anti-folk music and Regina Spektor

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:48 pm

dubhlinn wrote:It's a brand, not a style.

Slan,
D.

I like that brand, then.

missy · Post by **missy** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:57 pm

dubhlinn wrote:
If a kid was brought up in a "Folky" home and wanted to rebel against all of that then why not go Anti-folk.

Actually, Dub - my kids were probably brought up as "folky's" and if they decided to rebel, they'd be listening to gansta rap (which, thankfully, they aren't).

To me (and this is just my opinion, not to be given any credit at all) folk music is music that is "passed" on. If I can say "I got this song from ....." it's folk music. It might also be classified as Old time, or it may be a Negro Spiritual or a Child's ballad. It may be have been composed by Woody or Arlo Guthrie or any number of "no names". It usually has accoustic instruments as the basis for it - but it could also have some strange additions such as slide whistles and nose flutes. I could have first heard my dad play it - or my kids could discover it.
What it mostly has in common, if it has anything at all in common, is it won't be played on "commercial" radio, you probably won't find it at the Grammy's, you won't find the CD for sale at the big box stores, and you probably don't have to pay a huge amount to see it performed.

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:00 pm

I'm still trying to determine if Newsome is mentally challenged, or if she just puts on an act as part of her sound/brand.

djm

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:00 pm

missy wrote:
dubhlinn wrote:
If a kid was brought up in a "Folky" home and wanted to rebel against all of that then why not go Anti-folk.

Actually, Dub - my kids were probably brought up as "folky's" and if they decided to rebel, they'd be listening to gansta rap (which, thankfully, they aren't).

To me (and this is just my opinion, not to be given any credit at all) folk music is music that is "passed" on. If I can say "I got this song from ....." it's folk music. It might also be classified as Old time, or it may be a Negro Spiritual or a Child's ballad. It may be have been composed by Woody or Arlo Guthrie or any number of "no names". It usually has accoustic instruments as the basis for it - but it could also have some strange additions such as slide whistles and nose flutes. I could have first heard my dad play it - or my kids could discover it.
What it mostly has in common, if it has anything at all in common, is it won't be played on "commercial" radio, you probably won't find it at the Grammy's, you won't find the CD for sale at the big box stores, and you probably don't have to pay a huge amount to see it performed.

Fair comments.

Dunno about not having to pay a lot of money to see it ..

Two tickets, and the coach, to see Bob in April recently set me back nearly £250.00...and he doesn't even play his acoustic anymore.

Slan,
D.

jkwest · Post by **jkwest** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:11 pm

djm wrote:I'm still trying to determine if Newsome is mentally challenged, or if she just puts on an act as part of her sound/brand.

djm

LOL...I promise you she isn't...that is how she sounds when she talks though...

Living in Nevada County and being 15 minutes from Nevada City, you get to know musically talented people here. I admit...her singing takes some getting used to...but, shes a pure heart. Amazing performer for only being 25.

hyldemoer · Post by **hyldemoer** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:21 pm

Peter Laban wrote:
Any thoughts?

About Joanna Newsome? A couple years back she was the second opening act before the Incredible String Band here in Chicago.

There were a hand full of people in the audience who were probably wearing the same tie dyed T shirts they wore to ISB's concert last time they came to Chicago 30 years ago
but the bulk of those in attendence hadn't been born yet when that happened.
They'd come to hear Ms. Newsome.
I know because I went around and asked a lot of them why they were there.
I'd never before even heard of Newsome. I was foolishly there to hear the ISB.

Joanna opened her portion of the concert by walking to the front of the stage and singing "Three Little Babes" totally unaccompanied and without a microphone.
I was not prepared.
I don't think anyone in the hall was, not even the folks who'd heard her recordings.

My goodness, what an interesting voice!
Who could have guessed that anyone could sing with a voice so unique and have enough volume to completely fill a large hall! Recordings of her voice don't convey her actual lung power.
The girl just opened her mouth and blew us away.

Its a pity that most of the aduience got up and left a song or 2 into the ISB's set because Joanna came back on stage for a closing song with them and managed to make even what they sound like (Robin wasn't on the tour) worth listening to.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:27 pm

To my surprise my thirteen year old son today when listening earlier to day said she 'was OK'. Which means he liked her (we were listening to 'YS' )

dwinterfield · Post by **dwinterfield** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:51 pm

The Weekenders wrote:The term "folk music," to me, is a product of the late 50s and early 60s by mostly Eastern urban college-educated types.
...
Although I recoil a bit at the folk music stars, mostly because of their association with Socialism and Communism, red-diaper babies and such, they did a lot to define and resurrect dying musical art forms. In the process, they created their own style, which is probably what I like the least. I am not a Bob Dylan fan, nor do I care for Peter, Paul and Mary etc... But, they are also very much associated with the civil rights movement, which their already-radical politics led them into. To me, they are usually so urban that they make me feel like I am more of an authentic country person, because I come from California and have been on ranches and stuff, not Greenwich Village or a Midwestern city.

Dylan and his contemporaries were pretty direct descendents from Woody Guthrie and his contemporaries. The 1/2 half of the 20th cen. was loaded with working class people in factories and on the land who were politicized by the realities of their lives. There were distinctive musical forms that that they drew from lots of sources and of course merged with other forms so today we have anit-folk. ok

Cran - I'm just not a fan of thin sounding voices male or female. That shouldn't hold you back from superstardom though.

Caj · Post by **Caj** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:20 pm

hyldemoer wrote: Who could have guessed that anyone could sing with a voice so unique and have enough volume to completely fill a large hall! Recordings of her voice don't convey her actual lung power.

Karan Casey is the same way. She sang at Irish Arts Week the first time I was there, and I was amazed she could fill the pavilion with her voice.

Caj

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:24 pm

Caj wrote:
hyldemoer wrote: Who could have guessed that anyone could sing with a voice so unique and have enough volume to completely fill a large hall! Recordings of her voice don't convey her actual lung power.
Karan Casey is the same way. She sang at Irish Arts Week the first time I was there, and I was amazed she could fill the pavilion with her voice.

Caj

Interesting,

I was always under the impression that she could empty a pavilion with her voice.

Slan,
D.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:25 pm

izzarina wrote:I have to admit that I know nothing about the topic at hand, and while I'm not wanting to hijack this thread I do have to tell you, Cran, that this new avatar is one that I actually do not like at all. Queen Elizabeth (aside from her behavior in general) was a ghastly woman

Not that it matters...I'm just feeling a need to express myself today

Cranberry's Avatar s NOT Queen Elizabeth I (Tudor). It is the actress Anne-Marie Duff. She's dressed up to look like Queen Elizabeth, I agree. But Queen Elizabeth I (Tudor) was painfully sensitive about the images of her which she allowed into the public domain, and as a result there are practically* NO full-face photographs of Queen Elizabeth I (Tudor) on the internet.

Do you get the UK series "Shameless" in the US?

*I'm covering myself.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:26 pm

Innocent Bystander wrote:
izzarina wrote:I have to admit that I know nothing about the topic at hand, and while I'm not wanting to hijack this thread I do have to tell you, Cran, that this new avatar is one that I actually do not like at all. Queen Elizabeth (aside from her behavior in general) was a ghastly woman

Not that it matters...I'm just feeling a need to express myself today
Cranberry's Avatar s NOT Queen Elizabeth I (Tudor). It is the actress Anne-Marie Duff. She's dressed up to look like Queen Elizabeth, I agree. But Queen Elizabeth I (Tudor) was painfully sensitive about the images of her which she allowed into the public domain, and as a result there are practically* NO full-face photographs of Queen Elizabeth I (Tudor) on the internet.

Do you get the UK series "Shameless" in the US?

*I'm covering myself.

I thought that was kinda obvious (that she's an actress)...dunno

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:30 pm

Some of the links on the wikipedia page to other alternative "folk"
genres are interesting, too. It looks like they collectively boil folk
music down to mean "played on acoustic instruments" (e.g., Psych
Folk appears to be Psychadelic Rock played on acoustic instruments
with tribal chant loops). Though I'm likely missing some nuance
here.

I like Regina Spektor's voice a lot, but sometimes her musical
decisions make my brain hurt. I should try again and see if my
horizon is expanded enough now to enjoy it.

Cran, if you can find her, you might like Jollie Holland, whom I
would consider to be on the forefront of anti-Americana (a term
which I just made up). Her voice is smokier than Spektor's, though...
closer to Billie Holiday or Nina Simone.

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:38 pm

dubhlinn wrote:
Caj wrote:Karan Casey is the same way. She sang at Irish Arts Week the first time I was there, and I was amazed she could fill the pavilion with her voice.

Caj
Interesting,

I was always under the impression that she could empty a pavilion with her voice.

Slan,
D.

Dubh, I knew you wouldn't be able to resist.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:42 pm

hyldemoer wrote:My goodness, what an interesting voice!

I agree.