The TV series "Music City Roots: Live From The Factory" features some of the best new and established Americana artists. Here's an enjoyable performance by Moe Bandy.
I'll be seeing Paul Thorn tomorrow. He's a particular favorite at Kansas City's Knuckleheads Saloon, which has a yearly Paul Thorn weekend - two big concerts and then a small intimate acoustic one (The Mavericks have done a similar thing.)
Van Dyke Parks certainly qualifies, although his Americana is of a totally different stripe. The folk roots are still there, but with richly colored orchestration that's usually not a part of the genre as many know it. I would also add David Ackles, plus Aaron Copland and Charles Ives (who both profoundly influenced Parks and Ackles).
I've heard some artists who seem to think Americana is all about singing about poverty, how hard they have to work, and how dull and dreary their lives are. I find that stuff depressing and it doesn't ring true when sung by people who are making a pretty good living playing gigs and making records; basically doing what they love. Role playing in a song or writing about one's past experiences is fine, but some of these artists need to lighten up on the misery factor. John Denver is dissed by a lot of people but I always loved his vision of Americana. His music is full of folk and country roots, but his take on Americana was celebratory and filled with images of the grandeur of the mountains and nature in general. John Stewart was another artist who was a pioneer of what is now called Americana.
Not sure if they're still in print (almost certainly not on vinyl), but Old Homeplace released several vinyl albums of the Carter Family's radio transcriptions. Some of those may be worth seeking out. There were also some good reissue compilations of the original Carter Family on some budget line labels like Camden.
Authenticity is great, but would the music world be a better place if singers were limited to singing about their own personal experiences? I like Viking metal. It doesn't bother me at all that none of the artists of this genre have ever rowed a longboat or pillaged a village.
I’ve seen Paul a half dozen times. Always a good show and funny as hell. He also stepped in the ring with Roberto Duran so I’d advise anyone to not heckle him!!
