MetaFilter posts tagged with punk and Folk

The biggest baddest beasts have easily been beat with one lucky shot.

Charlemagne In Sweatpants — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 01:05:44 -0800

Ghost Mice are a 'FIRST-WAVE folk-punk band' who sing about playing Dungeons & Dragons as a metaphor for overcoming depression, wanting to be loved like John Hickley loved Jodie Foster and recycling so Cthulhu doesn't invade. They've recorded splits with other folk-punk bands like Andrew Jackson Jihad and Defiance Ohio. Ghost Mice's song Monsters Get Slain is a heartbreaking anthem about healing from a lifetime of depression.

For revival, sin and soul

Charlemagne In Sweatpants — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 02:02:12 -0800

The Revival Tour documentary celebrates the annual acoustic folk-punk Revival Tour that was founded by Hot Water Music frontman Chuck Ragan. Now in its fifth year, The Revival tour has featured musicians like Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon, Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace, and British star Frank Turner. This year's lineup includes Chuck Ragan, Rocky Votolato, Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath, Streetlight Manifesto's Toh Kay, Jenny O, Loved Ones' Dave Hause and Jenny Owen Youngs. Folk-punk previously.

personal computing challenging the recording business

Potomac Avenue — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:39:35 -0800

"Dingus is dedicated to the search [for new music on Bandcamp]. It's here, on this humble blog that we shed light on bedroom artists in their most defining moments. If you want what's popular today, Dingus is not the blog for you. But, if you want what's fringe, pure and passionate then you've somehow landed on the right URL." The Snake is a related Netlabel which releases hard copies of the DIY digital releases of certain bands. Other Curated Bandcamp Sites: Meme Movement, Secret Decoder, the Sour Mash, and of course Bandcamp Hunter.

Australian dubtechno and dubstep from Westernsynthetics and friends

filthy light thief — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:58:11 -0800

"Rhyece O’Neill is an intense young man. A polemical folk singer, a producer of bass-heavy dance music, a protester, and a digital media worker for a major record label. He’s unlike anyone else in Australia’s dubstep landscape." Cyclic Defrost interviews O'Neill, aka electronic/dub/dubstep producer Westernsynthetics, and head of the Sub Continental Dub label. You can skip the rest and hear two streaming mixes from Westernsynthetics, 19 tracks from the Sub Continental Dub label, plus the label's first three singles, or continue inside for background, context, and even more music. Raised on Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Hendrix, and Zappa, O'Neill joined a punk band with strong political views, then shifted to the electro and drum'n'bass scenes in the early 2000s, through which he found dubstep in 2005. All the while, he kept busking for money, playing covers of Dylan and Neil Young, and even wrote his own folk music, including a song about the Yorta Yorta people. New Fuse was one of Westernsynthetics first songs, written in 2006 and sent to various DJs for support, but only released online in the last year. In the next few years, he formed his own small label to promote like-minded Australian musicians, including Josh Lamaro aka Spherix (SUBDUB001), Rick Bull aka Deepchild (SUBDUB 003). Both of those singles, plus Westernsynthetics Engine No.999, which was nominated in the 'Best Instrumental Composition' category in the Australian Songwriters Association Awards, are streaming on an archived view of the label's discography page. Westernsynthetics' debut album was released on 10.10.10, entitled May Day Radio, a mix of dubstep, techno, and downtempo hi-hop. The album is streaming on Soundcloud, and the first single from the album, The Machine, has a murky, abstract video (YouTube; also on Vimeo). The track features samples of Mario Savio, from his speech on the steps Sprout Hall as part of the Free Speech Movement from 1964-65 (previously). If you still want more of the dub techno/dubstep sound, here's two hours of mixes, and here's the tracklist for the Void live mix (the .ZIP download link is dead, though). If you're looking for something else, Rhyece interviewed b.i.n.t., (scroll down past the bit on sampling drums), and linked to a streaming track and a free breakcore album to download. If you keep scrolling down past the interview, you'll get to the free electrical storm breaks that Rhyece recorded in Germany (Free Sound Project previously, twice). But if breakcore isn't your thing, you can stream postrock-type tracks and mixes from Gentleforce Soundcloud, or his album POWWOW Nine on Bandcamp, which Rhyece supports.

"If I Could Fly, You Know That I'd Try"

zarq — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:34:34 -0800

The Cranberries: NPR Tiny Desk Concert Set List: Linger, Tomorrow, Ode To My Family, Zombie and Raining In My Heart. From NPR Music

I always dreamed of a Unified Scene

Lovecraft In Brooklyn — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:07:48 -0800

Folk-punk, Orgcore (UD definition) and Dadpunk are all names for a new wave of earnest, authentic rock that draws its roots from The Clash, Billy Bragg, The Pogues, Social Distortion and Bruce Springsteen. In England, its best represented by Frank Turner, the former singer of hardcore band Million Dead. His anthemic songs about life on the margins of fame, poetry, death, inspiration and the power of rock and roll have made him famous in England, leading to an upcoming show at Wembley Arena. He follows in the footsteps of British folk-punk pioneers Leatherface. In America, the folk punk scene is lead by Against Me!, Hot Water Music, and The Gaslight Anthem. Against Me! went from political punk to renouncing strident politics as they gained popularity, with last year's major labor debut White Crosses polarizing fans. Songs like Pints of Guinness Make You Strong , We Laugh at Danger (And Break all the Rules) and Reinventing Axl Rose are still classics. Hot Water Music pioneered the gruff hardcore favored by many Orgcore bands, and their song Trusty Chords is an oft-covered anthem. In 2008, lead singer Chuck Ragan started the Revival Tour, which lets folk punk artists tour together and play acoustic music. It's hosted singers like Chuck, Frank Turner, Against Me!'s Tom Gabel, Lucero's Tim Barry and Dave Hause.
New Jersey's Gaslight Anthem gained attention with their punky debut Sing Or Swim, featuring the anthemic Drive and the Joe Strummer tribute I'da Called You Woody. Their second album, The '59 Sound, attracted the attention of Bruce Springsteen, who performed the title track with them in Hyde Park. Gaslight Anthem's move away from punk continued with last year's American Slang and lead singer Brian Fallon's new band The Horrible Crowes, who embrace a more Tom Waits style sound. Still, their success has inspired other New Jersey bands like Blacklist Royals and Titus Andronicus (previously) as well as Minneapolis' Off With Their Heads. They've also shared members with country-punks Lucero (The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo).
Philadelphia's The Loved Ones are starting to gain some ground, with lead singer Dave Hause working with former Hold Steady keyboardist Franz Nicolay (who also briefly toured with Against Me!) and touring with Frank Turner. The pastoral but intense Defiance, Ohio and the 'emo Springsteen' Jason Anderson both celebrate folk-punks' egalitarian roots by offering several albums up for download and constantly playing intimate shows.
In Australia, Poison City Records releases folk-punk albums by local bands like Jen Buxton, The Smith Street Band and A Death In The Family. They also put an annual Weekender in Melbourne for Australia's folk-punk community. In Sydney, Isaac Graham is getting notice for his sweet voice and for releasing a split with Frank Turner.

All things come to those who wait

Modlizki — Tue, 10 May 2011 16:01:11 -0800

From the pop of "Nursey, Nursey" to the pomp of "Epitaph: Angel", the ambitious double album White-Faced Lady by seminal British psych/prog band Fairfield Parlour (formerly Kaleidoscope) had all the makings of a 1971 hit record. By the time of its actual release, in 1991, the moment had long since passed. The cause of the twenty-year delay is explained in this interview with ex-frontman Peter Daltrey (spoiler: it was the labels). Other examples of shelved and/or "lost" albums in various genres: Electro Patrick Cowley & Jorge Socarras: Catholic (recorded 1975–79, released 2009) Folk Sibylle Baier: Colour Green (recorded 1970–73, released 2006) Bill Fay Group: Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow (recorded 1978–81, released 2005) Hip-hop KMD: Black Bastards (recorded 1993, released 2000) Resident Alien: It Takes a Nation of Suckas to Let Us In (recorded 1991, never released) Jazz Sun Ra: Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 3 (recorded 1965, released 2005) Powerpop Chris Bell: I Am the Cosmos (recorded mid-1970s, released 1992) The Last: Look Again (recorded 1980, never released) Prog Älgarnas Trädgård: Delayed (recorded 1973–74, released 2001) Eskaton: I Care (recorded 1985, never released) Shuttah: The Image Maker (recorded 1971, released 2007) Slapp Happy: Acnalbasac Moon (recorded 1973, released 1980) Third Ear Band: The Magus (recorded 1972, released 2005) Psych Dragonwyck: Chapter 2 (recorded 1972–73, released 2006) Les Goths: Rêve de Silence (recorded 1968, released 2011) The Pandamonium: The Unreleased Album (recorded 1970, released 2004) Punk Death: ... For the Whole World to See (recorded 1974, released 2009) The Puddle: Songs for Emily Valentine (recorded 1992, released 2006) The Sound: Propaganda (recorded 1979, released 1999) Subway Sect: Untitled album (recorded 1977–78, never released)

He found the bandages inside the pen

Lovecraft In Brooklyn — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:18:54 -0800

Songwriters on Process interviews songwriters in depth about their writing process. They've talked to everyone from Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem) to J.D. Cronise from The Sword. Where else can you find both Patrick Stickles from Titus Andronicus talking about Faulkner and Eric from Foxy Shazam admitting he's never read a book in his life?

The reason for the season.

kipmanley — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 15:06:37 -0800

It’s maybe a little early yet for year’s end retrospectives, but who cares: we’ve got 157 songs, 10.5 hours, 1.12 GB of “some of the best and most notable music from 2010... covering indie, pop, rock, punk, folk, rap, R&B, soul, dance, country, modern classical, ambient and electronic music, and in many cases, hard-to-classify genre hybrids.” —Curated by FluxBlog’s own Matthew Perpetua.

Pogue Mahone, ya Nipple Erectors

filthy light thief — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:51:20 -0800

Shane MacGowan is the face and name most often associated with The Pogues. Unraveling Shane's psyche would require a book-length study but the crux of his identity lies somewhere in that conflict between English experience and Irish heritage. The abbreviated story of his life starts with his birth in England, but he was raised in Ireland, and moved back to England some years later. He won a scholarship to the renowned Westminster School, where he was possibly enrolled alongside Thomas Dolby and other notable people. MacGowan was involved with drugs and publicized hooliganery before being in a band, the first of which was The Nipple Erectors in 1977. In the short life of the band, the line-up shifted a number of times, the name was changed to The Nips, and their sound ranged from rockabilly to a punkish R&B, and softer pop. The band in one form or another released four singles, and got as far as to send a demo to Polydor Records in 1980, but the band broke up before the end of that year. MacGowan joined up with another group, The Millwall Chainsaws, who formed in 1979 with Spider Stacy, where Stacy sang and MacGowan played guitar. Inspired by The Dubliners (previously), they renamed themselves The New Republicans, with Shane as the lead singer. "Singing Irish rebel songs was a really good way of sticking up two fingers at the establishment," says Spider. The band shifted a bit, changed their name, and coined their own battle cry: "We are the Pogue Mahone/Fuck The Clash and The Rolling Stones", and began to blaze a trail across the bars and venues of north London. "We just wanted to do something that nobody else had ever done and take it as far as it would go," says MacGowan. "We, knew that people didn't want retro-punk. They wanted fast dance music with good tunes, something they could whoop and scream and cry to. And what fits the bill better than Irish music?" The Pogues had begun. Pogue Mahone initially playing old Irish folk tunes like Waxie's Dargle and Poor Paddy, alongside new compositions like Streams Of Whiskey (here on Old Grey Whistle Test) and The Old Main Drag (BBC Radio Session). In 1984, the band released their first single, Dark Streets of London, and received serious airplay until a Gaelic-speaking producer on BBC Radio Scotland heard the band's name and realized what was being said, and it was banned in Scotland and frozen by Radio 1. The band changed their name to The Pogues, and in October 1984 they released their next single and their first studio album, Red Roses for Me. Their view of The Clash changed enough that they opened from the band's 1984 tour, and Joe Strummer became a friend and accomplice to the band. The band continuing to gain renown, opening for Stiff Records label-mate Elvis Costello in 1985. That same year, Costello produced their second studio album, Rum Sodomy & The Lash, which has been included in a number of "greatest albums" lists. In 1986, band released Poguetry In Motion, a four-track EP that was also produced by Costello, though it was considered "hardly a collection of leftovers." There were strains on the band in this time. The long-time bassist, Cait O'Riordan, left the band and married Elvis Costello, leading to the first major change in the band's line-up, and Shane MacGowan was increasingly erratic and unreliable. The group survived to make their third studio album, If I Should Fall From Grace With God, which came out in January 1988. This effort included more than the Irish folk/punk sound of the past, including middle-eastern influences, a Spanish-inspired party song, and a Christmas ballad (previously, twice), featuring vocal accompaniment from album producer Steve Lillywhite's wife, Kirsty MacColl. The band's fourth album, Peace and Love, is the first to be without a single cover of a traditional Irish song, and includes songs of London, more Spanish influences, even opening with some instrumental jazz of a sort. Unfortunately, Shane MacGowan's drinking and drug abuse worsened, and he failed to turn up for opening dates for the band's 1988 tour, and hindered the band's effort to promote their fifth studio album, Hell's Ditch. This album shifted farther from the Irish folk roots of the past, and included Asian themes and more Spanish influences that were gained in part from the band's time in Spain while shooting Straight To Hell, an action-comedy homage to Spaghetti Westerns (clip). (Director Alex Cox wanted to put on a tour to raise money for Nicaragua, but instead shot this film in Spain and made what one critic called "A Fist Full of Nothing".) The soundtrack includes covers and exclusive tracks. Finally the band dropping MacGowan in 1991, and two Pogues compilations were issued that same year: Essential Pogues and The Best of The Pogues. Another compilation was issued in 1992, The Rest of The Best, as if to mark the end of the band. But The Pogues lived on, with Joe Strummer filling in for vocals until Spider Stacy took over and returned to his old role of lead vocalist, and giving other band members a chance to write songs for the group. In 1993 they released Waiting for Herb, their second album without a traditional cover. Even though the band was without their iconic frontman, they still had their first top 20 single since Fairytale of New York, with Tuesday Morning (YouTube). The band line-up changed dramatically between their 6th and 7th album, Pogue Mahone, which even the band members considered "a less ambitious, rather conservative Pogues album, all in a well-established Pogues style." Reviewers were less forgiving: "No angst. No identity. Nothing memorable." In 1996, the remainder of the band called it quits, but this wasn't the end. Various members of the band went on to their own side projects or to form new groups. In October 1995, Jem Finer (one of the original Pogues) started to work on Longplayer, the one thousand year long musical composition (previously). Spider Stacy, Darryl Hunt and Andrew Ranken formed The Vendetta (initially named The Wisemen, not Stacy's idea), and had half an album written before The Pogues reunited. Ranken also performed with Nigel Burch and the Flea-Pit Orchestra. James McNally released a solo album and joined Afro-Celt Sound System. Jamie Clarke formed Perfect in 1997. Shane MacGowan formed The Popes in 1994 after parting ways with The Pogues, releasing two studio albums in the 1990s, only to reunite the band in 2001 and again in 2004, then in 2006 and 2008, though no new studio material has been recorded. The Popes live on, without MacGowan. They released a studio album from the new line-up in 2000, then released a 2-disc Best-Of compilation and a live album in 2002 from their time being fronted by MacGowan. The Popes released another studio album in May 2009, featuring a more orderly Shane MacGowan. More Pogues Media BBC Radio 2 documentary - Pogue Mahone: The Story of the Pogues Written summary and and streaming in Real Media The Story of Fairytale of New York (2005), from BBC Three 6 parts on YouTube: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, and part 6 The Pogues: Live at the Town and Country on St. Patrick's Day in 1988, one of the official live video recordings (also available via unofficial media, as listed on the highly detailed database of live audio and video recordings of The Pogues and related bands) and YouTube, from the Japanese LaserDisc:

Intro 1. The Broad Majestic Shannon 2. If I Should Fall From Grace With God 3. A Rainy Night In Soho 4. Thousands Are Sailing 5. Fairytale Of New York (with Kirsty MacColl) 6. Lullaby Of London 7. Dirty Old Town 8. London Calling (Joe Strummer vocals) 9. Turkish Song Of The Damned 10. Fiesta 11. The Irish Rover 12. Worms 13. A Message To You, Rudi (Lynval Golding vocals) 14. The Wild Rover and end credits

Demos on YouTube Dark Streets of London (1983 demo version) Fairytale of New York (2nd demo of the song, with Cait O'Riordian dueting with Shane) Playlist with another 10 or so Straight to Hell, the movie, as a 9-part YouTube playlist. Viewable in scaled up HQ, but with a wonky display ratio either way.

Chumbawamba

finite — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:12:28 -0800

Her majesty's a pretty nice girl but she never did a thing for me Mouthful of shit is a seven-minute documentary about Chumbawamba. Here are some more of their songs:

Add me (2008)
You can (2007)
Invasion (1986)
Smashing of the Van (2003)
Farewell to the Crown (1997)
That's How Grateful We Are (1990)
Give the Anarchist a Cigaratte (1995)
Revolution (Liberation / Stagnation) (1985)

And here is a Slovak duo's cover of Tubthumping.

i bought some crappy lights and started calling people up

Potomac Avenue — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:16:20 -0800

Live from the Pink Couch: Punks, Girls, Boys, Warriors, Witches, Kids, Comptrollers, and your new favorite band Best Friends Forever! (boyzone comment flamewar included) If You Make It also has oodles of live concert footage (like more BFFs!) and a (well intentioned) series of 31 films in 31 days. Similar to Daytrotter's Live Sessions or VPRO 3VOOR12's Elevator Sessions or Blogotheque's Concerts A Emporter but with no corporate sponsorship or fixed agenda, it's just a guy and a "crappy Ikea couch" documenting folks who like to Dream It Yourself.