86-676: The Can Kickers are an Americana band based out of New London, Connecticut . The group formed in 2000 while the members were attending Connecticut College . The Can Kickers are an Americana band based in New London, Connecticut. According to the Huntsville Times , The Can Kickers sound like "the Carter family meets the Ramones." They have toured Germany, the United States, Ireland, Mexico, and
172-577: A hit . Critic Robert Christgau , writing in Esquire of Pleasures of the Harbor in May 1968, did not consider this new direction a good turn. While describing Ochs as "unquestionably a nice guy", he went on to say, "too bad his voice shows an effective range of about half an octave [and] his guitar playing would not suffer much if his right hand were webbed." " Pleasures of the Harbor ", Christgau continued, "epitomizes
258-439: A "perfect combination which mixes such quite distinct styles as polka with a punk attitude." They are represented on the 2006 compilation album Towers of New London, Vol. 4: Eminent Domain (Cosmodemonic Telegraph) with the song "Johnny Walker". Americana (music) Americana (also known as American roots music ) is an amalgam of American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up
344-742: A Liberal ", " Outside of a Small Circle of Friends ", " Power and the Glory ", " There but for Fortune ", and " The War Is Over ". Philip David Ochs was born on December 19, 1940, in El Paso, Texas , to Jacob "Jack" Ochs (August 11, 1909 – April 30, 1963), a physician who was born in New York to Polish-Jewish parents, and Gertrude Ochs (née Phin; February 26, 1912 – March 9, 1994), who was born in Scotland to Jewish parents. His parents met and married in Edinburgh where Jack
430-625: A commercial airliner where authorities were to detain them. Ifshin had previously been warned by Argentinian leftist friends that when the authorities sent dissidents to Bolivia, they would disappear forever. When the airliner arrived in Bolivia, the American captain of the Braniff International Airways aircraft allowed Ochs and Ifshin to stay on the aircraft and barred Bolivian authorities from entering. The aircraft then flew to Peru where
516-479: A distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw. While acoustic instruments are often present and vital, Americana also often uses a full electric band." The origins of Americana music can be traced back to the early 20th century, when rural American musicians began incorporating elements of folk, blues, and country music into their songs. Americana musicians often played acoustic instruments such as
602-407: A driving rhythm that propels a song forward. The mandolin is a small, stringed instrument that is commonly used in folk and bluegrass music. Its bright, high-pitched sound adds a distinctive flavor to Americana music, and its fast, intricate playing can create a lively and upbeat feel. Mandolins are often played using a technique called tremolo , which involves rapidly picking the strings to create
688-412: A duet called "The Singing Socialists", later renamed "The Sundowners", but the duo broke up before their first professional performance and Glover went to New York City to become a folksinger. Ochs' parents and brother had moved from Columbus to Cleveland , and Ochs started to spend more time there, performing professionally at a local folk club called Farragher's Back Room. He was the opening act for
774-589: A folksinger. In the early 1960s, there was a folk music rebirth in this country with the likes of Peter, Paul and Mary , Joan Baez , Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan . Although his fame was probably limited, Ochs became an integral part of that crowd. His songs " Draft Dodger Rag " and " I Ain't Marching Anymore " became a rallying cry for the peace movement much the way that Dylan's did. Ochs arrived in New York City in 1962 and began performing in numerous small folk nightclubs, eventually becoming an integral part of
860-530: A good deal of airplay . It reached No. 119 on Billboard ' s national "Hot Prospect" listing before being pulled from some radio stations because of its lyrics, which included "smoking marijuana is more fun than drinking beer". It was the closest Ochs ever came to the Top 40. Joan Baez , however, did have a Top Ten hit in the U.K. in August 1965, reaching No. 8 with her recording of Ochs's song "There but for Fortune", which
946-956: A guest of the McCarthy campaign and to participate in the demonstrations. He performed in Lincoln Park , Grant Park , and at the Chicago Coliseum , witnessed the violence perpetrated by the Chicago police against the protesters, and was arrested at one point. Ochs also purchased the young boar who became known as the Yippie 1968 Presidential candidate " Pigasus the Immortal " from a farm in Illinois. The events of 1968 – the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and of Robert F. Kennedy weeks later,
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#17330863276931032-475: A new style of Americana music that blended elements of rock, folk, country, and blues. Rolling Stone notes that "Americana" first came to fashion as a descriptive musical phrase in the mid-Nineties, when a group of radio promoters and industry outsiders dispersed throughout Nashville, California and Texas sought to carve out a distinct marketplace for a wave of traditionally minded songwriters like Guy Clark, Darrell Scott and Jim Lauderdale, artists whose work
1118-536: A number of musicians in the summer of 1961, including the Smothers Brothers . Ochs met folk singer Bob Gibson that summer as well, and according to Dave Van Ronk , Gibson became " the seminal influence" on Ochs' writing. Ochs continued at Ohio State into his senior year, but was bitterly disappointed at not being appointed editor-in-chief of the college newspaper, and dropped out in his last quarter without graduating. He left for New York, as Glover had, to become
1204-561: A popular and commercial phenomenon begins with the career of The Weavers , formed in November 1948 by Pete Seeger , Lee Hays , Fred Hellerman , and Ronnie Gilbert of People's Songs , of which Seeger had been president and Hays executive secretary. The Kingston Trio , a group originating on the West Coast, were directly inspired by the Weavers in their style and presentation and covered some of
1290-644: A result of the financial success of high-profile commercial folk artists, record companies began to produce and distribute records by a new generation of folk revival and singer-songwriters Phil Ochs , Tom Paxton , Eric von Schmidt , Buffy Sainte-Marie , Dave Van Ronk , Judy Collins , Tom Rush , Fred Neil , Gordon Lightfoot , Billy Ed Wheeler , John Denver , John Stewart , Arlo Guthrie , Harry Chapin , and John Hartford , among others. Some of this wave had emerged from family singing and playing traditions, and some had not. These singers frequently prided themselves on performing traditional material in imitations of
1376-583: A sense of nostalgia and longing. Despite the genre's most common name, it is not practiced solely by artists from the United States, as numerous artists from Canada are also prominent in the genre. Canadian bands in the genre will sometimes be referred to as Canadiana rather than Americana in Canadian media, although this is not a widely recognized synonym elsewhere. A Norwegian scene is often referred to as Nordicana . Phil Ochs Philip David Ochs ( / ˈ oʊ k s / ; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976)
1462-528: A severe sentence. Ochs performed at the John Sinclair Freedom Rally along with Stevie Wonder , Allen Ginsberg , David Peel , Abbie Hoffman , and many others. The rally culminated with Lennon and Yoko Ono , who were making their first public performance in the United States since the breakup of the Beatles . Although the 1968 election had left him deeply disillusioned, Ochs continued to work for
1548-489: A sustained, shimmering sound. The fiddle is a traditional stringed instrument that is often used in Americana music. Its versatile sound can create both slow, mournful melodies and fast, lively rhythms. Fiddles are often played using a technique called "sawing," which involves rapidly moving the bow back and forth across the strings to create a driving rhythm. Fiddles can add a haunting quality to Americana music and can create
1634-618: A teen, Ochs was recognized as a talented clarinet player; in an evaluation, one music instructor wrote: "You have exceptional musical feeling and the ability to transfer it on your instrument is abundant." His musical skills allowed him to play clarinet with the orchestra at the Capital University Conservatory of Music in Ohio, where he rose to the status of principal soloist before he was 16. Although Ochs played classical music, he soon became interested in other music sounds he heard on
1720-421: A variety of non commercial radio stations. The acoustic guitar is perhaps the most essential instrument in Americana music. It is often used to provide the rhythmic foundation of a song, as well as to accompany vocals and other instruments. In Americana music, the acoustic guitar is often played fingerstyle , which produces a warm and organic sound that is perfect for the genre's earthy, rootsy feel. The banjo
1806-596: A very interesting double feature to show a good old Wayne movie like, say, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon with The Green Berets . Because that would make a very striking comment on what has happened to America in general. Ochs was involved in the creation of the Youth International Party , known as the Yippies, along with Jerry Rubin , Abbie Hoffman , Stew Albert , and Paul Krassner . At the same time, Ochs actively supported Eugene McCarthy 's more mainstream bid for
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#17330863276931892-629: A wide range of venues, including civil rights rallies, anti-war demonstrations, and concert halls. Ochs contributed many songs and articles to the influential Broadside Magazine . He recorded his first three albums for Elektra Records : All the News That's Fit to Sing (1964), I Ain't Marching Anymore (1965), and Phil Ochs in Concert (1966). Critics wrote that each album was better than its predecessors, and fans seemed to agree; record sales increased with each new release. On these records, Ochs
1978-472: A writer. My primary thought was journalism ... so in a flash, I decided—I'll be a writer and a major in journalism. Ochs returned to Ohio State to study journalism and developed an interest in politics, with a particular interest in the Cuban Revolution of 1959. At Ohio State, he met Jim Glover , a fellow student who was a devotee of folk music and whose father was a socialist. Glover introduced Ochs to
2064-732: Is KFAT in Gilroy, California, active from mid-1975 to January 1983, as described in the book Fat Chance , authored by Gilbert Klein in 2016 and published by MainFramePress.com. KFAT was succeeded by KHIP in Hollister CA, KPIG in Freedom CA, and Fat 99 KPHT-LP in Laytonville CA. Though some say Americana as a radio format had its origins in 1984 on KCSN ("college radio") in Northridge, California, but that did not happen until after KFAT, Gilroy went off
2150-415: Is a distinctive and essential instrument in Americana music. Its bright, twangy sound is instantly recognizable and often associated with Appalachian and bluegrass music also. Banjos are often played using a technique called clawhammer , which involves striking the strings with the back of the fingernail. The banjo adds a unique texture to Americana music, and its intricate, fast-paced playing can create
2236-549: Is not credited on the record), an unknown female vocalist and a group of children. Ochs described himself as a "singing journalist", saying he built his songs from stories he read in Newsweek . By the summer of 1963, he was sufficiently well known in folk circles to be invited to sing at the Newport Folk Festival , where he performed "Too Many Martyrs" (co-written with Bob Gibson), "Talking Birmingham Jam", and " Power and
2322-611: The 1968 Democratic nomination for President , a position at odds with the more radical Yippie point of view. Still, Ochs helped plan the Yippies' " Festival of Life " which was to take place at the 1968 Democratic National Convention along with demonstrations by other anti-war groups including the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam . Despite warnings that there might be trouble, Ochs went to Chicago both as
2408-723: The Bay of Pigs Invasion , the Cuban Missile Crisis , and the growing involvement of the United States in the Vietnamese civil war . When Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 , Ochs wept. He told his wife that he thought he was going to die that night. It was the only time she ever saw Ochs cry. Ochs's managers during this part of his career were Albert Grossman (who also managed Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul, and Mary and Gordon Lightfoot) followed by Arthur Gorson . Gorson had close ties with such groups as Americans For Democratic Action ,
2494-594: The Chicago police riot , and the election of Richard Nixon – left Ochs feeling disillusioned and depressed. The cover of his 1969 album Rehearsals for Retirement portrayed a tombstone with the words: PHIL OCHS (AMERICAN) BORN: EL PASO, TEXAS, 1940 DIED: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 1968 At the trial of the Chicago Seven in December 1969, Ochs testified for the defense. His testimony included his recitation of
2580-732: The Greenwich Village folk music scene. He emerged as an unpolished but passionate vocalist who wrote pointed songs about current events: war, civil rights , labor struggles and other topics. While others described his music as "protest songs", Ochs preferred the term "topical songs". However, in order to get by, in November 1962, Ochs accepted $ 50 to record a children's album, a collection of traditional popular campfire songs , titled Camp Favorites (1963). In 1963, Cameo Records released this budget LP. Ochs requested his name not be used and it wasn't until well after his death that its existence became known. The Campers consists of Ochs (who
2666-460: The Nashville -dominated industry for a more lo-fi sound, frequently infused with a strong punk and rock and roll aesthetic. Alternative country drew on traditional American country music, the music of working people, preserved and celebrated by practitioners such as Woody Guthrie , Hank Williams , and The Carter Family , often cited as major influences. Another major influence was country rock ,
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2752-457: The National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam , civil rights rallies, student events, and organized labor events—and was known to perform at benefits for free. Politically, early in his career, Ochs described himself as a "left social democrat," but became an early revolutionary after the police riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention , which had a profound effect on his state of mind. After years of prolific writing in
2838-450: The Newport Folk Festival on July 25, 1965, where he was backed by an electric band , was also a pivotal moment in the development of the genre. In the 1990s the term alternative country, paralleling alternative rock, began to be used to describe a diverse group of musicians and singers operating outside the traditions and industry of mainstream country music. Many eschewed the increasingly polished production values and pop sensibilities of
2924-506: The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee , and Students for a Democratic Society . Ochs was writing songs at a fast pace. Some of the songs he wrote during this period were held back and recorded on his later albums. In 1967, Ochs – now managed by his brother Michael—left Elektra Records for A&M Records and moved to Los Angeles, California. He recorded four studio albums for A&M: Pleasures of
3010-512: The UK Singles Chart . The single's success initiated the folk rock boom of 1965 and 1966, during which a number of Byrds-influenced acts had hits on the American and British charts. The term "folk rock" was itself coined by the American music press to describe the band's sound in June 1965, at roughly the same time as "Mr. Tambourine Man" peaked at number 1 in the U.S. The commercial success of
3096-483: The Vietnam War with what Ochs saw as the blind patriotism of Wayne's 1968 film, The Green Berets : [H]ere we have John Wayne, who was a major artistic and psychological figure on the American scene, ... who at one point used to make movies of soldiers who had a certain validity, ... a certain sense of honor [about] what the soldier was doing. ... Even if it was a cavalry movie doing a historically dishonorable thing to
3182-520: The guitar , banjo , fiddle , and upright bass , and their songs typically told stories about the struggles and hardships of everyday life. The American folk music revival began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. The folk revival in New York City was rooted in the resurgent interest in square dancing and folk dancing there in the 1940s as espoused by instructors such as Margot Mayo , which gave musicians such as Pete Seeger popular exposure. The folk revival more generally as
3268-483: The 1960s, Ochs' mental stability declined in the 1970s. He had a number of mental health problems, including depression , bipolar disorder and alcoholism , and died by suicide on April 9, 1976. Ochs' influences included Woody Guthrie , Pete Seeger , Buddy Holly , Elvis Presley , Bob Gibson , Faron Young , and Merle Haggard . His best-known songs include " I Ain't Marching Anymore ", "When I'm Gone", "Changes", " Crucifixion ", " Draft Dodger Rag ", " Love Me, I'm
3354-405: The 1963 and 64 Newport Folk Festivals . For example, traditionalist Clarence Ashley introduced folk revivalists to the music of friends of his who still actively played the older music, such as Doc Watson and The Stanley Brothers . In the 1950s and 1960s, folk revival music began to evolve and incorporate elements of rock and roll and other popular music styles. Artists such as Bob Dylan and
3440-524: The Byrds began blending traditional folk and country music with electric guitars and drums, creating a new sound that came to be known as folk rock . On January 20, 1965, the Byrds entered Columbia Studios in Hollywood to record Bob Dylan's acoustic tune "Mr. Tambourine Man" for release as their debut single on Columbia. The full, electric rock band treatment that the Byrds and producer Terry Melcher had given
3526-473: The Byrds' cover version of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" and their debut album of the same name , along with Dylan's own recordings with rock instrumentation—on the albums Bringing It All Back Home (1965), Highway 61 Revisited (1965), and Blonde on Blonde (1966)—encouraged other folk acts, such as Simon & Garfunkel , to use electric backing on their records and new groups, such as Buffalo Springfield , to form. Dylan's controversial appearance at
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3612-399: The Glory "—his patriotic Guthrie-esque anthem that brought the audience to its feet. Other performers at the 1963 folk festival included Peter, Paul and Mary , Joan Baez , Bob Dylan , and Tom Paxton . Ochs' return appearance at Newport in 1964, where he performed "Draft Dodger Rag," "Talking Vietnam Blues," and other songs, was widely praised. However, he was not invited to appear in 1965,
3698-429: The Harbor (1967), Tape from California (1968), Rehearsals for Retirement (1969), and the ironically titled Greatest Hits (1970) (which actually consisted of all new material). For his A&M albums, Ochs moved away from simply produced solo acoustic guitar performances and experimented with ensemble and even orchestral instrumentation, "baroque-folk", in the hopes of producing a pop-folk hybrid that would be
3784-474: The Indians, even as there was a feeling of what it meant to be a man, what it meant to have some sense of duty. ... Now today we have the same actor making his new war movie in a war so hopelessly corrupt that, without seeing the movie, I'm sure it is perfectly safe to say that it will be an almost technically-robot-view of soldiery, just by definition of how the whole country has deteriorated. And I think it would make
3870-813: The Netherlands. On January 31, 2006, the band's live show in Philadelphia was recorded for a live CD and released on Fistolo Records. The Can Kickers played their 500th show in September 2006 at the El 'n' Gee in New London. The Can Kickers played over 30 shows on their Mexican tour and travelled with Polka Madre y La Comezon . While touring in Mexico their van was pulled over 17 times. During this 2007 Mexican tour, of their show in Guadalajara , Mural said that they and Polka Madre were
3956-755: The Scorchers , and in the 1980s Southern Californian cowpunk scene with bands like the Long Ryders and X , and the Minneapolis-based band the Jayhawks . X signed with major label Elektra in 1982 and released Under the Big Black Sun , which marked a departure from their trademark sound. While still fast and loud, with raw punk guitars, the album displayed evolving country leanings. The Scorchers released their debut, D.I.Y. EP, Reckless Country Soul , in 1982 on
4042-573: The Spiro are the ravings of a clown", a reference to Nixon's vitriolic vice president, Spiro Agnew —sung as "the speeches of the President are the ravings of a clown" after Agnew's resignation. Ochs was personally invited by John Lennon to sing at a large benefit at the University of Michigan in December 1971 on behalf of John Sinclair , an activist poet who had been arrested on minor drug charges and given
4128-507: The Weavers' material, which was predominantly traditional. The Kingston Trio's popularity would be followed by that of Joan Baez , whose debut album Joan Baez reached the top ten in late 1960 and remained on the Billboard charts for over two years. It was not long before the folk-music category came to include less traditional material and more personal and poetic creations by individual performers, who called themselves "singer-songwriters". As
4214-549: The air when it was sold and the format changed. Mark Humphrey, a contributor to country/folk Frets magazine, hosted a weekly radio show called "Honky Tonk Amnesia" which played "country, folk, honky tonk, cajun, dawg, blues, and old-time music", a combination that the country music station KCSN advertised as "Americana". The format came into its own in the mid-1990s as a descriptive phrase used by radio promoters and music industry figures for traditionally-oriented songwriters and performers. Americana type radio shows can be heard on
4300-502: The cultural and social landscape of the United States, and it continues to reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people. In recent years, the genre has incorporated more influences from blues, R&B, and soul, in addition to the country and folk elements that have always been prominent. In 2017 Rolling Stone published an article claiming that Americana was having an "identity crisis," which focused on changing definitions and efforts to promote ethnic diversity in
4386-506: The dangers and corruption of fame; "Pleasures of the Harbor", a lyrical portrait of a lonely sailor seeking human connection far from home; and "Boy in Ohio", a plaintive look back at Ochs's childhood in Columbus. A lifelong movie fan, Ochs worked the narratives of justice and rebellion that he had seen in films into his music, describing some of his songs as "cinematic". He was disappointed and bitter when his onetime hero John Wayne embraced
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#17330863276934472-407: The decadence that has infected pop since Sgt. Pepper . [The] gaudy musical settings ... inspire nostalgia for the three-chord strum." With an ironic sense of humor, Ochs included Christgau's "webbed hand" comment in his 1968 songbook The War is Over on a page titled "The Critics Raved", opposite a full-page picture of Ochs standing in a large metal garbage can. Despite his sense of humor, Ochs
4558-409: The despair he felt in the aftermath of the Chicago 1968 Democratic National Convention police riot . Ochs was writing more personal songs as well, such as "Crucifixion", in which he compared the deaths of Jesus Christ and assassinated President John F. Kennedy as part of a "cycle of sacrifice" in which people build up heroes and then celebrate their destruction; "Chords of Fame", a warning against
4644-457: The early period of his career, Ochs and Bob Dylan had a friendly rivalry. Dylan said of Ochs, "I just can't keep up with Phil—and he's gettin' better and better". On another occasion, when Ochs criticized either " One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) " or " Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? " (sources differ), Dylan threw him out of his limousine, saying, "You're not a folk singer. You're a journalist." In 1962, Ochs married Alice Skinner, who
4730-438: The election campaigns of anti-war candidates, such as George McGovern 's unsuccessful Presidential bid in 1972 . In 1972, Ochs was asked to write the theme song for the film Kansas City Bomber . The task proved difficult, as he struggled to overcome his writer's block. Although his song was not used in the soundtrack, it was released as a single. In mid-1972, Ochs traveled to Australia and New Zealand and then to Africa
4816-434: The festival when Dylan infamously performed " Maggie's Farm " with an electric guitar. Although many in the folk world decried Dylan's choice, Ochs admired Dylan's courage in defying the folk establishment, and publicly defended him. In 1963, Ochs performed at New York's Carnegie Hall and Town Hall in hootenannies . He made his first solo appearance at Carnegie Hall in 1966. Throughout his career, Ochs would perform at
4902-485: The following year, where he visited Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and South Africa. While visiting Tanzania one night, he was attacked and strangled by robbers in Dar es Salaam , which damaged his vocal cords, causing a loss of the top three notes in his vocal range. The attack also exacerbated his growing mental problems, and he became increasingly paranoid. Ochs believed the attack may have been arranged by US government agents, perhaps
4988-645: The genre (which was somewhat of a niche, in the shadow of country and rock) and made it mainstream. In 2011, the genre was officially inducted into the Merriam-Webster dictionary. In modern times, Americana music continues to evolve and expand, as new generations of artists continue to draw inspiration from the rich history and cultural traditions of the United States. The instrumentation of Americana music continues to be characterized by acoustic guitars, fiddles, banjos, mandolins, and harmonicas, as well as electric guitars and drums. The genre remains deeply rooted in
5074-491: The genre. In 2014, traditional country musician Dale Watson formed the Ameripolitan Music Awards, focused on the genres of honky tonk , outlaw , Western swing , and rockabilly , on the premise that these genres can no longer be properly categorized as country or Americana, thus necessitating the creation of a new term, "Ameripolitan". The radio station laying the best claim to the Americana radio format origins
5160-400: The gold suit, backed by a rock band, singing his own material along with medleys of songs by Buddy Holly, Elvis, and Merle Haggard. His fans did not know how to respond. This new Phil Ochs drew a hostile reaction from his audience. Ochs's March 27, 1970, concerts at Carnegie Hall were the most successful, and by the end of that night's second show, Ochs had won over many in the crowd. The show
5246-423: The high harmony. Additionally, Richie Unterberger has stated that the song's abstract lyrics took rock and pop songwriting to new heights; never before had such intellectual and literary wordplay been combined with rock instrumentation by a popular music group. Within three months " Mr. Tambourine Man " had become the first folk rock smash hit , reaching number one on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and
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#17330863276935332-564: The inaugural benefit for Greenpeace on October 16, 1970, at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia . A recording of his performance , along with performances by Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, was released by Greenpeace in 2009. In August 1971, Ochs went to Chile, where Salvador Allende , a Marxist , had been democratically elected in the 1970 election . There he met Chilean folksinger Víctor Jara , an Allende supporter, and
5418-601: The independent Praxis label. But these styles merged fully in Uncle Tupelo 's 1990 LP No Depression , which is widely credited as being the first "alt-country" album, and gave its name to the online notice board and eventually magazine that underpinned the movement. In the 1990s and 2000s, Americana music underwent a resurgence in popularity, as a new generation of artists began incorporating elements of traditional American music into their songs. Artists such as Wilco , Lucinda Williams , and Gillian Welch helped to popularise
5504-532: The lyrics to his song "I Ain't Marching Anymore". On his way out of the courthouse, Ochs sang the song for the press corps; to Ochs's amusement, his singing was broadcast that evening by Walter Cronkite on the CBS Evening News . After the riot in Chicago and the subsequent trial, Ochs changed direction again. The events of 1968 convinced him that the average American was not listening to topical songs or responding to Yippie tactics. Ochs thought that by playing
5590-557: The music of Pete Seeger , Woody Guthrie , and the Weavers . Glover taught Ochs how to play guitar, and they debated politics. Ochs began writing newspaper articles, often on radical themes. When the student paper refused to publish some of his more radical articles, he started his own underground newspaper called The Word , as well as writing for the satire magazine, The Sundial , with fellow classmate R.L. Stine . His two main interests, politics and music, soon merged, and Ochs began writing topical political songs. Ochs and Glover formed
5676-601: The musical ethos of the United States of America, with particular emphasis on music historically developed in the American South . The term "Americana music" was defined by the Americana Music Association (AMA) in 2020 as "…the rich threads of country , folk , blues , soul , bluegrass , gospel , and rock in our tapestry." A previous 2016 AMA definition of the genre included rhythm and blues , with additional comments that Americana music results "in
5762-680: The radio, such as early rock icons ( Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley ) and country artists ( Faron Young , Ernest Tubb , Hank Williams Sr. , and Johnny Cash ). Ochs also spent a lot of time at the movies while living in Far Rockaway, as there were three theaters in town. Because his mother did not want to hire a babysitter, she instead gave her sons money to spend at the theater and the brothers saw five to six films each week. He especially liked big screen heroes ( John Wayne and Audie Murphy and later developed an interest in movie rebels ( Marlon Brando and James Dean ). From 1956 to 1958, Ochs
5848-481: The result of fusing country music with a rock & roll sound. The artist most commonly thought to have originated country rock is Gram Parsons (who referred to his sound as "Cosmic American Music"), although Michael Nesmith , Steve Earle and Gene Clark are frequently identified as important innovators. The third factor was punk rock , which supplied an energy and DIY attitude . Attempts to combine punk and country had been pioneered by Nashville 's Jason and
5934-483: The song effectively created the template for the musical subgenre of folk rock . McGuinn's melodic, jangling 12-string Rickenbacker guitar playing—which was heavily compressed to produce an extremely bright and sustained tone—was immediately influential and has remained so to the present day. The single also featured another major characteristic of the band's sound: their clear harmony singing , which usually featured McGuinn and Clark in unison , with Crosby providing
6020-508: The sort of music that had moved him as a teenager he could speak more directly to the American public. Ochs turned to his musical roots in country music and early rock and roll. He decided he needed to be "part Elvis Presley and part Che Guevara ", so he commissioned a gold lamé suit from Elvis Presley's costumer Nudie Cohn . Ochs wore the gold suit on the cover of his 1970 album, Greatest Hits , which consisted of new songs largely in rock and country styles. Ochs went on tour wearing
6106-468: The style of the source singers whom they had discovered, frequently by listening to Harry Smith 's celebrated LP compilation of forgotten or obscure commercial 78rpm "race" and "hillbilly" recordings of the 1920s and 30s, the Folkways Anthology of American Folk Music (1951). A number of the artists who had made these old recordings were still very much alive and had been "rediscovered" and brought to
6192-453: The two became friends. In October, Ochs left Chile to visit Argentina . Later that month, after singing at a political rally in Uruguay , he and his American traveling companion David Ifshin were arrested and detained overnight. When the two returned to Argentina, they were arrested as they got off the airplane. After a brief stay in an Argentinian prison, Ochs and Ifshin were sent to Bolivia via
6278-463: The two disembarked and they were not detained. Fearful that Peruvian authorities might arrest him, Ochs returned to the United States a few days later. Ochs was having difficulties writing new songs during this period, but he had occasional breakthroughs. He updated his sarcastic song " Here's to the State of Mississippi " as "Here's to the State of Richard Nixon", with cutting lines such as "the speeches of
6364-598: The war over." —one in Los Angeles in June, the other in New York in November. He continued to write and record anti-war songs, such as "The War Is Over" and "White Boots Marching in a Yellow Land". Other topical songs of this period include "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends", inspired by the murder of Kitty Genovese , who was stabbed to death outside of her New York City apartment building while dozens of her neighbors reportedly ignored her cries for help, and "William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed", about
6450-512: The world, was formed in 1999. It is a network for Americana artists, radio stations, record labels, publishers, and others with the goal of developing an infrastructure that will boost visibility and economic viability. The 2010s saw several musical groups connected with Americana music finding their way on to the Billboard charts. Bands like Mumford and Sons , The Lumineers and The Avett Brothers helped bring contemporary Americana to more people than ever before. Their popularity as artists took
6536-542: Was a student at the Staunton Military Academy in rural Virginia, and after graduating, he returned to Columbus and enrolled at Ohio State University . Unhappy after his first quarter, 18-year-old Ochs took a leave of absence and went to Florida, where was jailed for two weeks for sleeping on a park bench in Miami, an incident he would later recall: Somewhere during the course of those fifteen days I decided to become
6622-437: Was accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. The albums contain many of Ochs's topical songs, such as "Too Many Martyrs", " I Ain't Marching Anymore ", and "Draft Dodger Rag"; and some musical reinterpretation of older poetry, such as " The Highwayman " (poem by Alfred Noyes ) and " The Bells " (poem by Edgar Allan Poe ). Phil Ochs in Concert includes some more introspective songs, such as "Changes" and "When I'm Gone". During
6708-674: Was also nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Folk Recording". In the U.S. it peaked at No. 50 on the Billboard charts —a good showing, but not a hit. Although he was trying new things musically, Ochs did not abandon his protest roots. He was profoundly concerned with the escalation of the Vietnam War, performing tirelessly at anti-war rallies across the country. In 1967, he organized two rallies to declare that "The War Is Over"—"Is everybody sick of this stinking war? In that case, friends, do what I and thousands of other Americans have done—declare
6794-453: Was an American songwriter, protest singer (or, as he preferred, "topical singer"), and political activist . Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, and political commentary. He wrote approximately 200 songs throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and released eight albums. Ochs performed at many political events throughout the course of his career—including the 1968 Democratic National Convention , multiple mass demonstrations sponsored by
6880-601: Was attending medical school, and afterwards moved to the United States. Ochs grew up with an older sister, Sonia (known as Sonny, born April 12, 1937), and a younger brother, Michael (born February 27, 1943). After being drafted into the army, Jack was sent overseas near the end of World War II and treated soldiers at the Battle of the Bulge . His war experiences, however, affected his mental health and he received an honorable medical discharge in November 1945. Upon arriving home, Jack
6966-447: Was hospitalized for bipolar disorder and depression, and was distant from his wife and children. He was also unable to establish a successful medical practice and instead worked at a series of hospitals around the country. As a result, Ochs and his family moved frequently: first to Far Rockaway , New York, when Ochs was a teenager; then to Perrysburg in western New York, where he first studied music; and then to Columbus , Ohio. As
7052-403: Was no longer being served by a country music industry riding high on Garth Brooks and Shania Twain. This new style of music reflected a renewed interest in traditional American music forms, and it helped to establish Americana music as a distinct and important genre in its own right. The Americana Music Association, a not-for-profit trade organization advocating for American Roots Music around
7138-402: Was pregnant with their daughter Meegan, in a City Hall ceremony with Jim Glover as best man and Jean Ray as bridesmaid, and witnessed by Dylan's girlfriend at the time, Suze Rotolo . Phil and Alice separated in 1965, but they never divorced. Like many people of his generation, Ochs deeply admired President John F. Kennedy , even though he disagreed with the president on issues such as
7224-534: Was pulling him one way and the uppers were pulling him another way, and he was kind of a mess. There were so many pharmaceuticals around – so many pills. I'd never seen anything like that." Ochs tried to cut back on the pills, but alcohol remained his drug of choice for the rest of his life. Depressed by his lack of widespread appreciation and suffering from writer's block , Ochs did not record any further albums. He slipped deeper into depression and alcoholism. His personal problems notwithstanding, Ochs performed at
7310-399: Was recorded and released as Gunfight at Carnegie Hall . During this period, Ochs was taking drugs to get through performances. He had been taking Valium for years to help control his nerves, and he was also drinking heavily. Pianist Lincoln Mayorga said of that period, "He was physically abusing himself very badly on that tour. He was drinking a lot of wine and taking uppers. The wine
7396-421: Was unhappy that his work was not receiving the critical acclaim and popular success he had hoped to achieve. Still, Ochs would joke on the back cover of Greatest Hits that there were 50 Phil Ochs fans ("50 fans can't be wrong!"), a sarcastic reference to an Elvis Presley album that bragged of 50 million Elvis fans . None of Ochs's songs became hits, although "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends" received
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