Psych Folk Thread

[Jaakko V.]

Currently listening to Stone Breath's Lanterna Lucis Viriditatis, an began thinking about other good psych folk artists / groups. Heard various things but am rather clueless about actual names, genre in general, etc.

What would be good names to check out? Personally, I'm referring especially to the psych folk stuff with a hint of nature mysticism, and maybe even versions of actual traditional tunes. However, not so much after '60s acid nature vibes, I'm more after Robin Hood trousers.

Recommendations welcome.

[m.]

you could try with In Gowan Ring / Birch Book and Six Organs Of Admittance
also, Glass Throat Recordings has several good stuff: https://glassthroatrecordings.bandcamp.com/

[Dr Alex]

Try Sylvester Anfang II. Great band!!

[burdizzo]

Try The Hare And The Moon, an English band on Reverb Worship. They have three albums, but the first is probably the best.

[Zeno Marx]

I usually love music described as this, but I'm both:  not familiar with Stone Breath and love 60's music.  I'll give them a listen and see if I know of anything.

[MUTTERWILD]

Some classic releases. From late 60s/early 70s but might fit your needs.

COMUS "First Utterance" (1970) Essential, beautiful and unhinged. Diana is the keystone. Still unique after all these years.

CROMAGNON "Orgasm" (1969) One of my favorite lps. Probably too strange to actually be called Psych Folk but check it out anyway. Caledonia is the entry point on this one and it gets progressively more out from there. Not at all traditional but worth checking out.

PENTANGLE "Basket of Light" (1969), "Cruel Sister" (1970) and "Solomon's Seal" (1972) All the lps by the original lineup are good but these are the ones I own and listen to. Mix of original and traditional songs with exceptional musicianship.

[Zeno Marx]

Orgasm is a fantastic album. Not sure how it would qualify here, but I'll second the recommendation on quality alone.

This Stone Breath is interesting.  If I was a betting man, I'd bet they listen to Appalachian folk quite a bit.  There are some classic banjo melodies borrowed from the likes of Roscoe Holcomb and what you might find on Mountain Music of Kentucky 2CD on Smithsonian/Folkways.  It's an added twist that, at times, one of Stone Breath sounds like Michael Gira.  I would recommend exploring Novemthree, Arrowwood, and the Little Somebody Records label.

http://www.discogs.com/label/105746-Little-Somebody-Records

https://novemthree.bandcamp.com/

http://bandcamp.com/tag/arrowwood

***I'd like to amend that Arrowwood link.  This is their latest album.  It was on my "best of" that year, and I'd recommend it as the place to begin with them.  It's also on maybe today's best psychedelic folk label (though they have shitty distribution in the USA).  http://merlinsnoserecords.bandcamp.com/album/beautiful-grave

In my opinion, this album and artist is a psychedelic folk classic.  It's also droney in nature.  http://pantaleimon.bandcamp.com/album/trees-hold-time

For me, outside of some medieval elements found in the folk revival of the 60s, curly-toed slippered music is personified with this album:  http://peterscion.blogspot.com/2009/05/dark-matters-1995.html

and Peter Scion is a folk genius:  http://peterscion.blogspot.com/

and this contemporary classic is probably already known:  http://tescogermany.bandcamp.com/album/solanaceae

[acsenger]

I really like the only album of Ksiezyc (http://www.discogs.com/Księżyc-Księżyc/master/365258). It's not psych folk, although it has some folkish vibes. I mention it here because it doesn't fit into any category, but it's perhaps closest to folk among the genres covered by this forum.

[Bloated Slutbag]

The first clear influence for Stone Breath seems to be earlier In Gowan Ring, which I generally prefer to later IGR so good move there

Of those yet to be mentioned here or in the Psyche Volk thread (which was admittedly more the noodling hairies than the robin hood tights), I'd suggest Richard Skelton's A Broken Consort project, which at times very slightly reminds of the more instrumental Stone Breath, though all of his projects are worthy of investigation:
https://aeolian.bandcamp.com/music

For a slightly doomier vibe, perhaps a bit more nature-y than tights, some of the things on Glass Throat Recordings could qualify. Alethes, Fearthainne, The Elemental Chrysalis, others.
https://glassthroatrecordings.bandcamp.com/

Zeno mentioned Little Somebody Records, and for the tights wibe I'd go with Green Mistletoe, which is almost exactly how you'd expect them to sound with a name like that.

Far Black Furlong finds Richard Moult-y piano drone delivered by set of performers with robin hood tights squeezing their collective nuts off. Very delicate squeezing out of the choicest sounds
http://music.farblackfurlong.com/album/the-east-room

I'm not the world's biggest Sol Invictus fan, though they do have their moments. I do like Grey Force Wakeford. Still suffers slightly from the huge reverb with which Wakeford saturates most of his recent work. Duo Noir's Sintra (with Andrew King) is also pretty great. "Black Crusade" is a great booze-it-up-'n-sing-along ditty.

Only vaguely related, but with a slight Appalachian folk connect plus very good- Cye Wood And Lisa Gerrard - The Trail Of Genghis Khan.

[collapsedhole]

good thread - thanks

[holydeath]

C.O.B. - Moyshe McStiff And The Tartan Lancers Of The Sacred Heart
A staple of ye olde psych folk, happy yet harrowing tunes played with yer traditional folk instruments.

United Bible Studies
The albums differ quite a lot with each other, as this falls to the more improvisational folk stuff. Works feature Richard Moult, aka. Christos Beest of ONA fame. Very gut-wrenching, very good.

After two artists like these it's hard to recommend any of the sweeter fluff like Vashti Bunyan or such. Judging by your usual taste in music, I'd say go with the more grown-up stuff and leave the children's carols to feeble hippies.

[Baglady]

There's so much good psych folk from the late '60s - early '70s. Nice to see Comus mentioned. First Utterance is amazing, an album I keep returning to. There simply is no other album like it. Otherworldly music.

Another 60s-70s group I've been listening alot to over the years is Incredible String Band. Some of their albums are a bit too goofy for me, but the self titled debut and The Hangmans Beautiful Daughter are really good. Sort of inbetween the british side of folk music and the more flower powery side of it.

A, for me at least, late discovery is Simon Finn Pass The Distance. At first I mostly enjoyed the instant apocalyptic hit song "Jerusalem", but the rest of the album has grown on me as well over time. Sort of like a disillusioned hippie folk album. Well worth checking out. Don't look for the 1971 first press unless you're rich though.

Ah, and another favorite is Davy Graham and Shirley Collins amazing album Folk Roots, New Routes. Not psych at all, but a folk masterpiece not to be missed.

[pentd]

+1 comus

the dark past of bon scott is quite "robin hood" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZY2nl2CwLc

Kuupuu makes spooky stuff

tried stonebreath once, it sucked monkye ass

[wyngarde]

Yeah, the Comus (first!) album is out there on it's own. Creepy music from when England was ruled by strange unnameable gods.

Tek a lissen
https://youtu.be/f9rN6YF5J_o

[Leewar]

Jan Dukes de Grey - Mice and rats in the loft.