The Blood Oranges were an alternative country

Alternative country

Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...

 band that formed in the late 1980s.

The founding members were Jim Ryan

Jimmy Ryan (musician)

Jimmy Ryan is a mandolin player associated with Hi-n-Dry records and the band Morphine. He was one of the founding members of the band Blood Oranges.-External links:*...

 (multi-instrumentalist and vocals

Singing

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

), Cheri Knight (bass guitar

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

, vocals

Singing

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

), Mark Spencer (guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

), and Ron Ward (drums

Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

). Between 1990 and 1994 they released two full albums (Corn River, The Crying Tree) and one EP (Lone Green Valley). Trouser Press describes them as 'one of America's finest and least formulaic roots-rock combos'.

In 1995, Mark Spencer left the band to tour with Lisa Loeb

Lisa Loeb

Lisa Anne Loeb is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She launched her career in 1994 with the song, "Stay ". She was the first artist to have a number one single in the United States while not signed to a recording contract.Loeb's efforts now include music, film, television, voice-over...

. The group disbanded. Jim Ryan and Cheri Knight have gone on to other musical projects, and the band reunited to record the song Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet for the 2003 soundtrack of the Motion Picture The Slaughter Rule.

Discography

• Corn River
• Lone Green Valley
• The Crying Tree

Liz Wood, now Liz Crawley, was the founding bass player, Cheri Knight took over in 1990 after Liz moved to Wisconsin.