Post: #1

I thought I would make a thread for appreciating folk music from around the world and start it by sharing some interesting folk rock/metal bands that I have come across. Folk rock/metal, in my opinion, tends to have a more positive feel to it than the overly negative and whiney stuff that has dominated rock and metal in the West since at least the mid 2000s. It tends to give me an energized and optimistic feeling whereas the screamo stuff, for example, tends to make me feel depressed and lethargic. It also often has the ability to be both energizing and relaxing at the same time.

I especially like it when lyrics are intelligible (as opposed to "screamo") and when songs incorporate native instruments so that it is not just the same rock sound in another language but really a different and possibly even new sound. The unintelligible growling and dramatically gory music videos of many current metal bands just feel cringey and don't do it for me. Many folk metal bands on the other hand have songs that are so upbeat and catchy that you can dance to them. Even when it is not a dancing song though, the feeling seems more primal and natural to me.

This is by no means limited to folk rock and folk metal. If you know of any cool folk music pieces, post them here.

Anyway, here are some to start with.


Mongolia and Inner Mongolia

The Hu: From what I can tell, they are probably one of the most famous bands from Mongolia. They incorporate throat singing as well as native instruments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8dCGIm6yc

Tengger Cavalry: Not sure what is going on in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia but a lot of decent bands in this genre seem to be coming out of there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kCTc7Mdkb0

Nine Treasures: More lyrical content than The Hu and a different singing style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e1JyWgVfnI

Hanggai: Inner Mongolia strikes again. What's up with Mongols, man? They must have music in their blood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhkeqeUX4tk

Hanggai: On the list again because they are great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvW8JEuIo58

Post: #2

South Korea

Gostwind: Hauntingly beautiful. Not only do they make heavy use of traditional instruments but the lead vocalist also sings in the traditional "pansori" style. Something to check out if you never have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzICEUFEVds&t=72s

Jambinai: These guys do not seem to do vocals much but their instrumentals are great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56dv3XHUISY

Kim Chang Wan Band: Fun and uplifting sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJDIlWGUA4A


Japan

Wagakki Band: These guys are really cool and have a great visual aesthetic to go with their also great sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_xTet06SUo

Whispered: These guys are probably the screamiest band that I will be including in this first list but I felt that I should throw them in because they utilize a few native instruments and have a pretty fast pace which is nice to listen to from time to time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WNdYVM0rRA

If you're into trippy stuff, have a listen to this.
Yomi - All is Void


China

A very indie garage band sound for those who like that. I'm trying to cast a wide net here.
DreamSpirit (梦灵) - My Mountains And Rivers


India

With their name clearly being a play on "Bolloywood," the English parts of the lyrics in these guys' songs tend to be a bit corny but their sound is definitely cool and I have been told by a friend who understands Hindi that the Hindi lyrics are "much more profound."
Bloodywood - "Jee Veerey" ft. Raoul Kerr


Philippines

Not rock but still cool and a great example of traditional Filipino music with native instruments.
Kontra-GaPi: Game of Thrones Theme Cover


Kazakhstan

Ulytau: Purely instrumental with no lyrics as far as I can tell but worth checking out, especially if you just need some background music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfN95bMRFOo

Gaukhartas: This is not really rock, or is it? Not really sure how to classify this but it's interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FlBCJbb2oo


Russia

Kalevala: A Russian band named after the national epic poem of Finland and Karelia (a region in Russia that borders Finland).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CJ09qlsU6c

Pauki: Russians with bagpipes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h08SiQRj4c


Scotland

Alestorm: Pirates and booze. These guys are just fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f55CqLc6IR0


Ireland

Rumjacks: An Irish band with "rum" in its name. I'm sure you can guess what they are all about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDTQQWSmo8s

The O'Reillys and the Paddyhats: Similar in sound to the Rumjacks. Great music for hanging out with friends and/or pubs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_GpqDCs8ys


Finland

Korpiklaani: Can't have a thread on folk metal without mentioning Finland. Thesy seem to mostly sing about getting drunk and doing crazy things while drunk so they should be relatable to at least a few of you fine gentlemen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc0sJvtKrRM

Steve'n'Seagulls: Finnish hillbillies who seem to mostly do bluegrass covers of famous rock songs. I included them on this list mainly because I just enjoyed seeing this video. It looks like they are having a genuinely great time which is really what music is for, no?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Ao-iNPPUc


Denmark

Heilung: Based in Copenhagen, the members from Norway, Denmark, and Germany. Can be good workout music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7ZqZVunCb4


???

The Sidh: Somehow these guys almost slipped by me. I do not know what country they are from but they have a Celtic/Scottish sound to them which includes bagpipes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amJ_WLmOKS0

Land of Iron: Instrumental. What you might expect to hear in a fantasy video game or epic film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5u9glfqDsc

Post: #3

This got a bit messy because I did not know that I can only post 5 videos at a time. Keep that in mind if you have a lot of songs.

Post: #4

Great thread. Just one thing, despite being most well known for the "Irish Pub Song" The Rumjacks are Australian. I've met them a number of times.

Post: #5

Russia

Addition to those OP mentioned regarding Russia. Arkona, folk rock band focusing on slavic mythology.

Post: #6

Great thread. I am personally not a fan of folk metal or any other subgenre mixed with folk music because it beats the whole point. Folk music is music of the folk, simple music of our ancestors that is timeless, immune to temporary trends and makes us feel connected and bonded with generations of the past. Some newly composed folk music may also be cool, as long as it strives to be authentic and doesn't have any weird modern instruments.

I've been a fan of Slovak and Rusyn folk music for at least 10 years. There's just something primal in it that speaks to me. It sounds like it's supposed to be played as background music in some gothic blockbuster movie when the main protagonist enters the dark castle on the hill. I've been humming some of these tunes for years. No matter what I listen to, I always go back to some of these tunes because for me this is the true pinnacle of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01zIq-7IwvU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_9pCxJi7cU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQDa0ySe0dw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-wr5voAy9Q


I also like music from Croatias's northernmost region because it reminds me of Slovak, though it doesn't sound nearly as epic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1eiwHBu_xg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdU4iimZWuI

Post: #7

Note: This post contains 32 videos. This post is made to demonstrate the power of the streamlined Youtube embedding method. They also show in the archive version of a thread. Embedded videos under the old method do not show in the archive versions.

(12-26-2018 01:03 AM)Waqqle Wrote:  This got a bit messy because I did not know that I can only post 5 videos at a time. Keep that in mind if you have a lot of songs.

That's not a problem if you use the "faster Youtube embedding" method. It's just an application of the following code:

To Waqqle & Mr_Assmaster: I embedded all of the songs within your posts so that opening a new tab is not necessary.

(12-26-2018 12:49 AM)Waqqle Wrote:  [...]

This is by no means limited to folk rock and folk metal. If you know of any cool folk music pieces, post them here.

Anyway, here are some to start with.


Mongolia and Inner Mongolia

The Hu: From what I can tell, they are probably one of the most famous bands from Mongolia. They incorporate throat singing as well as native instruments.


Tengger Cavalry: Not sure what is going on in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia but a lot of decent bands in this genre seem to be coming out of there.


Nine Treasures: More lyrical content than The Hu and a different singing style.


Hanggai: Inner Mongolia strikes again. What's up with Mongols, man? They must have music in their blood.


Hanggai: On the list again because they are great.

(12-26-2018 12:53 AM)Waqqle Wrote:  South Korea

Gostwind: Hauntingly beautiful. Not only do they make heavy use of traditional instruments but the lead vocalist also sings in the traditional "pansori" style. Something to check out if you never have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzICEUFEVds&t=72s


Jambinai: These guys do not seem to do vocals much but their instrumentals are great.


Kim Chang Wan Band: Fun and uplifting sound.



Japan

Wagakki Band: These guys are really cool and have a great visual aesthetic to go with their also great sound.


Whispered: These guys are probably the screamiest band that I will be including in this first list but I felt that I should throw them in because they utilize a few native instruments and have a pretty fast pace which is nice to listen to from time to time.


If you're into trippy stuff, have a listen to this.



China

A very indie garage band sound for those who like that. I'm trying to cast a wide net here.



India

With their name clearly being a play on "Bolloywood," the English parts of the lyrics in these guys' songs tend to be a bit corny but their sound is definitely cool and I have been told by a friend who understands Hindi that the Hindi lyrics are "much more profound."



Philippines

Not rock but still cool and a great example of traditional Filipino music with native instruments.



Kazakhstan

Ulytau: Purely instrumental with no lyrics as far as I can tell but worth checking out, especially if you just need some background music.


Gaukhartas: This is not really rock, or is it? Not really sure how to classify this but it's interesting.



Russia

Kalevala: A Russian band named after the national epic poem of Finland and Karelia (a region in Russia that borders Finland).


Pauki: Russians with bagpipes.



Scotland

Alestorm: Pirates and booze. These guys are just fun.



Ireland

Rumjacks: An Irish band with "rum" in its name. I'm sure you can guess what they are all about.


The O'Reillys and the Paddyhats: Similar in sound to the Rumjacks. Great music for hanging out with friends and/or pubs.



Finland

Korpiklaani: Can't have a thread on folk metal without mentioning Finland. Thesy seem to mostly sing about getting drunk and doing crazy things while drunk so they should be relatable to at least a few of you fine gentlemen.


Steve'n'Seagulls: Finnish hillbillies who seem to mostly do bluegrass covers of famous rock songs. I included them on this list mainly because I just enjoyed seeing this video. It looks like they are having a genuinely great time which is really what music is for, no?



Denmark

Heilung: Based in Copenhagen, the members from Norway, Denmark, and Germany. Can be good workout music.



???

The Sidh: Somehow these guys almost slipped by me. I do not know what country they are from but they have a Celtic/Scottish sound to them which includes bagpipes.


Land of Iron: Instrumental. What you might expect to hear in a fantasy video game or epic film.

(12-26-2018 06:24 AM)Mr_Assmaster Wrote:  [...]

I've been a fan of Slovak and Rusyn folk music for at least 10 years. There's just something primal in it that speaks to me. It sounds like it's supposed to be played as background music in some gothic blockbuster movie when the main protagonist enters the dark castle on the hill. I've been humming some of these tunes for years. No matter what I listen to, I always go back to some of these tunes because for me this is the true pinnacle of music.




I also like music from Croatias's northernmost region because it reminds me of Slovak, though it doesn't sound nearly as epic

It's recommended to use this feature responsibly. The most amount of videos I've inserted into a single post, besides this one, is 14 & that was only to respond to a certain thread.
_______________________________________________
"Why is "thicc" considered good? It seems more like a slippery slope towards chubby chasing." #249

Post: #8

Shakti- smoking acoustic guitar by the virtuoso John McLaughlin with equally capable Indian musicians, 1977 I think. No one has been able to emulate this.

Post: #9

@Tex Cruise: Thanks for catching that. I had assumed they were Irish but I just checked and you are definitely right. What were the Rumjacks like in person?

@sterling_archer: Cool. I've never heard of Arkona until now but thank you for mentioning them as they have an interesting sound. To be honest, I wish that they would quit the screaming and articulate more clearly but I love the rest of it.

@Mr_Assmaster: Great links. There is a lot to be said for traditional form and authenticity. There is a reason why such music has powered tribes and civilizations since the beginning of time. Personally, I tend to like the addition of modern instruments as most of them are basically electrical versions of the originals and more people are exposed to the purely traditional stuff by hearing bands who do that. I definitely get what you are saying though and I agree that it is hard to beat the original musical form, especially when it comes to live performances where I personally think that traditional instruments create a more intimate and, for lack of a better word, real feeling and tend to surpass the instruments that have to be plugged into an amp.

@Built to Fade: Woah, I did not know about that. Thank you!

@Zep: This is cool. I can imagine this being background music when I am doing something. All the musicians involved are clearly highly skilled. I especially love the drums. Indian percussion instruments have a great sound quality to them.

Post: #10

Europe

Georgia



Georgian Orthodox Christians singing in Aramaic



Armenia

More of a rock sound



Ukraine

Very lively. You can dance to this.





Sub-Saharan Africa

Mali

*Mali is known to be one of the most musical countries in Africa and the country produces a lot of great folk bands and artists.

Salif Keita is a man with a very interesting life story who is said by many to be the king of Malian blues.


Fatoumata Diawara has a vocal style that is very soothing. It makes me imagine sweeping landscapes and caravan traders.



Gambia

Apparently the drummer is from Ghana, the guitarist is from Nigeria, and the singer is from Gambia. Very cool sound.


Ethiopia

*One of the most ancient civilizations on the planet and the only sub-Saharan African country to have its own castles.

Solomon Demle's style is very much like what I have heard playing in every Ethiopian restaurant I've ever been to. The religious music used in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church also sounds a lot like this.



Madagascar

Malagasy buskers





Asia

Kyrgyzstan

Similar in sound to Gaukhartas and that is not a bad thing. The national instrument of Kyrgyzstan, the komuz, would be a very cool one to learn to play and travel with.



Kazakhstan

Epic music to explore and/or conquer the world to. This band seems to have a lot of great songs.


Hassak again because they are just cool.


More of a rock sound



China




Japan




Korea

Pansori, a traditional musical style known for it's vocals


Samunori, another traditional musical style that focuses on percussion. The sound is very uniquely Korean and can put you in a trance.



Middle East and North Africa

Iraq

Haunting


Belongs in a movie



Morocco




Turkey




Americas

Brazil

Olodum, the famous street music group that heavily emphasizes percussion and Afro-Brazilian instruments.





Colombia




Bolivia




USA

This song was in O' Brother Where Art Thou, a great movie if you have never seen it.


Another song that was in the same movie but this is a different rendering of it.



Canada

Bluegrass, the folk music style of Appalachia and the US Deep South

Post: #11

The songs in which these guys speak English are annoying but the ones in which they say nothing are good. They are from the Netherlands.











This is also pretty cool. The dulcimer is an instrument that should be taught in schools.

Post: #12

Post: #13

1970s Bielorussian band Pesnyary, which apparently was huge throughout the USSR. I got ahold of one of their old albums, great stuff, folk from Minsk with a vintage psych-rock take.

Post: #14

German musician Patty Gurdy playing hurdy gurdy. Check out her channel.