Category: Folk
-
Bob Dylan ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ (1965)
By 1965 Bob Dylan had already become one of the most important voices in American music. His poetic lyrics and sharp social commentary had elevated folk beyond simple protest songs, making it something more literary and deeply personal. In a decade filled with civil unrest and cultural change, Dylan’s words gave people a sense of…
Written by
·
-
Once ‘The Soundtrack’ (2007)
In college one of my closest friends Zach and I became utterly obsessed with the movie Once as well as its soundtrack. The movie is an incredible love story that features Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (who are also members of the band The Swell Season, which yes is kind of confusing). In the movie…
Written by
·
-
Tony Rice Unit ‘Manzanita’ (1979)
Tony Rice Unit’s Manzanita blends traditional bluegrass roots with the free-flowing feel of folk and acoustic jazz with a loose, natural swing to it. All the stringed instruments (guitar, mandolin, fiddle, bass) dance around each other in the background while Rice’s flatpicking remains front and center. It sounds like a front porch jam session played…
Written by
·
-
The Lumineers ‘The Lumineers’ (2012)
The Lumineers have had some pretty massive global success over the years (especially with “Ho Hey” off this debut album) and for all intents and purposes they’re massive superstars. The whole Boom-Clap suspendercore genre has been a go-to formula for artists in the last decade, combining the sentiments of mustachio’d Brooklyn hipsters riding unicycles around…
Written by
·
-
Phil Ochs ‘I Ain’t Marching Anymore’ (1965)
Phil Ochs’ album I Ain’t Marching Anymore, released during the Vietnam War, features protest songs addressing war, racism, and social injustice, blending satire with emotional depth and capturing a pivotal time in American history.
Written by
·
-
Led Zeppelin ‘III’ (1970)
Led Zeppelin’s third album marked a sharp departure from the band’s first two records, blending their signature hard rock with a newfound acoustic sensibility. All this makes sense considering the historical context here– III was Zep’s third album in only a year and a half, an incredibly prolific run over such a short period of…
Written by
·
-
Tim O’Brien ‘Rock In My Shoe’ (2006)
I’m in Nashville this week for a combo trip of work and pleasure. The Music City is such an incredible place– from the bright lights of Broadway to the mood of Music Row, every time I’m out here I have a blast. This evening I’ll be headed to the iconic Station Inn to watch famed…
Written by
·
-
Mary O’Hara ‘Down by the Glenside’ (1958)
Mary O’Hara’s Down by the Glenside is a beautiful collection of traditional Irish songs, showcasing her whimsical soprano and delicate harp playing that bring these folk melodies to life. Her voice floats effortlessly in these hauntingly beautiful and bitter sweet renditions, capturing the deep emotion and storytelling of Irish music. One of the standout tracks,…
Written by
·
-
Simon & Garfunkel ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ (1970)
By 1970 Simon & Garfunkel were already household names, celebrated for their rich harmonies and evocative storytelling that defined a generation. Their previous album Bookends had solidified their place as folk rock icons with hits like “Mrs. Robinson” and “A Hazy Shade of Winter,” blending poetic lyrics with lush, genre-defining arrangements. The duo’s ability to…
Written by
·
-
The Pogues ‘If I Should Fall from Grace with God’ (1988)
Blending traditional Irish folk instrumentation with the snarling energy of punk, The Pogues breakthrough album If I Should Fall from Grace with God was both a rebellious anthem and a love letter to their Celtic roots. The album’s lead single “Fairytale of New York” became an instant holiday classic the moment it was released. With…
Written by
·
-
Neil Young ‘Harvest’ (1972)
Harvest would end up defining not only Neil Young’s career but also an era of introspective, folk-infused rock. At the time Young was already known for his poetic lyricism and achingly honest voice, traits that had made him a beloved figure in the folk-rock world, and his work with CSNY (specifically their masterful Deja Vu…
Written by
·
-
Gordon Lightfoot ‘If You Could Read My Mind’ (1970)
Gordon Lightfoot’s has an enduring appeal that stems from a rather extraordinary gift for melody and his captivating storytelling. With a career spanning over six decades he carved a unique space in folk and pop music, seamlessly blending poetic lyrics with an accessibility that gave him an everyman type feel. He was considerate and not…
Written by
·
-
Nico ‘Chelsea Girl’ (1967)
Nico’s debut album Chelsea Girl showcases her as a pioneering figure in goth music, embodying a haunting, lunar sorceress singing of lost dreams. After leaving The Velvet Underground after their incredible album 1967 album The Velvet Underground & Nico, an experience that she described feeling “like a mannequin,” she partnered up with Jackson Browne and…
Written by
·
-
Gene Clark ‘No Other’ (1974)
Gene Clark is best known for his time with The Byrds during the mid-60’s, but his solo work that followed is truly where he began to shine as an artist. His album No Other is honestly somewhat of a lost masterpiece, similar in a way to Dennis Wilson’s magnum opus Pacific Ocean Blue— two great…
Written by
·
-
Joan Armatrading ‘Joan Armatrading’ (1976)
Standing somewhere in between the hazy folk singer-songwriter vibes of the early 70’s and the more grandiose classic rock production that would come latter in the decade, Joan Armatrading’s self-titled third album has a really sly way of working its way into your headspace over the entirety of its ten songs. It’s an intimate treatise…
Written by
·
-
Looking Glass ‘Looking Glass’ (1972)
When my wife and I were first seriously dating she played me Looking Glass’ hit single “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)”. I don’t remember if I had ever heard the song before, either on a yacht rock radio station or otherwise, but what I do remember is that I’ll never forget that moment. The way…
Written by
·
-
Buffalo Springfield ‘Buffalo Springfield’ (1966)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s 1970 album Deja Vu is one of my favorite albums of all-time, and its genesis can be found with Buffalo Springfield and their 1966 debut self-titled album. The band featured Neil Young and Stephen Stills who would go on to have legendary careers both as part of supergroups and solo…
Written by
·
-
Joni Mitchell ‘Blue’ (1971)
Evaluating the importance of Joni Mitchell’s Blue over fifty years since it was released is a unique experience. From a contemporary listening perspective it’s a lovely folk album, filled with wonderful harmonies and rock-solid storytelling that explores the dynamics of romantic relationships and the swirling emotions that come along with them. But from a historical…
Written by
·
-
Slaid Cleaves ‘Broke Down’ (2000)
I was first introduced to Slaid Cleaves by one of my closest friends during freshman year of high school. His father was a huge folk music fan and always had a ton of new and interesting records from lesser known artists lying around the house and would always share them with a smile on his…
Written by
·
-
Bob Dylan ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’ (1963)
It’s taken me forever to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard in this case) on Bob Dylan for a variety of reasons— this is America’s historical orator, one of the greatest musical poets of all-time, a man of substance and supreme conviction. One of the reasons my wife and I named our son…
Written by
·
-
The Youngbloods ‘The Youngbloods’ (1967)
Sometimes I like to dig through old 60’s folk rock bands who never really made it and check out their albums for no other reason than I enjoy the blind discovery inherent in the process but also the familiarity of what you’re going to get. So many bands in that era and genre of music…
Written by
·
-
John Denver ‘Poems, Prayers and Promises’ (1971)
My first memory of John Denver ironically has nothing to do with his music– it was the cult classic movie Dumb and Dumber starring the iconic Jim Carrey (Lloyd Christmas) and Jeff Daniels (Harry Dunne). In the movie Lloyd and Harry are driving to Aspen, Colorado to meet a girl Lloyd has fallen head over…
Written by
·
-
The Louvin Brothers ‘Tragic Songs of Life’ (1956)
Tragic Songs of Life is the epitome of traditional country music, featuring the aspects that has made the genre an American mainstay for the past 100 years. Two-part harmonies (one low, one high), 3/4 time signatures with a pitter patter of drum brushes, jangly acoustic guitars that skip and bounce between rapid-fire notes, and songwriting…
Written by
·
-
Jack Johnson ‘In Between Dreams’ (2004)
As an alum of UC Santa Barbara (Ole Ole Ole, go Gauchos) I’m pretty sure I’m legally obligated to be a fan of singer-songwriter Jack Johnson. He graduated from UCSB in 1997 and played in the band Soil during his college days, opening for legendary bands like Sublime and Dave Matthews Band before they got…
Written by
·
-
The Civil Wars ‘Barton Hollow’ (2011)
The Civil Wars debut album Barton Hollow is filled with tales of love, loss, and longing that find a way to burrow deep into your soul immediately when the first note hits. Comprised of singer-songwriters Lucinda Williams and John Paul White, the pair inexplicably find a way to tug at the tender notes of romantic…
Written by
·
-
Van Morrison ‘Astral Weeks’ (1968)
Every morning I try and find some time in the day to take a walk by myself. With a family of five including our dog and full-time employment this isn’t always easy or achievable, but it is something I aspire to accomplish. There’s a real calmness in the brisk morning air and the relative quiet…
Written by
·
-
William Wild ‘William Wild’ (2014)
Along with having an absolutely kick ass album cover (this cover is seriously great), William Wild’s self-titled debut is a rollicking fun ride through Americana, Western folk, and 70’s rock and roll. Wild’s voice reminds me a whole helluva lot of Petter Ericson Stakee from Alberta Cross with a heavy dose of Local Natives vocal…
Written by
·
-
James Taylor ‘Sweet Baby James’ (1970)
James Taylor is one of the best-selling artists of all-time, selling over 100 million records throughout his 50+ year career. He’s best known for his sophomore album Sweet Baby James, a somber and self-reflective effort that helped to define the burgeoning singer-songwriter genre in the early 70’s and played an outsized role in the popularization…
Written by
·
-
Cat Stevens ‘Tea for the Tillerman’ (1970)
Cat Stevens (now known as Yusuf Islam) is a pivotal figure in folk rock history, both for his serene songwriting compositions as well as his decision in 1979 to leave his musical career at its zenith and devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community after converting to the religion two years…
Written by
·
-
Carole King ‘Tapestry’ (1971)
No list of the greatest songwriters of all-time is complete (or even worth reading) without a mention of Carole King. She is one of the most successful female songwriters in history, writing 118 hits that cracked the Billboard Hot 100 over her sixty-year career, earning her two separate inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall…
Written by
·
-
Fleet Foxes ‘Shore’ (2020)
Known for their majestic four-piece harmonies and folk wistfulness, Fleet Foxes is an indie rock darling in my group of friends. They are a band that has orbited around the sun of commercial success while never quite finding their way onto the surface, but that hasn’t kept them from weaving their way into my life…
Written by
·
-
Nick Drake ‘Pink Moon’ (1972)
The voice of reclusive youth, Nick Drake’s music was woefully unappreciated during his short life. When he died at the age of 25 due to an overdose on antidepressants, Drake was a relatively unknown musician– just north of 50 people attended his funeral, a relatively close-knit affair. It was only after nearly a decade had…
Written by
·
-
The Mamas & The Papas ‘If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears’ (1966)
Few bands can bring you back to a moment in time like The Mamas & The Papas can. Much like Credence Clearwater Revival has become synonymous with the Vietnam era, If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears sounds exactly like the late 60’s and the sunny periphery of the hippie movement– laid back carefree…
Written by
·
-
Justin Townes Earle ‘Kids in the Street’ (2017)
Americana has been having somewhat of a renaissance in the past decade or so, both in pop culture as well as in popular music, and the late Justin Townes Earle was a beloved figure in that sphere of the world. He possessed an unrelenting honest approach to the craft of songwriting that both celebrated the…
Written by
·
-
Jewel ‘Pieces Of You’ (1995)
Jewel’s personal history is quite intriguing. She grew up in the wilderness of Alaska on a 770 acre homestead that lacked running water, had no heat, only possessed a single outhouse, and her primary food source was anything her family could kill or can. She had a love for music at a young age– growing…
Written by
·
-
Pony Bradshaw ‘Calico Jim’ (2021)
Taking place in the rural decay of North Georgia, Pony Bradshaw’s 2021 classic Calico Jim chronicles the lives and stories of a myriad of eccentric characters existing on the outskirts of society– sixth generation hillbillies, snakeskin-boot wearing rich men, crystal meth-addicted Mennonites, and everything in between. These are stories that exist in 21st Century America,…
Written by
·
