Tom Wilson's online emporium of fun

‘The The New Folk Revival'

Folk music might not be something that immediately springs to mind as a genre to which the word ‘cool’ applies. Even the word ‘folk’ conjures up images of middle-aged men with beards, nodding appreciatively while listening to a similarly bearded man sing about dragons and maidens. Given that it’s a field of music whose very nature seems focussed around looking backwards rather than forwards, you might expect it to be fairly lacking in innovation. You probably think it’s about as fashionable as a jumper knitted by your grandmother. However, that’s where you’d be wrong. Because right now, it’s in the world of folk that some of the most innovative and exciting music is being produced. And even more surprisingly, it’s folk music that all the young hipsters seem to be listening to at the moment.

Because of the fact that ninety percent of music journalists are themselves secret folk fans (myself included), there’s been talk in the media of a new ‘folk revival’ for a number of years now. I can remember picking up a copy of The Face magazine way back in 1998, which proudly predicted the coming folk revival. Folk, the magazine suggested, was on the verge of once more making it into the mainstream, just as it did during the first ‘folk revival’ in the 1960s, fuelled by the likes of Bob Dylan in the States and The Pentangle in the UK . Well, The Face might have been seven years too early in their prediction, but at last it seems that folk is the music to be listening to (or, more accurately, to be seen to be listening to.) To help guide you through the folk minefield, we’ve put together a ‘Condensed Guide to New Folk’ to help you avoid any embarrassing slip-ups when discussing the genre at fashionable dinner parties:

Joanna Newsome: The artist with the best claim to being the ‘Queen of New Folk’, Newsome not only plays a suitably odd instrument (the harp), but has a suitably odd voice to match. Her enchanting vocal style is absolutely unique – she sounds like a seven year old girl whose been raised by the fairies at the bottom of the garden. Her album The Milk Eyed Mender was undoubtedly one of the best releases of last year. Sounds Like: The Incredible String Band, 1960s British folk weirdoes who sang in equally odd voices about talking hedgehogs and took far, far too much LSD.

Devendra Banhart: After moving in the same San Francisco circles as Newsome, the pair seemed to come to the attention of the general public at around the same time. If you want to really show off at your next dinner party, you can call the scene that sprung up around Newsome and Barnhart the ‘New Weird America movement’. Sounds Like: Nick Drake, the painfully shy 60s singer-songwriter who perfected a similarly minimal guitar-and-voice style, especially in the last album he recorded before his death (Pink Moon) from an overdose of anti-depressants.

Coco Rosie : Parisian-American sisters whose debut album La Maison de mon Rêve is well worth a listen. Sounds like: Shaky-voiced American singer Melanie who wrote songs about not eating animals and who started the craze for audiences waving around lighting candles when she sang at Woodstock in ’69.

Patrick Wolf: 22 year old singer-songwriter who manages to perfectly straddle the folk and electronica scenes. Really impress your friends by describing him as ‘folktronica’. In true folk fashion, all the instruments on his most recent LP ‘Wind in the Wires’ are played by Patrick, his dad and his sister. Sounds like: Nic Jones, stalwart of the British 70s folk scene famed for his beautiful arrangements of traditional British folk songs.

Andy Votel: Together with Badly Drawn Boy, Votel is the main man behind Twisted Nerve records, an avid trainer collector, graphic designer, producer and DJ. He’s not usually a name associated with the folk scene at all, since his own musical passion seems to be psychedelic funk and rare groove. However, Votel recently put together a fantastic compilation of British Psychedelic Folk, entitled ‘Folk Is Not A Four Letter Word’, probably the compilation with the best title ever. He’s also just put together a selection of tracks by folk legend Don Cooper for a re-issue LP entitled ‘Howlin’ at the Moon’. His passion for folk music has in no small way contributed to the current excitement surrounding the genre. Andy, we salute you!