I think it's fair to say that folk music enjoyed a bit of a "comeback" this year. Between the old time music revival that's been getting started, to the never-ending resurgence of bluegrass, and the fact that so many folk artists became contenders on the national scene, it's been a pretty good year for folk music and folksingers.
The Year's Best Releases
Probably the most highly anticipated release this year was Alison Krauss' collaboration with Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant. Raising Sand was definitely worth the wait. Patty Griffin returned with an exquisite collection of songs on Children Running Through. Exceptional breakthrough records came from Eilen Jewell and the Infamous Stringdusters, as well.
Folk Artists on Tour in '07
Nickel Creek's final tour ("for now") was easily one of the greatest traveling folk music shows this year. Along the way, they teamed up with some fantastic other artists, including a run with Fiona Apple, for whom they stood in as a backup band. Also rather memorable was a brief run Neko Case did with Merle Haggard.
Great New Folk and Bluegrass Artists
Infamous Stringdusters - Fork in the Road
© Sugar Hill
Folk Music Subgenre of the Year: Old Time
Maybe I'm skewed by the fact that my regional neighborhood (the Pacific Northwest) is going through an old time revival, but this style of music just seemed be coming from every direction this year. What with the breakthrough of the Chocolate Drops, a new, fabulous record from Uncle Earl, an excellent documentary about jug bands, and the list goes on. It would appear that, rather than join a garage band, kids these days are picking up a fiddle and a banjo.
Best Comeback or Greatest Hits CDs
Most of folk music's major players released new albums this year. We got an outstanding retrospective double-disc set from Ani DiFranco, as well as a rather highly anticipated greatest hits collection from Bob Dylan. Joni Mitchell put out Shine, her first album in almost ten years, and Neil Young returned with his follow-up to an album he never released, with Chrome Dreams II.Best Folk Music Event Attended by Your Folk Music Guide
This is easy: Portland's Pickathon Roots Music Festival is easily one of my best discoveries this year. It's a small festival that mainly focuses on bluegrass and old time, although there were plenty of straight-up folksingers to go around. There's plenty of room for Pickathon to grow into a seriously big deal, if its organizers want to go there, but I won't be upset if they don't.
Honorable Mentions
