Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear: Future of music?

[Moff Chumley]

Alright, guys. about a year ago, my guitarist turned me on to these bands, and I gotta say, I'm optimistic about them. Sort of a combination of Indie and Folk, these guys have a lot of popular potential, in my opinion. For instance, Bon Iver's Skinny Love (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfAS6nwYc9g). Everyone I've played this for, from Indies to Folkies to rockers and Taylor Swift fans have liked it to some degree. I kid you not. Bon Iver and Grizzly Bear are both going to appear on the New Moon soundtrack, and as much as disapprove of Twilight, the first soundtrack is STILL on the Billboard Top 40 chart. Given enough exposure, I can see Bon Iver getting very big.

Then there's Fleet Foxes. Much more indie than Bon Iver, I still think they can break out. CSN&Y did it in the 60s, and Fleet Foxes have a very similar harmony-and-guitar driven sound. However, the music doesn't sound like it could've been made in the 70s. It's inexplicably modern sounding. Blue Ridge Mountains (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx7_Gmr4qMM&feature=related) is one of my favorites of theirs. It's almost completely acoustic, but it rocks harder than half the rock these days. :smallbiggrin:

Grizzly Bear is by far the most indie of the lot; I don't really know how to describe them. They're appearing on New Moon soundtrack, though, and judging by what it did for Muse, it should do plenty for them. Check out Shift (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ltvjOj9m-c). It's pretty damn beautiful.

Thoughts?

[Silence]

Is this a coincidence, or is this directly connected to my thread?

[SDF]

The reason Fleet Foxes is so popular is because Pitchfork said they were the album of the year last year. Indie kids will do pretty much whatever Pitchfork tells them. Don't get me wrong, they were amazing when I saw them live. I just don't think that folk music is going to be the sweeping wave of the future.

[Silence]

Well, back to the issue here, I agree that folk won't be getting any more popular with indie kids. Although they won't admit it, most of them are into fads.

TBH, folk is a bit too "boring" for most people.

[Moff Chumley]

We shall see. And how could you find Fleet Foxes boring?

[Silence]

I don't, but it lacks the energy, speed, and volume of most stuff teenagers listen do nowadays.

[Erothayce]

I got about 30 seconds into the actual songs and i exited out. I don't see this indie type of stuff becoming popular with teens or really anyone who doesn't already enjoy music like that. I mean honestly, compare those bands to what people listen to today on the radio. Pretty much polar opposites.

[zvbxrpl]

The reason Fleet Foxes is so popular is because Pitchfork said they were the album of the year last year. Indie kids will do pretty much whatever Pitchfork tells them. Don't get me wrong, they were amazing when I saw them live. I just don't think that folk music is going to be the sweeping wave of the future.

Speaking as an indie kid, I'm not a big fan of Pitchfork. Honestly, I mostly go on there for the news, interviews, and videos. The reviews seem to have a policy that there needs to be a certain quantity of negativity contained therein, and when they like a record, they are thereby obligated to dump on other stuff they don't like. (Obviously, I understand that this is not a real policy. It's called hyperbole). Then again, I don't put much stock in reviews--a good review is at best an artful expression of an opinion rather than a granting of objective information. They're entertaining essays, but in few ways actually inform. A better way to know if you'll like an album is to listen to one of the songs from that album.

As to the OP, I think that folk isn't the 'wave of the future' or anything, but there are a lot of indie bands that dig it (the ones you listed, as well as Okkervil River, The Dutchess and the Duke, Blitzen Trapper, Kings of Convenience, etc.). As a folkie myself, I think that's pretty cool. Maybe folk is to 2000s-2010s indie as blues was to 1970s hard rock. I don't think we'll know until the Mozarts are sorted from the Salieris, so to speak.

[Kaelaroth]

I do adore a number of Bon Iver songs. :smallsmile:

[Closet_Skeleton]

Listened to those three songs. The first was ****, the second was good but hardly unique or interesting and the third was too much moaning.

I'd rather listen to real folk music than folk music mixed with something that isn't even a real genre.