View source for Anti-folk

{{Short description|Music genre}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Antifolk
| stylistic_origins = [[Contemporary folk music|Contemporary folk]], [[punk rock]]
| cultural_origins  = Mid-1980s United States
| other_topics      = *[[Folk punk]]
*[[freak folk]]
*[[indie folk]]
*[[neofolk]]
}}

'''Anti-folk''' (sometimes spelled '''antifolk''') is a [[music genre|genre]] of [[folk music]] that emerged in the 1980s in New York City. It was founded by the musician, author, and comedian [[Lach]], as a reaction to the commercialization of [[folk music]]. It is characterized by its amateur sound, [[do it yourself|DIY ethos]], and often humorous, rebellious, or satirical lyrics. Antifolk music was made to diverge from, and sometimes mock, the perceived seriousness of the era's mainstream music scene,<ref name="Petrusich2008">{{cite book|author=Amanda Petrusich|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tgWco-s-Zp4C&q=%22hybrid%20that%20mocked%20the%20mushiness%22&pg=PT153|title=It Still Moves: Lost Songs, Lost Highways, and the Search for the Next American Music|date=August 19, 2008|publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux|isbn=978-1-4299-5755-7|pages=153–157}}</ref> while often still being [[protest song|protest music]] aimed at social change.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/anti-folk-ma0000004417|title=Anti-Folk Music Genre Overview {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=August 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>[https://www.popmatters.com/folk-punk-three-chords-and-truth Folk Punk, Rogue Folk, Anti-Folk: Three Chords and the Truth|PopMatters]</ref> The latter element especially overlaps with [[folk punk]].

==History==
===In the United States===
Antifolk was introduced by artists who were unable to obtain gigs at established folk venues in [[Greenwich Village]] such as [[Folk City]] and The Speakeasy.<ref name=Bessman1994>{{cite magazine |last1=Bessman |first1=J. |title=Rising singer/songwriters redefine folk in the '90s |magazine=Billboard |date=July 16, 1994 |volume=106 |issue=29 |pages=1, 36 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XwgEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Rising%20singer%2Fsongwriters%20redefine%20folk%20in%20the%20'90s%22 |access-date=June 2, 2018}} (article in on pages 1 and 36)</ref> In the mid-1980s, singer-songwriter [[Lach (musician)|Lach]] started The Fort,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.supersweet.org/main.aspx?atype=2&aname=Music_The_Anti-Folk_Movement&con=2&sc1=0&sc2=90 | title = The Anti-Folk Movement | access-date = October 24, 2013 | last = Howlett | first = Isaac | work = Supersweet Zoo}}</ref> an after-hours club on NYC's [[Rivington Street]] on the [[Lower East Side]].<ref name="Kihn">{{cite magazine|title=A Scene Is Made|last=Kihn|first=Martin|date=September 12, 1994|magazine=New York Magazine|location=New York City|volume=27|number=36|pages=68–70|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MeQCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA68|access-date=July 23, 2020}}</ref> The Fort's opening coincided with the New York Folk Festival. Because of this, Lach dubbed his event the [[New York Antifolk Festival]].<ref name="light">{{cite news |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/08/11/arts/music/11folk.html |title=How Does It Feel, Antifolkies, to Have a Home, Not Be Unknown? |first= Alan |last=Light |newspaper=The New York Times |date= August 11, 2006}}</ref> Other early proponents of the movement included [[the Washington Squares]], [[Cindy Lee Berryhill]], [[Brenda Kahn]], [[Paleface (musician)|Paleface]], [[Beck]], [[Hamell on Trial]], [[Michelle Shocked]], Zane Campbell, [[John S. Hall]],<ref name="Bessman1994" /><ref name="Kimpel2006">{{cite book |last=Kimpel |first=Dan |title=How They Made It: True Stories of How Music's Biggest Stars Went from Start to Stardom! |url=https://archive.org/details/howtheymadeittru0000kimp |url-access=registration |quote=Anti-Folk John S. Hall. |year=2006 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |isbn=978-0-634-07642-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/howtheymadeittru0000kimp/page/7 7]}}</ref> [[Roger Manning]],<ref>{{cite news | first = Ben | last = Krieger | title = NYC Anti-Folk Scene | date = February 10, 2009 | url = http://www.thedelimagazine.com/FeatureView.php?artist=antifolk | work = The Deli | access-date = October 24, 2013}}</ref> [[Kirk Kelly]],<ref>{{cite news | first = Steve | last = Hochman | title = Bicoastal Anti-Folk of Kirk Kelly at Gaslight | date = January 10, 1989 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-10-ca-43-story.html | work = Los Angeles Times | access-date = October 24, 2013}}</ref> and [[Block (musician)|Block]].{{cn|date=February 2025}}

The original Fort was shut down in 1985 by the police, and because of this the club moved locations several times, including [[East Village, Manhattan|East Village]] bars Sophie's and Chameleon, before settling in the back room of the [[SideWalk Cafe]] starting in 1993.<ref name="Kihn"/><ref name="light"/> The [[New York Antifolk Festival]] was held annually at the [[SideWalk Cafe]] until its closure in 2019 (long outlasting the original Folk Festival).<ref>{{cite news |first=James C. Jr. |last=McKinley  |title=Staying Undefined at the Antifolk Festival, and That's Fine |newspaper=The New York Times |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/antifolk-festival-2011/ |date=September 23, 2011 |access-date=June 22, 2012}}</ref> Events have also taken place in the [[band shell]]s in [[Tompkins Square Park]] and [[Central Park]].<ref name="light"/> While living in San Francisco in the early 1990s, Lach helped establish a West Coast anti-folk movement at the Sacred Grounds Coffee House.<ref name="Kihn"/>

Other artists to have achieved a notable level of success who have been considered anti-folk include [[Jeffrey Lewis]], [[Regina Spektor]] and [[the Moldy Peaches]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Caroline Sullivan |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jan/20/jeffrey-lewis-peter-stampfel-review |title=Jeffrey Lewis – review &#124; Music |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref><ref name="crud">{{cite web| url=http://www.2-4-7-music.com/newsitems/aug01/moldypeaches.asp | title=Moldy Peaches Interview – Anti-Folk For Dummies. | publisher=CRUD Magazine |date=October 15, 2001|access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Gothamist Oral">{{cite web|url=https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/so-weird-but-amazing-an-oral-history-of-sidewalk-cafe-antifolk|title='So Weird But Amazing': An Oral History Of Sidewalk Cafe & Antifolk|first=Jake|last=Offenhartz|date=February 27, 2019|website=[[The Gothamist]]|accessdate=September 16, 2021}}</ref>

===In Britain===

In the 2000s the term was adopted in Britain, particularly in the London underground scene, with acts including [[David Cronenberg's Wife]] and The Bobby McGee's.<ref>{{cite web|last=Parkin |first=Chris |url=http://www.timeout.com/london/features/1971/Secret_scenes-Antifolk.html |title=Secret scenes: Antifolk |publisher=Timeout.com |date=September 12, 2006 |access-date=July 29, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223212718/https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/secret-scenes-antifolk |archive-date=February 23, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> The UK antifolk scene, largely centred in London and [[Brighton]], has established its own identity, which was written about in a six-page feature in the September 2007 issue of ''[[Plan B (magazine)|Plan B]]'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://everetttrue.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/25-antifolk.pdf |title=Plan B |last=Everett True |first=Thom Dowse |date=September 2009 |access-date=June 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821170007/https://everetttrue.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/25-antifolk.pdf |archive-date=August 21, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2004 the [[Lo-fi music|lo-fi]] musician [[Filthy Pedro]] started seasonal anti-folk festivals, which he promoted with Tom Mayne of the band David Cronenberg's Wife.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=True |first1=Everett |title=The opposite of attraction |journal=Plan B |pages=54–59}}</ref> An anti-folk scene in Brighton, curated primarily by Mertle, was quick to follow that of London.

Other key figures within the UK anti-folk community include [[Dan Treacy]] of Television Personalities, [[Jack Hayter]], Milk Kan, [[Extradition Order (band)|Extradition Order]], [[Benjamin Shaw (musician)|Benjamin Shaw]], Lucy Joplin, Candythief, JJ Crash, Larry Pickleman and [[Paul Hawkins (musician)|Paul Hawkins]].{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} [[Emmy the Great]] and [[Laura Marling]] were added to the roster of antifolk artists as they play antifolk music with mocking lyrics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Emmy The Great: The 'Anti-Folk' Takeover |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101031578 |website=National Public Radio |access-date=April 10, 2021 |date=February 23, 2009}}</ref> [[Kate Nash]] started her music career playing anti-folk-style shows, including a concert promoted by Larry Pickleman and Mertle in Brighton.<ref name="moshimoshimusic.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.moshimoshimusic.com/artists/kate-nash |title=Moshi Moshi Records &#124; Artists: Kate Nash |publisher=Moshimoshimusic.com |access-date=June 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720032214/http://www.moshimoshimusic.com/artists/kate-nash |archive-date=July 20, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Dan Willson, who performs under the name [[Withered Hand]], is an Edinburgh-based musician often considered part of the genre. His first studio album, ''Good News'', was released in 2009.<ref name="Withered Hand">{{cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/withered-hand-new-gods-147760|title=Withered Hand – New Gods|website=[[The Line of Best Fit]]|first=Finnbar|last=Bermingham|date=March 10, 2014|access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref>

Welsh antifolk artist Mr Duke has gained some popularity in Wales, and [[Crywank]], an antifolk project from Manchester, surfaced in 2009.

==See also==
* [[Anticomp Folkilation]]
* [[Psychedelic folk]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web |last1=Kihn |first1=Martin |title=A Scene Is Made |url=http://www.martinkihn.com/scan/ny/lach.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714043817/http://www.martinkihn.com/scan/ny/lach.pdf |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |url-status=dead |date=September 12, 1994 |work=New York Magazine |pages=68–70}}
* [http://www.antifolk.com ''Antifolk.com'' The most updated Antifolk website, covering the movement across the world]
* [http://www.antifolk.net ''Antifolk.net'' The New York Antifolk website, started by Lach to promote the scene]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175006/http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/35556 ''Morning Star'' article on Anti-folk]
* [http://www.timeout.com/london/features/1971.html ''Time Out London'' feature on Anti-folk]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080110180859/http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2007/08/hugs_and_kisses_5.php ''Village Voice'' article on UK Anti-folk]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071121061737/http://festivals.musicomh.com/swn-2007-1_1107.htm musicomh.com's Review of Anti-folk night at Sŵn Fest, Cardiff 2007]
* [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2018/02/01/feature/this-hillbilly-madman-is-country-music-royalty-so-why-havent-you-heard-of-him/ Washington Post article about Zane Campbell's part in Anti-folk]

{{Folk music}}
{{punk}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anti-Folk}}
[[Category:Anti-folk music| ]]
[[Category:American styles of music]]
[[Category:Punk rock genres]]
[[Category:1980s in music]]
[[Category:1990s in music]]
[[Category:2000s in music]]
[[Category:2010s in music]]