The beautifully named Richmond Fontaine has recently produced some of the most striking music to emerge from the oft-maligned alt country genre. The band was formed in 1994 by singer-songwriter Willy Vlautin (b. Reno, Nevada, USA; vocals/guitar), shortly after he relocated from his native Reno to Portland, Oregon. He teamed up with Dave Harding (bass) and Stuart Gaston (drums) and began playing local bars and clubs, with the trio's music drawing inspiration from their love of US punk and roots rock. Richmond Fontaine made their recording debut in 1996, releasing Safety on the local Cravedog label (the album was subsequently re-released by the larger Cavity Search imprint). While the music did not stray too far from standard alt country territory (Vlautin's vocals were also a dead ringer for Jay Farrar of the genre's standard bearers Uncle Tupelo), the quality of Vlautin's lyrics served immediate notice of a new songwriting talent. His powerful and evocative narratives of small-town losers and loners paid testament to Vlautin's literary pedigree (he is the author of several published short stories and novels), and in subsequent interviews the songwriter would also allude to a past spent on the margins of society.

Listen to Richmond Fontaine at Finetune.

• (2005)  Post To Wire
• (2005)  The Fitzgerald
• (2005)  Safety
• (2005)  Lost Son
• (2005)  Miles From

• Contrails
• Post To Wire
• Cascade
• Willamette
• Barely Losing

• Ryan Adams
• Wilco
• Townes Van Zandt
• Whiskeytown
• JAYHAWKS
• Lucinda Williams
• Uncle Tupelo
• Drive-By Truckers
• Death Cab for Cutie
• Bright Eyes
• Flaming Lips
• Beth Orton
• Lambchop
• Gillian Welch
• Tom Russell
• The Clash
• Bob Dylan
• Son Volt
• Sigur Ros
• The Strokes

• kaarechr
• eddielin11