Anti-folk

Anti-folk (or antifolk) is a genre of music related to punk rock and American folk music that originated in the mid-1980s in New York City.

Anti-folk had its roots in punk rock, and is still considered by some to be an active subgenre within that scene. By a loose definition, Anti-folk combines the raw, abrasive, and frequently politically charged attitudes of the punk scene with the sounds of American folk tradition.

This genre takes the earnestness of politically charged '60s hippie music and subverts it into something else: music that sounds raw and poorly executed, but mocks the seriousness and pretension of the established mainstream folk scene and also mocks itself. In Anti-folk, self-mockery and self-aggrandizement have somehow fused, just as political commentary fused with poppy love songs in the sixties.

Influences

The Moldy Peaches, Regina Spektor, and The Frogs are considered influential artists in this genre, and are primarily responsible for its popularity. On the West Coast, S.P.A.M. Records' Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits made their own contributions to the genre with vulgar acoustic rock. Contemporary anti-folk music is popular in many parts of United States and has also made its mark in the UK and Europe, chiefly because of Rough Trade Records, the Moldy Peaches, and Jeffrey Lewis, but also in large part due to self-sufficient music communities, venues, and many touring international acts building friendships and musical partnerships. The New York City anti-folk scene mostly revolves around the Sidewalk Cafe, a club in the East Village that hosts shows and an open mike night called the Anti-Hootenanny, hosted by songwriter and seminal Anti-folker Lach. It was Lach and a small group of musician/performers, including Cindy Lee Berryhill who coined the name Anti-folk at their first meeting, that became the impetus for the early NY scene. Also notable in the community is Olive Juice Music, a collective and label centered around a recording studio run by Major Matt Mason USA, and Luv-A-Lot, a homemade label run by the prolific Dashan Coram.

Anti-folk is a parent genre of other microbrew classifications such as Urban Folk and Counterfolk. Some performers, such as Dufus, Need New Body, and Man Man, have split with the scene and moved on. ]

Recent developments

In recent years Antifolk has spread beyond the US. The UK antifolk scene (largely centred around London and Brighton) is rapidly developing its own identity, with much less emphasis on acoustic music and a more prominent punk influence than the New York scene. UK antifolk began in London with shows promoted by the lo-fi musician Filthy Pedro and the disturbingly humorous David Cronenberg's Wife. The Brighton scene was quick to follow, set up and run primarily by Larry Pickleman and Mertle. Other key figures within the UK antifolk community include the politically charged JJ Crash, shouty acapella poet Spinmaster Plantpot, and outsider musician Paul Hawkins. Antifolk-influenced acts such as the Bobby McGees, Milkkan and Emmy the Great have begun to pick up regular national radio airplay and media coverage and in August 2006 Timeout Magazine called antifolk "One of London's hottest subcultures". An Antifolk UK compilation album is due to be released in early 2007, to be mastered by Kramer (Producer of Jeffrey Lewis, Galaxie 500, Butthole Surfers)

There is arguably an active Anti-Folk scene in Australia. Centred around inner-city Melbourne, a collection of artists including The Lucksmiths, Darren Hanlon, Jodi Phillis and The Mabels play bitingly witty songs with accessible melodies that take a lot from 60's pop. The most internationally successful is The Lucksmiths. The Australian breed of anti-folk differs from the American in that the themes are often more ironic and self-referential and tangible. In this respect, they bridge anti-folk with post-modern music. Melbourne's Candle Records is the home of many of these artists.

The singer-songwriter Beck (who has reached a greater level of popularity than most anti-folk acts) has been influenced, to at least some extent, by the New York anti-folk scene, though one would not really consider his recent music actual anti-folk. Oakland artist, Sleepyboy moe, has continued and created his own blend of anti-folk, called "sludge-folk." Using raw, sparse, and bottom-heavy instrumentation, he released the dirty, analog ep "THE SLEEPYBOY MOE TAPES" in May of 2006 and performs in the Bay Area underground scene.

Criticism

Some critics say that anti-folk is 'childish' and the artists 'talentless'. While the anti-folk lifestyle and mindset is typically do it yourself, it is important to realize that anti-folk artists have much diversity. For example, Kimya Dawson writes with surrealistic lyrics and focuses many of her songs from a childish viewpoint to show the hurt and fear many children face when going through difficult situations. Lach pokes fun at many popular musical styles, especially in songs such as Drinking Beers with Mom (Antifolk Compilation 1) which parodies and both includes itself in the gusto teenagers present when confronted with drugs and beer.

External links

• Antifolk Dot Net
• Antifolk UK - The Home of the London Antifolk Scene
• Antifolk dot Org - Brighton Based UK Antifolk Site
• Helper Monkey - Irish Anti-Anti-Folkers
• Olive Juice Music
• Unicorn Sounds
• Luv-A-Lot Records
• Antifolk Online
• RIYL Records
• Candle Records
• We're Twins Records
• BBC Collective: Jeffrey Lewis video session
• Aberdeen Antifolk - Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
• Morning Star article on Antifolk
• Time Out London feature on Antifolk

See also

• Articles related to Anti-folk music
• Alternative Country
• Psych folk
• Urban Folk