Ok, so, I admit, I don't hold much hope for this thread given the last thread I made in this forum was about Coil, without a doubt one of the best bands ever, and it died within the space of a page despite the fact that the last remaining member of the band died. Whatever. I'm drunk enough that this seems like a worthwhile endeavour.
So what this thread is about is what I think is probably over-all my favourite form of music, that is to say 'weird' folk music. I'm gonna use that as a catch-all term for a lot of things that may only in fact be linked by my interest in them but in fact I think have a lot in common. What we're talking about here is music that is rooted in folk traditions but divorced from the whole live performance in cardigans scene. Almost all music that incorporates some influence from genres other than folk and more often than not ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF DRUGS. There's a definite continuity that begins with, say, the freakiest folk ensembles of the late sixties/early seventies, such as Cromagnon and Comus though all to a lesser extent (at least in terms of absolute what the fuck) more mellow hippie ensembles like The Incredible String Band, Pearls Before Swine and Dr. Strangely Strange. This is intrinsically connected through a raft of other bands of various sorts and swirls around and encompasses the neofolk/apocalytpic folk/folk noir movement that started in the 80's with the unimpeachable trio of Current 93/Death in June/Sol Invictus and went on that to be free folk and drone folk and psych folk which then recombined with post-industrial folk with like Blood Axis doing a split with In Gowan Ring or neofolk/drone fusions like Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat or Joy of Nature and generally a shitload of bands you've never heard of making the best music any loose set of human beings has ever made full stop, and I want to talk about it dammit!
If you have no idea what the fuck I am going on about you need to listen to like all the bands I just ranted about and also Werkraum, Sieben, Forseti, Birch Book, Sonne Hagal, Novemthree, Nature and Organisation, Telling the Bees, Mellow Candle, Of the Wand and the Moon, Xenis Emputae Travelling Band, Backworld, Andrew King, The Owl Service, Thee Majesty, Pantaleimon, Agitated Radio Pilot, Stone Breath, Lux Interna, Avarus, English Heretic, Fire + Ice, Horses of the Gods, The Magickal Folk of the Faraway Tree dear christ I could write this list forever and ever and ever.
Also, also, caveat, if you start going on about five-years-past-trendy 'new weird america' (protip: not new, it was always kind of weird, fuck off) then you fail music forever. There are several particular names I am watching out for and if you mention them, no mercy. I will kill you and your family and your friends and your families friends and your friends families.
When I'm sober and off mobile internet I'll put up some albums from my collection! It is extensive! It is complete! You are powerless before it you woooorms.
