suggestions and education for this clueless folkie, please

[Kevbad the Bad]

They're not new, but dead good. Also local(ish) to us, well Okehampton. FOS Brothers "Without Reason", available on their website. Brilliant Irish folk/rock.

 

[klang]

I saw them the year they released that LP when they did one set as TB, and then another set performing Incredible String Band songs with Mike Heron and it was one of the best shows of the year - just totally joyful throughout.

I remember that though I never saw them with Mike Heron. Aware of it and many people found it v good. We've crossed paths many times...

 

[campanula]

My God, this is fabulous (I knew I could rely on Urban in my time of need). killer b - I would listen to the Sharron Krauss album on the strength of the cover alone because I am 'terminally fey' (Colin Meloy, Decemberists). I have already been listening to Lankum quite a bit and have always liked the Unthanks after coming across their brilliant rendition of Robert Wyatt's Sea Song. I have connected my laptop to my little minirig so I can listen to music while chopping away with secateurs (another reason for preferring the contemplative stuff, although the usual folky narratives of loss, betrayal and (inevitably) murder go surprisingly well with weeding. A lot of this is completely unknown to me so I will report back. So, so grateful that the pleasures of music are back in my life. I was especially relying on killer b because some of their posts have definitely rung a bell for me (yep, psychedelic folk for sure) but I will be going all out to listen to the suggestions on here (you have no idea how excited I am after what seems like years in an aural wilderness with only trusted faves (Joni, John Martyn, Richard Thompson, Eliza Carthy et al )for company. You bloody legends!

hitmouse - you may have noticed my intemperate use of brackets...
and afraid to say elisions are also muchly overused in my postings. Solidarity with grammatical renegades.

 

[killer b]

My God, this is fabulous (I knew I could rely on Urban in my time of need). killer b - I would listen to the Sharron Krauss album on the strength of the cover alone because I am 'terminally fey' (Colin Meloy, Decemberists). I have already been listening to Lankum quite a bit and have always liked the Unthanks after coming across their brilliant rendition of Robert Wyatt's Sea Song. I have connected my laptop to my little minirig so I can listen to music while chopping away with secateurs (another reason for preferring the contemplative stuff, although the usual folky narratives of loss, betrayal and (inevitably) murder go surprisingly well with weeding. A lot of this is completely unknown to me so I will report back. So, so grateful that the pleasures of music are back in my life. I was especially relying on killer b because some of their posts have definitely rung a bell for me (yep, psychedelic folk for sure) but I will be going all out to listen to the suggestions on here (you have no idea how excited I am after what seems like years in an aural wilderness with only trusted faves (Joni, John Martyn, Richard Thompson, Eliza Carthy et al )for company. You bloody legends!

There's sets by Richard Thompson and Eliza Carthy among those Folk On Foot festivals I've posted fwiw, so there'll be stuff you're familiar in there with along with the new.

 

[hitmouse]

Hah, glad to know you're appreciating all the suggestions, I was just thinking that if someone recommended me that much music I'd feel paralysed and probably take about a year to work my way through it all.
Oh, on the very trad folk/country/bluegrass end of things, there's a compilation of folk and country covers that Olympia anarchists put out as a fundraiser a few years ago that I really like:



I initially thought that the whole thing was totally anonymous, I'm just now realising that if you click on each track individually it gives some information about who performed it, although they are all still pretty obscure/mostly not easy to search for.

 

[Orang Utan]

Massive Attack took over my listening 15 or so years ago the woman who sings with them on Mezzanine for example has a gorgeous voice and it's a class album to start off with.

The 90s are not very recent anymore.
And it’s the mighty Liz Fraser, not merely ‘the woman who sings with them’

 

[Orang Utan]

20 years ago is new music

Were The Beatles new music in the 90s?

 

[two sheds]

It's all relative intit. Compared with Acker Bilk they were

And yes I never got to know her name with Massive Attack, I phrased it like that because I'd heard that they got annoyed because everyone assumed she was a permanent member of the band.

 

[killer b]

The Left Outsides make very pleasant indie-folk-rock in London, bit more upbeat but I think it might work.

I've got this on now and it's better and more varied than I remember - really nice.

 

[Orang Utan]

It's all relative intit. Compared with Acker Bilk they were

And yes I never got to know her name with Massive Attack, I phrased it like that because I'd heard that they got annoyed because everyone assumed she was a permanent member of the band.

She eclipses Massive Attack in her own right though, so it seems unfair to not name her

 

[kittyP]

campanula if you already like NIck Drake and The Unthanks, did you know that The Unthanks did an album The Songs and Poems of Molly Drake? Nicks mum.
It's gorgeous.

 

[hitmouse]

Yeah, if you like her voice definitely worth exploring her other work with the Cocteau Twins and that.

 

[Knotted]

I'm in a similar position as campanula, I'm stuck in the 70's with folk but really should be listening to more contemporary things and I like most of what I hear, I just haven't caught up with it all yet. United Bible Studies seem consistently good, but keep the recommendations coming. I sense that we're in a bit of golden age for chamber (for want of a better adjective) folk.

 

[killer b]

I sense that we're in a bit of golden age for chamber (for want of a better adjective) folk.

totally, and I reckon it's only going to get bigger over the next few years.

 

[Orang Utan]

totally, and I reckon it's only going to get bigger over the next few years.

Especially when all of the electricity has gone

 

[killer b]

I'm sure there's complex psychological reasons for music you can play round a campfire with no additional power sources is rising in popularity right now, yeah.

 

[19sixtysix]

A favourite troubadour from across the pond Scott Cook



And from the UK Jez Hellard

 

[Boru]

Lisa O'Neill is very good also.. modern Irish folk..

 

[cyberfairy]

Do you have a modern dab+ radio ? If not you should get one. They are not that expensive. Provided you are in a reasonable reception area which you can check online you will get a choice of 20 or more music stations of every music genre you can think of. Google “dab radio reception checker”. Or you can listen to any of these stations online. I like my radios though because they can just be on around the house without having faff about with online. I like modern American country music. You can listen to that on dab+ stations Smooth Country or another one called Chris Country.

I also like all the old 70s rock of course & that is on Planet Rock or Absolute Classic Rock.

I love my internet radio Thousands of stations to choose from and you can select genres. Folk radio uk is good- can listen to on Mixcloud.

 

[cyberfairy]

 

[killer b]

Me and cyberfairy saw a great australian psych-folk act Trappist Afterland in Lancaster a few years ago (he's in the orbit of the United Bible Studies crew, David Colohan from UBS was in the audience and joined in for one song).

This was the album he was touring, though there's a bewildering amount of other stuff on his bandcamp too. Great anyway. It's music that's all covered in moss.

 

[cyberfairy]

This is great and a rather 'interesting' video.

 

[cyberfairy]

Me and cyberfairy saw a great australian psych-folk act Trappist Afterland in Lancaster a few years ago (he's in the orbit of the United Bible Studies crew, David Colohan from UBS was in the audience and joined in for one song).

This was the album he was touring, though there's a bewildering amount of other stuff on his bandcamp too. Great anyway. It's music that's all covered in moss.

I bought his album on vinyl cheap at Action Records but can't play it because of the song about his dog dying!

 

[cyberfairy]

Last one...Sam Lee

 

[killer b]

I bought his album on vinyl cheap at Action Records but can't play it because of the song about his dog dying!

the latest one is really good too, I don't think there's any dead dog stories in it.

 

[cyberfairy]

the latest one is really good too, I don't think there's any dead dog stories in it.

Love the cover. Richard Dawson has an album where the first side is virtually entirely taken up with a song called 'Poor Old Horse' about a horse slowly and terribly dying. Always good to put on at a party.

 

[killer b]

Steven Malley / The Horse Loom came out of the same scene as Dawson, and is brilliant - incredible guitaring, sparse & intimate singing



Also from up there (and part of Malley's occasional folk supergroup Dark Northumbrian with Alasdair Roberts) are Cath & Phil Tyler, an American / Northumbrian couple who do a really nice blend of yank & british folk styles

 

[cyberfairy]

Steven Malley / The Horse Loom came out of the same scene as Dawson, and is brilliant - incredible guitaring, sparse & intimate singing



Also from up there (and part of Malley's occasional folk supergroup Dark Northumbrian with Alasdair Roberts) are Cath & Phil Tyler, an American / Northumbrian couple who do a really nice blend of yank & british folk styles

That looks great- always like your music recommendations

 

[sojourner]

Nancy Kerr and James Fagan.

Lucy Ward.

O'Hooley and Tiddow.

Grace Petrie.

If you're after a dance and then a weep, Merry Hell (I might be a little biased)

 

[cyberfairy]

I have had this song in my head for the last two weeks. I am now banned from singing or even humming it