Post-apocalyptic Americana: that means what now?

Lots of people have asked me what post-apocalyptic Americana is. For a long time, I've had a hard time coming up with more than a list of examples. It's one of those things that I know the instant I see it, though, and you probably do too: it's been creeping into popular media steadily for the past couple of years now.

This is an aftermath genre; life as we know it is already gone. Setting is just as much a character as people. The element that I find in common with all of it is how people confront empty spaces, whether that means a crumbling city abandoned by most or the great wide open of the barely settled Midwest—and, of course, spaces between people.

Apocalypses have always been central to the United States as settled by Westerners; the drama of the end of the world is a recurring theme in its history. The pilgrims came to establish a new world, a religious city on the hill; the Civil War literally rent the country in two, in ways that still touch us today. The Dust Bowl and the Depression are still in living memory, and often invoked.

One of the other great American myths is that of the melting pot, and of how hybrid the country is. The supernatural has been close to the American mythos all along the spectrum, from the pervasiveness of faith (Americans are some of the most religious people in the world) to immigrant beings adapting to a new land (Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods or the television series Supernatural, about a pair of brothers who hunt demons, ghosts and other nightmare things). Sometimes the fantastic mixes well with the ordinary; others, the results are catastrophic.

None of this means the genre is automatically hopeless or grim or even dystopian. It doesn't even have to be in the future. People keep on keeping on. At heart, a lot of this is about how the extraordinary becomes ordinary. American Apocalyptic is what that looks like when the country has been overwhelmed.

Now, all this said, don't feel like you have include any of those specifics in your submissions. Surprise me; make it work. That's what I'm looking for.

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Sound is a huge cue for me; I rely a lot on music when I write, and my favorite playlists are full of this American Apocalyptic sound.

Jeffrey Foucault



"Train to Jackson" (live, 2007) — I was lucky enough to be at this show. This man is an incredible performer and astonishing storyteller. I think he's as gifted or more than Sam Beam (Iron & Wine).

Neko Case


"Maybe Sparrow" (music video, 2006) — Neko has a blows-you-away voice and a haunting command of imagery. She's become my rule of thumb: if your story can feature her on the soundtrack, it's post-apocalyptic Americana.



"Deep Red Bells" (live, 2006) — the sound and images don't match up on this video, but I love the quality of the slide guitar, and the strange distance of her voice.

The Blues


Robert Johnson, "Cross Road Blues" — I have no words. This man influenced so much of how music evolved in this country. (Plus Supernatural did a fabulous episode about him, which always flies in my book.) Robert Johnson is chock full of references to supernatural creatures and events. Even stripped of his guitar playing and his voice, his lyrics are spine-chilling.

John Lee Hooker, "Hobo Blues" (live, 1965) — One of the best, hands down. John Lee Hooker is spare and stark and straight to the point.

M. Ward


"Medley: Rag/Duet for Guitars #3" (backstage, 2008) — M. Ward has a ragged whisper of a voice which he uses to great effect with great lyrics, but first and foremost, this man can play.



"End of Amnesia" (unofficial video, 2007) — I have a lot of M. Ward's music on this playlist, because it's so atmospheric. He makes finding the right headspace easy.

Lhasa de Sela


"Con Toda Palabra" (music video, 2006) — Lhasa was raised in Mexico, performed in a circus across Europe, and lives in Quebec these days. Her voice and her sensibility are impressive beyond description. The imagery in the video above is surreal and lush and weird, which means I love it.



"El Desierto" (music video, 1998) — Lhasa's debut album was organized around the myth of la llorona, the Woman in White.

Religion


Mindy Smith, "Come to Jesus" (music video, 2007) — Mindy Smith isn't a religious singer per se, but she brings a beautiful, stripped down sensibility to her music. See also her cover of "Jolene" by Dolly Parton.

Johnny Cash, "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (unofficial video, 2007) — The Man in Black is a great American trope himself.

I hope those help — watch this space for more in the coming weeks!