No Depression

Uncle Tupelo’s breakthrough 1990 debut blended country-rock brawn, punk’s brashness, and intimate folk songwriting; with this mix, they launched a movement that appealed to both the alternative and roots crowds. “Graveyard Shift” is a shining distillation of their sound, with honky-tonk hammer-ons and punchy guitars that come crashing in with the sudden intensity of a bar fight. “Life Worth Livin’” relegates the distortion to backing noise as Jay Farrar pours one out for the underdog, and Jeff Tweedy brings head-banging breakdowns to “Flatness.”