As rap, bubblegum pop, punk, and emo dominated the charts in the 2000s, folk and Americana were pushed to the back burner. That began to change in the mid-to-late 2000s and into the early 2010s, when we saw a full-on Americana revival. These three artists helped in the Americana revival of the 2000s.
The Avett Brothers
In the 1990s, brothers Seth and Scott Avett were both in separate alternative rock bands. They merged their high school bands into one and also created a side project. This side project soon became their main focus. Under the name The Avett Brothers, they released their first album, Country Was, in 2002. They quickly followed with A Carolina Jubilee in 2003 and Mignonette in 2004. Together with stand-up bass player Bob Crawford, the brothers began to transform Americana. In 2006, Four Thieves Gone: The Robinsville Sessions included a more alternative approach. Their 2007 album, Emotionalism, caught Rick Rubin’s attention.
Their major label debut, I And Love And You, peaked at No. 1 on the Folk/Americana chart in 2009. Throughout the 2010s and the 2020s, the Avett Brothers continued their chart-topping success.
iron & wine
In 2002, South Carolina singer-songwriter Samuel Ervin Beam released his debut album as Iron & Wine on Sub Pop Records, which, up to that point, had primarily been an alternative label. Also in 2002, Beam recorded a cover of The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights”. At the time, the song hadn’t been released yet and was included as a B-side to The Postal Service’s single. This version was later included on the soundtrack for the 2004 film Garden State. The cover was used for various commercials throughout the 2000s, bringing significant attention to the artist. In 2008, Kristen Stewart chose Beam’s “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” to be included in the film Twilight.
Gillian welch
Finally, Welch became a dominant force in reviving Americana in 1996 with her debut album, Revival. In 2000, she contributed the tracks “I’ll Fly Away” and “Didn’t Leave Nobody But The Baby” to the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? This further solidified her place at the forefront of a new wave of Americana. In 2001, her album Time (The Revelator) peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Independent Albums. She followed up with Soul Journey, which peaked at No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart.
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