My mother only likes folk music, and I want to get her something relatively new. And she already has Damien Rice and David Gray, and I loaned her Iron & Wine a couple weeks ago. What else is there that's strictly folk and relatively new that I can get her?

Jolie Holland's last album was pretty good. Joanna Newsom's was as well. How about going a couple decades back and picking up some of the texas folk/country guys. I think any of Townes Van Zant's albums would be good choices, or even better, you could pick up the Flatlanders' sort-of first album More a Legend Than a Band. It is a classic and one of my favorites.

I'll second klt's recommendation of Jolie Holland. Last year's Escondida was something special. You wouldn't know it from her stop in Bloomington, though. It took less than an hour for us to dub it the "L'il Ball o' Hate" tour.

Arlo Guthrie's daughter, Sarah Lee, has an album out with Johnny Irion called Exploration that seems to be creating quite a buzz among folk purists. You can check out some samples of their music on their web site.

John Prine also has a new one out that I've just started to check out called Fair & Square. I don't have a strong opinion of it yet except to say it is impossible to go wrong with John Prine.

It's easy for me this year. Mom's gettin' Springsteen. She loooooves Springsteen.

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I thought of two more that I use often for my mom. She really likes the Irish folkies, so I generally get her either Luka Bloom or Christy Moore albums for holidays.

I was gonna suggest older stuff -- Nick Drake (the collection "Way to Blue") or Fairport Convention ("Unhalfbricking" or "Liege and Lief"). Or the McGarrigle Sisters, from Canada -- their great debut, "Kate and Anna McGarrigle", or later stuff like "Matapedia".

I'll go with Jolie Holland for now..I'll d/l a few tracks and see if I think she'd like it....I think it's more personal a gift if it reflects my current exploration of obscure new music.

I guess mom would have a cow if you made her listen to Devendra Banhart? I think "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" is pivotal, if OOOOLLLLDDD.

Hmm..I don't think Jolie Holland is quite her style. What about Sufjan Stevens?

How about two other decent folk releases from the last few years.

Vetiver-Vetiver (not a bad album but stay away from their live show. Boooooring)

Delorean - Not Exotic (This is the only album of theirs I have, although I've heard the new one is also good.)

Sufjan's music might be up her alley, if she likes David Gray and Damien Rice...

If she's into the Irish folk thing (fairly political Irish folk, at that) I'd think about Damien Dempsey.

Also, Paul Kelly (Aussie), Damien Jurado, and Mike Scott (of the Waterboys) all fall fairly near what she might like.

If dark and moody singer-songwriter is something she likes, I would recommend anything by the Tindersticks (provided she can take the basso profundo voice of Stuart Staples), anything by Mark Kozelek and/or Red House Painters, and any of the solo records (particularly the brilliant 60 Watt Silver Lining) from Mark Eitzel.

This is all stuff I've gotten for my dad, who mainly listens to alt-country and folk.

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Originally posted by Peewee:
Nick Drake (the collection "Way to Blue")

No. Bad idea.

Better off getting your mum one of his actual albums, or, if you really love her, that box-set with all three of them plus the little odds-and-ends CD.

quote:

Jolie Holland's last album was pretty good. Joanna Newsom's was as well.

Man, I wouldn't give my Mom a Joanna Newsom CD. That voice is just crazy. Not the sort of thing I'd give as a gift. Same goes for Devendra Banhart. Definitely not straight folk music.

I am a big folk music fan. Here are some of my favorites that I think would go over well with a mom:

Nick Drake--Either Pink Moon or the Way to Blue compilation that's out.

David Francey--He's a Scottish-Canadian folk singer who has four albums that are just incredible. His best 3 CD's are "Skating Rink," "Far End of Summer," and "Torn Screen Door."

Damien Jurado--I haven't heard his latest, but "Rehearsals for Departure" and "Where Shall You Take Me" are his two most folky releases and probably his two best as well.

Gordon Lightfoot--He's been around since the 60's, so maybe your mom's already got some of his stuff. "Sundown," "Summertime Dream," "Shadows," and "Waiting for You" are his 4 best albums.

Sufjan Stevens--He's not entirely folk; he's got some orchestral songs on Michigan. Still his stuff is incredible. "Seven Swans" is spare but amazing.

quote:

If dark and moody singer-songwriter is something she likes, I would recommend anything by the Tindersticks (provided she can take the basso profundo voice of Stuart Staples), anything by Mark Kozelek and/or Red House Painters, and any of the solo records (particularly the brilliant 60 Watt Silver Lining) from Mark Eitzel.

Yeah, late Red House Painters stuff is great, but I thought Kozelek's Sun Kil Moon album "Ghosts of the Great Highway" was better than any of his Red House Painters stuff.

I don't agree about Way to Blue being inappropriate. I think it is a great way to start getting in to Drake. I think it functions very well as a stand alone album, and in fact I have listened to it a lot more than any of his individual albums, each of which (a) is really short and (b) has some weak tracks.

Sufjan Stevens -- "Seven Swans" is just glorious. I came to this album late last year, and played it incessantly for months. It's not something MY mother would like, but your mother may be cooler than mine!

Joanna Newsom -- a very fine album, great songs, GREAT lyrics, but the voice is really hard to take. She makes Victoria Williams sound like Ella Fitzgerald.

Devendra Banhart -- all his albums would be good choices, but perhaps a little weird. The "Golden Apples of the Sun" compilation that he put together might be a good choice -- 20 songs by 20 of the new weird folkies.

The Jolie Holland is a good choice though. Very likeable. Or The Be-Good Tanyas.

quote:

Originally posted by Peewee:
I don't agree about Way to Blue being inappropriate. I think it is a great way to start getting in to Drake. I think it functions very well as a stand alone album, and in fact I have listened to it a lot more than any of his individual albums, each of which (a) is really short and (b) has some weak tracks.

I'd have to disagree about Way to Blue working well as a stand-alone album. I'll admit that it's the only CD to Nick's name that I've really listened to, but just having heard vague descriptions of each album (Five Leaves Left having baroque instrumentation, Bryter Layter being slightly jazzy, and Pink Moon being relatively stark and lo-fi), it's easy to place each of Way to Blue's tracks. If it were at least in chronological order, it would feel less disjointed.

But I guess it works okay for a folk neophyte (which I'll admit that I am, even though Bob's mum isn't from the sounds on things), and it makes me want to hear more of Drake, which I guess is its purpose (although I didn't really need an "introduction" to him).

Also, it has occured to me that there is no Folk forum. Quite the travesty.

..My mother likes soft, melodic music. I think she likes some older non-folk stuff, she mentioned she liked Joni Mitchell, but mostly she's into stuff along the line of Simon & Garfunkel.

I'm not sure she would be able to get beyond Joanna Newsom's voice, so I'm leaning toward Seven Swans.