Psych-folk and "hauntology"

[moecurlythanu]

I love the name "ILL Wicker."

There was a big cover article on one of the music mags several years ago (Record Collector?) that referred to the genre as "Weird Folk," and the article focused on how unusual it was to deviate from the strict "requirements" of Traditional folk AT ALL.

I didn't see the magazine article you refer to, so you might be right, but in the last decade, the then current artists playing in that style were referred to as "Wyrd Folk," not "Weird Folk." It incorporated the Anglo-Saxon concept of Wyrd, which loosely translates to Fate, but incorporates a whole lot more. It's possible that the music journalists weren't aware of the musical forebears, and felt the need to invent a new term to describe the music. Similarly, the term "New Weird America" was made up to describe American artists who were more or less ploughing this field, Devendra Banhart being the most visible. Again, these terms likely came into being because they must have viewed Psych-Folk to be bound to the Psychedelic Era only. (Or they didn't know the term at all.) Maybe Progressive Rock fans aren't the only ones who needlessly add layers of confusion to categorizing the music they love.

As for deviating from Trad Folk...That was done early and often, starting in the mid to late 60s.

[JKL2000]

I didn't see the magazine article you refer to, so you might be right, but in the last decade, the then current artists playing in that style were referred to as "Wyrd Folk," not "Weird Folk." It incorporated the Anglo-Saxon concept of Wyrd, which loosely translates to Fate, but incorporates a whole lot more. It's possible that the music journalists weren't aware of the musical forebears, and felt the need to invent a new term to describe the music. Similarly, the term "New Weird America" was made up to describe American artists who were more or less ploughing this field, Devendra Banhart being the most visible. Again, these terms likely came into being because they must have viewed Psych-Folk to be bound to the Psychedelic Era only. (Or they didn't know the term at all.) Maybe Progressive Rock fans aren't the only ones who needlessly add layers of confusion to categorizing the music they love.

As for deviating from Trad Folk...That was done early and often, starting in the mid to late 60s.

The article I'm referring to is from more than 10 years ago and was mostly about the 60s and 70s folk bands that deviated from traditional folk. Fairport, Vashti Bunyan, etc.

[hippypants]

Here's a few more recs in this genre:

Dino Valente's s/t
Damon--Songs of a Gypsy
Donovan--A Gift from a Flower to a Garden
Simon Finn--Pass the Distance

[Kcrimso]

Is Comus psych-folk? I don't know but I love their debut album First Utterance. I wrote a review of it: https://pienemmatpurot.com/review-co...tterance-1971/

[Piskie]

Is Comus psych-folk? I don't know but I love their debut album First Utterance. I wrote a review of it: https://pienemmatpurot.com/review-co...tterance-1971/

That or acid folk, for want of a name.

[Piskie]

^^^ I have the 2cd anthology. There seems to be a strand of recent taste that likes the darker side of folk and this album without a doubt hits that nail firmly on the head. I prefer my psych/acid folk more ethereal and fey. :-)

[abc123]

Never a big fan of "psychedelic" music such as the subgenre discussed here (which explains why never heard much of say the first 5ish Pink Floyd albums), but from the sound of some short samples I heard here in the thread I'm aware that this sort of "psych-folk" material pops up as indiv songs interestingly in all sorts of albums, which (for me) can sometimes be fun (if doesn't project a depressing atmosphere etc), for example if its "haunt" is pastoral or Halloweeny etc etc. That "Cathedral Glass" above reminded me of a song each from two proggy bands that were passing through town approx 25 years ago: Par Lindh Project (song: Green Meadow Lands or similar name), Architectural Metaphor (song or two from the TCOTVV album --- though the "folkiness" would come largely from the vocals only --- only in a song or two probably).

[abc123]

That "Cathedral Glass" above

Meant "Canterbury Glass above"