Bloodshot Eye Candy

If you followed alt. country’s flirtation with finding an audience bigger than the readership of No Depression in the ’90s, then you’ll need to own the Bloodied But Unbowed: Bloodshot Records Life in the Trenches DVD (Bloodshot), a 31-song celebration of the first 12 years of Bloodshot Records, boasting videos and live performances from folks like Ryan Adams (a solo acoustic performance of “Amy”) and Old 97s (a spirited early performance of “Over the Cliff”). Most artists celebrate tradition, from Wayne “The Train” Hancock to the Deadstring Brothers — whose tradition is, admittedly, the Rolling Stones — while others do their damnedest to subvert it, from the punk-inspired adrenaline rush of Scroat Belly’s well-titled “Drinkin’ & Flailin'” to the son of a country star, Bobby Bare Jr., who’s all about putting the “alt.” in alt. country (see “Let’s Rock and Roll,” his Cracker-worthy parody of “Turn the Page”-style tour weepers). Still other highlights fly their flag outside the realm of country altogether, from the Nuggets-worthy swagger of the Detroit Cobras to The Sadies, who contribute a spaghetti Western instrumental and a track that rocks like Dylan’s garage tapes. And don’t miss the Bloodshot primer if you’re into deadpan British humor.