You Must Hear 7

alternative folk

Last updated: Sat Nov 01 2025 04:42:51 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Description

Alternative folk blends traditional folk instrumentation with experimental, indie rock sensibilities and unconventional song structures. Emerging from the indie music scene of the 1990s and 2000s, it favors introspective, often melancholic lyrics delivered with raw, intimate vocals. The genre embraces lo-fi production and artistic freedom over commercial appeal.

100 chronological releases

Place	Cover	Date	Artist	Album	Tags	Other places
38		1994-01	Beck	A Western Harvest Field by Moonlight	country rock alternative rock lo-fi
7		1994-06-27	Beck	One Foot In The Grave	folk lo-fi
71		1995	THE BARNS	Engine	alternative alternative folk field recordings folk sound collage	sound collage # 26 field recordings # 52
58		1997	Tuomari Nurmio	Luuta ja nahkaa	alternative folk blues singer-songwriter suomipop	suomipop # 45
18		1997	Lucinda Williams	Dark Side of Life: Loose Ends & Scattered Songs	alternative folk
97		1997-05-20	Smog	Red Apple Falls	singer-songwriter folk lo-fi slowcore	slowcore # 1 alternative country # 54 freak folk # 59 sadcore # 61 chamber folk # 64 folk noir # 98
10		1998	nahe	nahe	alternative folk berlin folk folktronica indie folk neofolk
32		1998	Bamboo	Prince Pansori Priestess	alternative folk alternative pop
66		2001-05-21	Dido	Thank You	alternative folk
54		2001-08-13	Emma Forman	Glasgow 2001	acoustic acoustic guitar alternative alternative folk celtic contemporary folk country female vocalists folk folk rock pop rock scotland scottish singer-songwriter	acoustic guitar # 18 scotland # 54
73		2003	Christina Antipa	Goodbye Different Oceans	acoustic alternative indie rock indie folk female vocalists folk folk rock singer-songwriter alt-country americana blues country freak folk indie pop american alternative rock pop rock sadcore new weird america	chamber folk # 21 freak folk # 25 new weird america # 55 folk noir # 62 sadcore # 65
29		2003	Alaska sover	Feedback From a Lazy Body	alternative alternative folk downbeat electroclash electronica electropop indietronica pop rock
6		2003-08-24	志方あきこ	廃墟と楽園	ethereal folk darkwave dream folk neoclassical darkwave world world fusion	pagan folk # 18 neoclassical darkwave # 20 soprano # 35 neomedieval # 60 dream folk # 69
92		2004-08-17	Little Wings	Magic Wand	acoustic alt-country alternative blues country folk folk rock indie pop indie rock singer-songwriter alternative folk americana chamber folk folk noir freak folk indie folk lo-fi slowcore alternative rock	new weird america # 8 freak folk # 38 chamber folk # 54 alternative country # 61 sadcore # 67 folk noir # 93
81		2004-09-07	Julie Doiron	Goodnight Nobody	alternative female vocalists alternative rock indie pop indie rock folk pop rock acoustic singer-songwriter alt-country american americana blues country folk rock freak folk indie folk new weird america sadcore	freak folk # 18 alternative country # 60 new weird america # 68 sadcore # 73 folk noir # 75
89		2005	Beirut	Gulag Orkestar	folk	indie folk # 62 folk # 82 gypsy # 91 balkan # 93
99		2005	Nizlopi	JCB	acoustic alternative alternative folk alternative pop alternative rock british indie folk indie pop rock	alternative pop # 5
43		2005	Pure Horsehair	Aubade	acoustic alternative alternative folk alternative rock folk indie folk lo-fi rock
13		2006	Tangleweed	Where You Been So Long	acoustic alt-country alternative folk banjo bluegrass chicago folk	banjo # 18
31		2006	Emma Forman	Why are you still here?	acoustic alternative alternative folk celtic contemporary folk country folk pop folk rock indie pop pop scotland scottish singer-songwriter	scotland # 6
44		2006-04-19	Flowers From the Man Who Shot Your Cousin	Hapless	folk singer-songwriter acoustic alt-country indie folk americana new weird america country lo-fi vancouver	france # 15 canada # 70 strings # 79 new weird america # 89 vancouver # 100
74		2006-05-22	Tunng	Comments of the Inner Chorus	folk	folktronica # 20 turntablism # 34
48		2006-06-05	Pokett	Crumble	acoustic alternative alternative folk chamber folk folk folk noir france french indie folk indie rock post-rock singer-songwriter strings usa	strings # 31
96		2006-08-22	Jason Molina	Let Me Go, Let Me Go, Let Me Go		alternative country # 47 freak folk # 52 sadcore # 58 chamber folk # 61 folk noir # 97
95		2006-10-10	Damien Jurado	And Now That I'm In Your Shadow	alternative folk acoustic alt-country alternative folk americana blues chamber folk country folk noir folk rock freak folk indie folk indie pop indie rock lo-fi singer-songwriter slowcore	alternative country # 43 freak folk # 43 sadcore # 55 chamber folk # 58 folk noir # 96
79		2006-10-24	Norfolk & Western	The Unsung Colony	folk acoustic alt-country alternative americana blues country folk rock freak folk indie folk indie pop indie rock singer-songwriter alternative folk chamber folk folk noir lo-fi slowcore	new weird america # 2 freak folk # 19 alternative country # 30 chamber folk # 33 sadcore # 37 folk noir # 74
35		2007	Hoax Funeral	Pour Away the Ocean	acoustic alt-country ethereal folk folk noir indie folk indie pop sadcore slowcore acoustic rock downtempo lo-fi	sadcore # 34 folk noir # 43
53		2007	Emma Forman	Chocolate and Red Wine	acoustic acoustic guitar acoustic rock alt pop alternative alternative folk celtic contemporary folk country folk folk rock pop scotland scottish	acoustic guitar # 13 scotland # 53 alt pop # 71
94		2007	Bonnie 'Prince' Billy	I See a Darkness	folk singer-songwriter	americana # 20 alt-country # 22 freak folk # 42 chamber folk # 56 sadcore # 74 alternative country # 79 folk noir # 94
70		2007-03-12	Novi Split	Pink In The Sink	alternative alternative folk college rock pop pop rock rock	college rock # 70
39		2007-05-14	My Broken Frame	Chapel Hill	french alternative pop france piano indie pop acoustic	france # 18
26		2007-06-17	June Madrona	A Long And Ugly Road (European edition)	folk acoustic alternative indie pop lo-fi new weird america singer-songwriter pop indie folk americana	strings # 2 flute # 18 seattle # 28 harp # 51 new weird america # 64 banjo # 74 clarinet # 81 washington # 85
61		2007-06-30	El Boy Die	How the way is long...	french indie folk indie rock rock folk france folk rock alternative folk	anti-folk # 42
68		2007-07-05	Fresh Body Shop	Orgamilk	acoustic alternative alternative rock folk rock french indie folk indie pop indie rock pop pop rock rock alternative folk emo france	nouvelle scene francaise # 31 french rock # 35 depressive rock # 39 indie emo # 41 acoustic pop # 59 alt pop # 64
88		2007-08-06	Monkey Swallows the Universe	The Casket Letters	alternative alternative folk alternative pop alternative rock british folk folk rock indie folk indie pop indie rock rock
52		2007-11-21	Noa Babayof	From a Window to a Wall	alternative folk folk
49		2008	June Madrona	The Winged Life (European edition)	folk acoustic chamber pop alternative blues country indie folk indie rock lo-fi singer-songwriter slowcore american americana folk rock freak folk new weird america indie pop male vocalists alternative rock alternative country	folk noir # 9 alternative country # 15 strings # 19 sadcore # 29 new weird america # 45 washington # 70
62		2008	M. Ward	Transfiguration of Vincent	folk singer-songwriter	chamber folk # 13 sadcore # 36 new weird america # 39 alternative country # 41 folk noir # 46 banjo # 50
98		2008	J. Tillman	Cancer And Delirium	acoustic folk alt-country alternative alternative folk folk rock indie folk lo-fi singer-songwriter americana blues chamber folk country folk noir freak folk indie pop indie rock slowcore	alt-country # 25 freak folk # 64 alternative country # 66 chamber folk # 70 sadcore # 71 folk noir # 99
51		2008	Broken Records	EP	alternative folk indie folk indie rock
20		2008-04-13	三村京子	東京では少女歌手なんて	folk freak folk singer-songwriter	acid folk # 47
78		2008-07-25	Big Blood	Big Blood & the Bleedin' Hearts	alternative folk folk freak folk
77		2009	Various Artists	Folks Pop In at the Waterhouse	french lo-fi acoustic folk indie folk singer-songwriter alternative	sadcore # 38 anti-folk # 57
50		2009	Devendra Banhart	2004-11-09: Philadelphia, PA, USA
60		2009-02-10	Fresh Body Shop	The Ugly Army	acoustic acoustic guitar acoustic pop acoustic rock alt pop alternative alternative folk alternative pop alternative rock electronic folk folk pop folk rock francais france french french pop french rock indie folk indie pop indie rock nouvelle scene francaise piano piano rock pop pop rock post-rock rock singer-songwriter synth rock synthpop	acoustic guitar # 35 francais # 36 nouvelle scene francaise # 64 synth rock # 66 acoustic pop # 66 french rock # 75 alt pop # 75
64		2009-06-08	Tigers That Talked	Black Heart, Blue Eyes EP
37		2010	Split Tongue Crow	Split Tongue Crow	acoustic alt-country alternative folk folk indie folk
11		2010-03-03	Bamboo	Hexagonal / Diamond Springs	alternative folk alternative pop
23		2010-08-21	Ben Rusch	Architects of Time	alternative alternative folk alternative rock instrumental progressive folk progressive rock
36		2010-10-25	Broken Records	Let Me Come Home	indie rock
17		2010-12-02	Ainjel Emme	Everyone Is Beautiful	acoustic alternative alternative folk american california female vocalists folk indie folk indie pop indie rock pop rock singer-songwriter
19		2011-08-17	üka	Lullaby For The Evil	acoustic alternative alternative folk ambient chillout ethereal female vocalists folk folk pop indie folk indie pop japanese singer-songwriter
27		2011-12-31	志方あきこ	Istoria~Kalliope~	darkwave folk ethereal neoclassical darkwave classical crossover female vocalists neoclassical neomedieval singer-songwriter world world fusion	soprano # 16 gothic pop # 18 neomedieval # 33
12		2012-06-20	Madonna	American Life Demos	alternative alternative folk electropop folk folktronica indie folk pop singer-songwriter
15		2014	Shireen	Tiny Boxes	alternative folk dutch
21		2014	Shireen	Values in Blood	alternative folk dutch
25		2014	Shireen	So Human of You	alternative folk dutch
72		2014-01-01	Iamthemorning	Miscellany	acoustic alternative folk
67		2014-02-03	Current 93	Sleep Has Its house	alternative folk british folk celtic celtic folk folk international poetry spiritual spoken word	spiritual # 9 poetry # 36 british folk # 67 celtic folk # 79 international # 82
34		2014-02-04	Marissa Nadler	July	singer-songwriter dream pop	pagan folk # 37 dark folk # 41 dream folk # 57
76		2014-04-26	Pyrates!	Uncharted Lands	alternative folk folk folk rock
85		2015-09-04	Joan Shelley	Over And Even	alternative folk country ethereal indie folk
69		2016	Graeme James	Play One We All Know, Vol. II
3		2016-05-11	Sandtimer	209	acoustic alternative folk folk folk rock indie folk rock
80		2016-08-19	ajj	The Baby Panda	acoustic acoustic rock alt-country alternative alternative country alternative folk alternative rock anti-folk folk folk punk folk rock indie folk indie punk indie rock pop punk punk rock singer-songwriter	acoustic rock # 32 alternative country # 57 indie punk # 63 anti-folk # 74
84		2016-10-21	Kadhja Bonet	The Visitor
56		2017	Railroad Earth	Captain Nowhere	alternative folk americana jam band	jam band # 24
87		2017	The Last Revel	Hazard & Fate	alternative folk americana
100		2017-03-12	Faye Webster	Faye Webster	alternative country alternative folk indie folk	indie folk # 87 alternative country # 100
57		2017-10-01	American Murder Song	II. Providence	alternative folk cabaret dark cabaret folk soundtrack
90		2017-11-03	Shireen	Matriarch	alternative folk dutch	dutch # 70
59		2018-11-09	Saez	Varsovie	alternative folk male vocalists singer-songwriter
55		2019-02-01	Rustin Man	Drift Code	alternative folk folk rock
4		2019-08-08	Sandtimer	everything is on hold	acoustic alternative folk folk folk rock indie folk
46		2019-08-23	Gliss	In Utopia	alternative folk
65		2020-01-17	Tsunaina	Waterways	alternative alternative folk alternative pop ambient electronic female vocalists folk indie pop pop
28		2020-01-19	Alltide	Vrchy	alternative folk christian indie folk indie pop
33		2020-02-10	Alltide	Vlnám	alternative alternative folk christian indie folk
83		2020-03-13	IAMX	Echo Echo	acoustic pop acoustic rock alternative folk alternative pop ambient pop dark cabaret dark pop folk noir folk pop indie folk singer-songwriter	folk pop # 11 acoustic rock # 38 dark cabaret # 45 dark pop # 49 acoustic pop # 78 folk noir # 80
47		2020-07-28	Tsunaina	Unearth	alternative alternative folk alternative pop ambient electronic female vocalists folk indie pop pop
41		2020-08-28	Tsunaina	A Dam on the Eve of Breaking	alternative alternative folk alternative pop ambient electronic female vocalists folk indie pop pop
24		2021	Cold Weather Company	Reclamation	alternative folk folk
63		2021-03-12	The Underground Youth	The Falling	alt-country alternative country alternative folk folk noir gothic country indie folk neofolk psychedelic folk singer-songwriter	alternative country # 31 folk noir # 47 gothic country # 55
82		2022-02-04	Marissa Nadler	The Wrath of the Clouds	alt-country alternative country alternative folk dream folk dream pop folk noir folk pop gothic country indie folk psychedelic folk singer-songwriter	folk pop # 7 alternative country # 67 gothic country # 79 folk noir # 79 dream folk # 84
91		2022-03-25	Emma Ruth Rundle	Orpheus Looking Back	alternative folk dark folk folk noir indie folk singer-songwriter	dark folk # 72 folk noir # 92
86		2022-04-29	Graeme James	Play One We All Know	alternative folk pop
75		2022-04-29	Graeme James	One + One	alternative folk pop
93			Kevin Cryderman	Fits and Starts: Volume One	acoustic acoustic blues alternative alternative folk blues rock comedy folk indie folk indie rock pop rock singer-songwriter	acoustic blues # 94
1			Cinthya Morado	Pozole de Nada	acoustic alternative folk avant-folk folk fusion indie folk latin latino mexico singer-songwriter
5			Anema Sceta Popolo	Dint' all'anema tra suonn' e verità	alternative folk indie folk
8			Sva rwarmwarm Vars	tree of life	alternative folk folk indie folk
9			Almighty Sound	Bad Man / We Will Go	alternative folk
14			Ollie Cook	Imperfect Songs From Him To Her	alternative folk alternative rock
16			Sva rwarmwarm Vars	Ivory Tower	alternative folk folk freak folk indie folk ska
22			Oliver Paine	The Party of our Lives	alternative folk folk folk rock rock rockabilly
30			Sheep Bamboo	Precision	alternative alternative folk ambient art rock freak folk new weird america rock
40			Only in the Mornings	Haunted By the Scent of Unseen Roses	acoustic alternative folk dream pop indie folk singer-songwriter slowcore
42			Mark timmins	Six Songs	acoustic alternative folk folk indie folk
45			3rd Secret	3rd Secret	alternative rock rock
2			Ben Rusch	OH, YES!!

Related genres

• folk
• indie folk
• alternative
• acoustic
• folk rock
• rock
• singer-songwriter
• pop
• indie pop
• indie rock