Folk Music

WATCH: Remembering Doc Watson

Posted 05.30.2012

Read More: Flatpicking, Bluegrass Music, Video, Doc Watson, Doc Watson Folk Music, Arthel Doc Watson, Post50 Celebrities, post50 Musicians, Guitar Playing, Folk Music, Fifty News

Folk musician Arthel "Doc" Watson, 89, died on Tuesday due to complications from a fall in his home. After losing his sight at a young age, Watson...

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Legendary Folk Singer Dead At 89

AP | MARTHA WAGGONER | Posted 05.30.2012

Read More: Mitchell Greenhill, Video, Doc Watson, Doc Watson Dead, Merlefest, Doc Watson Dies, Grammys, Obituary, Folk Music, Grammy Awards, Celebrity News

RALEIGH, N.C. — Doc Watson, the blind Grammy-award winning folk musician whose mountain-rooted sound was embraced by generations and whose light...

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My Pete Seeger Spring: A Visit to Say Thanks

Raffi Cavoukian | Posted 05.11.2012

Read More: Singer-Songwriter, Pete Seeger, Social Justice, Folk Music, Pete Seeger Clearwater, Entertainment News
Raffi Cavoukian

I told Pete I'd come to say thank you for all that he had given me over the years. For the way his songs had stirred me and got me singing them. For the example of courage in his life that inspired me and filled me with awe.

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Happy Birthday, Pete Seeger

Peter Dreier | Posted 05.03.2012

Read More: Almanac Singers, Tom Morello, Where Have All the Flowers Gone? Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Folk Music, Nobel Peace Prize, If I Had a Hammer, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco, Weavers, Bruce Springsteen, Newport Folk Festival, Pete Seeger Birthday, Politics News
Peter Dreier

Today is Pete Seeger's 93rd birthday. What's an appropriate gift for the most influential folk artist of the 20th century? A few years ago some of Pete's fans launched a campaign to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. It is time to resurrect that effort.

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Irish Fiddler Preserves and Evolves the Tradition

Marty Lipp | Posted 04.13.2012

Read More: Martin Hayes, Traditional Music, Celtic Music, Irish Music, Chieftains, Instrumental Music, Lunasa, Folk Music, Ireland, Solas, Doveman, World Music, Video, Arts News
Marty Lipp

Martin Hayes is a traditional Irish fiddler and the son of a traditional Irish fiddler, so he is well aware that traditional music is a constantly evolving form. Hayes is a masterful fiddler who is known for his soulful playing as well as his ability to fly through a brisk improvisational melody.

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LISTEN: Our Favorite Colo. Bands On Spotify Playlist!

The Huffington Post | Matt Ferner | Posted 04.11.2012

Read More: Colorado Bands, Best Colorado Bands, Denver News, Best Denver Bands, Denver Bands, Electronic Music, Denver Music Scene, Colorado Music Scene, Indie Music, Folk Music, Spotify Playlists, Hip Hop Music, Denver Colorado, Denver Indie Music, Colorado, Denver News

Denver, and Colorado at-large, has one of the most vibrant and rich music scenes in the country. As a way to celebrate a tiny fraction of the local mu...

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Jay Brannan Returns With Rob Me Blind

Louis Peitzman | Posted 05.28.2012

Read More: Singer-Songwriter, Shortbus, Indie Music, Lana Del Rey, Folk Music, Jay Brannan, Music, Indie Folk, Interview, Jay Brannan Album, Culture News
Louis Peitzman

Jay Brannan's latest album, Rob Me Blind, is a labor of love that reflects his growth as an artist, and his desire to take new chances. I chatted with Jay about his new music, his live shows and the undeniable pleasures of Lana Del Rey.

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Billy Bragg's New Odes to Woody Guthrie--and Beethoven

Greg Mitchell | Posted 05.05.2012

Read More: Billy Bragg, Classical Music, Folk Music, Beethoven, Entertainment News
Greg Mitchell

From folk to punk and back again, Billy Bragg has long been one of our most important and popular "political" songwriters.

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First Listen: Hear All Of Ani DiFranco's New Album 'Which Side Are You On?'

Posted 01.17.2012

Read More: Political Music, Politics, Protest Songs, Ani Difranco Protest Songs, Women, Protest, Which Side Are You On, Ani Difranco Political Music, Folk Music, Ani DiFranco, Ani Difranco Which Side Are You On, Gay Voices News

Ani DiFranco is back with her first studio album in more than three years. "Which Side Are You On?" tackles issues on both the macro and micro leve...

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Artist Spotlight: Varlet Talk New Album, American Idol

The Huffington Post | Matt Ferner | Posted 01.30.2012

Read More: Best of Denver, Video, Mydenver, Denver Music Scene, Lilly Scott, Folk Music, Varlet, My Denver, American Idol, Denver Indie Music, Denver Culture, Denver News

Denver-based five-piece band Varlet has crafted one of the most stunning records of 2011. The band's distinct sound is a hauntingly beautiful blend: I...

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The Uncommon Bonds of Common Rotation

James Campion | Posted 02.02.2012

Read More: Woody Allen, Folk Bands, Folk Music, Indigo Girls, God Keeps an Open Gallery, Los Angeles, Common Rotation Band, Entertainment News
James Campion

I am riding shotgun in a rented van crawling up Fourth Avenue with Common Rotation, a road weary L.A. folk trio.

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Childhood's Musical Kernels

Susanne Mentzer | Posted 01.31.2012

Read More: Arts, Childhood Memories, 1960s, Classical Music, Folk Music, Dentist, Arts News
Susanne Mentzer

When I was little I was petrified of the dentist. I refused to open my mouth. After numerous costly visits and a severe punishment, I started to hum while the dentist probed around my teeth and gums. It calmed me.

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Artist Spotlight: Ian Cooke & His Cello-Heavy Folk Rock

The Huffington Post | Matt Ferner | Posted 01.30.2012

Read More: Lgbt Colorado, Denver Music, Ian Cooke Fortitude, Denver News, Cello, Mydenver, Gay Musicians, Denver Music Scene, Pride Toronto, Folk Music, Greater Than Collective, Gay Artists, My Denver, Colorado, Strings Project, Ian Cooke, Denver Colorado, Denver Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Denver News

Ian Cooke and his cello-heavy folk rock have been winning over critics and gathering up awards for years. He has been featured in Spin magazine, has w...

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Metrobilly Band Rocks Charts With Song on Mountaintop Removal (VIDEO)

Jeff Biggers | Posted 01.30.2012

Read More: Epa, Appalachia, Crime Against Nature, Dirty Coal, Music for the Mountains, President Obama, Bluegrass, Central Appalachia, Kentucky, Folk Music, Mountaintop Removal, Birth Defects, Cancer, Coal, Country Music, Video, Green News
Jeff Biggers

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Lucas Kavner

Iconic Folk Singer Talks Life, Cancer, Songwriting

HuffingtonPost.com | Lucas Kavner | Posted 11.19.2011

Read More: Folk Legends, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, Folk Songs, Folk Music, Chicago Music, John Prine Folk, John Prine, Video, Singing Mailman Delivers, Bluegrass, Chicago, Oh Boy Records, Angel From Montgomery, Chicago Bars, Culture News

In the late 1960s now-legendary folk musician John Prine was living in Maywood, Illinois, and working as a mailman. At night he would venture out t...

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A-Sides with Jon Chattman: Triple Play with Wilderness of Manitoba, Crystal Antlers, and Cosmo Jarvis

Jon Chattman | Posted 01.15.2012

Read More: Lacie, Andrew, Banjo, Deliverance, Computer Hard Drives, A-Sides, The Wilderness of Manitoba, Canadian, Crystal Antlers, Gay Pirates, A-Sides With Jon Chattman, Folk Music, Steve Martin, Cosmo Jarvis, Kermit the Frog, Orono Park, Dog Days, Entertainment News
Jon Chattman

This edition of "A-Sides" features three unique artists who will either mellow you out or rock your socks off. Actually, if you're mellowing out - aren't your socks off anyway? That doesn't matter either.

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Judy Collins Discusses Life, Love -- And Music

The Huffington Post | Debra Ollivier and Evan Allis | Posted 12.18.2011

Read More: Activism, Judy Collins, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes, 10 Big Questions, Grammy-Winner, Folk Music, Substance Abuse, Late Bloomers, Music, Fifty News

Abbie Hoffman praised her, Crosby, Stills & Nash sang about her and the Clintons named their daughter after her recording of "Chelsea Morning." But th...

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Get Lost At The Sea With 'Lillian,' A Folk Opera

Posted 12.17.2011

Read More: Ben Lear, Contemporary Folk Music, Folk Opera, Lillian a Folk Opera, Ocean Pollution, Singer Songwriter Ben Lear, Folk Music, Lear Lillian, Nyu Music, Eco Friendly Music, Video, Arts News

Say goodbye to white gloves, binoculars, Italian belted high notes and viking hats; opera has a new face, complete with a scruffy five o'clock shadow....

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Faulkner, Hemingway, Hesse...And Dylan?

Time | Posted 12.05.2011

Read More: Haruki Murakami, Literature, Folk Music, Nobel Prize, Bob Dylan, Fifty News

Bob Dylan as a Nobel Prize winner likely isn't a common conversation in mainstream America. But there is no questioning the singer's impact on pop ...

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Folk Music Virtuoso Dies At 67

AP | By GREGORY KATZ | Posted 12.05.2011

Read More: Lung Cancer, Bert Jansch Dead, Folk Music, Bert Jansch Lung Cancer, Bert Jansch Dies, Bert Jansch, Fifty News

LONDON -- He was quiet, modest, uncomfortable in the spotlight – not looking for No. 1 hits or commercial ditties. But when Bert Jansch picked ...

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The Black Earth Boys at Lincoln Center (Video)

Michal Shapiro | Posted 10.17.2011

Read More: Ben Mandelson, Live Performance, World Music, Justin Adams, Robert Plant, Juldeh Camara, Folk Music, Les Triaboliques, The Carter Family, Arts News
Michal Shapiro

2011-08-17-Screenshot20110817at11.15.41AM.jpg The repertoire was primarily a melding of American folk and blues with Juldeh Camara bringing the West African flavor.

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Too Real to Be on Radio -- Roots Music Rescues Los Angeles

Suzanne O'Keeffe | Posted 10.08.2011

Read More: Roots Music, Mike Stinson, Roots Roadhouse, The Sadies, The New Los Angeles Folk Festival, Bluegrass, Americana Music, Folk Music, Los Angeles, Country Music, Grand Ole Echo, The Echo, Slidefreestyle, La Around Town, Los Angeles News
Suzanne O'Keeffe

Tucked into thrown-away nights and abandoned time slots -- far from the droning anonymous dance scene -- the Americana / hillbilly / country shows have been the musical lifeboats of Los Angeles.

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The David Wax Museum: The Best Band You Might Not Know

Rob Kirkpatrick | Posted 09.30.2011

Read More: Manhattan, Boston, Roots Music, Newport Folk Festival, Grassroots, Clearwater, Hudson River, Folk Music, Wellesley College, David Wax Museum, Quakers, Dave Matthews Band, New York, Catholic Church, Madison Square Park, Harvard University, Son Jarocho, Suz Slezak, David Wax, Ridgefield, Flatiron District, Entertainment News
Rob Kirkpatrick

Even as one speculates on the group's future within the archetypes of the music machine, one gets the sense the David Wax Museum will hold onto the peculiar charm of their music and their simple love of sharing it, no matter how many people are listening.

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WATCH: Steve Martin Debuts Whimsical Music Video

Posted 08.13.2011

Read More: Steve Martin, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Video, Jubilation Day, Banjo, Steve Martin Banjo, Funny Videos, Music Video, Folk Music, Steep Canyon Rangers, Music, Jibjab, Country Music, Animation, Arts News

Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers have released a music video for their song "Jubilation Day" which features Martin and his bandmates' heads o...

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The Political Bob Dylan

Peter Dreier | Posted 07.24.2011

Read More: Pete Seeger, The Times They Are a-Changin, Folk Music, Phil Ochs, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Protest Music, Blowin in the Wind, Politics News
Peter Dreier

Bob Dylan's off-and-on engagement with politics is intriguing. But his peace and justice songs have had a life of their own.

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