The Best of YouTube Folk Music
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YouTube Folk Music is a great way to enjoy Folk Music from all over the globe. In this blog, we’ll be featuring some of the best Folk Music videos from YouTube.
Origins of YouTube Folk Music
YouTube has been a go-to website for music lovers for years now. Millions of people visit the site every day to listen to their favorite tunes or watch the latest music videos. While the site is home to all genres of music, one type that has become increasingly popular in recent years is folk music.
Traditional Folk Music
Folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by oral tradition; as music of common people; and as music with indigenous roots. Since the mid-20th century, traditional folk music has been contrasted with commercial and classical styles. The term originated in the 19th century, but is often applied to music older than that. Some types of folk music are also called world music.
Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by oral tradition; as music of common people; and as music with indigenous roots. Since the mid-20th century, traditional folk music has been contrasted with commercial and classical styles. The term originated in the 19th century, but is often applied to music older than that. Some types of folk music are also called world music.
Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as Transmission by oral tradition: Folk songs are typically transmitted orally from one generation to another. As a result, the lyrics (and often the melody) tend to be simple and repetitive. This ensures that the song can be easily learnt and remembered by those who hear it.
songs of common people: Folk songs were originally created by anonymous working-class people, although they are now also sung by middle-class musicians who have taken them up as a genre.
indigenous roots: Many folk songs have deep roots in the culture of the groups who created them, and may be seen as part of that group’s identity.
Contemporary Folk Music
Folk music has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, with new and old artists finding an audience on YouTube. But what exactly is folk music?
In its broadest sense, folk music is music by and for the people. It is music that is passed down from generation to generation, often without being written down. Folk music is often thought of as traditional music, but it can also be contemporary.
Some contemporary folk artists are:
The Lumineers: This Americana band found success with their debut album in 2012. Their songs are simple and catchy, with themes of love and heartbreak.
Mumford & Sons: Another Americana band, Mumford & Sons has won multiple Grammy Awards for their albums released in 2009 and 2012. Their sound is a bit more rock-influenced than The Lumineers, but they also write songs about love and loss.
Of Monsters and Men: This Icelandic band became popular with their song “Little Talks,” which was featured in a television commercial. They have an indie folk sound with elements of pop and rock.
Passenger: British singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg took on the name Passenger when he started his solo career in 2009. He has released seven studio albums, with his most recent one coming out in 2019. His songs are often acoustic guitar-driven with catchy melodies.
The Best of YouTube Folk Music
YouTube Folk Music is a subgenre of YouTube music that covers a wide range of styles. YouTube Folk Music is a great way to find new artists and get exposed to a variety of music from all over the world. The Best of YouTube Folk Music will cover a wide range of artists and styles.
The Ditty Bops
The Ditty Bops are an American independent folk duo from Los Angeles, California consisting of Amanda Woolf and Abby DeWald. Their music has roots in swing, country western, early jazz, and bebop. The Ditty Bops began performing together informally in 2002 while both were working as backup singers for Wagogo musician LA GOGO. They self-produced and released their first album, The Ditty Bops, in 2005. The album was recorded in Amanda’s living room on a budget of only $600. It was subsequently nominated for two Grammy Awards.
The Be Good Tanyas
The Be Good Tanyas are a Canadian folk music group, founded in 1999 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The trio consists of Samantha Parton, Frazey Ford, and Trish Klein.
The Be Good Tanyas’ musical style is rootsy and organic, drawing from old-time music, bluegrass, gospel, and country blues. Their harmonies are close and intricate. The group’s instrumental repertoire includes acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, slide guitar, and Dobro.
The Be Good Tanyas’ debut album Bluest Eyes was released in 2001. It was nominated for a Juno Award and won the Country Music Association of Ontario’s Best Roots Album award. The album’s first single, “Waiting Around to Die”, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
In 2003, the Be Good Tanyas released their second album Chinatown. The album was nominated for two Juno Awards and two Genie Awards. The lead single “This Little Light” won the Juno Award for Single of the Year.
The Be Good Tanyas’ third album A Collection was released in 2007. It is a compilation of previously released material, as well as new recordings of traditional folk songs.
The Weepies
The Weepies are an American indie-folk duo consisting of Deb Talan and Steve Tannen. The pair married after writing and recording their first album together, Say I Am You. The album was a surprise commercial success, selling over a million copies worldwide and leading to multiple television appearances, including performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and on Live from Abbey Road.
The duo’s second album, Hideaway, was released in 2008 to critical acclaim, with NPR Music’s Anastasia Tsioulcas describing it as “utterly gorgeous” and “one of the year’s best albums, period.” The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard Folk Albums chart and #2 on the iTunes Folk Albums chart. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
The Weepies’ fourth studio album Be My Thrill was released on August 31, 2010. Produced by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Monsters of Folk), Be My Thrill features ten new original songs written by Deb Talan. The album debuted at #1 on the iTunes Folk Albums chart and received 4 out of 5 stars from both Paste Magazine and American Songwriter.
The Future of YouTube Folk Music
YouTube is one of the largest and most popular video sharing platforms in the world with over 1.5 billion monthly active users. It is a go-to source for many people when it comes to watching videos and discovering new music. While the platform has a wide variety of music genres, one particular genre that is thriving on YouTube is folk music.
The Ditty Bops
The Ditty Bops are an American Folk music duo, Amanda Kramer and Abby DeWald. Formed in 2002, they released their first album, The Ditty Bops, in 2005. The album peaked at number 24 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, and the single “Wishful Thinking” was featured in a commercial for Ford Motor Company. In 2006, the duo released their second album, Moon Over the Freeway. The album peaked at number 35 on Billboard’s Folk Albums chart.
The Ditty Bops were named “New Artist of the Year” by Americana Music Association in 2006. In 2007, the duo performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. They have also toured with Willie Nelson, John Prine, and Dave Matthews Band.
The Ditty Bops disbanded in 2008 but have since reunited and released a new album, Love Letter First Class, in 2016.
The Be Good Tanyas
The Be Good Tanyas are a Canadian folk music group, formed in Vancouver in 1999. The band consists of Frazey Ford, Samantha Parton, and Trish Klein. All three members share vocal and instrumental duties.
The Be Good Tanyas’ debut album, Blue Horse, was released in 2001. The album was recorded in a converted chicken coop and featured a mixture of original songs and traditional folk tunes. Blue Horse was nominated for two Juno Awards and won the prestigious Polaris Music Prize in 2002.
The Be Good Tanyas’ second album, Chinatown, was released in 2003. The album was recorded in Vancouver’s Chinatown district and featured a more eclectic mix of songs than its predecessor. Chinatown was nominated for two Juno Awards and won the Polaris Music Prize in 2004.
The Be Good Tanyas’ third album, A Collection, was released in 2006. The album featured a mix of live recordings, outtakes, and covers of traditional folk songs. A Collection was nominated for two Juno Awards and won the Polaris Music Prize in 2007.
The Be Good Tanyas have toured extensively throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In addition to their own headlining tours, the band has shared the stage with such artists as Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, Patti Smith, Ani DiFranco, Wilco, and Feist.
The Be Good Tanyas are currently working on their fourth album, which is scheduled for release in 2019.
The Weepies
The Weepies are a male/female folk-pop duo composed of Steve Tannen and Deb Talan. Their music is characterized by close two-part vocal harmony, acoustic instrumentation, and lyrics that focus on themes of love, friendship, and parenthood.
The Weepies first gained popularity in 2006 with the release of their album Say I Am You, which featured the popular single “World Spinning.” Since then, the duo has released four more albums, with their most recent being Sirens (2014).
The Weepies have built a large following on YouTube, thanks in part to their tendency to release high-quality music videos for their tracks. Many of these videos have racked up millions of views, making The Weepies one of the most popular folk music acts on the platform.
Looking to the future, it seems likely that The Weepies will continue to be one of YouTube’s top folk music acts. Their charming blend of acoustic folk-pop is sure to win them even more fans in the years to come.