Electric Folk Before the Birth of the Freak Folks

Categories: Entertainment , Staff Picks , Nonfiction

There has been a popular folk music movement brewing for several years known as “Freak Folk”, consisting of people such as Devendra Banhart, Vetiver, Faun Fables, Joanna Newsom, Espers, Josephine Foster, Six Organs of Admittance, Animal Collective, Akron/Family, and others.  Freak Folk will more than likely be the subject of a future blog.  Why then bring it up now?

Because FF simply could not exist without the creative fusion of styles that occurred in the UK in the 1960’s and 1970’s, described in mouth-watering detail by ethnomusicologist Britta Sweers in her Electric Folk: The Changing Face of English Traditional Music.   I would strongly recommend this wonderful book to anyone interested in folk, folk rock, or the music of the British Isles, and for those curious about the lesser-known, more traditional musical/cultural revolution of the 60’s that was (among other things) a reaction against the pop music of the day.  Sweers wrestles with the problematic definitions and history, paints a vivid sociocultural portrait of the scene, discusses the main players therein, elaborates on the many ongoing musical revivals, and speculates about future fusions of traditional and “new”. 

Who were/are the electric folkies?  The most popular groups include Fairport Convention, Pentangle, Steeleye Span, The Oysterband, and Incredible String Band.  Many solo careers originated with these groups, or exist(ed) alongside them, i.e., Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings, Shirley and Dolly Collins, Davy Graham, Martin Carthy, Dave Swarbrick, Bert Jansch, and John Renbourn.

If you are a newbie to this music, I have provided a selective discography for your listening pleasure.  If you like what you hear, perhaps you’ll want to read all about it…

A Boxful of Treasures by Sandy Denny

...she was enchanting 

Meet on the Ledge: The Classic Years, 1967-1975 by Fairport Convention

...tasty

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter by Incredible String Band

...trippy

Hark! The Village Wait by Steeleye Span

...one of the best of the era

RT: The Life and Music of Richard Thompson

...the first guitar god 

The Acoustic Folk Box by various artists

...a lovely assortment of nearly everyone mentioned above (don’t be fooled by the name—it’s not all acoustic!)