Hardcore Folk Music: What’s the Big Deal?

Hardcore folk music is a genre of music that is often misunderstood. In this blog post, we’ll explore what hardcore folk music is and why it’s such a big deal.

Introduction

Hardcore folk music is a genre that is often misunderstood. To the uninitiated, it can just sound like a bunch of people shouting and smashing things, but there is so much more to it than that.

Hardcore folk music is all about passion. It’s about getting up close and personal with the music and the lyrics and feeling every word that is being sung. It’s about being in the moment and feeling the raw emotion that the music can evoke.

For those who are fans of hardcore folk music, there is nothing else like it. It’s a genre that can be both cathartic and life-affirming, and it’s something that everyone should experience at least once in their life.

What is Hardcore Folk Music?

Hardcore Folk Music is a subgenre of Folk Music that developed in the late 1960s. It is characterized by its aggressive, unruly sound and rebellious lyrics. Hardcore Folk Music is often associated with the Punk Rock movement.

Origins

Hardcore folk music is a subgenre of folk music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States. It takes its name from the fact that it is a more aggressive and intense form of folk music, characterized by heavier instrumentation and faster tempos.

Hardcore folk music was influenced by a number of different genres, including rock and roll, blues, country, and even jazz. The result was a sound that was both new and distinctly American.

The first hardcore folk musician to gain widespread recognition was Bob Dylan, who released a series of groundbreaking albums in the early 1960s that combined traditional folk songs with electric guitars and rock-and-roll energy. Dylan’s success paved the way for other hardcore folk artists like Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and Phil Ochs.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the hardcore folk scene began to splinter into different subgenres, including country-rock, singer-songwriter, and punk. But despite these divisions, hardcore folk remained united by its DIY ethic and its commitment to social and political activism.

Today, hardcore folk is enjoying something of a renaissance thanks to a new generation of artists who are carrying on the tradition of using music to speak truth to power. Some of the most popular contemporary hardcore folk artists include Ani DiFranco, Billy Bragg, Steve Earle, and Natalie Merchant.

Characteristics

Hardcore folk music is a type of acoustic music that developed in the United States in the 2010s. It is characterized by its use of traditional folk instrumentation (such as acoustic guitars, banjos, and fiddles) and its repertoire of traditional folk songs. The style is sometimes referred to as “new old-time music” or “tradjie music.”

Hardcore folk bands often have an energetic and passionate performance style, and they often incorporate elements of punk rock and hardcore punk into their music. The lyrical content of hardcore folk songs often deals with social and political issues, and the genre has been described as “a protest against forgetting.”

The hardcore folk scene in the United States is centered around a network of DIY venues, many of which are located in cities with large punk and hardcore scenes (such as New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago). Hardcore folk bands have also been gaining popularity in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom.

Hardcore Folk Music Today

Hardcore Folk Music has been around for centuries, however it has only recently started to gain popularity. What is the big deal with Hardcore Folk Music? Many people believe that Hardcore Folk Music is the best type of music because it is very raw and emotional.

The Scene

Hardcore folk music is a particularly intense and aggressive form of the traditional genre, characterized by heavy electric instrumentation, screamed or shouted vocals, and often politically charged lyrics. Unlike mainstream folk music, which has largely shifted into the realm of slick pop production values and safe radio-friendly singles, hardcore folk bands are often rough around the edges, passionate and unafraid to experiment with their sound.

This experimental edge is one of the things that sets hardcore folk apart from its more mainstream counterpart — in addition to electric guitars and drums, many bands make use of unconventional instrumentation like accordions, banjos, and even violins. This willingness to experiment often leads to a rawer, more authentic sound that can be quite cathartic for both the performer and the listener.

While hardcore folk music is still relatively underground, there are a number of well-known bands that have successfully brought the genre to wider audiences. Some of the most popular hardcore folk bands today include The Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, and Gogol Bordello.

The Music

Hardcore folk music is a term used to describe a subgenre of folk music that is characterized by its aggressive or intense sound. This type of music often features distorted guitars, heavy drums, and screaming vocals. It is sometimes also simply referred to as “hardcore.”

Hardcore folk music has its roots in the traditional folk music of the United States and Britain. In the 1960s, artists such as Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie began incorporating elements of rock and roll into their music, which paved the way for subsequent generations of musicians to experiment with this new sound.

One of the earliest hardcore folk bands was Gunga Din, which was formed in London in 1977. This band was known for its wild onstage antics and for being one of the first to use electric guitars in a folk setting. Gunga Din’s use of electric guitars was particularly influential on subsequent hardcore folk bands, such as the Pogues and The Levellers.

In the 1980s, hardcore punk began to have a significant impact on hardcore folk bands. Many bands began to adopt the fast tempos and DIY ethic of punk rock, while still maintaining their acoustic sound. This new wave of hardcore folk bands included acts such as The Mekons, The Gits, and Bikini Kill.

Despite its aggressive sound, hardcore folk music often contains socially conscious lyrics that tackle topics such as poverty, war, and inequality. This aspect of the genre has led some critics to compare it to protest songs from earlier periods in American history, such as those written by Guthrie or Dylan.

Hardcore folk music has continued to evolve since its inception in the 1960s, with new waves of bands emerging periodically. Today, there are numerous hardcore folk bands active all over the world, including In Hans Skytte’s Shirt from Denmark and William Elliott Whitmore from Iowa, United States.

Conclusion

In conclusion, hardcore folk music is a genre of music that is often misunderstood. It is a very versatile genre that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. If you are looking for something new to listen to, or if you just want to expand your musical tastes, then give hardcore folk music a chance. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy it.