Anti-folk (sometimes spelled antifolk) is a
music genre that emerged in the 1980s in New York City, founded by the musician, author and comedian
Lach, as a reaction to the commercialization of
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
. It is characterized by its
DIY ethos, unconventional songwriting, and often humorous or satirical lyrics. Antifolk music was made to mock the perceived seriousness of the era's mainstream music scene,
and artists aim to protest with their mocking and clever lyrics.
History
In the United States
Antifolk was introduced by artists who were unable to obtain gigs at established folk venues in
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
such as
Folk City and The Speakeasy.
[ (article in on pages 1 and 36)] In the mid-1980s, singer-songwriter
Lach started The Fort, an after-hours club on NYC's
Rivington Street on the
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Historically, it w ...
.
The Fort's opening coincided with the New York Folk Festival. Because of this, Lach dubbed his event the
New York Antifolk Festival.
Other early proponents of the movement included
the Washington Squares,
Cindy Lee Berryhill,
Brenda Kahn,
Paleface,
Beck
Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi mus ...
,
Hamell on Trial,
Michelle Shocked, Zane Campbell,
John S. Hall,
,
Kirk Kelly, and
Block.
The original Fort was shut down in 1985 by the police, and because of this the club moved locations several times, including
East Village bars Sophie's and Chameleon, before settling in the back room of the
SideWalk Cafe
A sidewalk café or pavement café is "a portion of an eating or drinking place, located on a public sidewalk, that provides waiter or waitress service" (as defined by the American Planning Association based upon the New York City planning regul ...
starting in 1993.
The
New York Antifolk Festival was held annually at the
SideWalk Cafe
A sidewalk café or pavement café is "a portion of an eating or drinking place, located on a public sidewalk, that provides waiter or waitress service" (as defined by the American Planning Association based upon the New York City planning regul ...
until its closure in 2019 (long outlasting the original Folk Festival). Events have also taken place in the
band shells in
Tompkins Square Park and
Central Park.
While living in San Francisco in the early 1990s, Lach helped establish a West Coast anti-folk movement at the Sacred Grounds Coffee House.
Other artists to have achieved a notable level of success who have been considered anti-folk include
Jeffrey Lewis,
Regina Spektor and
the Moldy Peaches.
In Britain
In the 2000s the term was adopted in Britain, particularly in the London underground scene, with acts including
David Cronenberg's Wife and The Bobby McGee's. The UK antifolk scene, largely centred in London and
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
, has established its own identity, which was written about in a six-page feature in the September 2007 issue of ''
Plan B'' magazine. In 2004 the
lo-fi musician
Filthy Pedro started seasonal anti-folk festivals, which he promoted with Tom Mayne of the band David Cronenberg's Wife. An anti-folk scene in Brighton, curated primarily by Mertle, was quick to follow that of London.
Other key figures within the UK anti-folk community include
Dan Treacy of Television Personalities,
Jack Hayter, Milk Kan,
Extradition Order,
Benjamin Shaw, Lucy Joplin, Candythief, JJ Crash, Larry Pickleman and
Paul Hawkins.
Emmy the Great and
Laura Marling
Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is an English Folk music, folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Brit Award for British Female Solo Artist, Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for th ...
were added to the roster of antifolk artists as they play antifolk music with mocking lyrics.
started her music career playing anti-folk-style shows, including a concert promoted by Larry Pickleman and Mertle in Brighton.
Dan Willson, who performs under the name
Withered Hand, is an Edinburgh-based musician often considered part of the genre. His first studio album, ''Good News'', was released in 2009.
Welsh antifolk artist Mr Duke has gained some popularity in Wales, and
Crywank, an antifolk project from Manchester, surfaced in 2009.
See also
*
Anticomp Folkilation
*
Psychedelic folk
References
External links
*
''Antifolk.com'' The most updated Antifolk website, covering the movement across the world''Antifolk.net'' The New York Antifolk website, started by Lach to promote the scene''Morning Star'' article on Anti-folk''Village Voice'' article on UK Anti-folk* [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2018/02/01/feature/this-hillbilly-madman-is-country-music-royalty-so-why-havent-you-heard-of-him/ Washington Post article about Zane Campbell's part in Anti-folk]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anti-Folk
Anti-folk music,
American styles of music
Punk rock genres
1980s in music
1990s in music
2000s in music
2010s in music