TopPicks Index
Top 10 Summer Hot Spots For Folk Music Fans
Probably one of the best things to do in the summertime if you're a folk music fan is to head to a folk festival or outdoor concert series. From St. Louis to New York City, the Rocky Mountains and rural Washington State, folk music fans have got it made for the summertime.
Top 10 Great New Folk Songs
Some people are of the mind that a folk song isn't a folk song until it's been around for a long time. I tend to disagree, for the most part, and I happen to think the last couple of years have produced some excellent new folk songs. Here's a look at ten of the great new folk songs that have come out in the past year.
Top 10 Best Bluegrass Pickers
Here's a list of ten of the most influential and unforgettable instrumentalists and pickers in the history of American bluegrass music.
Top 5 Important African-American Folk Music Artists
African-American artists have played an enormous part in American folk music, from the permutation of slave spirituals to field recordings, songs of the civil rights and feminist movements, and beyond. From gospel to blues and jazz to rock and roll, these artists have influenced and inspired generations of Americana artists and songwriters, and here are five of the most notable African-American artists in American folk music.
Top 10 Best Moments in Bob Dylan's Early Career
Bob Dylan is one of the most influential singer/songwriters ever, whether you're looking at Folk, Pop, or Rock. His career has enjoyed several twists and turns that have kept fans (and often Bob himself) on their toes. If you don't have the patience for Scorsese's very long Documentary on Dylan, have no fear. I'll sum it up for you by ticking off the ten biggest moments at the start of his career.
Top 10 Folk Guitars
The acoustic guitar remains the most prevalent instrument in Folk music. Here is a list of the guitars most commonly employed by Folk's greatest players.
Top 10 Alt Country Artists
Alternative Country is Folk's newest grandchild, and its artists and bands run the gamut from what looks like Bluegrass to what looks like Rock and Roll, but one thing binds them all together: they don't sound like anything else on the market.
Top 10 Essential Folk CDs
The Folk genre spans a wide variety of artists. These ten picks are not only the best place to start for new fans, but are a good primer for fans looking to expand their existing collection.
Top 10 Songs of Absolute Nonsense
Contrary to popular belief, not all folk songs are all about politics, war, disaster, and serious social issues. Quite a few artists have made great marks on American music by recording songs that range from "silly" to "absolute nonsense."
Top 10 Civil Rights Songs
The songs on this list don't even begin to capture the hundreds of tunes that have been written about race relations in America (and around the world), but if you're looking to learn more about music during the civil rights movement, this is a good primer for your journey.
Top 10 Best Labor Songs
Folk music has a long relationship with labor struggles, and particularly labor unions. Here's a peak at some of the most notable, most fun, and most poignant labor tunes in Folk history.
Top 6 Songs for Earth Day
In celebration of Earth Day, here's a quick list of great American folk songs celebrating the earth and moving for preservation of the natural beauty around us.
Top 10 Top Ten Open Mic Nights Across America
Open mic nights are a great way to try out new material, or to check out your local Folk scene. Besides, it's free entertainment, and if you don't like the guy who's singing now, a new one will be up in 10 minutes.
Top 7 Pop Stars Who Could Be Folksingers (If They'd Just Lose the Bling)
Some folks are of the mind that the label "folk music" pretty much encapsulates every type of music people make. Others tend to be more traditionalists, considering only songs that have been around for a century or more, folk songs. I tend to sit somewhere in the middle, so I decided to develop a list of popular mainstream artists who could pass as folksingers if they'd just lose their shiny, flashy pop facade.
Top 10 Songs Protesting Bush & the War in Iraq
I've seen a lot on blogs all over the Web recently where people have been complaining that there are so few musicians writing new protest songs these days, particularly given our current political climate. Of course there are plenty of new songs coming out that were written in protest to the war and the Bush administration, and this list touches on just a few of the great new topical tunes out there.
Top 10 Classic Protest Songs
Folk songs cover topics ranging from historical events to songs about food and cars. However, the songs that stick with us the longest are generally songs about overcoming struggle; the moments when the world is quietly hoping for change, but one single Folksinger has the nerve to stand on a stage, open their mouth, and sing out against injustice.
Top 10 Folk Music Singer/Songwriters
From Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell to Ani Difranco, here's a look at ten of the best American folk music singer/songwriters of all time.
Top 10 Best Folk Duos
Second to singer/songwriters, duos and collaborations between two people characterize some of the greatest folk music from American history. One creative mind can have a lasting effect. But two minds working together can make something magical that seems to last forever.
Top 10 Signs You're a Folk Superfan
Do your friends seem bored whenever you go off on a tangent about the comprehensive history of any given traditional song? Do you mention your Martin guitar in conversation as often as other people talk about their kids? Do you own contra dancing shoes and a slew of CDs by people you've jammed with around a campfire? Chances are you could be suffering from folk superfandom.
Top 9 Songs For Independence Day
American folk songs aren't all about protesting something; there are also plenty of great tunes that pay homage to America. Included on this list are particularly songs that make reference to American Independence Day. Some of them seem to only refer to the 4th of July in passing, but the themes the songs depict embrace the spirit of American patriotism just as much.
Top 10 Most Influential Folk Artists
Here's a look at ten of the most influential artists who have ever tried their hand at American folk music, bluegrass, alt.country, and any other form of Americana.
Top 10 Important Women in Folk Music
From Janis Ian to Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez to Ani Difrnaco, this is a list of some of the most important women in American Folk Music.