EXAMPLES OF THIS STYLE - Difference between original FOLK music and ANTI-FOLK music

First example BOB DYLAN the grandfather of folk music. The early style encapsulates the counterculture of the 1960s when folk music was adapted to variations of the pop and rock structure. The music and relies heavily on the artist’s voice and lyrics.



Another example is JONI MITCHELL




Folk music today exists in two streams – traditional folk and anti-folk. My personal observation is that contemporary traditional folk music is less political and focused more on relationships and the personal while anti-folk is more opinionated and socially focused however both overlap and it gets a bit confusing. Current traditional folk artists include Missy Higgins, Sarah Blasko, Ani Difranco, Ben Kweller, Jack Johnson, John Mayer. Some artists start as what I would classify anti-folk but as the artist achieves popular success their music becomes more mainstream and the music is littered with extra instruments and effects that detract from the integrity of the song.

ANTI-FOLK - Katie



FOLK (more mainstream) - Round the Bends




Xavier Rudd and Regina Spector are two artists whose music has not changed a great deal despite mainstream attention.