If you mean recently, Laura Marling is a promising folk singer worth checking out. Otherwise, Elliott Smith and Nick Drake are my favourites, although Dylan's Bootleg Series Vol 4 Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a definite milestone in folk rock
Dark Was The Night, a recent 2 CD charity compilation, is an essential purchase for anyone into recent alternative 'folk rock'. It includes exclusive tracks from the likes of Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, The National, Sufjan Stevens, David Byrne, Beirut, Grizzly Bear, Andrew Bird, Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian), Jonsi & Alex (Sigur Ros) and Antony Hegarty
I think you mean rock or pop with a folk influence. Folk would be like Peter, Paul, and Mary and Woody Guthrie.
Has Iron and Wine been mentioned yet? Sufjan Stevens comes to mind as well. You might like Devotchka although they have a serious world music influence. They're great though. Oh, Belle and Sebastian, especially the mid 90's period stuff is like the most blissful melodic folk pop imaginable. Joanna Newsom and Devendra Banhart are doing a weird sort of psychedelic and chamber influenced folk that should be checked out. Of course, you'll want to check out the Byrds eventually. If you want to hear some really weird imaginative folk music, check out The Incredible String Band. You mentioned Wilco. Have you got into Uncle Tupelo yet? I would recommend March 16-20, 1992 (Actual title). It's all acoustic.
Just thought of another one: Richard Thompson and his old folk rock band, Fairport Convention, who were sort of the British answer to the Byrds.
For recent folk stuff, I'd recommend...
- Alela Diane, The Pirate's Gospel
- anything by Palace Brothers, Will Oldham or Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (it's all the same guy actually), like Palace Brothers' There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You, Will Oldham's Joya, or Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's The Letting Go
- Smog & Bill Callahan (same guy as well), anything will be fine
- of course Elliott Smith
- Lambchop - Jack's Tulips, or Nixon
- Kristin Hersh, Hips & Makers,
- Stina Nordenstam - And She Closed Her eyes, & Dynamite - completely underrated folk artist from Sweden (I think), if you're into moody, murmured depressive tunes - beautiful.
- Tarnation's Gentle Creatures, a little bit more on the countryish side,
- The Innocence Mission - We Walked In Song,
- You might enjoy Bright Eyes, for example Lifted,
- Joanna Newsom of course, both albums are brilliant, Milk-Eyed Mender is possibly easier to listen to than Ys, but Ys is incredibly original and rewarding,
- Jim White is very good, at least Wrong Eyed Jesus!! and No Such Place,
- For romantic bard stuff, Ron Sexsmith is your man, the eponymous debut album a good start,
- And I absolutely ADORE Jeffrey Lewis' rendition of Crass songs on 12 Crass Songs, try 'End Result' (I posted it somewhere on this forum, can't remember where).
For earlier stuff, Nick Drake is still my hero. Three brilliantissimi albums, all are indispensable.
- One of his influences, Bert Jansch, is a great discover. His Bert Jansch of 1965 for example (with the superlative 'Angi')
- John Martyn you should check out, the LPs Solid Air and One World.
- Try Bill Fay and John Prine while you're at it
- Joni Mitchell, Judee Sill, Vashti Bunyan, Linda Perhacs, Anne Briggs, Sandy Denny, Sibylle Baier are possibly the best songstresses of the genre.
I guess that'll be enough for today
I am really into Folk music, and my favourites are Jack Savoretti and Ray LaMontagne, i would reconmend you listen
Then the Likes of DeVotchKa, very similar to Beirut.
Joanna Newsom
Bob Dylan
The Band
Grizzly Bear
Guillemots
Jamie Scott & The Town
John Mayer
Low Anthem
Obviously there must be more than one definition of Folk Music. When I think of Folk Music, I think of:
Guthrie, Arlo-Alice’s Restaurant
Guthrie, Woody -Dust Bowl Ballads, Volumes 1 & 2
Kingston Trio, The-At Large
Kingston Trio, The-Capitol Collectors Series
Kingston Trio, The-Here We Go Again!
Peter, Paul & Mary-Peter, Paul & Mary
Peter, Paul & Mary-The Best Of Peter, Paul & Mary-Ten Years Together
Weavers, The-The Best Of The Decca Years
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