Folk Music

[Gaelbert]

It's my current obsession, but I've been listening to it for my entire life. Does anyone else in the playground share this predilection? I define folk very broadly, from what you traditionally think of as folk, so-called "world music", a guy (or girl) singing accompanied by acoustic guitar, to folk rock indie type music.
Here's what I've been listening to:
Leahy. They're a 9 person band, and they're all siblings. They play "Celtic" music, a lot of stuff from Breton, but stuff from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the diaspora as well. They can all play fiddle, and they can all stepdance. They can also play fiddle while stepdancing. One of the best live shows I've seen, they were amazing.
Dougie MacLean. Scottish man with a guitar, he's been in the business for a long while. Quite different than Leahy, but still beautiful music.
Dervish. Fun, energetic band. They do mostly Irish folk music if I remember correctly. They also did a cover of Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves.
Wolfe Tones. Irish folk band with heavily political content. Without getting into the lyrics, they play great music.
Athenrye. Like the above, but not quite as political.
Black 47. Irish rock with a lot of folk influence.
Enter the Haggis. A guilty pleasure of mine, rock with a little bit of folk influence. They're lead man is an electric fiddler, and they also have someone who plays the bagpipes.
The Elders. Irish rock with folk influences, also an amazing group to see live because of how much fun the singer has. He grins ear to ear while performing, it's infectious.
Мельница. I have no clue what they sing or even where they're from (Eastern Europe somewhere), but they make the most haunting melodies.
Sufjan Stevens. American singer-songwriter, excellent lyrics and a darling of indie rock critics.
Efterklang. A Danish group that does folk rock/indie with electronic influences. Beautiful music.
The Decemberists. I'm sure you've heard of them.
Fleet Foxes. If you like Sufjan Stevens, you'll like them as well. They have baroque influences, which is rather exciting to me.
And of course, Mumford and Sons. Amazing folk band out of west London, I can't recommend them highly enough.

And I'll stop here to get this posted before the backup.

[Vaynor]

If you like Mumford and Sons, you'll probably like Johnny Flynn, Jay Jay Pistolet, and Noah and the Whale a lot as well (I'm not a fan of Mumford and Sons but these bands are fairly similar).

[Moff Chumley]

Bon Iver!

That's my contribution for tonight. :smallsmile:

[Adlan]

Unmentioned as yet I'd recommend:
Laura Marling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvOCrRVDPpI) - Etheral voice, clever lyrics, captivating english folk
Beans on Toast (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5vCKmXr8Uw) - witty, insightful acoustic bloke with a guitar, and a Rough voice that goes with his rough lyrics.
Langhorne Slim (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElwMp0qK1xc) - Americana Folk, indie feel
Alela Diane (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-_-l_NaDcw) - Brilliant Side of the psychadelic influenced american folk, brilliant band too on the 2nd album.
Marie Sioux (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9qx7aZjFl0) - Fascinating American Folk, Brilliantly long songs, like good Jazz.
Alina Hardin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNGIM8d4NUQ) - Soft voiced but very elegant American Folk singer
The Avett Brothers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE7rkSELM3I) - Twins with Awesome Beards
**** Gaughn (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd2AHZ22SJ8) - Classic Protest Folk Songs, personal favourites are Stand up Stand up for Judas, and Tom Paines Bones.
Mississippi John Hurt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-GN-BP_Qlk) - Brilliant old 1920's era blues musician
Nic Jones (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA638RPLuAE) - The English Folk Musicians Folk Musician. Phenomenally good songs.
Dr Ralph Stanley (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGQ5iCKdTeI) - You might have heard him in O'brother where art thou, fantastically good bluegrass man, as he ages, his voice seems to fit some songs even better. I'm very proud I got to shake his hand.
Allison Krauss (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iecixko7HbQ) - Got one hell of a voice, worked with a hell of a lot of good people too. Brilliant Bluegrass and Country, fantastic with the Band, Union Station. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3larcGfwC0g)
John Butler (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeEmuUu6zHg) - Give the man a guitar and watch him play, he's fantastic, and I mean fantastic. Brilliant pickin' in a style reminiscent of many others, but with his lyrics, all of his own.
Richard Thompson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zjFdDXauuA) - His folk music is where he excels himself, to hear him play Beeswing, with the emotion in his voice, or to rolick along with Vincent 52. Or his early work with fairport convention (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1it7BP5PckI)
Martin Simpson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WDZb5AiLjA) - modern and traditional folk songs, excellently done, very crisp controlled playing, but artfully done.
June Tabor (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV6xiU4XyoM) - Matronly English Folk, very well done.
Korpiklaani (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yM3XJZDV0Y) - Finnish Folk metal Band, much more folk than metal, but metal enough to satisfy the metal head inside me.
Vashti Bunyan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fpw7Z0Ncgg) - One tune you'll probably know from the many ad's it's been used in (Diamond Day), but a classic of the folk scene
Pentangle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFuxq_J1VuA) - Another Classic, dating from way back in the 1960's, recently reformed.
Cat Stevens (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TWd3skb-Rw) - Many a Classic Folk/Pop Song, including some I used to sing in school assemblies.
Joni Mitchell (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoWx8HDdyZ8) - Again, one major famous song, Big Yellow Taxi, but a fantastic range of other folk works


I could keep going on an on, there are so many fantastic folk musicians out there, Not to mention my Housemates Johnny Giles and the Barbourshop Boy (http://youtu.be/0Vs9UbedZok)

So I guess I better get on.

[grimbold]

i love Cat Stevens and Simon & Garfunkel (my cousin produced them)
also Zakk Wylde made a nice folk album called The Book of Shadows

[averagejoe]

+1 to Pentangle. They are amazing! And +2 for hunting song! Along those lines, John Renbourn (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIOT6rRK8Mk) and Bert Jansch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwH6RuBIsFY) have done some cool solo work.

There's also Martin Carthy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3dJHy7mDck), a British folk musician who was inspirational for many.

Richard and Mimi Fariña (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7P84ztxzwE). Sadly, Richard died after their second album, but Mimi and her older sister, Joan Baez (a perhaps more recognizable name) produced a third along with some studio stuff that hadn't made it to record yet.

Kate Rusby (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95I7t1znYFk) has one of the most gorgeous voices I've heard. That is all.

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfRsSVcRfqQ) has one of the more unique voices I've heard. Also, I dunno who this Dawn McCarthy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8TgGdSE60g) is, but I like her.

Pierre Bensusan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3NvqcNwqD0) is pretty great. Not too familiar with him, but what I've heard I like a lot.

Edit: Also, Dar Williams (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgXYX35vn4Y) can be a lot of fun. I found this song to be hilarious.

[CommodoreFluffy]

Are we counting Mark Knopfler's later stuff?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6nyfXu5fWs
Or Johnny Cash?
Or Jackson Browne?
Maybe Van Morrison?

What are we talkin' about here?

[averagejoe]

Are we counting Mark Knopfler's later stuff?

You know we're not. :smallannoyed:

I dunno. The OP said he defined folk pretty broadly, so yes? Though I'd be inclined Van Morrison in most music discussion. Because he is completely awesome.

[Flickerdart]

Мельница. I have no clue what they sing or even where they're from (Eastern Europe somewhere), but they make the most haunting melodies.
They're a Russian band (the name is transliterated as melnitsa, meaning windmill). If you like them, you might find Сильфы good as well, although finding their music might be very difficult. Иван Царевич is inspired by a similar mythology, but they're more metal.

[Cyrion]

Since it seems the Amurrican folk scene is largely missing from your list, here are three that you should check out if you haven't already-

The Kingston Trio- helped define popular acoustic folk music in the late 50s and early 60s.

Peter, Paul and Mary- also tremendously influential in the American folk scene.

The Brothers Four- off-and-on commercially successful, but a solid example of the late 50s early 60s American folk sound.

For newer, broader stuff-

The Indigo Girls- Their early albums can be classified as folk rock and fit the genre quite well I think. They've gotten away from their strengths in recent years, though.

Flook- Since you've got a lot of Irish music in your list, you might enjoy this.

Kila- If you want to take your Irish folk in a different direction... They start with traditional Irish music, add a touch of African, Jazz, and a variety of other stuff.

Thea Gilmore- English singer/songwriter who could be lumped into the folk rock genre. Definitely fits the "has something to say and wants to make you think about it" mold that tends to characterize folk music from the 60s and
70s.

Tempest- Add a little harder rock to your Celtic folk music. They do a lot of stuff in jig and reel tempo, but the frontman for the band is Norwegian, so there's also a fair amount of different material they draw from.

Jethro Tull- More known for their classic rock and progressive rock leanings, they did three albums in the mid-70s that can fit the folk rock bill. Take a look at Songs From the Wood, Heavy Horses and Stormwatch.

[valadil]

Gotta include some love for Great Big Sea. I think they're more on the folk rock side of things.

[grimbold]

Gotta include some love for Great Big Sea. I think they're more on the folk rock side of things.

yeah i know them
they have a pretty nice sound

[Adlan]

Orthodox Celts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEt2XdN_TbQ) are fun, Irish Folk songs in an even odder accent than normal :smallwink:

Great Big Sea, Didn't they do the end of the world as we know it? I wasn't aware of them as a folk band, I'll go look into it now.

[SDF]

Hey guys, Okkervil River. Why is no one talking about/listening to them RIGHT NOW?

[Cyrion]

Great Big Sea, Didn't they do the end of the world as we know it? I wasn't aware of them as a folk band, I'll go look into it now.

I don't know if Great Big Sea has done it, but the radio-popular version is REM.

[grimbold]

Hey guys, Okkervil River. Why is no one talking about/listening to them RIGHT NOW?

i've heard of them
they are indeed pretty cool