Adam Haworth Stephens
Alright, let me start off by saying that I'm being simplistic in my use of the term "folk music" here. It can refer to many genres and sub-genres of music, but to make things easier, let's say that we are touching on contemporary American Folk Rock here.
You could say that Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and others of that era could be considered contemporary folk artists, but while I do love their music, I am referring to artists such as Adam Haworth Stephens (Two Gallants..), Simone Felice (The Felice Brothers, The Duke and The King..), Iron and Wine, The Low Anthem, The Deep Dark Woods, and others. There are many that I would like to list, but I would never get to the point if I did.
A few years ago, I began getting obsessed with this style of music. I don't know if it came from the hard, grittier edge of life that I was exposed to at that time, or just because it was a simple and beautiful thing that I somehow stumbled upon. I suppose it was a little of both. However you want to look at it, it was one of the most amazing discoveries of my life.
There is something about the pure, raw sound of this music, paired with such sad, sweet, poetic lyrics that brings out a plethora of emotions in me and makes me feel so grateful to be alive. These bands have taken the time to observe what it is that makes us human, our sorrows and our ecstasies, and have somehow managed to capture and communicate it with such simplicity.
Two Gallants
A friend of mine once claimed that he did not care for a particular band because they were too simplistic. He wasn't speaking of any of the bands I've listed here, or about this genre in any way, but it made me start thinking about why complex is considered to be better than simple. There are many things to consider, and many ways to look at it, but here is one.
I'm not going to say that I hate all synthetic/electronica music or all pop music, because that is ridiculous. There are quite a few bands in those genres that I do like, and they can invoke just as much emotion, but I still feel like there is something unique and soulful about raw acoustic sound and unaltered vocals belting out lyrics that, nine times out of ten, hold deep meaning for the person that is singing them. I may sound crazy, but I feel like there is an energy there, or lack of energy, that enables an empathetic connection between you and the artist, and my opinion is that's what art, in all its forms, is really about.
Communicating your thoughts and emotions with another human being in a way that goes beyond mundane dialogue; helping others experience a thought or emotion that they may not otherwise experience in their life.
It seems to me that conveying such ideas and emotions as simply as possible, and being able to do all of the things that were italicized in the paragraph above, with the least amount of effort, is the goal for many artists, writers, and musicians, myself included. There is a quote that comes to mind. It really epitomizes the point I am trying to make.
“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
― Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums
I also want to point out the beauty of listening to and watching a real musician perform, not just an entertainer. I hate to point fingers, but there are many musicians on the radio who aren't really musicians, and it is depressing to me that this is what is popular in our culture right now; all of the club beats about partying, the generic love tunes, and the rappers who tell the same story that has been told a thousand times (rap is very disappointing to me, as I see such hope for something that is so much like free-verse spoken word poetry but has somehow turned into something that is degrading and shameful to the African-American community... but that is another subject entirely).
I remember the first time I saw a video of Simone Felice playing "The Devil Is Real". I remember thinking that I had never seen that much emotion from someone performing such a simple song. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen or heard, and I showed it to everyone who walked in my house that day. There were a few comments that he looked like he had taken some serious drugs, but I think that is exactly how you should look when you are passionate about your music. Popular music is seriously lacking in musicians of this stature.
Simone Felice
In some ways, I am glad that this type of music is not incredibly popular at the moment, because it's almost as if I have more of an intimate connection with these bands and artists, but I hope that there are a few young people out there who have given up on popular music, and stumble upon this blog entry, or these videos on YouTube, and realize that there is hope out there in the music world, and end up loving this music just as much as I do.
Au revoir,
Zia Jacobs
A list I have compiled of some artists I've listed here, and some others you may want to check out.
Simone Felice
The Felice Brothers
The Duke & The King
Adam Haworth Stephens
Two Gallants
Iron & Wine
The Deep Dark Woods
The Low Anthem
The Butchers and The Builders
Murder By Death
No comments:
Post a Comment