Friday, June 24, 2011

Seasons They Change

I have hardly read a music book with so many artists I have never heard about, but I did it! The music: Acid-, psychedelic-, alternative-, avant. or freak folk? You name it, but be a bit careful with "freak folk" (some artists don't like that).

If you are more than a little interested in music in said areas, "Seasons they change. The story of acid and psychedelic folk" (JawBone 2010) by Jeanette Leech, is probably the book for you. Most of you know Joanna Newsom, Vashiti Bunyan and Devendra Banhart, but in this book you get the full story of several waves of alternative folk music, mainly in USA and Great Britain. Leech is also visiting other countries (I never knew "Krautfolk"!) and even Norwegian Oriental Sunshine (with Ozark Mountain Daredevil Rune Walle) is offered some space "Dedicated to the birds we love" (1970).

The book is interesting and quite good, but it is a little bit of too much of everything for this reader. More on fewer artists, would have helped me at least, but the book really made me want to check out several releases! I still have not seen the movie "The wicker man" (starring Christopher Lee),or heard the soundtrack, but I bought my first album with The Holy Modal Rounders!

The index is fine, but I really would have liked a full discography here!

1 comment:

Elliot Knapp said...

Cool to hear you're checking out the Holy Modal Rounders. They're a lot of fun, but very different from a lot of British folk. This book sounds interesting!