2000s

P.G. Six – Slightly Sorry

Style: Loner Folk, Weird Americana, Folk Rock, Singer Songwriter

Vibe: Peaceful, Melancholy, Reflective, Romantic, Gentle, Rustic, Warm, Autumnal, Bittersweet, Breezy, Contemplative, Lethargic, Mellow, Intertwined

Musical Qualities: Soft, Lush, Lyrical, Vocal Harmonies, Acoustic, Atmospheric

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Jackie-O Motherfucker – Liberation

Style: Free Folk, Mystical Americana, Drone, Free Improvisation, Post-Rock

Vibe: Weary, Hopeful, Rustic, Communal, Spiritual, Ragged, Eerie, Melancholy, Deconstructed, Hypnotic, Communal, Haunting, Raw, Suspenseful, Intertwined

Musical Qualities: Collective Improvisation, Dynamic, Lo-Fi, Atmospheric, Droney, Group Vocals, Dub FX

Instrumentation: Electric Guitars, Vibraphone, Flute, Drums, Violin, Cello, Clarinet, Saxophone, Banjo, Melodica, Sitar, Electronics, Turntable, Keyboards, Trumpet, Electric Bass

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Grails – Burning Off Impurities

Style: Psychedelic Rock, Post-Rock

Influences: Arabic Folk, Horror Soundtracks, Kosmisch, Library Music, Spaghetti Westerns, Prog, Stoner Rock, American Primitive Guitar, Raga

Vibe: Adventure, Driving, Cinematic, Exploratory, Epic, Ominous, Nocturnal

Musical Qualities: Instrumental, Dynamic, Fuzzy, Riffs, Progressive, Atmospheric

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Neko Case – Blacklisted

LP, Anti- Records, 2002 (2016, RE) Style: Gothic Americana, Alt-Country, Singer/Songwriter Vibe: Bittersweet, Rebellious, Haunting, Western, Passionate, Energetic, Longing, Anthemic, Breakup, Depressive, Heartfelt, Introspective, Twangy, Rustic, Sentimental

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Neko Case – Furnace Room Lullaby

Style: Alt-Country, Americana, Singer/Songwriter

Vibe: Bittersweet, Warm, Angsty, Rustic, Heartfelt, Confident, Passionate, Twangy, Love, Breakup, Reflective, Sentimental, Lush, Rootsy

Instrumentation: Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Lap Steel & Pedal Steel Slide Guitars, Fiddle, Electric & Upright Basses, Drums, Vocal Harmonies, Banjo, Mandolin, Organ, Accordion

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mewithoutYou – Brother, Sister

Style: Post-Hardcore, Art Rock, Folk-Influenced

Vibe: Spiritual, Poetic, Angsty, Introspective, Psychedelic, Energetic, Autumnal, Passionate, Sombre

Themes: Existential, Religious (Christian), Personal, Allegory, Symbolic, Philosophical

Musical Qualities: Spoken Word, Shouting, Groovy, Lush, Dense, Dynamic, Progressive

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Omar Rodriguez Lopez Quintet – The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange

Style: Psychedelic Jazz Fusion, Prog, Jazz-Rock

Vibe: Psychedelic, Chaotic, Bombastic, Energetic, Groovy, Heavy, Manic

Musical Attributes: Polyphonic, Polyrhythmic, Dense, Instrumental, Odd Time Signatures, Complex, Progressive, Technical, Riffs, Improvisation, Studio-as-an-Instrument

Instrumentation: Electric Guitar, Drums, Percussion, Electric Bass, Saxophone, Keyboards

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Akron/Family – Set Em Wild, Set Em Free

These guys are my favorite American Rock band. Every album they’ve released explores different sides of rock, folk, experimental and psychedelic music in such a natural, unforced way that my mind usually envisions them jamming by a campfire in the woods. What’s even better is I imagine I’m there with them singing along and worshipping the great creative spirit that inspires their music. There’s such an unpretentious, inclusive sense of community and spirituality in their music that I can’t help but feel welcomed and embraced into the family.

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Jackie-O Motherfucker – Fig 5.

Style: Mystical Americana, Free Folk, Post-Rock, Drone

Vibe: Haunting, Meandering, Rootsy, Rustic, Nocturnal, Mysterious, Deconstructed, Ragged, Communal, Murky, Abstract, Lethargic, Hallucinogenic, Raw

Musical Qualities: Collective Improvisation, Instrumental (except B1,C1), Loose, Lo-fi, Dynamic, Droney, Noisy, Group Vocals (B1), Harmonies (B1, C1)

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Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh

On this self-titled collaboration, acid folk luminaries Helena Espvall (Espers) and Masaki Batoh (Ghost) create mysterious and earthy interpretations of traditional Medieval, Swedish, Japanese, and Finnish folk songs, plus a Son House cover, an original, and a handful of free improvisations.

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boris – Flood

Style: Drone Metal, Post-Rock

Vibe: Aquatic, Meditative, Monolithic, Suspenseful, Cathartic, Apocalyptic, Melancholy, Epic

Musical Qualities: Slow, Dynamic, Suite, Loops, Repetitive, Droney, Minimalistic

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Björk – Medulla

Style: Art Pop, Experimental Electronic, Trip-Hop

Vibe: Somatic, Primal, Sensual, Passionate, Winter, Ancestral, Complex, Imaginative, Surreal, Heartfelt

Musical Qualities: A’Cappella, Choral Vocals, Experimental Vocals (Throat Singing, Beat Boxing, Manipulated Vocal Production), Studio-as-an-Instrument

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Bardo Pond – Vol. II

Style: Drone Rock, Free-Psych, Space Rock

Vibe: Hazy, Exploratory, Lethargic, Meandering, Cathartic, Dreamy, Loose, Hypnotic, Murky, Communal

Musical Qualities: Collective Improvisation, Noisy, Dynamic, Lo-fi, Climactic, Riffs, Jams

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Vic Chesnutt – At the Cut

Style: Singer/Songwriter, Southern Gothic, Chamber Punk, Slowcore, Folk Rock

Vibe: Depressive, Angsty, Triumphant, Moody, Introspective, Somber, Passionate, Sad, Cathartic

Musical Attributes: Dynamic, Raw

Instrumentation: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitars, Upright Bass, Violin, Drums

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Califone – Heron King Blues [Deluxe]

Style: New Weird Americana, Warped Folk Rock, Psych Folk

Vibe: Twangy, Cryptic, Mythic, Surreal, Mysterious, Rustic, Mellow, Warm, Rootsy

Musical Qualities: Percussive, Loops, Electro-Acoustic, Rhythmic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Improvisation

Instrumentation: Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Percussion, Organ, Piano, Vocals, Electronics, Cello, Electric Guitar, Pump Organ, Bass

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Sixteen Horsepower – Folklore

Style: Gothic Country, Americana, Chamber Folk?Vibe: Rustic, Sombre, Murky, Rootsy, Ominous, Loner, Western, Melancholy, Moody, Dark?Musical Attributes: Acoustic Instrumentation (Banjo, Upright Bass, Cello, Acoustic Guitar, Accordion, Piano), Atmospheric, Droney, Slow, Lyrical?Lyrical Themes: Alienation, Religious, Christian, Storytelling

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Sunburned Hand of the Man – Fire Escape

The free-form psychedelia and tribal “group therapy” of Sunburned Hand of the Man are in great hands with producer Kieran Hebden (Four Tet)—his dubs and cuts transform their usually lo-fi, meandering jams into something much more immediate, without losing any of their exploratory and spontaneous energy. Recommended for fans of polyrhythmic Afro-inspired percussion, dubbed out production, communal sound rituals, and dense psychedelia.

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Espers – II

Released in 2006 on Drag City Records Format: LP Style: Progressive Folk, Psych Folk Vibe: Melancholy, Psychedelic, Nocturnal, Sombre, Forest Musical Attributes: Melodic, Dynamic, Lush  

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Fly Pan Am – N’Ecoutez Pas

Released in 2004 on Constellation Records Format: LP Style: Experimental Rock, Post-Rock, Noise Rock Influences: Kosmische Musik, Shoegaze, Post-Punk Vibe: Chaotic, Noisy, Anxious, Messy, Spacey, Exploratory, Abstract Musical Attributes: Repetitive, Dense, Rhythmic, Studio-as-an-instrument, Sound Collage

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