Gothic country

Last updated

Gothic country (sometimes referred to as gothic Americana, Southern Gothic, the Denver sound, or dark country) is a genre of country music rooted in early jazz, gospel, Americana, gothic rock, and post-punk. [1] Its lyrics focus on dark subject matters. [2] The genre has a regional scene in Denver. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Gothic country is rooted in early jazz, gospel, country, Americana, gothic rock, and post-punk. [1] The genre's lyrics focus on macabre and grim subject matters. [2] J.D. Wilkes, frontman of the band Legendary Shack Shakers, described gothic country as "[taking] an angle that there's something grotesque and beautiful in the traditions of the South, the backdrop of Southern living." [3]

Slim Cessna's Auto Club, formed in 1992, often deals with lyrical themes derived from apocalyptic religious imagery, applying a gothic lyrical approach to country and gospel songs, although the band has denied that their songs are gothic. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] The following year, the gothic country group the Handsome Family formed; [11] [12] [13] [14] Andy Fyfe of Mojo called them "Americana's ghostly Sonny & Cher." [15] A.V. Club reviewer Christopher Bahn compared their music to "a collaboration between Hank Williams and Edgar Allan Poe." [16]

Johnny Cash's American Recordings series, produced by Rick Rubin, a producer best known for working with hip hop and heavy metal artists, was described as having a gothic country sound and image; amidst covers of songs by non-country artists such as Depeche Mode, Danzig and Nine Inch Nails, as well as traditional and World War II-era songs, Cash's album series lyrically derived from haunting, despaired themes such as death, and recurring religious themes in the form of dark gospel recordings. [17]

Pioneered by David Eugene Edwards through his band 16 Horsepower (and later, Wovenhand), a regional gothic country scene developed in Denver. [1] [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goth subculture</span> Contemporary subculture

Goth is a subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. Post-punk artists who anticipated the gothic rock genre and helped develop and shape the subculture include Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, the Cure and Joy Division.

Gothic rock is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and the Cure.

Deathrock is a rock music subgenre incorporating horror elements and gothic theatrics. It emerged from punk rock on the West Coast of the United States in the early 1980s and overlaps with the gothic rock and horror punk genres. Notable deathrock acts include Christian Death, Kommunity FK, 45 Grave, and Super Heroines.

Psychobilly is a rock music fusion genre that fuses elements of rockabilly and punk rock. It's been defined as "loud frantic rockabilly music", it has also been said that it "takes the traditional countrified rock style known as rockabilly, ramp[ing] up its speed to a sweaty pace, and combin[ing] it with punk rock and imagery lifted from horror films and late-night sci-fi schlock,... [creating a] gritty honky tonk punk rock."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horror punk</span> Music genre

Horror punk is a music genre that mixes punk rock and 1950s-influenced doo-wop and rockabilly sounds with morbid and violent imagery and lyrics which are often influenced by horror films and science fiction B-movies. The genre was pioneered by the Misfits in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Subsequent bands formed in the Misfits' wake like Mourning Noise, the Undead and Samhain, solidifying horror punk's first wave. In the late 1990s and early 2000s the genre gained attention through the reunion of the Misfits and success of groups like AFI, Son of Sam and the Murderdolls. This popularity continued to the modern day with Blitzkid, Calabrese and Creeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legendary Shack Shakers</span> American rock band

The Legendary Shack Shakers are an American rock band from Murray, Kentucky that was formed in 1995 by J.D. Wilkes. The original line-up formed the band out of a shared interest in rockabilly, blues and Western swing. Subsequently, the band gained prominence in the alternative country scene with a sound that encompassed rockabilly, blues, country and punk rock and a lyrical focus on Southern Gothic themes. Over time, the band's sound shifted to emphasize country music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Gothic</span> Subgenre of Gothic fiction

Southern Gothic is an artistic subgenre of fiction, country music, film, theatre, and television that are heavily influenced by Gothic elements and the American South. Common themes of Southern Gothic include storytelling of deeply flawed, disturbing, or eccentric characters sometimes suffering from physical deformities or insanity; decayed or derelict settings and grotesque situations; and sinister events bred from poverty, alienation, crime, violence, forbidden sexuality, or hoodoo magic.

The American state of Colorado has many music scenes and venues, especially in the larger cities like Denver and Colorado Springs.

Dark cabaret is a musical genre that draws on the aesthetics of burlesque, vaudeville and Weimar-era cabaret, with live performances that borrow from the stylings of goth and punk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slim Cessna's Auto Club</span> American country rock band

Slim Cessna's Auto Club is an American country rock band from Denver, Colorado. Formed in 1992, the band is known for lyrics which describe apocalyptic and religious imagery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Denver</span> Overview of music traditions in Denver, Colorado, United States

While Denver may not be as recognized for historical musical prominence like such cities as Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago or New York City, it still manages to have a very active popular, jazz, and classical music scene, which has nurtured many artists and genres to regional, national, and even international attention. Though nearby Boulder, Colorado has its own very distinct music scene, they are intertwined and often artists based there also play in Denver.

Swamp rock is a genre of rock music that originated in the mid-1960s as a fusion of rockabilly and soul music with swamp blues, country music and funk. The genre originated in Louisiana by artists such as Tony Joe White, but was subsequently popularized by California band Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Ethereal wave, also called ethereal darkwave, ethereal goth or simply ethereal, is a subgenre of dark wave music that is variously described as "gothic", "romantic", and "otherworldly". Developed in the early 1980s in the UK as an outgrowth of gothic rock, ethereal wave was mainly represented by 4AD bands such as Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, and early guitar-driven Dead Can Dance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Munly</span> American musician

Jayson Thompson, who goes by the stage name Jay Munly or Munly, is an American singer, songwriter and musician based in Denver, Colorado. He is known for his role in the development of the Denver Sound, which is music that mixes elements of country, gothic, folk and gospel native to that city. He is a member of Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Munly and the Lupercalians, and The Denver Broncos UK (DBUK). He was a founding member of Munly and the Lee Lewis Harlots, active from 2000 to 2007. He was also a member of The Road Home in 2015.

<i>Pandelirium</i> 2006 studio album by Legendary Shack Shakers

Pandelirium is the fifth studio album by American rock band Legendary Shack Shakers. It is the second album in the band's "Tentshow Trilogy", which began with Believe (2004) and concluded with Swampblood (2007).

<i>Cockadoodledont</i> 2003 studio album by Legendary Shack Shakers

Cockadoodledon't is the third studio album by American rock band Legendary Shack Shakers. Released on April 22, 2003, the album established the band's presence on the alternative country scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Handsome Family</span> US alternative country and Americana band

The Handsome Family is an American music duo consisting of husband and wife Brett and Rennie Sparks formed in Chicago, Illinois, and as of 2001 based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They are perhaps best known for their song "Far from Any Road" from the album Singing Bones, which was used as the main title theme for the first season of the 2014 crime drama True Detective. The band's tenth album, Unseen, was released in 2016. The band's 11th studio album Hollow, was released on September 8, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gothic Western</span> Contemporary subculture

Gothic Western is a subculture, artistically similar to gothic Americana, but blends goth and Western lifestyles that are notably visible in fashion, music, film and literature.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Johnson, Aaron Loki (January 29, 2015). "Yes, there is a 'Denver Sound,' and here's a brief history". CPR. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 ""The Denver Sound" and more". July 26, 2006. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  3. ↑ Oksenhorn, Stewart (February 21, 2006). "Shack*Shakers get back to the roots of Goth". The Aspen Times. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Slim Cessna's Auto Club Brings Its Gothic Americana To Beachland Ballroom". Cleveland.com. November 22, 2016.
  5. ↑ Thanki, Juli (June 24, 2008). "SLIM CESSNA'S AUTO CLUB: CIPHER". PopMatters. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  6. ↑ Bernstein, Joel (December 2000). "Slim Cessna's Auto Club: just call them country". Country Standard Time. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  7. ↑ Pehling, Dave (January 10, 2018). "Eclectic Alt-Country Outfit Teams With Garage-Punk Vet". CBS. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  8. ↑ Le-Huu, Bao (September 4, 2012). "Slim Cessna's Auto Club revives their country-rock sound with an eerie gospel aesthetic". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  9. ↑ Miller, Jay (November 25, 2016). "The Commandments according to Slim Cessna's Auto Club". The Patriot Ledger. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  10. ↑ DeLuca, Dan (December 4, 2016). "Dan DeLuca's picks: Dylan's real Royal Albert Hall concert; The Jingle Ball; Angelica Garcia". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  11. ↑ STEINHOFF, JESSICA (April 17, 2009). "The Handsome Family's gothic country gets romantic". Isthmus. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  12. ↑ MCKEOUGH, KEVIN (July 22, 2013). "Family Q&A". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  13. ↑ Compton, Hannah (September 9, 2016). "The Handsome Family – Unseen – Album Review". Building Our Own Nashville. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  14. ↑ Plagenhoef, Scott (November 11, 2003). "Singing Bones The Handsome Family". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  15. ↑ Fyfe, Andy (September 16, 2016). "The Handsome Family: Unseen". Mojo .
  16. ↑ Bahn, Christopher (May 14, 2013). "The Handsome Family: Wilderness". The A.V. Club . Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Did Rick Rubin Turn Johnny Cash Into A Cheesy Goth?". slate.com. August 15, 2006.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.