Mike Ireland & Holler

Possessed of a pure country tenor and a knack for memorable lyrical hooks and melodies, Ireland approaches his Alt Country with a bit of purist fervor. His records for Sub Pop have a lean Honky Tonk sound with twanging Telecasters and Ray Price-style piano, but Ireland also shows an affinity for the "Countrypolitan" Nashville sounds of the '70s, using a small string section on a number of songs. There is nothing odd about strings in rock music, but most Alt Country acts do not acknowledge this period of Country, thinking of it as a dark, artistically barren time for the music. It's a bold move on Ireland's part to make a move towards reviving this often misunderstood part of the genre.