Uncle Tupelo - No Depression (1990)

Before there was a Wilco or a Son Volt, there was an Uncle Tupelo. Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar's hatred for each other wouldn't reach critical status until three years after this here record so it's nice to see whatever vitriol they had wasn't for each other. Yet.

No other American band has been able to mix punk, college rock and country so thoroughly and convincingly like UT, plus this was years before Jeff cleaned up so the booze was flowing almost as steady as the fists, women, ideas, van rides and resentments; Jay was more or less the big man on campus during these days, and eventually... well, we all know more Wilco songs than Son Volt tunes, am I right? Most fans will point to 1993's Anodyne as their best work, but No Depression catches the band in a more embryonic state, hinting at what was to come.

So here's a nice slice of electrified Americana, in case you were wondering where bands like The Jayhawks, Steve Earle, Ryan Adams, Old 97's and Lucero got all their best ideas...

Uncle Tupelo - No Depression (1990; Rockville Records)

Stéphane Grappelli / David Grisman - Live (1981)

This album was my introduction to violinist Stéphane Grappelli; I learned later that he made his name playing with Django Reinhardt, opening their famous Quintette du Hot Club de France together in 1934. About this same time I learned about mandolin-player extraordinaire David Grisman from his association with Jerry Garcia from their Old And In The Way project.

So there's the back story on how this album came into my consciousness; this laid back affair recorded at Boston's Berklee Center in 1979, simply titled Live- a wonderful collection of traditional jazz tunes done in a bluegrass, down-home style. Rob Wasserman (of Ratdog and Lou Reed's bands of the early '90s) plays bass, Mike Marshall on guitar and second mandolin, Mark O'Connor (guitar and second violin) and Tiny Moore on electric mando.

Stéphane Grappelli / David Grisman - Live (1981; Warner Bros. Records)

Silver Jews - American Water (1998)

"Wild metaphors and dry wit..."

I'd say that's David Berman's mission statement. I was trying to think of the most American music possible; (Will Oldham's various projects and monikers come to mind) but Berman is way smarter and what's more American than rampant intellectualism? I swear half of these songs could be little snippets of college thesis statements...

Silver Jews - American Water (1998; Drag City Records)