10 essential folk albums from 2019

Subject: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 20 Sep 19 - 02:32 PM

From Paste Magazine

I have heard of a couple of the names but can't honestly say I am familiar with any of them. It seems quite US centric. Can any of the USers out there recommend any of them to me. Always looking for new stuff :-)

And please, please, please, pretty please. Don't turn this into another interminable what is folk thread!:-) As it says in the article

...folk artists have adapted to the times throughout the decades. That doesn’t make it any easier to categorize—many artists on this list could easily fit into a bluegrass box, or maybe Americana, country or roots, or maybe even rock or indie-folk. But they all carry the spirit of folksy storytelling, and they all bring acoustic instruments to life in new and exciting ways.

Sounds good to me :-)

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: GUEST,Wm
Date: 20 Sep 19 - 02:44 PM

Not familiar with any of the albums listed there, but I would recommend the self-titled 2019 debut by the Washington, D.C., group Going Home. Some lovely takes on shape-note tunes and other trad/adjacent material.

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 20 Sep 19 - 03:36 PM

How can you rate albums of the year when the year is not even close to ending yet? Some might also argue that albums as such are no longer relevant anyway, though I’m not one of them.

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 20 Sep 19 - 05:32 PM

To answer your question, Jerry, the full title of the article is "10 Essential Folk Albums from 2019 (So Far)" : -)

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 20 Sep 19 - 06:47 PM

Fair enough, but will there be thirteen albums by the end of the year, or will some of the current ten be substituted? I don’t know why they say I’m pedantic.

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: gillymor
Date: 21 Sep 19 - 07:10 AM

I've recently been listening to the "Rhiannon Giddens (one of the best singers on the planet, IMO) & Francesco Turrisi: there is no Other" album, #8 on the list. It's an eclectic and deeply soulful recording. Not exactly casual listening.

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: gillymor
Date: 21 Sep 19 - 07:13 AM

btw, the comment in parentheses was added by me and was not part of the album's title.

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 21 Sep 19 - 07:39 AM

Is there anything on this list which isn't American ?

Not really representative then is it.

It should say ' essential American folk type albums '

Dave H

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 21 Sep 19 - 07:46 AM

I went to Mountain View, Arkansas, once Dave (H). One or two of the shops advertised the town as the "Folk Music capital of the world"! At least the town itself and the more sensible shops restricted it to "of America" : -)

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 21 Sep 19 - 09:42 AM

Ah Mr Hanson, this is an American owned and run site, so it will mean more to the home team.

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 21 Sep 19 - 11:24 AM

I've only heard of 2 on the list. And I really don't need any more CDs, thank you. I'd be doing well if I got through listening once each to all the LPs, tapes, CDs and music DVDs I've got already in whatever time I have left!
I am tempted by a few out there:
Dick Gaughan - The Harvard tapes
Handsel - Malinky
Dervish 30th anniversary compilation
Runrig - Last dance boxed set

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: GUEST,Guest Mike Rogers
Date: 21 Sep 19 - 12:15 PM

Tim O'Brien has been recording for years and in his distinguished career has produced many excellent albums.

Molly Tuttle is one of the best guitarists on the planet. I've already seen her twice this year and will do so again next month.

Are some posters sitting in darkened rooms listening only to British music?

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 21 Sep 19 - 12:19 PM

Gotta be honest,
I actually don't recall actively listening to any music released in 2019...???

Or 2018, or 2017, errmmm.. struggling to think of anything this century...?????????

Does that now officially make me an out of touch stuck in the past old mudcat git...!!!???


I claim my lapel badge and framed certificate...
At last I'm worthy of having the secret hand-shake revealed to me...

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 21 Sep 19 - 12:44 PM

For my part, I listen to lots of US music, and always have done, though certainly not to the exclusion of our own great roster of UK artists. There are great US artists like those mentioned above that deserve more attention, but there does seem to be an over supply of sound alike bands emerging, and I wonder how many more we actually need. If I live another thirty years, I probably still won’t have exhausted listening to all the great blues, folk, country, bluegrass and related roots artists already in the US back catalogue.

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 21 Sep 19 - 02:51 PM

For the record I love both Tim O'Brien and Molly Tuttle and American folk and old timey, but the world actually doesn't revolve round America.

Dave H

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: lefthanded guitar
Date: 22 Sep 19 - 12:06 AM

This list appears to be a roster of musicians who record at The Paste Studios. Not sure it's anything but a promotion of the studio, and its clients. . At any rate , I've
never heard of any of them.

I may explore the list further, but from what I heard of one musician who I looked up on YouTube   ( keeping it anonymous for now) : I was not impressed.

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 22 Sep 19 - 04:38 AM

Depends on your definition of folk (don't go there). I admire Molly Tuttle's guitar work, and she's a damned fine looking lady, but to me she does Bluegrass, and (don't get me wrong) I like a lot of bluegrass, but don't class it as folk.

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: gillymor
Date: 22 Sep 19 - 05:20 AM

This most recent Molly Tuttle album could hardly be described as Bluegrass but there is plenty of her fine guitar work on display.

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 22 Sep 19 - 06:45 AM

"Liag" - Eamonn Coyne, Dermot Byrne and John Doyle.
"Raw" - Jarlath Henderson
Coming soon - another CD from Bob Knight [ maybe 2 ]
"The Boss Murphy Musical Legacy" - "The Shandrum Ceili Band"

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 22 Sep 19 - 05:15 PM

The two that I had heard of (and seen) were Tim O'Brien and Rhiannon Giddens. The rest, sorry, but no.

Subject: RE: 10 essential folk albums from 2019
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 23 Sep 19 - 08:17 AM

These two albums spring to mind:

Nick Hart: Nine English Folk Songs
https://nickhartmusic.bandcamp.com/album/nick-hart-sings-nine-english-folk-songs

English Folk Field Recordings Vol II (various artists)
https://stickinthewheel.bandcamp.com/album/english-folk-field-recordings-volume-2

Was listenng to Alasdair Roberts' 'The Fiery Margin' last night, very good in places. Looking forward to the album by Lankum too