Folk Roots: The Sound Of Americana

As the modern-day "weird folk" revival continues apace, a new generation of acoustic-oriented youngsters is rediscovering the original folk revival of the 1950s and '60s. The 19-track FOLK ROOTS: THE SOUND OF AMERICANA is a solid overview of that age, featuring key songs by artists such as Odetta, Leadbelly, Ed McCurdy, Jean Ritchie, A.L. Lloyd, John Jacob Niles,and Oscar Brand. Focusing primarily on versions of traditional folk tunes like Barbara Dane's playful take on "Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot", the song selection stays away from the familiar and the overexposed. The compilers apparently assume that their target audience is already familiar with important compilations like Harry's Smith's legendary ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC as well as the biggest names of the era, making FOLK ROOTS: THE SOUND OF AMERICANA an ideal second purchase for those wishing to move further into what Greil Marcus dubbed "the old, weird America".|