Before everbody else jumps on the "i'm going to name a more obscure singer / group than you" train, I'll just say that I saw John Prine in concert last month and loved every last second of it. Bruised Orange would be a good album to get from him. posted by Space Coyote at 3:31 PM on January 11, 2004
John Fahey - Blind Joe Death posted by machaus at 3:32 PM on January 11, 2004
Custer Larue. The first time I heard her voice, I pulled off the side of the road for the next hour. posted by Wet Spot at 4:11 PM on January 11, 2004
I'm a big fan of the Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. posted by Aaorn at 4:17 PM on January 11, 2004
I'll second Custer LaRue.
For new folk-ish stuff, try Gillian Welch, Lucy Kaplansky, or Dar Williams. Or Lucinda Williams if you want it on the bluesy, rock-ish side.
Also the album Cry Cry Cry, which is Lucy Kaplansky, Dar Williams, and Richard Shindell doing covers of stuff. posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 4:21 PM on January 11, 2004
Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)
The American Folk Anthology (6 CDs) - pretty much essential
The O Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack
Woody Guthrie
on the country side of folk, the Carter Family is essential
If you need help picking certain albums by an artist, the All Music Guide hasn't steered me wrong. posted by keswick at 4:37 PM on January 11, 2004
I second the Gillian Welch (Time), Bruce Springsteen (Nebraska) and Fahey.
Sufjan Stevens - Michigan[review]
Nina Nastasia - Run to Ruin[review]
Jolie Holland - Catalpa[review]
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Songs:Ohia - Didn't It Rain[review]
and the best folkie album of the past 5 years,
Okkervil River - Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See[review]
(My tastes aren't quite trad folk, but most of the contemporary stuff that's really traditional is pretty boring, The Boggs excepted.) posted by Marquis at 4:57 PM on January 11, 2004
On preview: Marquis beat me to S:O--you can hear samples of the Sufjan Stevens album he recommends here posted by dobbs at 5:09 PM on January 11, 2004
Janis Ian
Carter Family posted by anathema at 5:26 PM on January 11, 2004
Martin Sexton, Mason Jennings, James Keelaghan, and Kris Demeanor are some great singer/songwriters who are still active today. On the older side of things, Woody & Arlo have already been mentioned, but since nobody else has mentioned him I'll throw in Pete Seeger, the capo di tutti capi of the activist folk world. Also not to be missed is the late, lamented Stan Rogers, whose song "Northwest Passage" is one of the most powerful songs I know in any genre. posted by Johnny Assay at 5:30 PM on January 11, 2004
A good way to get a broad idea about folk music is through radio. I know there are a lot of folk-type internet radio shows, and regional NPR stations probably each have their own.
Myself, what got me into folk music in high school (... what?) was this guy, Dan Maher, who did a program that could be heard in my home town. He also toured around and did concerts, and I saw him half a dozen times. The show has a good variety of music, and if you can't find any stations nearby with programs, you can always listen to that one online. I recommend it. posted by Hildago at 6:26 PM on January 11, 2004
John Wesley Harding. He's been releasing albums since 1988 or so, is absolutely fantastic in concert, and his stuff is mostly in print--there have been a spate of resissues lately, and he has a new album coming out next month. Wes has only done one album of "traditional" folk, and in my opinion, it's his weakest album. My current favorite album of his is probably Awake, followed closely by The Name Above The Title. posted by eilatan at 6:39 PM on January 11, 2004
Kate Rusby, who happens to have a new CD in stores Tuesday, is amazing. Sleepless got her a Mercury Prize Nomination and her last CD, 10, covers her ten years as a performer.
Linda Thompson has a haunted voice and came back from hysterical dysphonia to release Fashionably Late last year.
Eva Cassidy, who passed away in 1996, has seven CDs to choose from. Imagine is probably the best place to start.
These fall more in the alt-country vein, but I find that they could easily be filed under folk:
* Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker
* Peter Bruntnell Normal for Bridgater
* Richard Buckner's Bloomed
* Jayhawks' Hollywood Town Hall
* Uncle Tupulo's March 16-20, 1992
Correction: Peter Bruntnell's Normal for Bridgwater posted by boost ventilator at 6:45 PM on January 11, 2004
Oh yeah, there is also the soundtrack to Cold Mountain, featuring Jack White, The Reeltime Travelers, Tim Eriksen, Riley Baugus & Tim O'Brien, Alison Krauss, The Sarced Harp Singers, Stuart Duncan & Dirk Powell, Cassie Franklin and Gabriel Yared. It was put together by T-Bone Burnett (who was behind Oh! Brother) and I am still warming up to it. posted by boost ventilator at 6:54 PM on January 11, 2004
Yep, Ani DiFranco's Living in Clip is great. Some of #mefiswap didn't agree, thus proving that they were scrawny white guys who lacked funk.
Thanks for the suggestions, I might get some of these too. posted by holloway at 7:01 PM on January 11, 2004
If you can afford it, the 6-disk Anthology of American Folk Music, collected and edited by an amazing guy named Harry Smith (cf the MeFi thread by, of course, y2karl) is the bible of folk music—all the folkies of the '50s and '60s cut their teeth on it. On the art-folk end of the spectrum, I highly recommend the great singer Richard Dyer-Bennet; some of his records have been transferred to CD and are available through the Smithsonian. posted by languagehat at 7:20 PM on January 11, 2004
Paul Burch! posted by corpse at 7:28 PM on January 11, 2004
Dave Van Ronk. Brilliant folk/blues/ragtime guitarist and song interpreter with a voice like nobody else's. A couple of amazing albums to start with are Sunday Street and Going Back to Brooklyn. And if you like Greenwich Village folk-revival stuff (i.e. early Bob Dylan), definitely pick up Inside Dave Van Ronk, although you may find yourself skipping over a few of the unfortunate autoharp tracks. He died last year, and his passing might have gotten a little more press if he hadn't been in the same death cohort as Waylon Jennings...
Chris Smither is another great guitarist who falls on the blues end of the spectrum.
Peter Case. Victoria Williams. (Weren't they married at one point?)
Also, a strong second for John Wesley Harding, especially if you enjoy erudite, wry, self-aware lyrics. (Dan Bern is another songwriter in a similar vein.) Be aware, however, that some of JWH's albums are arranged and produced much more like pop/rock albums than folk albums, so it depends what you're after. They're all worth checking out, though.
And if you like the Anthology of American Folk Music mentioned above, try David Johansen and the Harry Smiths or Dave Alvin's Public Domain, two recent albums that do a nice job of covering early folk tunes. Not that they haven't been covered to death by everyone, but these are coherent albums with a thoughtful mix of faithful and electrified versions. posted by staggernation at 7:40 PM on January 11, 2004
Ani DiFranco: Living in Clip, Not a Pretty Girl, Out of Range (new school, righteous babe)
Bob Dylan: Bootleg Series Vol 1-3 (made folk evolve)
The Pogues: Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash (Irish punk folk)
Shawn Colvin: Steady On (good acoustic guitar effects)
Billy Bragg: The Peel Sessions (some good wordplay relationship songs)
The Story: Grace in Gravity, The Angel in the House (smart Boston girl harmonies)
Leadbelly posted by onlyconnect at 7:42 PM on January 11, 2004
Boost, Linda but not Richard? posted by billsaysthis at 8:02 PM on January 11, 2004
Phil Ochs. I second Lucy Kaplansky. And Bree Sharp for folk-rock kind of stuff. And blogger Shannon Campbell, formerly of Folk You Harder, has some really good stuff. posted by IshmaelGraves at 8:14 PM on January 11, 2004
Speaking of T Bone Burnett: although he's best known as a producer, his solo albums are fantastic. The folkiest, and also my favorite, is T Bone Burnett, which Amazon for some reason has for only $6.98 (new). posted by staggernation at 8:20 PM on January 11, 2004
Boost, Linda but not Richard?
I guess I was just giving her a vote on her own because she is often in his shadow. I don't have a lot of Richard's solo stuff, but I do like I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight and the early Fairport Convention albums, especially Unhalfbricking. What other Richard Thompson CDs are a must have? posted by boost ventilator at 8:58 PM on January 11, 2004
Loudon Wainwright III. posted by waxpancake at 9:33 PM on January 11, 2004
When we still lived in New Orleans it was a Sunday morning ritual to listen to Hazel the Delta Rambler's country and bluegrass show on WWOZ, which is where I discovered one of my favorite Bluegrass artists, Alison Krauss. Here are a couple of Hazel's playlists: 1, 2; her shows air at 10 a.m. Sundays, and you can hear WWOZ broadcasts live from here. My favorite song from Alison is "Steel Rails" from this album. posted by taz at 9:47 PM on January 11, 2004
Thanks folks. I should've mentioned that I really dig Burt Jensch, Scott Walker, and Nick Drake, loathe Okkerville River and Ani Defranco, as a rule dislike alt-country (indie-bar rock? No thanks!), and am I seeing things or did someone suggest David Johanson?
I'm looking for minimal and as unslick as it goes (without stepping into, say, Sebadoh territory). Dark is good, too. I'm really curious about finding some lost early/mid sixties stuff that's not too protesty or upbeat and has nice harmonies. Anyone? posted by Item at 9:53 PM on January 11, 2004
Hm. Except for the fact that you don't like alt-country, Iris DeMent might be a good bet. She's dark and brooding. Her voice takes some getting used to, but once she has her hooks in you, she won't let go. Great stuff, especially her album "Infamous Angel". But, as I say, perhaps more alt-country than folk. She's outstanding in concert, too. posted by jdroth at 10:35 PM on January 11, 2004
am I seeing things or did someone suggest David Johanson?
I wasn't suggesting his New York Dolls or Buster Poindexter or earlier solo incarnations, but specifically his more recent David Johansen and the Harry Smiths albums, which are devoted to excellent covers of songs from the Anthology and other folk and blues from that era. posted by staggernation at 6:11 AM on January 12, 2004
I still get out the Michelle Shocked stuff regularly. posted by clever sheep at 7:12 AM on January 12, 2004
Eddie From Ohio - Get "Looking out the Fishbowl", amazing CD. See them live and you'll be a convert. posted by bondcliff at 8:29 AM on January 12, 2004
There isn't really anything alt-country (in the "indie-rock-bar-band" sense) about Iris; she's just old school country that Nashville ignores. "Wasteland of the Free" is a great song. posted by keswick at 8:50 AM on January 12, 2004
Subscribe
posted by Space Coyote at 3:31 PM on January 11, 2004