To Lothlorien! On the subject of Dork Folk (an MP3 post)

You know how folk artists have that decades old, Woodstock era reputation of being "lame"? Dorkish? Sniffling with thick coke-bottle glasses? Well, I'm a dork. When I was a senior in high school, I spent $400 dollars on a bevel cut, suede hued frame for a Lord of the Rings Poster.

If we're looking at the definition of "cool music," isn't Led Zeppelin the coolest (/bad ass")? In a poll conducted by the Foundation for Songs About Sex in Bathtubs (FSSB): a staggering 98% of participants rated "Dazed and Confused" as the coolest song of all time, while putting all Hall and Oates songs in a low .05 percentile. This low of a percentage rates alongside "Wearing a Pedometer" level of coolness and "Fasting for political issues" cool. How about this little factoid--Robert Plant loved Lord of the Rings. In 1975, live at Earls Court on a Europe tour, Robert Plant can be heard screaming "STRIDER!" at the end of an electrifying performance of Bron Y Aur Stomp (5:40):


Turns out: "Strider" is the Ranger name of Aragorn in Lord of the Rings. Who's the dork now, huh! You can like elves and metaphors about mossy trees.

Which brings me to my point: Meg Baird's "Riverhouse in Tinicum" from her Mother-Nature-pleasing album Dear Companion. Part of me feels like it would accompany the fellowship on the way to Mordor, and the other wants to spin the record with a strong beer. It's charming, unassuming folk in a new decade that will nearly match, if not totally dwarf the folk output of the 1960's. If you feel odd or unsettled piping this mp3 through your work speakers while others are matching the ohms with Lady Gaga or Alicia Keys' song about New York something: do not feel low. Folk is way cool and so is Lord of Rings. Fly you fool and listen to flowers-in-your hair music! Don't quote me though, everyone hates me.

Meg Baird's solo Dear Companion features great collaborators like Arborea (playing at SXSW) and Fern Knight Glenn Jones. Also she's played on tour with Vetiver and Avi Buffalo. Very cool.

Meg Baird - Riverhouse in Tinicum

Megafaun, Record Stores and Incense

I don't smoke weed. Maybe I should, I don't know for sure. There's a scene in Almost Famous when the kid puts on Tommy, "Sparks" fades up, and I remember thinking when I was a kid: "Should I be smoking weed?"

Is it possible that music can replace the urge? Megafaun's new album, Gather, Form & Fly, comes damn close. It's baroque, dark, and full of barn hay. There's lots of exciting diversions in this album, and as the needle rounds the record, it shocks you. Trumpets and scratchy strings in between beautiful folk songs. Some of them raw, like a garbage bag is wrapped around them, giving them that cool, hippy, papery sound that folk musicians love to do these days.

If this were the Seventies, and war was going on (wait...), I'd probably be in my room Indian-style, with a fairly large bowl, with Megafaun's new record rolling on the table. It really is beautiful to think about, and even better to listen to now.

Megafaun is on tour, right this minute, with the Bowerbirds. Can you think of a better thing to do, than to see them play? And before play their records, burn some incense, and see your future? Damn that Cameron Crowe.

Megafaun - The Fade

Joe Pug - Bury Me Far from my Uniform

If you heard Joe Pug playing on the street, would you stop?

Pug's been touring with Horse Feathers, who after a few Paste interviews, NPR sessions, and some wildfire folk-blog posts, is still undeservedly unknown.

"Merciful God please remember my face"

A striking and tender song, literally (in this video) with crickets playing behind him. I hope people remember him.

Joe Pug - Dodging the Wind