Ryan Adams may be all the rage these days, but the former Whiskeytown frontman owes a drink or six to Uncle Tupelo, who helped pave the wave for the evolution of alt-country back in the early '90s.

The influential Belleville, Illinois, combo will be commemorated on April 9 when Legacy releases Uncle Tupelo 89/93: An Anthology, which will feature 21 tracks taken from all four of the band's records.

Uncle Tupelo was formed in 1987 by multi-instrumentalist Jay Farrar, guitarist, bassist and vocalist Jeff Tweedy, pedal steel player Rich Gilbert and drummer Michael Heidorn. The group blended country twang with alternative energy, and while its first offerings were more steeped in punk, its later discs were more delicate, reflecting an even balance of country and rock influences. The alt-country magazine No Depression took its name from Uncle Tupelo's first disc of the same name, released in 1990.

Most of the tracks from Uncle Tupelo 89/93: An Anthology will be culled from the band's three hard-to-find albums for the now-defunct Rockville Records. The disc will also include tracks from the band's only Sire Records offering, Anodyne (1993). The album will also feature an acoustic version of "Looking for a Way Out," a demo of "Outdone" and the previously unreleased Stooges cover "I Wanna Be Your Dog."

Other cuts include "No Depression," "Screen Door," "Graveyard Shift," "Still Be Around," "Fatal Wound" and "Grindstone."

Uncle Tupelo broke up in 1993 due to personal and creative differences. After disbanding, Farrar and Heidorn formed Son Volt and Tweedy created Wilco, who recently signed a deal with Nonesuch Records, which will release the band's fourth record, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, in April.

Track list for Uncle Tupelo 89/93: An Anthology, according to Legacy Records:

  • "No Depression"
  • "Screen Door"
  • "Graveyard Shift"
  • "Whiskey Bottle"
  • "Outdone" (Demo)
  • "I Got Drunk"
  • "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (previously unreleased)
  • "Gun"
  • "Still Be Around"
  • "Looking for a Way Out" (Acoustic Version)
  • "Watch Me Fall"
  • "Sauget Wind"
  • "Black Eye"
  • "Moonshiner"
  • "Fatal Wound"
  • "Grindstone"
  • "Effigy"
  • "The Long Cut"
  • "Chickamauga"
  • "New Madrid"
  • "We've Been Had" (Live)