Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with folk

Name that American folk painter

fire&wings — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:30:41 -0800

This is driving me insane. What is the name of the 19th century American folk painter, called something like Franz Vogl, Kogl, Vogel, Fogel - something Austrian sounding - who drew very distinctive landscapes featuring buildings with mildly distorted perspectives and a lot of horizontal lines, usually titled below with calligraphic captions like "Miss Joanna Cunningham's House." I thought I bookmarked this guy when I found him but apparently not. His paintings have sold in excess of $300k so he is not unheralded, and there was a .com in his name set up by a collector looking for works. Have exhausted everything trying to find him on google.

Do you recognize this folk song?

argybarg — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:49:54 -0800

A friend and fellow music teacher taught me this song, telling me it was "in the folk tradition." But I can't find anything out about it and he can't tell me anything more. Do you recognize it? Here is a recording of my friend singing the first verse (at a good pitch for kids).

And here are the lyrics:

In the valley watching cattle
There I heard the sounds of battle
And I found a four-leaf clover
Hiding in the yellow grass

And I found a four-leaf clover
Hiding in the yellow grass

Tell me, tell me, four-leaf clover
If the war will soon be over
Then I'll run to meet my father
Riding over the mountain pass

Then I'll run to meet my father
Riding over the mountain pass

Pigeon, pigeon by the fountain
Fly across the snowy mountain
Take this ribbon to my father
Tell him that it comes from me

Take this ribbon to my father
Tell him that it comes from me

Father, father, brave and clever
Drive the foe across the river
Turn around and come back quickly
Then so happy we shall be

Turn about and come back quickly
Then so happy we shall be

Google gives me a grand total of one response, this pdf of a handmade score.

Any help?

Do Ian and Sylvia Tyson Still Play Together?

howgenerica — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:34:53 -0800

Do Ian and Sylvia Tyson ever play together anymore? I really, really want to see them together.

really obscure folk(?)song ID

seansbrain — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:35:04 -0800

identify the originating song with these lyrics... It doesn't matter what you eat it all turns to meat eat your neighbor eat your neighbor, etc... Heard it from a cruise ship entertainer, of all people. Very strange.
My last try at researching it had me finding a random livejournal page which had the full lyrics, but nothing about it's origins. It identified it as "the taco bell song," though I imagine that's a misnomer.

What songs did Bob Dylan steal from?

malapropist — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:59:42 -0800

What old or traditional songs has Bob Dylan bogarted for his own use? To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, I like Dylan's song I Dreamed I Saw Saint Augustine off John Wesley Harding. I was watching a Pete Seeger documentary recently that featured his performance of "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night," and I couldn't believe the similarity of these two lyrics; the phrasing and cadence of these lines was exactly the same, except replacing "St. Augustine" for "Joe Hill Last Night."

I already knew Dylan writes this way. There are other, more apparent examples of Dylan taking a phrase or sentence (or song) and reappropriating it for his own uses, such as Rollin' and Tumblin' off Modern Times. Just to be clear, I don't find this controversial at all, that's simply how folk music works. But after hearing "Joe Hill" I'm starting to realize that there must be many more examples of this that I'm completely unaware of. Do you know of any?

I've been looking to get more into old folk, country and blues lately, but it all seems a bit overwhelming to this listener's 21st century ears. However, I think if I could listen to a song and draw a connection from there to somewhere in Dylan's work, it would make it that much more interesting to me. So please, your examples of an old-timey song that Dylan pays homage to, references, or just plain flat-out steals?

Folk music recommendations

supercrayon — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:41:17 -0800

Via this awesome FPP I've recently discovered Connie Converse. Can you recommend similar music? I'm looking for stripped down person-(or persons)-with-a-guitar-type folk. The more it sounds like it was recorded in one take in someone's kitchen the better. The other two artists I've found that sound a bit like what I'm looking for are Kimya Dawson and Nick Drake. Cheers!

More folk!

tdreyer — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:35:31 -0800

Addicted to a new type of music filter: Recently heard Josh Turner's song "The longer the waiting (the sweeter the kiss)" and I want to find more like it. Any suggestions?

Lincoln Park Revisitied

rtimmel — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:15:42 -0800

Help me find a genre of music that seems to have disappeared. I was listening to some Steve Goodman and realized I don't know of any new fun-loving, story-telling upbeat folk singers anymore. Didn't anyone follow in the footsteps of John Prine, Warren Zevon, Arlo Guthrie and maybe even Jimmy Buffet (pre-corporate). There is folk music out there, but it all seems so serious.

Help recall folk/bluegrass/gospel song.

wabashbdw — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:09:13 -0800

Help me remember this folk/bluegrass/gospel song! Ok, I've only heard it once and that was a while ago, but surely this one won't be too tough for the hive mind. As best I can recall, the song was about a young man who wanted badly to join the church choir. Despite his enthusiasm for the message, however, he has a terrible voice and is 'cut' from the group (I think...I could be wrong about that). Eventually, he dies and in heaven his voice catches up with his devotion and he sings with the angels (or something along those lines).

Any help?

McGarrigles French Record Lyrics?

dorgla — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:07:19 -0800

In the CD liner notes for the McGarrigles "French Record," partial translations of the lyrics are printed in English, but not in French. Fully expected to find French lyrics online, came up empty. Can anyone provide a clue?

Where Are Your Favorite Old-Timey Folk and/or Beats Music On The Net?

Lipstick Thespian — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:45:14 -0800

Newly-minted Radio DJ Needs Great Music Online! I just got the go-ahead to start hosting a new show on a local radio station, and need help finding quality web sites that feature old-timey, folk, and trad country music, as well as any that specialize in gloopy, dubby, breaky beats.

Think Hank Williams meets Hallucinogen, or Pretty Polly meets her Death in Vegas after ingesting Infected Mushrooms.

I'm hoping for sites that have lots of downloads, good background materials on the artists, history, links to labels, etc.

Also: bonus points for any great suggestions for an intro tagline for this kind of show, i.e. "hangover music for robots", or "losing my 808 religion" - something hopefully more catchy than that.

Anyone who comes up with good suggestions will get an on-air nod for their assistance.

I just want some sad vocals

azarbayejani — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:54:01 -0800

I'm looking for Middle Eastern folk music, preferably the kind with really awesome singing. What are your recommendations? Earlier today I downloaded an ambient liveset by Klimek from mnmlssgs and was particularly intrigued by a little vocal snippet at the beginning of the mix. It's about 30 seconds into the mix. I'm pretty sure it's a field recording, but if anyone could identify it and lead me to more music of the type, I would be forever indebted to you.

I was raised in a home where lots of old Iranian music was played around me, but I can't really seem to find a lot of this stuff in a digital format (all my parents' stuff is disorganized and on tape). About two months ago, I did find an amazing album of Mugham by Alim and Fargana Qamisov on Amazon. I also like Hossein Alizadeh's collaboration with Djivan Gasparayan on Endless Vision. I was also very interested by a documentary on Qamisov I found on youtube. The thing I liked about the documentary was that a majority of the music was vocals-only, but the album I bought was accompanied by music.

I know there are probably a LOT of places where I can get music like this. I also know I kind of gave a pretty broad description. I just want to know where I can get the best, most moving recordings.

So, any recommendations for vocal-heavy, preferably kinda sad, Middle-eastern music?

Rough sounding European folk music?

Baby_Balrog — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:02:01 -0800

Help me identify this band I heard. Hungarian / Russian / Czech / Other Easter European folk orchestra? It was very dark and haunting kind of folk ensemble. First you might hear a solo female voice, very ... warbly. And then a whole chorus would come in, also very rough sounding. There were cymbals, bass drums and tubas. Almost all in a minor key. Sounded like something you'd hear during a 19th century peasant's funeral, maybe.

I've been searching for this music forever, it was so beautiful.

Any ideas? FWIW I heard it when I was living with British expats overseas.

any suggestions for what this record/band might be

iamnotateenagegirl — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:52:48 -0800

sorry if this is just so insanely obscure it is impossible. I heard this record that was apparantly a new york band. It was pretty obscure (probably the kind of thing reviewed in the Wire or a similar magazine) and may be classed under such genres as 'new weird america' or freak folk. Musically it was sort of a mishmash of electronica and some feedback and acousticy stuff with a male vocalist, and (this is the key thing) was a double album and probably quite recent (2007 or 08). May have been considered suitable for a late night mood. Any suggestions?

Missing Album: HornDance - Songs of the Woods

kuatto — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 18:39:58 -0800

I am looking for a copy of an album: "HornDance - Songs of the Woods". I had the cassette tape, but that has gone missing. Does anyone have a copy, or know where to find one? I believe the band is from Michigan.

If I listen to Dylan, what else would I enjoy?

Groovytimes — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:59:59 -0800

I really enjoy listening to Bob Dylan's older music (pre 1970) and Im wondering are there any other artists (past or present) that would be of any interest to me? Im looking more towards folk than rock, more acoustical than electric but any recommendations would be great! Thanks!

Help me identify this folk/religious tradition/concept

potch — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:22:36 -0800

Help me identify: possibly Judaic (maybe Yiddish) folk tradition of a very small group of individuals for whom God allows the world exist. The point being there's no way of knowing if any individual is one of those chosen few, thus necessitating kindness and decency to all. Tell me I'm not insane- I could've sworn I read about this on Ask a year or two ago, but my searching just isn't finding it. After an aggravating hour or so of Google/Mefi digging, I'm coming here. It's a completely interesting and intriguing premise that resonates with me for some reason, so identifying would be awesome. I've probably bastardized the concept slightly, and the group to which it belongs, but any help would rule.

find an operatic version of this folk favorite?

parmanparman — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:05:38 -0800

Can you help me find an mp3/dvd/mp4/n-e-thing of the operatic and maybe-BBC Last Night of the Proms rendition of Stephen Foster's Camptown Races? I have only seen this once on Classic Arts Showcase, but its an operatic version of the folksong Camptown Races. I have pinned it down to what I think is the BBC Last Night of the Proms 2000, but what I can find of that online either cuts it out or doesn't mention it.

Anyway, I believe the composer of the piece was Percy Grainger, but I might be completely wrong. Maybe you remember it? I would be grateful if you helped me find it or a confirmed reference of it.

Help me find the (possibly Italian) origins of a story I was told in my childhood about a little boy who carried goods from his mother's to his grandmother's home and vice versa.

dm_nyc — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:49:15 -0800

I'm looking for a story (or folk tale) my grandfather used to tell me as a child. His parents came to the US from Italy when they were in their 20's, and had him shortly thereafter. So the story may have originated in Italy. The story is about a young boy named E-pap-eh-nanas. (I have no idea how to spell it, so that's the best I can do phonetically). The boy was sent back and forth between his mother's and grandmother's homes carrying small gifts such as a puppy, loaves of bread, fresh eggs, etc. on each trip. He would always carry them in some objectionable way (like tying a string around the loaf of bread and dragging it on the ground). This would always lead his mother or grandmother to say to him "Epapananas, ain't you got the brains you was born with? That's no way to carry a loaf of bread. The way you carry a loaf of bread is you wrap it in paper and you walk with in your arms...." And each new thing he would have to carry (for example, a puppy), he would do so in the manner previously told to him (for example, holding the puppy like a loaf of bread wrapped up in paper). The words in quotes are written exactly as I remember my grandfather saying them (bad grammar and all) in a sing-songy voice. The story can also be improvised quite a bit- which perhaps explains why I am having trouble determining the origins. If anyone can lead me in the right direction I'd be very grateful.

Ethnomusicology equipment recommendations

iamck — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:10:28 -0800

I'm headed out to travel rural developing areas on a folk music field recording expedition. Can I get some advice on what equipment to use? I'm traveling rural, likely North and Sub-Saharan Africa. I like to travel rugged and lightweight. Which means no powered mic and a lightweight recording device.

I'm not super concerned with quality, but also don't want to squander the opportunity to get good recordings.

Vermont folklife has a good equipment guide, and I've looked quite a bit through this. But I would love any firsthand experience, stories, ideas.

What song is this?

brownbat — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:14:32 -0800

What folky song is about the things we used to say/do, but don't say/do anymore? When I was in Boulder, it was, maybe 11am or noon on March 7th, I heard this song on the radio. Somewhere in the middle of the dial that was playing some folky, independent stuff (though I can't recall the exact station).

The song was on the radio just before lunch, but I can only remember vague details. Lead singer with guitar, craggy but prevalent vocals, kinda like Tom Waits or Nick Cave; had some (light) background vocals. The lyrics were a repeating pattern, something like, "We used to say, {catchy quote}. {Anecdote about rambunctious youth calling for that catchy quote}. But now we're older, and we don't say that thing anymore." Repeat with different catchy quote or maxim.

I know this is vague, anyone have any hints?

Headed out on the trail - help equip our sing-a-long arsenal!

jofuu — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:52:51 -0800

My girlfriend and I are hiking the Appalachian trail for two weeks at the end of the month. We're taking along a Martin Backpacker (guitar) and a small set of bongos. What are some very excellent blues/folk/bluegrass/mountain songs that we should learn before we go? We're also bringing a hand held recorder so we can remember all this.

I'm looking for more traditional rootsy stuff as opposed to anything by contemporary artists. Obviously, I won't reject any ideas though so throw them at me.

Thanks in advance Metafilter!

Helio Sequence Sympathizers?

Texasjake987 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:49:38 -0800

Helio Sequence sympathizers? Help me find more! So for years now I've been exclusively listening to music that is long gone in terms of relative currency. I'm a huge fan of the beatles, most blues guitarists and lots of classic rock. The past year however, I've been more and more impressed by Portland Oregon's electronic/folk music scene.
One band in particular is phenomenal...The Helio Sequence.
They have several albums which develop in style and accessibility over the years, but essentially they remain (to me) an endlessly unique band. Check them out at www.myspace.com/theheliosequence
Ok that being said...
Does anyone know of any bands popular or not that sound really similar?

Nuevas Canciónes

Ambrosia Voyeur — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:24:08 -0800

I love Nueva Canción. Got resources or recommendations? So far, I'm just listening the heck out of Illapu and seriously considering buying a panpipe to putter around with. Fuck your flowchart!!

Any books, websites, articles about the movement, in English or Spanish?

Any other bands or albums from the genre you can recommend, or similar Latin folk music I should be aware of? I really like the airy, wild, daceable sound of Illapu, and the easy-to-understand, passionate, Spanish is a plus. Other than that, I'm una Nueva noob.

Have ears, have brain, willing to learn.

Chris4d — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:00:53 -0800

Where can I learn about music history and music theory for free? bonus question first (like dessert for breakfast!): contemporary popular music typically seems to resolve the melody at the end of each verse. I was listening to the cold mountain soundtrack, though, and a lot of that folk music sorta... leaves the melody hanging at the end of each verse. Is there a word for that? What's it called, and what's the historical evolution of... I dunno, melodic form?

Obviously I know just enough to know I'm ignorant. So the question above inspired me to ask -- where can I learn about that kind of stuff? I don't whether to call it music theory or music etymology or what, but it's fascinating.

ooh, second bonus question -- why does modern music sound so much more resolved at the end of each verse? does it go back to the tonic of whatever scale the melody is in? (see I really am ignorant! help!)