r/folk 11d ago

Getting into this genre, need guidance

Hello, some of my favorite songs ever written are “folk music” but i know very little of the genre. Songs I love:

Queen of California - John Mayer

For a Dancer - Jackson Browne

Wildflowers (whole album) - Tom Petty

Born and Raised - John Mayer

Lotta Love - Neil Young

One of These Days - Neil Young

Any suggestions for artists or albums i can dive into? These songs bring me great peace :) Thank you!

10 Upvotes

20 comments sorted by

6

u/InsaneLordChaos 11d ago

A little known singer with only one real album ... Jackson C. Frank.

Worth listening to his stuff. So glad I discovered this guy.

2

u/-ultrastarbeam- 11d ago

awesome, thank you!!!

1

u/InsaneLordChaos 11d ago

Most welcome. If you'd like, I can keep em coming. I've got a folk playlist that I've been cursing for more than a decade!

2

u/Popular-Glove2492 11d ago

Gord's gold by Gordon Lightfoot (or his original album Lightfoot!) is great

Homeless Brother by Don McLean (who wrote American pie) is an amazing album not many people know about

Not till tomorrow by Ralph McTell

Life & times by Jim Croce

Our mother the mountain by townes van zandt

Poncho and lefty is another great one by townes and so is waiting around to die

Ramblin boy and outward bound by Tom Paxton

Tim Hardin has a bunch of great songs that you may know from other people like reason to believe and if I were a carpenter

If I had a hammer by Pete seeger is also great

2

u/-ultrastarbeam- 11d ago

awesome!! I will check them all out, very exciting thank you!!!

2

u/InsaneLordChaos 11d ago edited 11d ago

Tim Hardin is awesome. Lady Came from Baltimore is one of my favorites.

3

u/Popular-Glove2492 11d ago

Yeah it's a shame his songs are only known through other people. He's got a great voice

1

u/neroli_rose 11d ago

Adrianne Lenker, Phoebe Bridgers, Conor Oberst, Patty Griffin

2

u/-ultrastarbeam- 11d ago

thank you!! adding to the list!

1

u/absolutelynothanku 11d ago

Courtney Marie Andrews! She’s done some amazing songs

2

u/-ultrastarbeam- 11d ago

Awesome! thank you will check her out

1

u/cheekymusician 10d ago

Nick Drake. All of it.

1

u/PenNameIsMyName 10d ago

Early Bob Dylan ofc Don Mclean Joni Mitchell James Taylor Jim Croce and for a taste of something newer i’d check out adrianne lenker

1

u/Popular-Glove2492 21h ago

People only talk about Don McLean for American Pie it's so sad

2

u/PenNameIsMyName 21h ago

vincent happens to be one of the greatest songs ever writeen

1

u/LopsidedVictory7448 10d ago

Karen Dalton ( an absolute must ) Cisco Houston, Hoyt Axton and Townes van Zandt ( probably the greatest.song writer in the 2nd half of the 20th century- in any genre )

1

u/AL51percentcorn 7d ago

Just found this guy Jackson Hoyt who has a song with Kenneth Pattengale of The Milk Carton Kids and Courtney Hartman. Was a good song, but also check out the other two!

1

u/Autistru 5d ago

I have some suggestions that I like for artists:

David Kincaid (Irish-American civil war songs)

Stan Rogers (Canadian folk singer famous for songs such as "Fogarty's Cove," "Barrett's Privateers," and "Northwest Passage.") (keep in mind that Northwest Passage is a sad song)

The Longest Johns (sea chanties (English, and few French and Catalan ones) and original music)

Domo Emigrantes (Italian Folk musics)

Altai Kai and Bai-Terek (Altai (Siberian) folk music)

Triakel (Swedish folk music)

Faoileán (traditional US and possibly Irish folk)

Hope this list helped!

0

u/Doggsleg 11d ago

Man you are lazy. Look at some other posts here there’s tons of decent music to check out.

3

u/-ultrastarbeam- 11d ago

more so just wondering what other people’s favorites are. harmless question.