The Many Faces of Modern Folk

Folk music is an interesting thing. You can trace it through the years; from campfire songs shared by tribes to ballads sung for kings. It stretches far and wide in music, influencing every genre imaginable and taking the form of musical poetry. Folk is the music of the storyteller, and the lyrics are generally more important than the instrumentals. Folk is very diverse, all of the songs take a similar form, but similarity is relative. Flowers are similar, but no one would say that an orchid and a dandelion are basically the same thing. Take a listen to the stories these musicians have to tell, they are the stories of our times and they are as similar to each other as orchids and dandelions.


“Fidelity” by Regina Spektor

From Regina’s latest masterpiece “Begin to Hope,” the melody is deceivingly simple. Lyrically, this song is about heartbreak, it’s about trying to hide yourself in music, trying to protect yourself, and failing miserably. In the event of real-life heartbreak, Regina’s voice is really all the music you need and her lyrics are comforting and genuine. Regina Spektor knows where you’re coming from.

“Moon Over the Freeway” by the Ditty Bops

Their ridiculously catchy music sounds like something that could’ve been played on the radio in the ‘40s, or earlier. Their new album is an escape from modern living. This song is extremely lighthearted, and although it may sometimes feel more like swing than folk it is so evocative of an era and a certain front porch feeling, that it pulls you into a different time and place, telling you a story.

“Weather Report” by Bright Eyes

It’s always a story you hear when Conor Oberst sings. I hate to commit musical sacrilege, but his lyrics in “Weather Report” remind me of Bob Dylan. It’s not just an overall revelatory story, it’s a story that shows you something about yourself, or about your culture, or about your world in every line. For example:

“And the time clocks keep waving their hands
Doin all that they can
To get our attention
But the days fly away down a clean interstate
I’m staring drunk at a map...”

It’s sad, funny, and true. How do we value our time? And, even when we’ve been told “time is of the essence” do we listen? It’s one small part of a song that can tell you a lot if you take the time to listen to the lyrics.

“Lullaby” by Jack Johnson & Matt Costa

From the most amazing “Curious George” soundtrack, Jack and Matt sing a lullaby. My favorite part of Elliott Smith’s music, will always be his ability to make the listener relax and let down their guard. Mr. Smith also crafted, beautiful and sometimes unbearably sad music. What Jack Johnson does is similar, but different. Johnson creates a song, like a lullaby, that lulls you into relaxation, then he peppers your daydreams with “Banana Pancakes” and “Constellations.” It’s really beautiful, and the fact that he can celebrate happiness and truth through folk music, easily sets him apart from his contemporaries.