Style: American Primitivism, Singer/Songwriter, Folk, Raga
Vibe: Mystical, Nature, Open, Passionate, Pastoral, Peaceful, Airy, Contemplative, Earthy, Impressionistic, Meditative, Morning, Spring, Spiritual,
Musical Attributes: Acoustic, Indian-Influenced, Sparse, Technical
Tag: American Primitive Guitar
John Fahey – Volume 2: Death Chants, Breakdowns, & Military Waltzes
Style: American Primitivism, Acoustic Blues, Folk
Vibe: Meditative, Loner, Morning, Rustic, Spring, Spiritual, Pastoral, Bittersweet, Hypnotic, inspiration, Melancholy, Nature, Raw, Warm
Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Technical, Fingerstyle, Instrumental, Sparse, Progressive
Moon Bros – These Stars
Style: Americana, Folk
Vibe: Pastoral, Breezy, Sunny, Morning, Rustic, Warm, Rootsy
Instrumentation: Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar, Pedal Steel, Upright Bass, Drums, Harmonica
Elkhorn – Sun Cycle
Style: Fingerstyle Folk, Psych, American Primitive Guitar
Vibe: Pastoral, Sunny, Hypnotic, Desert, Mellow, Psychedelic, Warm, Intertwined
Musical Qualities: Instrumental, Improvisation, Acoustic
Scott Key – The Forest and the Sea
Style: Finger-style Guitar, Folk
Vibe: Nature, Reflective, Knotty, Morning, Existential, Loner
Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Solo, Technical, Instrumental (except 2 tracjs), Self-Recorded
David Grubbs – Borough of Broken Umbrellas
Style: Solo Guitar Improvisations, American Primitive Guitar
Vibe: Pastoral, Peaceful, Contemplative, Soothing, Open
Musical Qualities: Sparse, Improvisation, Solo, Atmospheric
Pullman – Turnstyles & Junkpiles
LP, Thrill Jockey, 1998 Reissue (2015) Style: Chamber Folk Vibe: Pastoral, Peaceful, Warm, Focused, Morning, Intertwined Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Technical, … More
Loren Connors – Blues: The “Dark Paintings” of Mark Rothko
Style: Ambient Blues, Solo Electric Guitar
Vibe: Longing, Soothing, Nocturnal, Impressionistic, Lonely, Meditative, Melancholy, Suspenseful,
Musical Qualities: Sparse, Improvisation (solo), Atmospheric, Instrumental, Lo-fi
Bill Orcutt – Odds Against Tomorrow
Style: American Primitvism, Ambient Blues, Solo Electric Guitar
Vibe: Meditative, Longing, Spiritual, Pastoral, Loose, Kinetic
Musical Qualities: Improvisation, Dissonance, Instrumental, Sparse
David Grubbs – The Coxcomb [Review]
Style: Primitivist Theater, Avant-Folk Minimalism, Drone
Vibe: Pastoral, Alienation, Hypnotic, Abstract
Musical Attributes: Sparse, Theatrical, Repetitive, Minimalist, Acoustic
Instrumentation: Acoustic Guitar, Voices, Organ, Cello, Trombone, Bass Trombone, Saxophone
Elizabeth Cotten – Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar
Style: Appalachian Folk, Folk Blues, American Primitive Guitar
Vibe: Bittersweet, Rural, Spiritual, Intimate, Pastoral, Warm, Rootsy
Musical Attributes: Acoustic Fingerstyle, Solo Performance, Sparse, Technical
Jim White and Marisa Anderson – The Quickening
This impressionistic and contemplative collaboration channels deep American folk roots through free flowing improvisations. The panoramic and sensitive drumming of Jim White (Dirty Three, Cat Power, etc) is a perfect match for Marisa Anderson’s primitivist guitar sensibilities, which feel both immediate and abstract.
Sir Richard Bishop – Salvador Kali
Originally released in 1998 Exiled Records reissue (2016) Format: LPx2, blank D-side
John Fahey – The Voice of the Turtle
Style: American Primitive Guitar, Folk
Vibe: Rootsy, Eclectic, Raw
Musical Attributes: Acoustic, Lo-fi, Sound Collage, Vignettes, Bluesy, Instrumental
David Grubbs – Prismrose
Style: Free Folk, American Primitive Guitar, Poly-Free Improvisation, Experimental Rock
Vibe: Contemplative, Pastoral, Loner, Moody, Melancholy, Mellow, Abstract, Eerie
Musical Qualities: Improvisation, Complex, Electro-Acoustic
Moon Bros – The Easy Way is Hard Enough
Released in 2019 on Western Vinyl Format: LP
Six Organs of Admittance – School of the Flower
Originally released on CD in 2005 on Drag City First vinyl pressing – 2009 Format: LP
John Fahey – America
Released in 1971 on Takoma Records Format: LP
John Fahey – Fare Forward Voyagers (Soldier’s Choice)
Released in 1973 on Takoma Records Format: LP
John Fahey & His Orchestra – Old Fashioned Love
Another interesting one from Fahey, side A consists of some amazingly intricate guitar duets with Woodrow Mann, including my favorite Fahey song “Jaya Shiva Shankarah”. Side B takes a strange turn though…halfway through the title track a 10-piece dixieland band kicks for a few tracks of New Orleans-style jazz. The album closes in a more familiar place with a contemplative solo piece that most Fahey fans would dig.
Robbie Basho – The Falconer’s Arm II
Released in 1967 on Takoma Records Format: LP
John Fahey – Railroad
Releases in 1983 on Takoma Records Format: LP
John Fahey – Volume 3: The Dance of Death & Other Plantation Favorites
1967 Originally Released in 1965 on Takoma Records 1967 Reissue Format: LP
Six Organs of Admittance – Dark Noontide
Released in 2002 on Holy Mountain Format: LP
Six Organs of Admittance – Hexadic II
Released in 2015 on Drag City Composed using Ben Chasny’s Hexadic System
Sandy Bull – Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo
On his debut album, the guitar and banjo virtuoso starts off with a 22-minute droning epic fusing American and Arabic Folk music with Indian Raga on his acoustic guitar (often trying to imitate the feeling of the oud). Here, he is accompanied by the fluid, driving drums of Billy Higgins. Side 2 is made up of 4 shorter solo pieces, mostly for the banjo, including an impressive rendition of “Carmina Burana” by German composer Carl Orff and a folky mountain song.
Six Organs of Admittance – Asleep on the Floodplains
Pastoral psychfolk from guitar master Ben Chasney. Here his serene acoustic fingerpicking is occasionally accompanied by harmonium drones and trippy guitar overdubs, but overall the album is extremely sparse and meditative.
David Grubbs – Creep Mission
Album Information: Released in 2017 on Blue Chopsticks Records (Imprint of Drag City Records) Eli Keszler – Drums, Percussion (Tracks … More
John Fahey – Volume 6: Days Have Gone By
Album Information: Released in 1967 on Takoma Records Includes 15-page book of stories and song notes
John Fahey – Volume 1: Blind Joe Death
Album Information: Released in 1967 on Takoma Records This album was originally released on 100 copies in 1959, but was … More