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Uncle Tupelo was a popular music group formed in 1987 in Belleville, Illinois. The founding members were Jay Farrar (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Mike Heidorn (drums), and Jeff Tweedy (bass guitar, guitar, harmonica, vocals). Other members included Ken Coomer (drums), Max Johnston (banjo, dobro, fiddle, mandolin, steel guitar), and John Stirratt (bass guitar). Songwriting and lead vocal responsibilities were divided more or less equally between Farrar and Tweedy. The band broke up in May 1994, when Farrar left unexpectedly. Tweedy formed the band Wilco, while Farrar formed the band Son Volt.

Recording career

The group released four full-length albums during their four year recording career. No Depression (1990), Still Feel Gone (1991), and March 16-20, 1992 (1992) were originally released on the (now defunct) independent record label Rockville. Their major label debut, Anodyne (1993), was released by Sire/Reprise. A remastered compilation of their work, 89/93: An Anthology (2002), was released by Sony, followed by the coordinated re-release of the entire Uncle Tupelo catalog in 2003 by Columbia/Legacy and Rhino.

Influence

Often hailed as the fathers of alternative country--a term that Farrar has avoided--there is little doubt that their music has had a great impact on the evolution of both the country music and alternative rock genres. Blending styles as diverse as hardcore punk in the style of Black Flag or The Minutemen with country instrumentation and harmony in the spirit of the Carter Family, their sound was immediately considered by many to be the genesis of a new genre. Some even went so far as to call this genre No Depression, after their first album's title track, a standout cover version of the Carter Family standard by the same name. Another oft-cited influence on Uncle Tupelo is Neil Young, evidenced by Uncle Tupelo's frequent live performances of Neil Young standards like "Down By The River" and "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere".

Genres aside, the blend of working class themes, imagery from middle America, and traditional American music forms, was presented with a decidedly modern rock sensibility. Their instrumentation and production, particularly on the Peter Buck-produced March 16-20, 1992, are worthy of the daunting mountain of posthumous critical praise.

Related artists

Uncle Tupelo evolved from an earlier punk rock incarnation called "The Primatives" [sic], which included Wade Farrar on vocals. Uncle Tupelo side-projects included Golden Smog, the so-called "alternative country supergroup," and Coffee Creek, a short-lived country cover band. Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar have also both had solo careers outside the bounds of their respective groups.

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