Gothic Americana
Encyclopedia
Gothic Americana is a style of alternative country
that fuses Americana music (neotraditional country
, progressive country
, outlaw country
, country rock
, rockabilly
, folk rock
, bluegrass music
, blues
, rhythm and blues
) with elements of gothic rock
, gothabilly
, psychobilly
, deathcountry
. The main representatives of that music are the musicians of Denver music scene: 16 Horsepower
, Wovenhand, Lilium
, Slim Cessna's Auto Club
, Jay Munly
, as well as other American (Willard Grant Conspiracy
, Reverend Red) or even European bands (Helldorado
).
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
that fuses Americana music (neotraditional country
Neotraditional country
Neotraditional country, also known as "new traditional" country, is a country music style that emphasizes the instrumental background and a 'traditional' country vocal style. Neotraditional country artists often dress in the fashions of the country music scene of the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s...
, progressive country
Progressive country
Progressive country is a subgenre of Texas country music started in the early 1970s in Austin, Texas. The term was coined by programmers at Austin's KOKE-FM in 1972 as a way to differentiate the style of country music in Austin from that being made in Nashville...
, outlaw country
Outlaw country
Outlaw country is a subgenre of country music, most popular during the late 1960s and the 1970s , sometimes referred to as the outlaw movement or simply outlaw music...
, country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
, rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
, folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
, bluegrass music
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
) with elements of gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
, gothabilly
Gothabilly
Gothabilly , is one of several music and cultural subgenres of rockabilly. The name is a portmanteau word that combines gothic and rockabilly. The earliest known use of the word gothabilly was by The Cramps in the late 1970s, to describe their blend of somber, rockabilly-influenced punk rock...
, psychobilly
Psychobilly
Psychobilly is a fusion genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is one of several subgenres of rockabilly which also include thrashabilly, trashabilly, punkabilly, surfabilly and gothabilly...
, deathcountry
Deathcountry
Deathcountry is a sub-genre of country music, particularly alternative country. It is best described as being traditional country music with a morbid anarchist punk rock and psychobilly attitude. Since the late 1990s, Deathcountry is a well-known term in the music scene, first used by Hank Ray ,...
. The main representatives of that music are the musicians of Denver music scene: 16 Horsepower
16 Horsepower
16 Horsepower was an American alternative country music group based in Denver, Colorado. Their music often invoked religious imagery dealing with conflict, redemption, punishment, and guilt through David Eugene Edwards's lyrics and the heavy use of traditional bluegrass, gospel, and Appalachian...
, Wovenhand, Lilium
Lilium (band)
Lilium is a musical project begun by French musician Pascal Humbert, a member of the alternative country groups Sixteen Horsepower and Woven Hand. Lilium is presently a two-piece augmented by frequent guests based in Denver, Colorado, USA.-History:The project began in 1984, centered around home...
, Slim Cessna's Auto Club
Slim Cessna's Auto Club
Slim Cessna's Auto Club is an alternative country-gothabilly band formed in 1992 in Denver, Colorado. The constant in the band has been Slim Cessna, formerly a member of The Denver Gentlemen along with David Eugene Edwards and Jeffery-Paul of 16 Horsepower. Jay Munly is also a key member of the...
, Jay Munly
Jay Munly
Jay Munly is a banjo player, guitarist, singer, and songwriter based in Denver, Colorado. He has played a significant role in the development of the "Denver Sound", music that mixes elements of country, Gothic, folk, and gospel...
, as well as other American (Willard Grant Conspiracy
Willard Grant Conspiracy
Willard Grant Conspiracy is an alt-country band currently based near Palmdale, California, USA.Originally formed by Robert Fisher and Paul Austin in 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts, the band operates as a collective, with vocalist Fisher the only permanent member. Up to thirty other musicians...
, Reverend Red) or even European bands (Helldorado
Helldorado (band)
Helldorado is an Americana/Rock band from Norway. They draw inspiration from a wide variety of sources; including spaghetti western, film noir, alternative country/country rock, garage rock, surf rock, psychobilly/gothabilly, and tex-mex/mariachi...
).