featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
December 18, 2024
Scott Foley, purveyor of dust
The history of Bloodshot Records is invariably tied to alt.country. Prior to shuttering its doors in 2021, the Chicago label had been largely responsible for introducing artists like Old 97s, Ryan Adams, Neko Case and others to a wide audience. Especially during their first decade (roughly from 1994-2004), Bloodshot artists were challenging our notions of roots music, blending it with punk while staying admirably anchored with one boot in tradition. Pushing against our own Lookback rules, several of the songs below are covers of stuff originally by the Louvin Brothers, Johnny Paycheck, or Les Paul, but that link to the past was essential to Bloodshot's identity, what they termed insurgent country. There was good music to come after that initial volley, and the label would reform from the ashes following the impropriety of one of the founders' partners. But during those early years nothing sounded like Bloodshot Records. Nothing seemed as dangerous, as edgy, or as insurgent. And while there remain vestiges of these foundational artists, very little really hits like them today.
BLOODSHOT RECORDS FiRST DECADE: thirty favorites
- Volebeats, "One I Love" Hell-Bent: Insurgent Country Vol 2 (Feb 95)
- Old 97s, "Big Brown Eyes" Wreck Your Life (Sep 95)
- Waco Brothers, "See Willy Fly By" Cowboy In Flames (Jan 97)
- The Blacks, "Tortured Holiday" Dolly Horrorshow (Sep 98)
- Devil In a Woodpile, "Keep On Drinkin'" Devil In a Woodpile (Nov 98)
- Andre Williams & the Sadies, "I Understand (Do You)" Red Dirt (May 99)
- John Doe w/Old 97s, "Cryin' But My Tears Are Far Away" Poor Little Knitter On the Road: Tribute To the Knitters (Sep 99)
- Robbie Fulks, "Parallel Bars" Very Best Of Robbie Fulks (Jan 00)
- Nora O'Connor, "Looks Like I'm Up Shit Creek Again" Down To the Promised Land: 5 Years Of Bloodshot Records (Jun 00)
- Jon Langford & Sally Timms, "Horses" Songs Of False Hope & High Values (Jul 00)
- Ryan Adams, "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad Is To Be High)" Heartbreaker (Sep 00)
- Rex Hobart & Misery Boys, "I'm Not Drunk Enough" The Spectacular Sadness Of ... (Sep 00)
- The Sadies, "Loved On Look" Tremendous Efforts (Mar 01)
- Alejandro Escovedo, "Castanets" A Man Under the Influence (Apr 01)
- Kelly Hogan, "No Bobby Don't" Because It Feel Good (Oct 01)
- Neko Case, "I Wish I Was the Moon" Blacklisted (Aug 02)
- Jon Rauhouse, "World Is Waiting For a Sunrise (ft Neko Case)" Steel Guitar Air Show (Sep 02)
- Pine Valley Cosmonauts, "Gallows Pole (ft Tim Rutili)" Executioner's Last Songs Vol 2 & 3 (Jan 03)
- Freakwater, "When I Stop Dreaming" Slaughter Rule Soundtrack (Mar 03)
- Legendary Shack Shakers, "Blood On the Bluegrass" Cockadoodledon't (Apr 03)
- Wayne Hancock, "Thunderstorms & Neon Signs" Swing Time (Aug 03)
- Trailer Bride, "Hope Is a Thing With Feathers" Hope Is a Thing With Feathers (Sep 03)
- Paul Burch, "Lovesick Blues Boy" Fool For Love (Oct 03)
- Graham Parker, "Cruel Lips" Your Country (Mar 04)
- Jon Langford, "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" All the Fame Of Lofty Deeds (Apr 04)
- Bobby Bare Jr, "Valentine" From the End Of Your Leash (Jun 04)
- Meat Purveyors, "It Won't Be Long (and I'll Be Hating You)" Pain By Numbers (Jul 04)
- Split Lip Rayfield, "Just Like a Gillian Welch Song" Should've Seen It Coming (Sep 04)
- Bottle Rockets, "Let's Stop Kicking Our Heart Around (ft Sheri Hurst)" Hard Headed Woman: Tribute To Wanda Jackson (Oct 04)
- Scott H Biram, "Blood Sweat & Murder" For a Decade Of Sin: 11 Years Of Bloodshot Records (Oct 05)
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