Leaving Whiskeytown: 2 hours of alternative folk-rock
The New York Times yesterday published an all-too-familiar piece of reporting: Another man accused of preying on women in his industry, offering to help their careers in return for sexual favors, and of being emotionally manipulative. This time the alleged perpetrator is Ryan Adams, whose gravelly, emotional music has been a mainstay of alt-country and Americana since the mid-’90s, as the frontman of Whiskeytown, and through the 2000s with a successful solo career. But Adams hardly has a monopoly on whiskey-steeped Americana, so here are nearly three dozen artists whose music conjures up sun-baked vistas and earthy realism. The A.V. Club presents a two-hour playlist that encompasses righteous anger, quiet beauty, raspy vocals, twanging swagger, and emotional poignancy. You can listen on Spotify.
Leaving Whiskeytown
1. “Motion Sickness,” Phoebe Bridgers
2. “Real Live Bleeding Fingers And Broken Guitar Strings,” Lucinda Williams
3. “Human,” Molly Sarlé
4. “Pedestrian At Best,” Courtney Barnett
5. “Dusty Groove,” Kelly Hogan (written by Catherine Irwin of Freakwater)
6. “Every Time I Hear That Song,” Brandi Carlile
7. “Traveling Alone,” Tift Merritt
8. “Did I Offend You?”, Lauren Ruth Ward
9. “Living In The City,” Hurray For The Riff Raff
10. “Oom Sha La La,” Haley Heynderickx
11. “Got My Name Changed Back,” Pistol Annies
12. “September When It Comes,” Rosanne Cash
13. “A Soft Place To Fall,” Allison Moorer
14. “Your Lies,” Shelby Lynne
15. “Shut Up Kiss Me,” Angel Olsen
16. “Desperate And Depressed,” Margo Price
17. “Wheel Inside The Wheel,” Mary Gauthier
18. “Fuck Up,” Sarah Shook & The Disarmers
19. “American Scandal,” Ashley McBryde
20. “Revelator,” Gillian Welch
21. “Pressure To Party,” Julia Jacklin
22. “Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole,” Martha Wainwright
23. “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” Laura Marling
24. “Stono River Blues,” Shovels & Rope
25. “Waltz Across Texas Tonight,” Emmylou Harris
26. “People Got A Lotta Nerve,” Neko Case
27. “Hire,” Girlpool
28. “Good Woman,” Cat Power
29. “Fix’er Upper,” Rosie Tucker
30. “Quartz In The Valley,” H.C. McEntire
31. “High Horse,” Kacey Musgraves
32. “Interstate Vision,” Lomelda
33. “Willin’,” Mandy Moore