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folk punk

Folk punk is a genre of music that combines elements of folk and punk rock music. There are two distinct types of folk punk. The first is artists like The Knitters - punk music musicians who play in a traditional folk style. There are also modern artists who perform acoustically in the folk style, this is the "riotfolk" genre.

Like much punk music in general, folk-punk tends to be quite political, most often on the radical left and anarchist side of the spectrum. Folk punk is seen as exploring the legacy of traditional American folk music, which often contained themes of working class solidarity and community resistance facing the encroaching problems of industrialization and modern capitalism. Classic folk songs such as "This Land is Your Land" and "Sixteen Tons" have been covered by folk punk bands.

While the genre has grown greatly recently, much credit to the establishment of folk punk has gone to Plan It X Records of Bloomington, Indiana for helping popularize the sound. Many staple folk punk bands are either currently on the label or have previously had some connection to it. Among these are Against Me! - perhaps the best known folk punk band - although their sound has been moving more and more towards general punk rock and has moved away from the DIY (do it yourself) ethic that is central to the genre. However, some of these bands don't actually have any real relation to (or even sound like) actual folk music. The only relation could be pointed at the use of "obscure" instruments (or instruments hardly used in punk rock) like a violin, banjo, or a mandolin. Other notable folk-punk labels and bands include This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb, Fistolo Records, (Philadelphia, PA) and The Riot-Folk! Collective

Other locations significant to the folk punk scene are Athens, Ga and Gainesville, Fl (the birth place of Against Me!). There are also a few folk-punk acts from the northeast such as Bread and Roses, The Can Kickers, Evan Greer, and Sharp Teeth, all from the greater Boston area. Also, Salt Lake City, UT has a large folk punk scene with bands such as Bombs and Beating Hearts, James Miska, xacrox and xJoshx. The scene is also taking shape in Toronto, Canada with artists such as Timothy Cameron, and the collective based band PondScum, in DC with artists like Spoonboy and Rachel Jacobs, and Ohio, with the very popular band Defiance, Ohio (also involved with plan-it-x.)

Other significant folk punk artists and bands include ArnoCorps, Erik Petersen, Mischief Brew, xacrox, Chris Fredda, Madeline Adams, The Heroic Livers, bombs and beating hearts, "Defiance, Ohio", Ghost Mice, Saw Wheel, Rumbleseat, Spoonboy, ,Tennessee Whiskey Tots, and the artists involved in the Riot-Folk! Collective.

A symbol commonly used by the folk punk music scene is the anarchy heart. This is similar to the anarchy symbol except that instead of the A being set in a circle it is set within a heart. This symbolises "love is freedom" while the A within an O symbolises "anarchy is order". This may have originated in northern Florida.

1. Did you hear the new folk punk band from salt lake city?
2. I love folk punk music!
3. I wish I knew how to play folk punk.
4. Are you a folk punk?

by Jordan Cade Halliday April 20, 2006

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Folk Punk

A musical revelation that began on November 27th, 2012. It is widely attributed to the band Modern Baseball but that implies any band since them have been able to capture the same spirit of Folk Punk they were able to on their first try. Many ersatz attempts followed in their wake and, while it will never be achieved to such a pure degree again, their sound still reverberates through the movement.

Mathew Uychich: "I want people to understand how we've wrapped all our angst into a hatred of New Jersey and a love of weed but I can't afford the copay for therapy." Brian Sella (takes off headphones with tears in his eyes and an obvious erection): "What if we tried playing folk punk music, as popularized/invented/destined by the band Modern Baseball?" Mathew Uychich (even more erect than Brian Sella): "We're going to have to even though we'll never achieve their melodic, emotional honesty and pure sexual charisma." Both start singing: "New Jersey is only the right size in my rearview mirror and also weed is rad."

by Brian Sella himself February 22, 2023

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Folk punk

Folk punk is a sub-genre of music made mostly by and for individuals with a self proclaimed “edgy and punk” personality and is very open about their nonsense anarchistic (borderline communist) ideologies who are able to be identified by their “DIY aesthetic” style of clothing consisting of old dirty clothes held together by some patches made of scraps from even older and dirtier clothes. They can be easily mistaken as being homeless and sometimes are. Folk punk listeners are more often than not addicted to heroin and that is a common subject in folk punk songs. Folk punk bands are known for using traditional folk instruments such as banjos, mandolins, and fiddle. Another key component of this sub-genre is the “punk” attitude expressed through their music. Any fan of folk punk will tell you that’s exactly what makes it different. But the truth is when it comes down to it folk punk is essentially just country music (or alt country if you feel the need to differentiate between mainstream pop country music) made by very insecure, homeless looking edge lords who are too embarrassed to admit the fact that they might actually enjoy country music and if confronted with this fact they will become visibly angry and come up with every excuse as to why folk punk and country music are far from the same thing.

-“No! Folk punk is traditional folk music combined with our punk philosophy and attitude!”

-“Ohhh i get it now.. it’s country music but sassier and smellier!”

by EarlSweatpants April 17, 2022

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