I will find out where she has gone
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.
- William Butler Yeats
from The Song of Wandering Aengus
Devendra Banhart is the probably the most famous singer/songwriter of what has been dubbed the Freak folk or Psychedelic folk sound. And in 2004, on April Fool's Day, Banhart and Arthur's magazine released a limited edition album made up 22 different bands and singers that all fall under the Freaky folk banner. The Golden Apples of the Sun is a great primer if you have never heard Freaky folk before or if you have heard a little and want to expand your collection. The music is basically folk and country in the tradition of Woody Gutherie, The Incredible String Band, Joni Mitchel and the like, but suffused with a brand new energy and otherworldly quality. Its purveyors often sing in strange ways, guitars are tuned funny, sometimes there are harps and looped beats, sometimes fiddles and mbira. Often the lyrics, like in Joanna Newsom's Emily, are extremely poetic and would be as alive read off a page in silence as they would be put to music. Sometimes the lyrics just sound fun coming out of your mouth, like Barnhart's Chinese Children. Most importantly the movement contains a diverse group of great songwriters. But you don't have to take my word for it, you can download The Golden Apples of the Sun and decide for yourself what adjectives and allusions best describe it.
Some of the artists on this album, like Vetiver (a personal favorite), Coco Rosie, Vashti Bunyan and Joanna Newsom, have far more to offer than might be initially apparent from listening to one song. Some of the tunes are not so Freaky or unique at all. Here is the track listing:
Vetiver and Hope Sandoval – Angel's Share
Joanna Newsom – Bridges And Balloons
Six Organs of Admittance – Hazy SF
Viking Moses! – Crosses
Josephine Foster – Little Life
Espers – Byss & Abyss
Vashti Bunyan & Devendra Banhart – Rejoicing In The Hands
Jana Hunter – Farm, CA
Currituck Co – The Tropics Of Cancer
White Magic – Don't Need
Iron & Wine – Fever Dream
Diane Cluck – Heat From Every Corner
Matt Valentine – Mountains of Yaffa
Entrance – You Must Turn
Jack Rose – White Mule
Little Wings – Look At What The Light Did Now
Scout Niblett – Wet Road
Troll – Mexicana
CocoRosie – Good Friday
Antony – The Lake
Like what you hear? Check out Bright Eyes, Nick Drake, Mazzy Star, Marrisa Nadler (super yum!), Andrew Bird, Sufuan Stevens, Gillian Welch, Fleet Foxes, T-Bone.