Alive in the Hot Zone - music for the modern dark age
March 10, 2021 2:54 PM Subscribe
When you are a country/Americana musician (with crustpunk roots) trapped across the ocean from your home and family during a global pandemic, why not make an album about anti-fascism and the American uprising?
Alive in the Hot Zone
The past year has been hellacious for most of us, but country/rock/folk musician Austin Lucas found himself stuck in lock-down in Germany.
Late last year, he released a new album, Alive in the Hot Zone, written and recorded far from his home in Indiana. It is an album for these times; anti-fascist, pro-LGBTQ, pro-Black Lives Matter, pro-empathy. He's been making videos of some of the songs on the album.
Drive - a road song and more
Already Dead - the first release off the album and explicitly anti-fascist [Content Warning: Police brutality]
Cry Over - quite an aesthetic in that video
This album was in some ways a stylistic departure from his earlier solo works. It's a lot more rock'n'roll-Americana and less country-Americana.
His earlier work, if one likes that sort of thing, is worth exploring. He has an extensive catalog.
Some highlights:
The Wrong Side of the Dream (with Lydia Loveless)
Somebody Loves You
Alone in Memphis
Lucas is vocal about what he believes to be right and wrong. Being openly supportive of BLM and LGBTQ people or being openly leftist can be a career killer for country and Americana musicians. Lucas doesn't pull any punches.
His youtube channel has playlists of the songs from his albums. He can also be found on other streaming platforms.
The past year has been hellacious for most of us, but country/rock/folk musician Austin Lucas found himself stuck in lock-down in Germany.
Late last year, he released a new album, Alive in the Hot Zone, written and recorded far from his home in Indiana. It is an album for these times; anti-fascist, pro-LGBTQ, pro-Black Lives Matter, pro-empathy. He's been making videos of some of the songs on the album.
Drive - a road song and more
Already Dead - the first release off the album and explicitly anti-fascist [Content Warning: Police brutality]
Cry Over - quite an aesthetic in that video
This album was in some ways a stylistic departure from his earlier solo works. It's a lot more rock'n'roll-Americana and less country-Americana.
His earlier work, if one likes that sort of thing, is worth exploring. He has an extensive catalog.
Some highlights:
The Wrong Side of the Dream (with Lydia Loveless)
Somebody Loves You
Alone in Memphis
Lucas is vocal about what he believes to be right and wrong. Being openly supportive of BLM and LGBTQ people or being openly leftist can be a career killer for country and Americana musicians. Lucas doesn't pull any punches.
His youtube channel has playlists of the songs from his albums. He can also be found on other streaming platforms.
That’s... pretty amazing.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:12 PM on March 10, 2021
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:12 PM on March 10, 2021
Thanks for this, I bought the album.
Roommate thought I was playing REM, but I don't think so.
posted by buildmyworld at 8:20 PM on March 10, 2021 [1 favorite]
Roommate thought I was playing REM, but I don't think so.
posted by buildmyworld at 8:20 PM on March 10, 2021 [1 favorite]
buildmyworld, he is, oddly enough, a fan of REM.
He covered "Welcome to the Occupation" for a compilation album (Democratic for the People) to raise money for Stacy Abrams' Fair Fight Action
With The Dreaming Spires he did a slow, contemplative cover of "Shiny Happy People"
I can see some similarities.
posted by Seamus at 8:33 PM on March 10, 2021
He covered "Welcome to the Occupation" for a compilation album (Democratic for the People) to raise money for Stacy Abrams' Fair Fight Action
With The Dreaming Spires he did a slow, contemplative cover of "Shiny Happy People"
I can see some similarities.
posted by Seamus at 8:33 PM on March 10, 2021
I just realized that I have been here fifteen years and this is my first Metafilter post.
I contemplated making another one for a few years but never got around to it.
posted by Seamus at 11:50 AM on March 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
I contemplated making another one for a few years but never got around to it.
posted by Seamus at 11:50 AM on March 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by Sheydem-tants at 3:08 PM on March 10, 2021 [2 favorites]