Ten Quasi-Folk Albums I Like (Experimental, World, Freak-)

omnifooomnifoo
in Country & Folk

Wasn’t long ago I said I wouldn’t make a list of folk music, as I don’t like Western folk music.  But it might be a while before I get to make a world or experimental list…funds are running low for the holidays.  So here’s to lumping things together with a vague, over-inclusive category.  

Anyone looking for Celtic, klezmer, or acoustic guitar singer-songwriter folk musicians should stick to the separate post with remaining labels on eMusic.  Expecting any of that below will only infuriate.

1. “Empa #01” & “Empa #02” - Escola de Musica Popular e Avanzada (2017 & 2018).  The second entry is less than half the length of the first, but both are just 99 cents and, being specifically for dance, one can definitely appreciate all the folksy hooks.  The second leads with a flute backed by a piano and an unknown instrument that sounds like a very unhappy accordion or a Chinese sheng and is less accessible, more challenging.  Brief vocals on the fourth track.

2. “Flux” - Attwenger (2011).  Fully freak folk.  They have to have one of the largest catalogs remaining on eMusic, unfortunately also on one of the most expensive labels, Trikont.  Punk and folk rock with accordions or “Austria’s answer to The Pogues” are not inaccurate descriptions.  They’re a singular, very much acquired taste, and this album is one of their longest, newest, and most highly rated on AMG.  

3. “Abandoned Garden” - Yujun Wang & Timer (2014).  A very, very long album, more than a single CD could hold and then another LP’s worth, this is one of the best and most interesting examples of Western folk music (i.e. an acoustic guitar and a singer-songwriter) in Chinese that I’ve heard.  Her voice might offend people who demand technical perfection, but I find it refreshing.  Incorporation of Chinese instruments also keeps the proceedings unique and surprising.  Three epics of about ten minutes or more might also test some listeners’ patience.  I could have done without the song sung to her cat, Ding Ding.  Definitely sample first, and know that listening to the whole thing in one sitting might be enough Chinese female vocal acoustic music to last a long time.  I do wish the song titles were either left in Chinese rather than translated into English or longer both to fit the albums epic lengths and get more like “Both Sober and Insane, We Cannot Believe Her.”

4. “5 Monstruos” - Tio Rex feat. Fast Eddie Nelson (2014).  Sounds a bit like Calexico or DePedro on the opener in terms of accompaniment, but his voice is deeper (think Adam Green without the impishness), and he’s got some backup singers.  The rest of the $2 EP is quite a bit mellower.  Singing in Portuguese with an acoustic guitar but not being averse to electricity and dramatic structural twists also brings the “muscular fusion” of Lenine to mind.  https://birutarecords.bandcamp.com/album/5-monstros

5. “Port Entropy” - Shugo Tokumaru (2010).  This is the first of three excellent albums by the Japanese master of hyper-kinetic but charmingly innocent folk rock available on Polyvinyl.  I don’t usually feel the need to promote the final giant indie label, but too many still don’t know and love this guy.  Pure bliss, though if this is the first you’ve heard, do sample ahead to make sure he’s not too upbeat or crazy for you.  His unrelenting falsetto might not appeal to everyone.  For the get-up-and-go, start with “Lahaha” and “Rum Hee.”  https://shugotokumarumusic.bandcamp.com/album/port-entropy

6. “Miracle Kicker” - Dark Captain Light Captain (2008).  Mentioned this one previously, and it’s a very rare case in which there are more user ratings for the album on eMusic than on All Music Guide.  I wonder if it’s a matter of them being from the UK.  Far from new, but one of my favorite folk rock albums.  Far more folk music needs to drop soothing, falsetto f-bombs, as on “Questions,” in my view.  I’d take this over Wilco and really wish they had more than one album.  https://lorecordings.bandcamp.com/album/miracle-kicker-loaf18

7.  “Sometimes Good Weather Follows Bad People” - Califone (2012 or 2002).  Probably too famous for a list of mine and of highly questionable folk pedigree (is “avant-folk” a thing?).  The Sin Ropas side project is more minimal to fit in folk, but I’ve already plugged the one album on the same Jealous Butcher imprint.  This is a compilation of two older EPs with a couple of new tracks.  Broke-down and plodding in the best way possible, with confusion coming from bouts of silence to suggest the musicians are actually as tired as the music sounds.  I doubt it’d fit in rock either.  https://califone.bandcamp.com/music

8. “Life as an Individual” - TzChien (2016).  And now back to the obscurities.  A breathy Chinese female vocalist over sparse instrumentation ranging from accordion to strings to piano to acoustic guitar.  She does sing in English on the first track and with affectation on the third and fourth, though understanding it is still a challenge.  Would benefit from more purposefully directed production to ease the cheese, but if a homespun, guileless sound appeals to you, give this one a whirl.  Not sure what it is about cats that makes Taiwanese folk singing ladies want to go overboard on the sentimentality.  https://tzchien.bandcamp.com/

9. “Billige Flaggen” - Ich Schwitze Nie (2017 or 2000).  AMG says the earlier date, and I’m inclined to believe it.  This is one of those semi experimental albums that doesn’t fit anywhere perfectly, on Trikont and thereby pricey.  Much of it is definitely not folk music, but neither is much else here.  

10. “As Canções de Eu Tu Eles” - Gilberto Gil (2000) does anyone have more albums still on eMusic than him?  Doesn’t hurt that his discography spans more than a half century.  This one is a soundtrack but is maybe even more upbeat and varied than a typical album of his.

On other lists and worth mentioning again:  “The Longest Day” - Toby Hay (2018) https://tobyhay.bandcamp.com/album/the-longest-day.   “Tan” - Foliba (2015).  “Mirror Bride” - Sin Ropas (2016).  “Live (En Vivo)” - Jeheka (2018).  “The Project Earth Experience” - TdotA10 (2019).  “The Serpent And the Dove” - In Gowan Ring (2015) https://ingowanring.bandcamp.com/album/the-serpent-and-the-dove.  Gillian Welch.  


Comments

  • Plong42Plong42
    “Abandoned Garden” - Yujun Wang & Timer (2014) is an excellent album, pushes the boundaries of what I might call folk (although you did call it quasi folk!).  I thought “Empa #01” & “Empa #02” were both great, very good for the price. More in  the light jazz vein than I expected.
  • omnifooomnifoo
    @Plong42 It's always a surprise to know what people like, but light jazz?  I dunno about that.  Anything as broad as folk or jazz should have a big tent, I say.  Yujun Wang & Timer are different indeed but not far from typical Chinese takes on Western acoustic guitar folk...I think the Modern Sky label has several more examples (used to be on eMusic) if one can track it down.  Thanks for your thoughts.
  • omnifooomnifoo
    More folk albums I like (worldly as usual, on eMusic & Bandcamp)

    This isn’t a style I gravitate towards naturally; I’m probably allergic to solo acoustic guitar singer-songwriters. The following albums do make me pay attention and prevent me from giving up on traditional sounds at least adjacent to Western traditions.

    In the order of my likelihood to want to listen…

    1. “Šulinys” - Babadag (2019). I’m sure that the Polish labels have a lot of music I’d like, but it’s pretty time-consuming to sort through. I probably sampled this one but didn’t find it a sure thing in 30-second snippits, so I’m eternally grateful to idiotprogrammer for his endorsement. In its full form, this is prog folk at its finest, and I was also happy to learn that they’re bridging the sometimes acrimonious Polish-Lithuanian rift. This has my full, most enthusiastic endorsement and would contend for a spot on my best-of 2019 lists if I could remake them. Several songs go into epic territory at over six minutes, the longest being over nine (the most triumphant “Kankles”), and harder rock elements are a definite plus in my book. Folksters will think the electric guitar and drums on the opening “Sycamore Tree” (one of about half that are sung in English) are a disqualification, but I think it should be effective at hooking the prog rock audience that will appreciate the album more than fans of minimal singer-songwriter w/ acoustic guitar folk. The other songs do have drum sets, but folk elements are more foregrounded, such as vocals somewhere between rounds and call & response. “Žurawie” takes the formula into quite entrancing, worldly, psychedelic sounds with possible gamelan. Other highlights abound, and your favorite song may be totally different from mine.

    2. “Hola Astor” - Bandonegro (2019). A lively and fully instrumental revue of Astor Piazzolla’s compositions, but whereas many are most known for bandoneon solos, there’s a whole lot more going on here to stir the soul. The first track sounds almost like a rock band with its drum kit, with dramatic shifts in tempo and other instruments like violin taking lead. The full band allows songs to be taken in unexpected rock and jazz directions, usually with a loud or harder edge. For anyone who might consider those kinds of outbursts or re-interpretations sacrilegious, there’s still more subtle and subdued numbers like “Soledad.” These songs cannot be anything but impassioned, but the variety of spins on what must be standards will impress those who think they’ve heard the best renditions or who are ready surrender him to canned easy listening compilations. Don’t let your guard down on this album, or it will strike you fatally in the heart. Their label, Sjrecords, only has 20 titles, but the three I’ve bought are all winners in tango, new classical, and jazz.

    3. “Labiata” - Lenine (2008). I’d only heard and enjoyed his s/t compilation from 2005, so it’s delightful to find a large portion of his discography on eMusic, often for 99 cents. There are electric and even electronic elements here, but mostly I’m impressed by the hard edge of these songs on the outer extremes of what could still be called tropicalia folk rock. The bassline on the opening “Martelo Bigorna” sounds like it's on a cello or double bass, and the violin over it along with acoustic guitar make it a very unlikely candidate to be as aggressive as it is. Lenine is a master at making the acoustic guitar sound both urgent and angry, his voice usually but not always calming things down a bit with extended notes sung in a soothing tone (in Portuguese, itself one of the smoothest-sounding languages already).

    4. “Outside EP” - Molly Linen (2019). A cool $2 will get you this fine EP that has a Neko Case-ish feeling to me, or for those who know her, Liz Durrett. There is electricity involved here over five songs, but I wouldn’t go any farther than folk rock in its categorization. Mid-to-slow-tempo songs are elevated by her pretty voice, and I like the accordion accompaniment on the opening “When They Didn’t Care” and the organ in the others. Her label, Lost Map, has one of the best rock selections remaining on eMusic. https://mollylinen.bandcamp.com/album/outside-ep

    5. “Improvisaciones en un espacio sin tiempo” - Begoña Olavide (2018). One could hardly ask for a more calming album than this fully instrumental oasis. I enjoyed her 1999 album of presumed compositions with vocals, “Salterio,” and just sprang for this one without sampling first. Solo improvisation on any instrument is usually a hard sell for me, especially for over an hour at a time, and I’m usually opposed to treating music functionally. That said, this is sparse, minimalist relaxation music of a very high caliber. Downtempo electronica might as well be hardcore punk compared to it, and I wouldn’t say it’s especially new age in a mushy blobular way, thankfully. I find it interesting that “Salterio” often sounded Middle Eastern, but that’s entirely gone w/out percussion here.

    6. “Las Últimas Composiciones de Violeta Parra” - Ángel Parra Orrego (2017). I loved his “Travesuras” album, especially for its unpredictable variety, so it was inevitable that being clearly all folk songs en español w/ a female vocalist would take this expensive album down a notch. This one’s geared more towards those with a lot of nostalgia for the old life in el campo than for pop or rock audiences, but that doesn’t mean it’s not interesting or engaging. I presume his relationship to the singer (Ms. Violeta Parra, I assume again) is one of intimate propinquity, and I can almost imagine him restraining his penchant for wild variety out of respect or worry of criticizing someone he loves. We listeners might well wish he hadn’t held back and spiced these songs up a bit more. I’m also unsure if “las últimas” in the title should be translated as the latest or the last, but if he goes back to the role as the main composer rather than the back-up singer and likely producer (for electric guitar and other occasional flourishes to what really are folksy songs in their hearts), I’d be satisfied. All that said, this is far preferable to any acoustic guitar folk songs I’ve heard elsewhere; being all (or apparently) originals is a big part of why. Those who demand an outstanding single here will have to listen more carefully than I can, and I don’t think going down pleasantly, blending from track to track, is at all a bad thing for an album.

    7. “The Mad Skeleton” - Fianna (2002). As someone who listens to Celtic folk music only on very rare occasion, one should take my recommendation w/ a grain of salt. For all I know, it could be wholly unoriginal & laden with cliches, or the musicianship could be obviously sub-par. I like it because instrumental tracks alternate to prevent the female vocals from grating, there’s only one vocalist (Celtic & most folk vocal harmonies annoy me for seeming preciously affected by a group longing for an earlier time) and it’s mostly uptempo. Presumably many of these are traditional rather than originals, but I don’t recognize anything that makes me say, “Oh, that sounds like this song from that one Irish movie…” (though the vocal tracks “The Lowlands of Holland” , the almost skippable “The Weaver”, “Johnny and Molly,” & “Be My Sweet Bride” could easily or already be a theme song or closing credits of one I just haven’t seen). So, in short, I like it not because it’s “better” than other Celtic music that’s as popular as possible for this style, but because it’s of the style but unfamiliar and pleasant to me. Serious fans of the style could (and have) recommended other stuff in the style which is likely more critically acclaimed, and they have credibility to say that their superstars are “better” Celtic music than this. But for some reason, I’m unconvinced and would never choose to listen to it. Importantly, Fianna on this album don’t pander to a pop audience or, worse, strive dubiously for acceptance with new age or chillout music crowds by adding keyboards or other electronics. It’s well produced in the sense of being well mixed, adept at highlighting different instruments, and foregrounding melodies that shift before becoming tiresome, but again there’s nothing fancy going on here. Wikipedia notes their name refers to “small, semi-independent warrior bands in Irish mythology” and mentions bands again in the next sentence, so if Fianna are going for a clever kind of neo-alternative Celtic sound like the near-alt.-rock fusion of “The Maids of Falway” or Kofelgschroa’s alt.-oom-pah-pah revivalism intentionally to appeal just to me, I do tip my hat to them.

    8. “El Aaiun Egdat” - Mariem Hassan (2012). I don’t know if it’s fair to say that desert blues is dominated by male vocalists & males generally, but this sonically diverse & quite long album by Ms. Hassan seems like enough to even the field. Her voice is very distinct, strong and fearless, and the prominent addition of brass makes this a far more maximalist outing than most. This is the last of six albums listed on AMG, and since there are no full reviews on her page, I’ll just take Wikipedia’s word uncritically that she was truly “the voice of the Sahara” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariem_Hassan This was apparently the #1 world album in Europe for 2012, but her global fame apparently wasn’t enough to keep her from dying of cancer in a refugee camp at 57, just a few years later.

    9. “Pequeñas Historias primera parte” - Seba Zampese (2018). A dark album cover casts a mystique over these long instrumental acoustic guitar pieces, five in total adding up to over half an hour. The overall sound is actively complex, pensive, and the playing may well be more classical than folk, though I’d be surprised if large portions of it aren’t improvised. Good for reading or writing a manifesto. Free on Bandcamp, though I hardly regret paying $2 on eMusic, since I’m sure I’d never have stumbled upon it otherwise. https://sebazampese.bandcamp.com/album/peque-as-historias-i

    10. “Assim Traduzi Vočes” - Paulinho Martins (2016). This is a lively 99-cent album of instrumentals I assume is from Brazil. It’s a good soundtrack to put some pep in your step early in the morning. It’s got nice acoustic guitar & accordion work that all seems to be in conversation with the percussive rhythms, and there’s plenty of variety, switching between bossa nova, loungey tropicalia, and tango.

    11. “Exilis” - Luis Gimenez Amoros (2020). If songs based around an electric guitar aren’t a disqualification, try this desert blues-sounding album w/ gitano vocals for an interesting combination. With vocals on a little more than half the songs, it maintains an Afro-Latin fusion flavor w/ nice touches like an mbira on “Ande Sekuru Dutiro” and a Middle-Eastern violin on the instrumental title track. I’d probably skip the syrupy sentimental “Recuerdo Crecer Buscándote” and the following duet, “Botón de Matar” (odd title!) for being rather contrived and ready for the showy stages of Branson, MO, or a bad episode of Prairie Home Companion. Fans of the Touré-Raichel Collective should check it out. It’s not cheap, though. https://luisgimenezamoros.bandcamp.com/album/exilis

    12. “Santa Rosa” - Zusan Li (2018). The name sounds Chinese, so her lyrics en español were initially surprising. Extensive searching online reveals she’s from the unfortunately named Turdera region in the south of Buenos Aires. This is a mellow, fully acoustic album led by the guitar, w/ an occasional violin/accordion/clarinet, light percussion in the background, and the songs are rather substantial, regularly between 4-6 minutes long. Her voice is often backed up harmoniously w/ a male vocalist for emphasis, and these don’t strike me as pop songs with jingly choruses. There is a rather forceful one on “Un Solo Momento” that gets the blood pumping, and the lyrics suggest roaming or wandering. I like the airy outro to “Pájaros” and much else to follow. Both inoffensive & inexpensive, recommended for bigger folk fans than I who are tired of solo acoustic guitar singer-songwriters going it alone.

    13. “Lo Primero” - Rosario Alfonso (2018). Either a long EP or a short album, I half expect the opener to be the accompaniment of a trademark Kings of Convenience duet; instead, a female vocalist en español is layered over it, but the wistfulness is the same. There’s a slight Latin pattern to it, but especially after a subtle male voice enters the mix it’s much closer to KoC than el campo. I can’t tell if “De Haber Sabido” trades the acoustic guitar for a ukelele, but it should appeal to carefree spirits who just like a simple male-female duet. Certainly one of the most pleasant albums to end one of these lists; there’s nothing wrong w/ it. Free on Bandcamp: https://uvarobot.cl/album/lo-primero

    Bandcamp only:
    “Eskimeaux” - GABBY’S WORLD (2012). This is a sombre precursor to the brighter “OK” from 2015, but the elements similarly swirl and swoon around the core of her angelic voice, often harmonized here to highly enjoyable effect. https://gabbysworld.bandcamp.com/album/eskimeaux

    “Pescador Nocturno” - Cromattista (2014). After loving two newer albums, “Paraquaria” (2017) & “Rampas y Tuneles” (2020), I was surprised to find their apparently earliest work to be an EP of acoustic guitar instrumentals, either duets or an overdub. Calm and w/ minimal percussion low in the mix, I can’t say I’m wowed, but there are much less pleasant ways to spend a 18 minutes or $1 or more. Suitable for reading, contemplation, or relaxation, though the last song w/ more instruments is oddly divergent. https://cromattista.bandcamp.com/album/pescador-nocturno

    Rather than reposting repeatedly, here’s my lists of what’s left on eMusic: http://www.omnifoo.info/pages/eMuReddit.html
    & by genre https://www.emusers.net/forum/discussion/comment/94512/#Comment_94512 Recent, random posts suggest it is time to include a reminder: eMusic is a website for buying & downloading mp3s. It is www.emusic.com
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