Editing Alternative country (section)

==History==
Alternative country drew on traditional American country music, the music of working people, preserved and celebrated by practitioners such as [[Woody Guthrie]], [[Hank Williams]], and [[the Carter Family]], often cited as major influences.<ref>G Smith, ''Singing Australian: a History of Folk and Country Music'' (Melbourne: Pluto Press Australia, 2005), {{ISBN|1-86403-241-3}}, p. 134.</ref> Another major influence was [[country rock]], the result of fusing country music with a rock & roll sound. The third factor was [[punk rock]], which supplied an energy and [[DIY ethic|DIY attitude]].<ref name=WolfandDuanep396>K. Wolff and O. Duane, eds, ''Country Music: the Rough Guide'' (London: Rough Guides, 2000), {{ISBN|1-85828-534-8}}, p. 396.</ref>

[[File:Blue Mountain (band).jpg|thumb|[[Blue Mountain (band)|Blue Mountain]] on stage in 2008]]
Attempts to combine punk and country had been pioneered by a number of bands prior to 1990, including [[Nashville]]'s [[Jason and the Scorchers]], [[San Francisco]]’s [[American Music Club]], and the Minneapolis-based band [[the Jayhawks]], along with the 1980s Southern Californian [[cowpunk]] scene with bands such as  [[the Long Ryders]]<ref name=Malone2002>W. C. Malone, ''Country Music, U.S.A.'' (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2nd edn., 2002), {{ISBN|0-292-75262-8}}, p. 451.</ref> and [[X (American band)|X]].<ref name="x">{{Cite web |url=https://atwoodmagazine.com/alphabetland-x-band-interview-2020-music/ |work=Atwood Magazine |date=2020-05-07 |access-date=2020-05-08 |last=Fechik |first=Mariel |title=Interview: X's Exene Cervenka on LA Punk Legends' Return & New Album ''ALPHABETLAND'' |language=en-GB}}</ref> However, the “alt country” label did not gain popularity among music journalists until the release of [[Uncle Tupelo]]'s 1990 LP ''[[No Depression (album)|No Depression]]'', which has been credited as being the first "alt-country" album. It is also the namesake of the online notice board and eventually [[No Depression (magazine)|magazine]] that underpinned the movement.<ref name=smith2009>C. Smith, ''101 Albums That Changed Popular Music'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), {{ISBN|0-19-537371-5}}, pp. 204–9.</ref><ref name="AllmusicNoDepression">M. Deming, [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r626894|pure_url=yes}} "No Depression Bonus Tracks"], ''Allmusic'', retrieved January 26, 2009.</ref> They released three more influential albums, signing to a major label, before they broke up in 1994, with members and figures associated with them going on to form three major bands in the genre: [[Wilco]], [[Son Volt]] and [[The Bottle Rockets|Bottle Rockets]].<ref name=smith2009/> Bottle Rockets signed, along with acts like [[Freakwater]], [[Old 97's]] and [[Robbie Fulks]], to the Chicago-based indie label, [[Bloodshot Records|Bloodshot]], who pioneered a version of the genre under the name ''insurgent country''.<ref name=Malone2002/><ref name=WolfandDuanep550>K. Wolff and O. Duane, eds, ''Country Music: the Rough Guide'' (London: Rough Guides, 2000), {{ISBN|1-85828-534-8}}, p. 550.</ref> The bands [[Blue Mountain (band)|Blue Mountain]], [[Whiskeytown]], [[Blood Oranges (band)|Blood Oranges]] and [[Drive-By Truckers]] further developed this tradition before most began to move more in the direction of rock music in the 2000s.<ref name=WolfandDuanep549-92>K. Wolff and O. Duane, eds, ''Country Music: the Rough Guide'' (London: Rough Guides, 2000), {{ISBN|1-85828-534-8}}, pp. 549–92.</ref>