Music I Like: Folk

I started working on a Desert Island Discs list a while back, but I've been inspired to work with genres instead of a top ten list. I just feel like namin some names of the music I like. Let's start with folk!! (Hey! Is everybody ready to hear some folk music?? Bonus points to you who know what that refers to.) I'll follow up in a follow up post.

I love folk music, in part because it is often so depressing. It drives the Kiwi batty I think because she doesn't get how such an optimistic person can love such depressing music. I say the depressing songs are often the best. For example, "I Can't Make You Love Me" recorded by Bonnie Raitt on "Luck of the Draw" makes me choke up. Every time I hear it. I have it on my iPod Shuffle (yes, I drank the Kool Aid, but only a little bit) but I always have to skip over it. A sixteen year old sang it on American Idol tonight and I got all verklempt.

I love the harmony, I love the sad lyrics, I love the plaintive melodies. I love the word play. For example, in Shawn Colvin's "Shotgun Down the Avalanche" how can you not love the lyrics "I'm riding shotgun down the avalanche" (talk about out of control - sort of like a reorg at work!) or "When we met each other, we stopped on a dime" from "Stranded". Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" is a classic although it did cross over to the pop charts in a big way. Suzanne Vega was really a good folkie back in the day "Marlene on the Wall"? Get outta here!! I do have a really soft spot for Shawn Colvin - I can't hate anything she does. She's my Joan Armatrading of the 90's and beyond. Speaking of SAINT JOAN - "The Weakness in Me" - "Show Some Emotion" - "Down To Zero" - "Willow"? Ok not technically folk but we'll split the difference.

David Willcox is pretty great - "New World" is a really good song. Loving Gillian Welch - she has such an unusual voice. Mary Chapin Carpenter is really great although she's not technically folk, more country. But I've seen her do some really good folk music. 10,000 Miles is a great rendition. She has that folky storytelling vibe (ala "This Shirt" which actually gets on my nerves if I hear it too much. But her cover of "Party Doll" by the Rolling Stones is gorgeous). The Story was originally kind of a folk group, although I think that truthfully, Jennifer Kimball has better folk chops than Jonatha Brooke (whom I totally love).

Indigo Girls have gorgeous harmonies but their lyrics are so sincere that they give me a cramp. Crosby Stills and Nash (and sometimes Y, I mean Young) can be very folky - "Helplessly Hoping" is a wonderful song. In my alternative High School (alternative in that most of the teachers were hippies or ex hippies - and I came from an uptight HS in Texas) my English teacher (70's Folk Musician in her own right, but that's probably another post, if only for the connection that I had to her from my previous HS and my University days) used the song to teach alliteration. (Use it with the kids, they will totally get it.)

I AM the queen of digression. If only it made me lose weight. But hey, I digress.

Cowboy Junkies are pretty folkie, and I love them. Natalie Merchant (of 10,000 Maniacs) totally has the whole folk thing down pat. Lilith Fair? Saw the tour TWICE. Hell, I even liked Jewel!!

I may have a part two of this one. I'll get back to ya.