That’s All, Folk!

What Exactly Is Folk Music Today

When you think of Folk music you might call to mind images of a 1960’s coffee house with a small stage crowded with turtle neck-dressed musicians wailing about the woes of the world. Bands like The Kingston Trio, The New Christy Minstrels, Peter, Paul & Mary or The Seekers were household names and even charted with some hit songs. We at CSS Royalty Free Music have a warm place in our hearts for this simple music genre and we’ll deconstruct the original form and where Folk music is today.

These early groups wrote/performed very simple music, usually comprised of three or four chords and unornamented melodies. The Seekers did begin to break the mold with their very poppy hits like “Georgy Girl,” “I’ll Never Find Another You” and “A World Of Our Own” that introduced catchy melodies and great vocals. Being from Australia may have contributed to their sound…or perhaps they had a visionary A&R person picking their music. Today’s bands like Fleet Foxes, Of Monsters and Men, Mumford & Sons or The Lumineers have evolved the Folk sound by introducing new melodic structure that deliver very singable themes.

Where the original Folk orchestrations used only acoustic guitar and perhaps an upright bass, these new artists are bringing in drums/percussion, mandolins, banjos, accordions, electric bass guitar and other non-folk instruments. And with these additional instruments, the music gurus have decided to deem these bands Indie Pop, Folk Rock or Alt Folk.

CSS Music has a variety of the modern Folk genres. Tunes like “Rolling Home,” (PowerTrax 28) “A Road Trip Quietly” (PowerTrax 33) or “Road Trip Anthem” (PowerTrax 34) will make you want to put on your flannel shirt and funky-cool hat.   If you want the vibe of traditional Folk, something like “Down Home Acoustic,” (Repo-File Plus 42) “Family Reunion” which also has a vocal version, (PowerTrax 37) “Memories We Made,” (Super Themes 37) or for some 1970’s flair, “Box Sliding.” (Back Trax 4) Yes, we fondly salute the Folk pioneers of the 1960s and we know you guys/gals need lots of the newer sounds. Take a tour of our Folk collection by choosing “Folk” from our Keyword Alpha Lists or simply type It in to our Bulid-A-Search. Happy hunting!