Certainly, alt-country musicians are “dying” - both literally and figuratively.

–>Exhibit A: Jay Bennett.
Former Urbana resident and ex-Wilco band member recently died “in his sleep.” When I first heard of the musician’s passing, I highly doubted he’d died of natural causes at the ripe old age of 45. And my suspicions proved right: the follow-up autopsy by the Champaign county coroner confirmed that Bennett, who’d been in dire need of hip-replacement surgery, died of an “accidental” painkiller overdose. Although unfairly portrayed as an emotional drain on Tweedy’s psyche in 2002’s I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco, Bennett’s creative energies were instrumental to the success of the alt-country, recently-turned “dad rock” of Wilco.

–>Exhibit B: Ryan Adams
Adams’ is more of a metaphorical death, for instead of OD-ing on drugs, the folk troubadour both married (on March 10th) 90’s pop icon-turned-”indie” singer Mandy Moore, and also (via blog) announced that he’d be taking a “break” from singing/songwriting. Updates on his MySpace (post-Cardinals-hiatus) have been scarce - the most recent being a mere advertising plug to purchase his “second book of passionate, transcendent verse,” Hello Sunshine.
(For further clarification, visit this Pitchfork post:
http://pitchfork.com/news/34364-ryan-adams-is-quitting-music-says-ryan-adams/)

–>Exhibit C: No Depression - the seminal written/online publication on alternative country - is also, like many specialized music magazines, suffering. Last year, the magazine’s eleven-year bimonthly print publication ceased, transferring entirely to the online realm (in addition to its bi-annual “bookazine” release with UT Press). Although remaining “The Roots Music Authority,” No Depression continues to struggle as a niche media interest.

Tangential Remark: Matt and Kim

I’m all about Brooklyn bands, and I especially dig Matt and Kim’s “Daylight”
(watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgBeu3FVi60).
However, I don’t know how much I appreciate the lo-fi duo’s pointed over-exposure in the video for “Lessons Learned” … it’s almost like they’re trying too hard for Times Square “T & A” time. In jest, Entertainment Weekly dubs Matt and Kim “either exhibitionists or Alanis Morrissette fans” … now wouldn’t that be ironic? Witness such “naughty nudity” at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJkymylTNU4.
Oh well, hopefully that’s a lesson learned (pun intended) for the delightful duo.

Keep it real Brooklyn!

In between listening to Wilco’s recently-released, ironically-titled Wilco (The Album) and Brooklyn faves Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest, I’ve been reading up on the birth of “emo” culture/music/etc. - from Wikipedia contributers who deem Sunny Day Real Estate “instrumental” to the genre’s development, to SPIN writer Andy Greenwald’s humorous cultural critique in Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo.

Personally, being both a Chicago native and a Corgan fan (hold your tongue, haters), I also consider the Pumpkins “instrumental” to the growth of the musical niche’s “emotional” (“emo,” for short) mentality. Never-mind Jeremy Enigk and clan, The Pumpkins were the true progenitors of “emo” rock. Consider this:
“emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness, and cleanliness is godliness, and god is empty just like me/intoxicated with the madness, I’m in love with my sadness” -Smashing Pumpkins, “Zero” (c. 95’).
What do psychiatrists call such a disorder these days? “Melancholy-philia”?

Leslie Simon’s Wish You Were Here: An Essential Guide to Your Favorite Music Scenes - From Punk to Indie and Everything In Between (including “emo,” surprise, surprise) is another music-themed book to add to your summer reading list. LA-located Simon, one of a handful of both published and respected female rock journalists (gender bias!), spans the myriad of “scenes” coast-to-coast, from Seattle’s “grunge hangover” and Long Island “hardcore.”

Another issue worth considering: attributing a certain geographic “region” to a sub-genre’s development. Is it not self-evident that “emo” blossomed best in the Midwest - the land of endless corn rows, “middle america” mentality, and enough Culver’s drive-thru’s to satisfy the fattest farmer? Or, as Leslie Simon suggests, is D.C. the true birthplace of “emo”? The world may never know.

*Currently investigating: The phenomenon by which bands leak one another’s music, such as this past fall’s leak of Animal Collective’s “Brother Sport” by Grizzly Bear. GB’s songwriter/vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Ed Droste isn’t too upset about the Web Sheriff’s charges however, as he dubs such leaking “inevitable.”

Recently signed to Polyvinyl!

A trend I’ve noticed over the past couple of years includes the “I’m too cool for school” titling of albums bands have employed in their pointed efforts to appear “intellectual,” “artsy,” and most importantly, “avant-garde.” For instance: why all of the “post” contemporary album names? M. Ward’s 2006 Post-War and the Japandroids April-released Post-Nothing both come to mind (trust me, a number exist - simply perform a Pitchfork search of “post”). Apparently, the Japandroids frontmen really dig the term. As the duo, detailing the birth of their band on Japandroids’ MySpace page (link: http://www.myspace.com/japandroids), notes: the “‘band’ started … as a creative outlet for the post-teenage angst of Brian King and David Prowse.” Post-Parlo is also the name of an Austin-based indie label, that’s signed acts such as Bright Eyes - undoubtedly replete with Conor Oberstian “post” fetishism.

Perhaps this recent obsession can be attributed to our residence in a “post-modern” world full of “po-mo” problems (and art). Or, maybe the eccentric, Icelandic Bjork can be credited with the burgeoning trend: after-all, she did name her second (Platinum-selling) studio album: “Post.”
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