1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. Blues
Americana/Alternative Country Artists -
Guide picks
Netlinks for Americana, Alternative Country and Austin folk artists and resources.

Bell, Vince
Singer-songwriter.

Cash, Johnny
The Man in the Long Black Coat.

Cleaves, Slaid
He's been called the next Fred Eaglesmith. Good sound.

Eaglesmith, Fred
And the Flying Squirrels. Great songwriter with a rough and ready sound. Once heard Fred get upset that a fan thought they'd been practicing....

Earle, Steve
Earle has made a legendary comeback to be better than ever.

Ely, Joe
Former member of the Flatlanders.

Five Chinese Brothers
Recently defunct, but the legend lives on. Several fine recordings helped give Rockabilly an urban sensibility and an urbane wit. R.I.P.

Friedman, Dean "Kinky"
Inimitable comic writer made his reputation with novelty songs like "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore."

Fulks, Robbie
Finely crafted songs with a rockabilly edge and a cult following. Extensive lyrics/chords/tab pages.

Gilmore, Jimmy Dale
Former member of Flatlanders with Joe Ely and Butch Hancock. One gone guy.

Haggard, Merle
Classic.

Hancock, Butch
One of the finest writers anywhere. This stuff constantly amazes. A good fan site with sounds and all.

The Handsome Family
Wildly imaginative reworking of really old American traditions, haunted by "Appalachian ballads, country spirituals and dirt-road blues from the 1920s and '30s, and centuries-old Scottish ballads." -The Chicago Tribune

Harris, Emmylou
Always walking the edge between authentic folk and commercial country, Harris recently teamed up with Linda Ronstadt to make a Grammy nominated album.

Hinojosa, Tish
Tex-Mex chanteuse sings in English and Spanish. Official site

Keen, Robert Earle
Fine writer.

Lawrence, Eddy
Lawrence pens quirky southern gothic tales unlike anyone else's. He's reclusive, but the songs and recordings are excellent. Site has sounds, bio.

LeFave, Jimmy
Another Texan.

Lovett, Lyle
From his beginnings as a quirky songwriter to his big band sound and recent double album of new country covers, Lovett is a true artist, an explorer. Unmatched storyteller.

Nelson, Willie
The one and only.

Phelps, Kelly Joe
Solid American roots music and a highly distinguished guitarist.

Russell, Tom
You'd never guess this writer of Tex-Mex and superb narrative songs of the borderlands is a native of Brooklyn, NY. Revered in Europe.

Son Volt
Rock meets country. Hear clips from Wide Swing Tremolo here.

Van Zandt, Townes
The late Americana legend.

Walker, Jerry Jeff
Yes, he wrote "Mr. Bo Jangles" - get over it.

2  Next 

Explore Blues

About.com Special Features

The Best Top 40 Pop Songs

Is your favorite song on our list? More >

New TV Dramas

Get a jump on all the new dramas coming soon to your living room. More >

  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. Blues

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.