The Americana and roots music authority

Local Alternative Country Acts In Your Area

Kevin Oliver (a fellow Columbia, SC resident) just did a recent blog post letting the No Depression community know about Zach and the Red Wagon, a great alt. country band that doesn't really get outside of SC much/at all. I thought it would be cool if people would share some of their super-local alt. country bands that have great songs but aren't really on the national scene. Here in Columbia we have...

Zach and the Red Wagon
American Gun
Josh Roberts & the Hinges
The Daylight Hours
Sunshone Still
Devils in Disguise
Hannah Miller

and, of course, Danielle Howle (which some of you might know)

also, a couple of Charleston songwriters I love...

Mac Leaphart
Cary Ann Hearst

Tags: american, and, ann, carolina, cary, columbia, daniell, daylight, devils, disguise

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kyla Fairchild on March 23, 2009 at 6:11pm: Some of my favorites in Seattle are The Maldives, North Twin, The Moondoggies, Kristen Ward and Star Anna.

Seattle has a great roots music scene with the Fleet Foxes, Sera Cahoone, Grand Archives, Mark Pickerel, The Cave Singers, etc, etc. There are so many great ones it's hard to think of them all.

Oh, and the Lonely H is coming out with a great new record. Not sure when it's out, but I can't stop listening to the advance I received a few weeks ago.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Easy Ed on March 24, 2009 at 8:39am: This gal is from Washington, but it seems that her base now is more or less in San Diego.

Sara Petite (sorry...I can't figure out how to make the name a link) is a singer-songwriter with two CD's out. She plays around town with the Tiger Mountain Boys when they are acoustic, and the Sugar Daddies when plugged in.

Here's the link to her home page:

http://www.sarapetite.com/index.cfm?mpf=frame&;; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by RP N10 on March 24, 2009 at 3:16pm: Sara has a few shows on archive.org. Worth a check out if you're OK with MP3; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Easy Ed on March 24, 2009 at 3:43pm: Thanks. Her live show is much better than her CD's (I think) and I can live with MP3's.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rick Cornell on March 24, 2009 at 10:42am: Let's see, some favorites from the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC area:

The Whistlestop (a gospelish, Levon Helmsy outfit)
Mary Johnson Rockers
Steve Howell & the Lonesome Teardrops (no Web site - led by ex-Backslider Steve Howell)
Terry Anderson & the Olympic Ass-Kickin Team (more Faces/NRBQ than alt-country)
Joe Romeo & the Orange County Volunteers
Kenny Roby's Mercy Filter (former Six String Drag leader)
John Howie, Jr. & the Rosewood Bluff (former Two Dollar Pistols leader)

And I'm no doubt forgetting another half dozen. Nice place to be...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kyle Petersen on March 24, 2009 at 10:45am: Hmm...American Aquarium is from Raleigh too, they come to Columbia a lot. BJ Barham is quite a character and a great songwriter, and the band really kills live.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rick Cornell on March 24, 2009 at 10:51am: There you go: that's one of the forgotten other half dozen. I've seen them only once, and under less-than-ideal circumstances, but have heard and read a lot of good things about them.

Another of the forgotten (and shame on me for forgetting, although I'm guessing many folks here know of them and you could make the case that they're on the national scene): Tres Chicas; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Grace Anderson on October 4, 2009 at 6:33am: how about Old Habits

http://www.old-habits.com/

I think they are great!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kim Ruehl on March 24, 2009 at 12:51pm: Darnit, Kyla nabbed almost everyone I would've pulled off the top of my head, but I'll add Brandi Carlile, who's pretty well-known now I guess, the Starlings, Zoe Muth, Moe Provencher, Betsy Olson, Dutchess and the Duke, Whisky Swillers, and the Tallboys.

Portland has a great roots scene too, with pretty much everyone on HUSH records well worth a listen. They've also got Hillstomp, Laura Veirs, Laura Gibson, Shelley Short, Sassparilla, Blind Pilot, and a number of others.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kyla Fairchild on March 24, 2009 at 1:01pm: Ha, I knew I had to reply fast or Kim would nab all my favorites! We both forgot the Pica Beats. I can't speak for Kim but I think they're great.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kim Ruehl on March 24, 2009 at 1:05pm: I am ashamed to admit I've never seen or heard the Pica Beats.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kyla Fairchild on March 24, 2009 at 3:17pm: I've learned there is no need to ever be ashamed for not being aware of a band or artist or never having listened to them. There is so much music in this world there is no way anyone can ever be aware of all of it, or even most of it.

For years I've watched people chastise each other for not knowing about a certain band and I try to call people on that whenever I see it happening because for every amazing band that I've heard of that you aren't familiar with there are probably plenty that you know and love that are equally amazing that I'm not familiar with.

I've never understood why so many people feel the need to make someone else feel stupid or ashamed for not knowing something rather than being happy that they got to be the one to share something wonderful and turn someone on to an amazing artist.

So I'm just happy that I can share this with you!

http://www.nodepression.com/articles.aspx?id=3748
http://www.thepicabeats.com; ▶ Reply to This