But see, that's the thing...there's never going to be an
"Alt-Country Nirvana" because fifteen year-olds don't generally listen to
Steve Earle or Dale Watson or even the Old 97's. Let's face it, folks:
this P2 bag, this Americana/Alt-Country/Roots-Rock thing that gets
discussed here? It's Old People Music <g>. Sure, some of your more
open-minded, musically curious youngsters are gonna dig this
stuff but essentially this is a niche market, for the most part. I mean
hell, even back in the heyday of '70's country rock, only the Eagles made
any money off the music--and even then, they bagged the twangier elements
of it right around "Hotel California". The Jayhawks, Uncle Tupelo, the
Botterockets, Wilco, Son Volt, Whiskeytown, *none* of these bands has
done/is doing the kind of sales that say, Third Eye Blind is doing, and I
really don't see that changing anytime soon. In fact, rarely has there
been so much media attention paid to a genre that, for all intents and
purposes, is commerical death.
What's my point? We shouldn't be waiting for the Unknown Act to
open the Alt-Country gates wide, because it isn't going to happen. And
really, is that so horrible a thing?
Kip
