Sorry to those who hoped today for some doom by Ozzy, a guitar riff by Golden Earring’s George Kooymans, or some Chuck Mangione flugelhorn, but I’m headed elsewhere today, rather than remembering those who passed away this week. Maybe another time…
“Americana”, the new use of a word that in the past captured all “American” traditional musics, took on another meaning to describe American music that reached beyond folk, when rock or country rock entered the worlds of Bob Dylan and The Band, The Byrds, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, all of whom began to mine a seam that has been inspirational for decades.
Then in the 1990s, “alt-country” emerged, a subset of Americana, chewing off pieces of country, rock and country rock and comprising a group of musicians operating almost entirely outside of the country mainstream.
Their music was more questioning, sometimes bleak and dark. Among the alt-country forerunners, was the deep-down, depressed Willard Grant Conspiracy.
A collective led by the late, baritone-voiced Robert Fisher, WGC forged their own way, composing some classic alt-country songs, including the desolate The Ballad of Harrison Hayes and Mary of the Angels.
Today’s song is more upbeat, but lyrically distant from the spirit of its title. I chose it because this past Friday, 25 July, was Christmas in July, a secular and second celebration of Christmas in winter or summer, depending on your hemisphere.
Christmas in Nevada is an enduring track for me – and about as far from Christmas as July is from December! Purposefully strummed acoustic guitar, a snare crack and pulse, whistling keyboards, harmonica solo and some ringing guitars provide the musical backdrop for small-town misery, gamblers and malcontents who hear, but take no joy, from festive-season choruses of Auld Lang Syne. I always like hearing this song whatever the time of year, and hope you do too.
I started a music WhatsApp group in 2023. I send one song a week on a Friday, with links to both Apple and Spotify, and an accompanying narrative/capsule piece. You’ll read it here on a Sunday. If you want to engage about a song, get a playlist or just get in touch, email me on markgrosin@gmail.com.
Listen to Christmas in Nevada on Spotify here and on Apple Music here.
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