The Progressive Country of "Lonely Joe"
How does a Madrid crooner connect to U.S. country/rock? Lonely Joe is a Transatlantic talent with a dark and broken-hearted style.
MusicStrands' dual offices in Europe and the U.S. often inspire comparisons of disparate musical styles. This week I was struck with a Madrid artist that seems tightly bound to the American tradition of 90’s alternative country-inspired rock.
Check out these tracks by Lonely Joe...
- Precious Time
- The Astronaut
- The Eskimo´s bed (Album version)
Joe’s hushed, romantic style calls to mind several current Pop favorites, such as:
- Lack Of Color, A by Death Cab For Cutie
- Fade Into You by Mazzy Star
- First Day Of My Life by Bright Eyes
and even
- Fix You by Coldplay
But super-pop aside: there is a distinct reminiscence of progressive, alternative Country in Lonely Joe's tracks. Although he has an unmistakable European flare, Lonely Joe has a deep and rich sentimentality that is characterized by the American genre. As evidence, I offer Chris Isaak, Cowboy Junkies, and even K.D. Lang (although Joe lacks KD's great musical ease).
Which leads to my sermon this week on the progressive alt-country-rock of the early '90s. This is one of my favorite styles, and although it's gone a little out of vogue, I still listen to this playlist when it’s time for bed – especially if I’ve been up very, very late and sleep seems a desperate goal.
The "No Depression" movement of neo-country rock acts in the early '90s rejected the sentimentality of traditional Hank Williams-esque country. But the artists kept country’s musical traditions. The result was a unique style that crossed-over into Rock & Pop. Isaak was one of the first to gain popularity due to David Lynch’s soundtrack for the movie “Wild at Heart.” In the '90s, Isaak was so "hip" that he had his own MTV series.
This style has been carried forward admirably by talented alt-country artists, characterized by these tracks:
- Malibu Love Nest by Luna (Rock)
- Too Bad That You're Gone by Two Dollar Pistols
- No Nashville by Florence Dore
- What Would You Do by Big Blue Hearts
Check out even more tracks on my Progressive Country playlist.
How does all of this reflect back to Lonely Joe?
Well, next week we'll add great European artists like Joan Manuel Serrat and Ennio Morricone to the mix. Even Dean Martin makes a guest appearance.
Next week, part 2...
--Byron
