TockTockTock

Do either of you think this qualifies as avant-folk?

By the way, that's a really good song, Stu. I might just look into that.

Sneer

I wouldn't say so, the only way it could be construed as avant-folk is if somebody has the mindset that anything with a viola in it is folk... Which of course would be absurd. To me it's just avant-garde.

And yeah, I urge you to, she's pretty fucking splendid.

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TockTockTock

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu I wouldn't say so, the only way it could be construed as avant-folk is if somebody has the mindset that anything with a viola in it is folk... Which of course would be absurd. To me it's just avant-garde.

Well, the majority of that album is influenced by contemporary folk, and the guitar work on that song in particular could very much be rooted in the genre... Not to mention the vocals are delivered in a somewhat Dylan-like manner.

I feel that Beck's interpretation/cover of it sort of stripped it down to what it was: a folk song. He just omitted the atonal viola.

Sneer

The main inspirations behind the album's sound were from La Monte Young, John Cage and Fluxus. Yeah, Reed was influenced by Dylan, namely his electric output, but he was also influenced by 60's pop and R'n'B. It may have elements, but I honestly don't think it's a folk album in the slightest. I appreciate your angle though, it's an interesting thought - just one I don't subscribe to.

It's difficult to describe The Black Angel's Death Song, let alone assert a genre to it, but I can't hear the folk in it. To me Beck, who is rooted to a degree in folk music, at least in some of his work, created his own interpretation, that's all.

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TockTockTock

Fair enough. Although, I never argued it was a folk album... I just meant it held folk as influence. If you remember... the older recordings of both "Heroin" and "All Tomorrow's Parties" were done in a folk format (until Cale came in and made them better)

Quote:

It's difficult to describe The Black Angel's Death Song, let alone assert a genre to it

Yea, that's sort of how I came about thinking it was avant-folk. I honestly didn't know what the hell it was (I still don't).

Sneer

I'm a little conflicted now, because I'm going through it, and there are clear world folk influences that I overlooked. Like the raga in Venus in Furs and tribal sound of European Son.

Yeah I agree with you, it imbues elements of world music into the songs, and blends them with drones, dissonance, whateverelsethefuck they do on that album to create something totally new.

It's avant-punk.

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