until discovering trad song, 'folk' meant boring 60's hippy-chicks in floaty frocks to me

That, or earnest singer-songwriters with a social conscience - that kind of thing has to be done very well if it's not going to leave me cold. (Although on reflection the kind of thing you're talking about tends to leave me even colder - the only thing worse than an earnest singer-songwriter with a social conscience is an earnest singer-songwriter without...) The stuff I grew up listening to always had a sense of mystery about it and a perverse, awkward individuality - both of which the well-meaning 'folkies' seemed to avoid, the better to get the message across. I've found traditional song much more rewarding.