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-   -   It's Avant-Folk Week. (https://www.musicbanter.com/country-folk-world-music/59185-its-avant-folk-week.html)

Paedantic Basterd 10-30-2011 11:15 PM
It's Avant-Folk Week.
 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../avantfolk.png

RYM's Top rated avant-folk releases

This week comes with a fun game! Write a definition of avant-folk for the first post, because I didn't find one on short notice before making the thread! Yaaaay!

blastingas10 10-31-2011 01:17 AM
I didnt know there was such a thing

TockTockTock 10-31-2011 08:26 AM
Definition: contemporary folk music with experimental tendencies. (I suppose that'll do, haha).

A few artists who make up this genre are: Nico, Mister Salmon, Big Blood, Jandek, Erica Pomerance, Godz, The Holy Modal Rounders, and Tim Buckley.













Godz were more than just avant-folk, though. They held a lot of influence in the creation of noise rock, krautrock (mainly Neu!), and freak folk.

Paedantic Basterd 10-31-2011 10:05 AM
Really enjoyed the Big Blood album that track you posted is from. Can't find it to buy it of course.

lisa_mariec 10-31-2011 10:32 AM
How can something be avant folk?

Paedantic Basterd 10-31-2011 11:55 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by lisa_mariec (Post 1115031)
How can something be avant folk?
That's an ambiguous question. Where's the confusion?

TockTockTock 11-09-2011 10:18 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pedestrian (Post 1115027)
Really enjoyed the Big Blood album that track you posted is from. Can't find it to buy it of course.
Yea, every time I share a song of theirs with someone, they end up either liking it or loving it. I'm truly surprised at their lack of popularity really...

Sneer 11-09-2011 10:34 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by lisa_mariec (Post 1115031)
How can something be avant folk?
Quite easily, 'Avant' means advance, and Avant Folk music involves musicians taking elements of the folk genre and advancing beyond standard conventions through experimentation.

Incidentally, one of my favourite sub-genres.

Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra 11-09-2011 10:37 AM
Stuff like this:

Sneer 11-09-2011 10:39 AM
^Yep

A good contemporary avant-folkist:

TockTockTock 11-09-2011 12:30 PM


Do either of you think this qualifies as avant-folk?

By the way, that's a really good song, Stu. I might just look into that.

Sneer 11-09-2011 07:57 PM
I wouldn't say so, the only way it could be construed as avant-folk is if somebody has the mindset that anything with a viola in it is folk... Which of course would be absurd. To me it's just avant-garde.

And yeah, I urge you to, she's pretty fucking splendid.

TockTockTock 11-09-2011 09:28 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stu (Post 1117743)
I wouldn't say so, the only way it could be construed as avant-folk is if somebody has the mindset that anything with a viola in it is folk... Which of course would be absurd. To me it's just avant-garde.
Well, the majority of that album is influenced by contemporary folk, and the guitar work on that song in particular could very much be rooted in the genre... Not to mention the vocals are delivered in a somewhat Dylan-like manner.

I feel that Beck's interpretation/cover of it sort of stripped it down to what it was: a folk song. He just omitted the atonal viola.

Sneer 11-09-2011 09:52 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Pat (Post 1117762)


Well, the majority of that album is influenced by contemporary folk, and the guitar work on that song in particular could very much be rooted in the genre... Not to mention the vocals are delivered in a somewhat Dylan-like manner.

I feel that Beck's interpretation/cover of it sort of stripped it down to what it was: a folk song. He just omitted the atonal viola.
The main inspirations behind the album's sound were from La Monte Young, John Cage and Fluxus. Yeah, Reed was influenced by Dylan, namely his electric output, but he was also influenced by 60's pop and R'n'B. It may have elements, but I honestly don't think it's a folk album in the slightest. I appreciate your angle though, it's an interesting thought - just one I don't subscribe to.

It's difficult to describe The Black Angel's Death Song, let alone assert a genre to it, but I can't hear the folk in it. To me Beck, who is rooted to a degree in folk music, at least in some of his work, created his own interpretation, that's all.

TockTockTock 11-09-2011 10:09 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stu (Post 1117770)
The main inspirations behind the album's sound were from La Monte Young, John Cage and Fluxus. Yeah, Reed was influenced by Dylan, namely his electric output, but he was also influenced by 60's pop and R'n'B. It may have elements, but I honestly don't think it's a folk album in the slightest. I appreciate your angle though, it's an interesting thought - just one I don't subscribe too.

Fair enough. Although, I never argued it was a folk album... I just meant it held folk as influence. If you remember... the older recordings of both "Heroin" and "All Tomorrow's Parties" were done in a folk format (until Cale came in and made them better)

Quote:
It's difficult to describe The Black Angel's Death Song, let alone assert a genre to it
Yea, that's sort of how I came about thinking it was avant-folk. I honestly didn't know what the hell it was (I still don't). :laughing:

Sneer 11-09-2011 10:21 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Pat (Post 1117773)

Fair enough. Although, I never argued it was a folk album... I just meant it held folk as influence. If you remember... the older recordings of both "Heroin" and "All Tomorrow's Parties" were done in a folk format (until Cale came in and made them better)
:
I'm a little conflicted now, because I'm going through it, and there are clear world folk influences that I overlooked. Like the raga in Venus in Furs and tribal sound of European Son.

Yeah I agree with you, it imbues elements of world music into the songs, and blends them with drones, dissonance, whateverelsethefuck they do on that album to create something totally new.

It's avant-punk.


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