Folk Music

[Doraemon]

I seem to be going through a folk music phase. Well I suppose I've always appreiciated it but my love has intensified. Anyway, I thought Il'd share what I've come across on my journey of folk discovery:

For a bit of the traditional, try the excellent compilation of  Gospel/Bluegrass (is that the right word? dunno.)  that is the soundtrack to Oh Brother Where Art Thou? Paticularly the theme tune, Man of Constant Sorrow by The Soggy Bottom Boys.

Moving onto the contemporary, The Gourds and their unlikely country-style covers are hilarious (they've done Snoop Dogg - in Gin and Juice - and Bowie)
Dream Syndicate's Blind Willie McTell is a great example of folk-rock. Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon are a great duo with wacky lyrics about clones and car carriers, and great guitar skillz on display.

Oh and if you want to here some wayward, creepy electro-folk-rock for free, I recommend this - right click and then click save as...

http://www.solobasura.net/mljam/Phenylketonuric/2_25_04/Jesus_Christ_Movie_Star.mp3

good stuff.

Oh, and if you've not heard of The Pogues, great Irish band, get the Pouges feat. Kirsty McColl - Fairytale of New York for next Christmas. Best Christmas song ever!  

[Ashley]

For some reason most of the stuff I listen to is folk rock.  Its like I don't have a choice.  "you listen to folk rock.  you will always listen to folk rock.  If its not folk rock, I will make it folk rock."
Its actually getting really creepy.

[imjustaguy]

I bought that album immediately after I saw that movie.  I highly recommend it as well.

[Doraemon]

For some reason most of the stuff I listen to is folk rock.  Its like I don't have a choice.  "you listen to folk rock.  you will always listen to folk rock.  If its not folk rock, I will make it folk rock."
Its actually getting really creepy.

So what you been listening to recently then?

[Ashley]

Moxy fruvous, neutral milk hotel, the mountain goats, great big sea.

[Benj]

The only artist I actively listen to that is generally considered a folk artist is John Prine.  He writes folk with a heavy-drinking, sometimed pot-smoking, western twinged, intellectual, slightly psychedelic, and rockabilly sense about it (among other things...).  I love it.  December 2002's song "The Evil Toucan Sam" was written to sound like a John Prine song, and I think it succeeds pretty well.  I recommend the albums "Sweet Revenge" and my favorite, "Common Sense."  His first album, "John Prine," is also awesome, but not my fave.  Check 'em out.

Benj

[OVNS]

If you want to get into some REAL folk music - I'd recommend getting the Anthology Of American Folk Music by Harry Smith from 1952.  He gets a very diverse assortment of really old folk music.

[Doraemon]

I recently got John Prine's Great Days anthology. There's 2 CDs and I haven't touched the 2nd yet - the songs are so dense with metaphor, meaning and narrative that they almost demand to be taken slowely. One of the best music purchases I have ever made. I think I like John Prine better than Johnny Cash, on the whole. Is that wrong. It feels like I'm going to get double lashings in hell for saying that.

[Benj]

I recently got John Prine's Great Days anthology. There's 2 CDs and I haven't touched the 2nd yet - the songs are so dense with metaphor, meaning and narrative that they almost demand to be taken slowely. One of the best music purchases I have ever made. I think I like John Prine better than Johnny Cash, on the whole. Is that wrong. It feels like I'm going to get double lashings in hell for saying that.

No way, that's not wrong.  John Prine is the masterflex.  His first five albums are completely awesome.  The next two after that are cool in weird ways, and then after that, I don't like em as much.  But still.  He came up from nowhere back in 2002 or so (in my brain) to become one of my top favorite artists.

Once you listen to stuff from his first album, listen to "The Evil Toucan Sam" again and you might appreciate it more.

Benj

[Derwood Bowen]

Did you know that Greg Graffin made a folk album recently.

Incase you're unaware, Greg Graffin is the lead singer of Bad Religion. (A punk band).

Have a listen.
http://www.myspace.com/greggraffin

[Doraemon]

Did you know that Greg Graffin made a folk album recently.

Incase you're unaware, Greg Graffin is the lead singer of Bad Religion. (A punk band).

Have a listen.
http://www.myspace.com/greggraffin

Interesting. Veeeery interesting. I guess he'll get lots of people shouting "VANITY PROJECT" at him, and from what I hear maybe there is a whiff of that - I have my reservations about his voice for this kind of music. However, it is arguably better than Pixies frontman Frank Black's atempt to go Country with "Honeycomb"...