The New New Folk Revival
Here in Seattle, the legacy of local music hardly includes fiddles and banjos. For as long as I remember (before moving here), Seattle sat in my mind in measurements of cloudy days and angry observational, trail-blazing rock songs. Yet everywhere I go, I run across more and more artists turning to acoustic guitars, pedal steels, fiddles and harmonicas. Head in any direction on I-5 and you'll run into more folk music than you'll imagine. Bellingham and Vanouver in one direction, Portland and San Francisco in the other...where bands a decade ago blazed the country selling the West Coast as a haven for envelope-pushing hard rock, riot grrl, and grunge music, the artists are now making an equivalent push for folk and roots, old timey music, and alt-country.
It's not just here on the West Coast, either. The New York Times recently covered the new New Folk Revival that's going on in that part of the country, crediting it to hootenannies and bluegrass shows from Red Hook, Brooklyn, to Avenue A. The Boston area has, for years now, seemed to exist for the sole purpose of churning out one navel-gazing folksinger after another. Down in North Carolina, artists ranging the roots landscape from alt-country crew Band of Horses to the old timey Carolina Chocolate Drops, are bringing it up Blue Ridge-style. Not to mention Nashville and Austin—both have been epicenters of roots music for decades.
But, why now? Why, when the world seems to be completely incapable of functioning without its electronic devices, would musicians be focusing their efforts on unplugged, traditional songs? Doesn't art imitate life? Perhaps the imitation here is in the realm of accessibility. At a time when music (among other things) is universally accessible via the Web and other media, and record companies are struggling to keep themselves afloat, musicians are taking it upon themselves to seek more accessible avenues. Few things are more accessible than homemade instruments and acoustic guitars, more familiar than the country's oldest songs. And, without the support of major labels, what's more grass roots than good old-fashioned American folk music?
It's not just here on the West Coast, either. The New York Times recently covered the new New Folk Revival that's going on in that part of the country, crediting it to hootenannies and bluegrass shows from Red Hook, Brooklyn, to Avenue A. The Boston area has, for years now, seemed to exist for the sole purpose of churning out one navel-gazing folksinger after another. Down in North Carolina, artists ranging the roots landscape from alt-country crew Band of Horses to the old timey Carolina Chocolate Drops, are bringing it up Blue Ridge-style. Not to mention Nashville and Austin—both have been epicenters of roots music for decades.
But, why now? Why, when the world seems to be completely incapable of functioning without its electronic devices, would musicians be focusing their efforts on unplugged, traditional songs? Doesn't art imitate life? Perhaps the imitation here is in the realm of accessibility. At a time when music (among other things) is universally accessible via the Web and other media, and record companies are struggling to keep themselves afloat, musicians are taking it upon themselves to seek more accessible avenues. Few things are more accessible than homemade instruments and acoustic guitars, more familiar than the country's oldest songs. And, without the support of major labels, what's more grass roots than good old-fashioned American folk music?
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Anyone into either folk or just plain bad-ass fingerpicking (translation: folkie shredding) should check out seminal artists davy graham, pete seeger and the aforementioned jansch. It's incredible stuff. ESPECIALLY Graham. One of my heroes! He actually invented the now-famous DADGAD tuning (think that was it, right?), but it's tuff to emulate his style. Anyone who likes punk or guitar should look into Davy, I don't think they'd be disappointed. The dude was so punk rock folk in terms of his approach to music and life. The BBC did a documentary called Folk Britannia that talks about him and so many others, it's super cool. There's also an album with tradtional singer Shirley Collins and Graham called Folk Routes New Routes (I think) that is a must - I can't imagine anyone who is a fan of guitar or voice not falling in love with that record, tho it's hard to find I hear. I lucked out and found a water-damaged copy (tho only the cover art was water damaged). I will burn anyone a copy who can't find it! And there's a great book by another folk icon, Dave Van Ronk, called The Mayor of MacDougal Street. It's a great read. His literary voice is so entertaining...it captures the glorious commie greenwich days, early impressions of Dylan and the politcal climate of the late 50s/early 60s, all told in Van Ronk's colorful style. Joy Boyd offers a slight counterpoint to the controversial Van Ronk in his book White Bicycles but it is also an excellent read. It includes great stories about UFO, the Floyd and Syd, Nick Drake and the moment Dylan went electric at Newport. Super cool.
no regard for grammar or spellin here,
danger nun