At the end of time, all that will remain is Keith Richards, a Fender Telecaster, a bunch of cockroaches, and roots rock music. – Brian Henneman, the Bottle Rockets
Thanks, Brian, I needed that to help dispel the gray funk that has surrounded me since No Depression ceased publication ( and substituted the washed-out rag that remains of Paste magazine ) and the Earth slowed its revolution. Fear had overtaken me. Where will I find intelligent analysis, provocative argument and obscure artists reviewed? Well, mostly online at a plethora of sites run by scaredy cats like me, but especially at nodepression.com. It is just getting started, just finding ways to connect and create community, still testing how far it can push categories and credulity (and they are only at the letter ‘C’!). Soon No Depression will be the only site I need to begin my weekly swim in musical oceans, just as the print version was my only subscription, the shoreline cove where I put in my musically inquisitive kayak.
And the music itself seems to carry on blithely. Everywhere there are small groups of kids who don’t get what they need from radio stations calling themselves ‘Power’ or ‘The Beat’ or even ‘Kickin’ Country.’ They explore attics and basements – out of boredom? – and discover grandpa’s Victrola/Close-n-Play and the stained cardboard box of dusty vinyl. As Brian put it:
Re: No Depression To Cease Publication
No, it’s good. This means the last “roots rock scare” is finally over. It’s underground again, just like it’s been time and time again. It’ll start up again, when a new generation of writers discovers it, and we’ll get to be excited all over again for awhile. They ALWAYS “discover” it, ’cause this kinda music never goes away, it only goes away in the eye of the general public.
Pour me a Jameson’s… No Depression is in Heaven and all is right with the world.
My wonderful daughter is engaged!
-Liz
All deep things are song. It seems somehow the very central essence of us, song; as if all the rest were but wrappages and hulls! ~Thomas Carlyle
Song links generally last 60 days. Write me to reup anything you’ve missed.
