Blue Mountain’s Dog Days
Grant Britt
Posted On June 16, 2016
“Me and Laurie must have played every joint in Mississippi….anything to keep away from a real job,” says Dog Days founder/guitarist/vocalist Carrie Hudson. The result of all that joint jumpin’ ended up being one of the most revered darlings of the Alt country scene in the mid-’90s. But like most folks, Hudson didn’t really think that label encompassed all that the band did, tossing blues, rock, and punk into their mix.
The Oxford, Mississippi native started out with John Stirratt as the Hilltops. But soon after the release of their first and only album, ’91’s Big Black River, Stirratt was recruited by Uncle Tupelo, recommending his sister Laurie as his replacement. The couple married and moved to L.A., but soon returned to Oxford, picking up drummer Frank Coutch and a record deal with Indy giant Roadrunner records, recording Dog Days in ’95.
The entire album is here, as well as bonus tracks including one from the Hilltops as well as a couple from previous albums and one previously unreleased track. The Hilltops track, “Broke Down And Busted,” has a more pronounced country accent than the Blue Mountain material, sounding like Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers.
The Blue Mountain stuff is more blues-rock oriented, strapping afterburners onto Skip James’ “Special Rider Blues,” transplanting his front porch blues to a roarin’ juke joint with jangly, distorted electric guitar pounding away.
“Hippy Hotel” trips along laconically with Hudson affecting a Dylan drawl.
And if you want a clear example of what alt-country meant, try “Wink.” It’s got it all, anguished country style vocals, whiny, jangly guitar, and lyrics that encompass all the classic country themes- drinkin’, drivin’, and bustin’ up with a former beloved while one or more of you was high.
“I try not to think, cause it will drive you to drink./ But I cannot forget/ the all the things that you said when were high/ I was flying too high, hung out to dry, in the wink of an eye.”
Best of all, it comes in sleek black vinyl, a two record set with liner notes big enough for you to read without a magnifying glass. It sounds great, the music locked in the grooves jumping out and grabbing you by the ears, pulling you along for a nostalgic ride in the (alt) country.
