should have, so maybe they're right.

What stops me buying Uncut is that they repeat themselves - and it's not as if they've got anything much to say about Ryan Adams other than "He's great! Feel his pain! Buy his five new albums!". Allan Jones is writing about what he likes, great - but if his music tastes are that narrow these days then maybe a fanzine would be a better option for him.

(anyone notice how Uncut gives out more five star reviews than any other major magazine? I initially approved of this, but then I realised that something like 80% of them are bestowed upon alt-country releases)

rockist = waiting for ex-MM journos to deliver the good shit like in the old days.

I'm certainly not waiting around for that to happen. Everything has it's time and place. However, some younger writers should be brought in to change and mix up the agenda a bit.

Lambchop, Calexico, Jim White=Alt country.

That last part seems to be the same basic problem a lot of people have with Careless Talk Costs Lives, and Pitchfork for that matter.

Then of course one sees who the reviewer is (clue: S.R.) and you realise that without him on the payroll Uncut would be even more dismal.

Yes, Lambchop - five stars from David Stubbs! Sigh.

I liked "Nixon" a lot and am sure that Kurt W is a perfectly decent chap but the extent to which he is unduly lionised to fulfill fake agendas unfortunately makes me want to punch him in the gob for reasons which are wholly not his fault. Such is the way of humanity...

What is the relevance of A.C? Well, what is the relevance of any music? Can we define relevant? “A.C is but a mere re-hash of Gram’s Cosmic American Music, the Buffalo Springfield, Poco… All that Sixties nudie-suit chic injected with a tincture of punk attitude… Country music within rock structures.” So we have had it all before?

I’m not going to bore you with my “Heartbreaker is one of the finest records of the last ten years” schtick. Or the Lambchop are sonic innovators of the MBVth degree schtick. The Handsome Family are the Beatles of folk music routine. The Lift To Experience have created one of the most wonderfully textured, inventive and over-spilling with ideas rock records since Loveless blah blah. The Hamell On Trial as one-man walking, waking, aching punk riot! Etc etc… Not to mention Cat Power, Palace Brothers, Smog.

There is a variety and depth of invention and scope that is breathing new life splurge into rock music. Who cares about rock music? Well, I’m never going to convince you…

I have no problem with meeting music on its own terms. I have plenty of problems with the attitude that one specific/perceived strand is The Way, The Truth and the Light in general -- and the louder this is shouted, the more ridiculous it seems in the cold light of day. Got no problems with what you like -- and I like a fair amount of it myself -- but I'm not lighting candles to notions of either the supposed virtues of 'authenticity' or the need for some sort of roots kowtowing to validate the experience.

Oh how I beg to differ.

At any rate, I don't think many of the people complaining about Uncut here hate alt.country. It's no different to the broader bafflement that met Melody Maker's sudden conversion to being a nu-metal magazine in the dark days before the end. No, actually there *is* one difference: by following the kids (in a somewhat half-arsed manner I'll grant you - Slipknot but not So Solid Crew?) MM were at least attempting to fill their brief, whereas Uncut markets itself to the mature musical dilletante and then disappoints with its tunnel vision focus on alt.country.

Their circulation has just gone up again.

Are these two events related?