You Must Hear 7

anti-folk

Last updated: Tue Nov 04 2025 20:21:50 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Description

Anti-folk is a musical genre that developed in the 1980s in response to the mainstream commercialization of folk music. It is characterized by an experimental and DIY approach to songwriting and performance, often incorporating elements of punk, indie rock, and other genres. Anti-folk artists typically reject the polished, formulaic sound of mainstream folk music, instead favoring raw, unpolished, and often politically charged lyrics delivered with a sense of humor and irony. Some notable anti-folk artists include Beck, Moldy Peaches, and Kimya Dawson.

100 chronological releases

Place	Cover	Date	Artist	Album	Tags	Other places
75		1977	Cat Stevens	Harold & Maude	anti-folk folk soundtrack
55		1992	Brenda Kahn	Epiphany In Brooklyn	americana anti-folk folk singer-songwriter
67		1993	Beck	Golden Feelings	lo-fi
77		1994-03-01	Beck	Mellow Gold	alternative rock alternative	alternative rock # 53
73		1995	The Lucksmiths	The Green Bicycle Case	alternative anti-folk australian indie pop pop twee pop	twee pop # 7
22		1995-07-01	Ani DiFranco	Not a Pretty Girl	folk
3		1998	Sisa	Orgia	anti-folk psychedelic rock
64		1998	The Dan Emery Mystery Band	Love and Advertising	anti-folk
80		1999-03	The Lucksmiths	Happy Secret	alternative anti-folk australian indie pop pop twee pop	twee pop # 41
72		2000-05-23	Cricket!	Simple Science	anti-folk folk folk punk
99		2001	The Moldy Peaches	Moldy Peaches	anti-folk alternative
32		2001-03-20	Jill Sobule	I Never Learned to Swim: Jill Sobule 1990-2000	anti-folk female vocalists folk singer-songwriter
97		2001-05-07	The Moldy Peaches	The Moldy Peaches	anti-folk alternative
90		2001-07-09	Regina Spektor	11:11	jazz anti-folk piano	piano # 6
87		2002	Regina Spektor	Songs	piano female vocalists	piano # 89
54		2003	Paleface	One Big Party	americana anti-folk folk bristol	bristol # 49 north carolina # 71
98		2003-05-02	Regina Spektor	Soviet Kitsch	singer-songwriter anti-folk female vocalists	singer-songwriter # 65
45		2004-05-05	Allison Crowe	[non-album tracks]	anti-folk female vocalists
85		2004-08-17	Regina Spektor	Soviet Kitsch (U.S. Version)	alternative rock anti-folk art pop
83		2005	Regina Spektor	Soviet Kitch	anti-folk
62		2006-03-15	Paavoharju	Tuote Akatemia/Unien Savonlinna EP	anti-folk avant-folk experimental pop finnish	experimental pop # 18
91		2006-05-09	Kimya Dawson	Remember That I Love You	singer-songwriter	singer-songwriter # 40
93		2006-06-13	Regina Spektor	Begin to Hope	female vocalists singer-songwriter	american # 17 freak folk # 65 singer-songwriter # 76 female vocalists # 89 sadcore # 91 new weird america # 95
9		2007	Paleface	Free Your Mellow	americana anti-folk folk bristol	north carolina # 30
21		2007	Origami Ghosts	Solving My Own Puzzles...	anti-folk folk
48		2007	Robh Hokum	Below Ice I Lie	acoustic alternative anti-folk folk post-rock singer-songwriter
92		2007	Paul Baribeau	Grand Ledge	acoustic anti-folk singer-songwriter
29		2007-04-00	Austin Townsend	Introvenus	acoustic alternative anti-folk blues folk france lo-fi rock singer-songwriter
42		2007-06-30	El Boy Die	How the way is long...	french indie folk indie rock rock folk france folk rock alternative folk	alternative folk # 61
65		2007-08-06	Kate Nash	Made of Bricks	indie pop british	indie pop # 60 british # 82
70		2008-01-28	Jaymay	Autumn Fallin'	singer-songwriter
69		2008-09-09	Little Teeth	Child Bearing Man	anti-folk freak folk indie folk
25		2008-11-01	Ranger3	Old Simplicity	acoustic alternative alternative rock ambient anti-folk avant-folk baroque pop chamber pop chillout dream pop electronic folk folk rock folktronica freak folk indie folk indie rock irish lo-fi post-rock psychedelic folk singer-songwriter
57		2009	Various Artists	Folks Pop In at the Waterhouse	french lo-fi acoustic folk indie folk singer-songwriter alternative	sadcore # 38 alternative folk # 77
82		2009	Regina Spektor	Far (Deluxe Version)	alternative anti-folk female vocalists indie rock piano pop
43		2009-04-28	Paleface	The Show Is On The Road	americana anti-folk bristol folk north carolina	bristol # 48 north carolina # 82
88		2009-06-06	Jordaan Mason	Divorce Lawyers I Shaved My Head	anti-folk avant-folk chamber folk indie folk	chamber folk # 78 avant-folk # 86
100		2009-06-09	Regina Spektor	Far	anti-folk piano pop alternative indie pop indie rock	chamber pop # 63 baroque pop # 66 russian # 94 piano # 100
63		2009-07-27	Black Tape for a Blue Girl	10 Neurotics	dark cabaret	dark cabaret # 36
37		2010	Bark Bark Disco	Your Mum Says Hello!	alternative anti-folk folk
51		2010-02-25	John Micah Rapp	February Themes by John Micah Rapp	anti-folk chillout drum and bass harmonica instrumental meditation minimalism stoner rock	harmonica # 43
59		2010-04-14	Padla Bear Outfit	xalkolivan	anti-folk reggae trip-hop
13		2010-07-01	Radio Disorder	Unflowers	anti-folk electronica
2		2010-08-31	Lady Laudanum	To Walk the Plank	anti-folk female vocalists folk steampunk
27		2010-11-22	Thy Courage Quail	goblin's gate	america american american underground americana anti-folk diy lo-fi one man band one man project portland singer-songwriter usa	american underground # 11 portland # 20 one man band # 56 one man project # 72
47		2011	Cldscp	Niños Azules	alternative anti-folk argentina buenos aires duo electronic experimental folk folk folktronica freak folk latin america psychedelic folk	duo # 2 latin america # 52 experimental folk # 87 buenos aires # 95
1		2011	Jeffrey Lewis	Jeffrey Lewis & the Jrams	anti-folk
18		2011	Crywank	I Daren't Call This Stoner	anti-folk sadcore
53		2011-02-16	Paleface	A Different Story	anti-folk folk americana	bristol # 6 north carolina # 28
26		2011-12-30	Sloppy Folk	Some Anti-Folk....	anti-folk folk punk south africa	south africa # 24
17		2012	Dulci	the fancy pants project week 5	acoustic alt-country alternative american americana anti-folk avant-folk bluegrass cabaret chamber pop chillout easy listening female vocalists folk indie folk indie pop new york new york city singer-songwriter	new york city # 20
28		2012	Dulci	the fancy pants project week 4	acoustic alt-country alternative american americana anti-folk avant-folk bluegrass cabaret chamber pop chillout easy listening female vocalists folk indie folk indie pop new york new york city singer-songwriter	new york city # 27
38		2012	Dulci	the fancy pants project week 6	acoustic alt-country alternative american americana anti-folk avant-folk bluegrass cabaret chamber pop chillout easy listening female vocalists folk indie folk indie pop new york new york city singer-songwriter	new york city # 35
81		2012	Ramshackle Glory	Shelter	anti-folk folk punk pop punk	folk punk # 24
20		2012	La Reina Morsa	Fiesta Pequeña (EP)	acoustic alternative anti-folk indie folk lo-fi psychedelic folk
30		2012	Dulci	now you see them live from nyc 2007	acoustic alt-country alternative american anti-folk avant-folk cabaret chamber pop chillout easy listening female vocalists folk indie folk indie pop singer-songwriter
35		2012	Dulci	the truth as i know it	acoustic alt-country alternative american anti-folk avant-folk cabaret chamber pop chillout easy listening female vocalists folk indie folk indie pop singer-songwriter
56		2012	Dulci	work in progress	anti-folk
71		2012-03-01	Ghost Mice	All We Got Is Each Other	folk punk	folk punk # 27
34		2012-04-25	Paleface	I Just Wanna Play Guitar	anti-folk folk americana	north carolina # 3
84		2012-05-28	Regina Spektor	What We Saw From The Cheap Seats	alternative
39		2012-07-23	Stephan Nance	A Troubled Piece of Fruit	alternative anti-folk folk rock indie pop indie rock piano piano rock singer-songwriter
44		2013-03-12	Elephant Micah	Globe Rush Progressions	ambient america american american underground anti-folk avant-folk chamber folk experimental folk folk indie folk one man band one man project singer-songwriter usa	american underground # 42 one man band # 72 experimental folk # 78 one man project # 80
79		2013-05-07	The Uncluded	Hokey Fright	anti-folk
96		2013-11-07	Crywank	Tomorrow Is Nearly Yesterday And Everyday Is Stupid	anti-folk folk punk sadcore	folk punk # 87 sadcore # 98
19		2014-06-25	All These Wasted Nuts	Same Chords. New Songs - Novella	acoustic anti-folk folk punk south africa	south africa # 19
50		2014-08-27	Crywank	Embarrassing Early Recordings	anti-folk
5		2016-06-02	Sloppy Folk	The Sloppy Folk Experience	anti-folk folk punk south africa	south africa # 3
89		2016-07-20	Crywank	Don't Piss On Me, I'm Already Dead		sadcore # 83
74		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 alternative folk # 80
86		2017-03-03	ajj	People Who Can Eat People are the Luckiest People in the World	folk punk	folk punk # 96
78		2018-03-01	Amanda Palmer	Sketches For the Musical JIB	alternative anti-folk dark cabaret folk singer-songwriter	dark cabaret # 60
60		2018-06-28	Just Nick	Just Nick / 2018	anti-folk folk folk punk indie punk singer-songwriter	indie punk # 44
76		2019-10-22	Apes of the State	Pipe Dream	acoustic acoustic rock anti-folk folk folk pop folk punk freak folk indie folk pop punk singer-songwriter twee pop	folk pop # 16 twee pop # 22 freak folk # 24 acoustic rock # 42
10		2019-12-30	Sloppy Folk	Not Another...!!!	anti-folk folk punk south africa	south africa # 7
95		2021-02-28	Will Wood and the Tapeworms	Everything Is a Lot	anti-folk dark cabaret piano rock pop pop rock rock	piano rock # 88 dark cabaret # 98
68		2022-08-04	Virtual Bird	Midwestern	anti-folk
61		2023-05-26	Frog Legs	It's Been A Hard Year	anti-folk bluegrass folk punk
6			the MISHAP CREW!!	Ugly...	anti-folk comedian comedy england ireland new weird america poetry spoken word stand-up	ireland # 21
7			Skollie!	Demo	anti-folk folk punk south africa	south africa # 4
14			Cow's Eye	Your Cows	anti-folk freak folk musique concrete turkey	turkey # 55
40			Paul Budde	I Am Free	acoustic acoustic rock alt-country alternative american anti-folk christian christian rap christian rock comedy contemporary christian country folk folk rock indie folk lo-fi rock singer-songwriter worship	christian rap # 69
46			Lindy LaFontaine	This too, In time, Shall pass		san francisco # 24 woman # 44
49			PBnJ Band	Blue Brown	acoustic anti-folk christian duo indie folk lo-fi singer-songwriter acoustic rock alt-country alternative christian rock comedy country folk folk rock indie rock rock worship	duo # 13
52			Lindy LaFontaine	Lindy LaFontaine	acoustic alternative ambient american anti-folk easy listening electronica female vocalists indie folk piano san francisco singer-songwriter soft rock soundtrack usa woman	san francisco # 38 woman # 55
58			Michael Garlington	Baloney Pony!!!!!!	acoustic alternative american americana anti-folk bluegrass country dixieland emo folk garage hardcore improvisation jam lo-fi memphis new orleans pop psychobilly roots san francisco soul soundtrack	new orleans # 9 roots # 16 jam # 24 san francisco # 46 memphis # 47 improvisation # 58 dixieland # 79
66			The Missing Teens	Music for Young Adults...	alternative american anti-folk bass beat crunk dance disco downtempo electroclash electronic funk german idm illbient musical rap soul synthesizer techno trance	crunk # 15 beat # 63 illbient # 70 synthesizer # 81
94			Hop Along, Queen Ansleis	Freshman Year		folk punk # 81
4			Ben Grimm & The Things	Cover Songs And Other Crud	acoustic alternative anti-folk british britpop chillout classic rock classical comedy dance electronic emo folk folk rock freak folk garage garage rock grunge hard rock humour indie pop indie rock lo-fi male vocalists pop post-punk progressive rock punk rock rock singer-songwriter twee pop
8			The Abodes	Chubby	anti-folk
11			Goldmund Byrne	Stranger (Single)	anti-folk british electronica new york pop singer-songwriter
12			Strike Scrobbling	Free Is Free	female vocalists rock
15			Lab Partner	I Fret	anti-folk blues lo-fi shoegaze
16			PBnJ Band	PBnJ	acoustic singer-songwriter acoustic rock alt-country anti-folk christian comedy duo folk rock worship
23			Jämäbansku	Kapur IX	anti-folk diy freak folk lo-fi
24			Starving Narcissist	And That Means Everything	anti-folk lo-fi
31			Hipsu Jänis	Otoksia Naamasta	anti-folk avant-folk freak folk
33			Foxpaw	You Won't Miss Me	emo folk indie folk anti-folk folk punk freak folk
36			J.P. Rodell	Five Foot Nothing	acoustic alternative anti-folk folk pop
41			Dylan Sizemore	Dylan Sizemore (Full Length Album)	anti-folk folk punk

Related genres

• folk
• acoustic
• singer-songwriter
• alternative
• lo-fi
• folk punk
• indie folk
• freak folk
• indie pop
• american