modern recordings of traditional southern/appalachian folk and gospel music?

Submitted by rotterdamn8 t3_11brt5y in Music

Hi. I don't know much folk or country but got hooked on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack.

It's all southern folk and gospel music that was popularized in the early 20th Century (including songs people knew that were handed down over time).

Do you know any good collections or albums of songs like these (from the soundtrack)?

I'll Fly Away: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFamN-oXRMQ

You are my Sunshine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At4Kccy9Zog

Go to Sleep Little Baby - a sort of dark acapella lullaby, so interesting!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94h2L9oBOHM

I'm searching and can find some, but perhaps there are great collections I'm not finding. TIA.

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another_busted_robot t1_j9zukll wrote

There's an archivist named Alan Lomax who collected recordings of old songs and put them in collections. There's too many to name in a ton of different styles. Just look up "Alan Lomax Collection" and you'll find them. It's all that kind of old timey folk music. Prison Songs is one of my favorites. It's recordings of songs sung by prisoners on the old chain gangs from the Mississippi State Penitentiary back in the mid 1900's. Definitely has O Brother, Where Art Thou? vibes.

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notgoodatmathatall t1_ja05ve3 wrote

Yeah, the Lomax archives are amazing. I'd also recommend looking for videos about shape-note singing.

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Malice_n_Flames t1_j9zk6oc wrote

Check out Billy Strings and Tyler Childers

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BTsBaboonFarm t1_ja0243o wrote

BMFS fucks.

Seeing him tonight!

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Botosi5150 t1_ja2uzu9 wrote

Take some acid, lol. I was fortunate enough to see him, and I'm pretty sure I was the only one not tripping. It was like a grateful dead show. It was a killer show, but it would have been nice to be on everyone else's level

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Botosi5150 t1_ja2v7m3 wrote

Sturgil Simpson has 2 bluegrass albums out as well. Cutting grass vol. 1 and 2

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porsche76e t1_ja0rgzi wrote

Check out the Smithsonian Institute Folkways Recordings

https://folkways.si.edu/

Especially those curated or produced by John Cohen and Ralph Rinzler prior to 1970. Rinzler, with Cohen, was a member of the Greenbrier Boys, one of the first urban bluegrass bands. Rinzler 'discovered' Doc Watson and successfully managed Bill Monroe's triumphant return to an urban audience after Elvis' scorching Blue Moon of Kentucky. Monroe, asked about Elvis' success later, said, "Those were some powerful royalty checks!"

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piepants2001 t1_ja0sy7e wrote

I'd recommend checking out Charlie Parr and The Lowest Pair

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beowolff t1_ja14u1o wrote

"Cold Mountain" had a great soundtrack...'I'm Going Home' song...acapella and a great rhythm

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wjhatley t1_ja1725e wrote

It has some cheesy spoken narration tracks you can skip, but there are some good songs on Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited. Highlights are “Sweet Heaven When I Die” by Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin) and the Steep Canyon Rangers, and “In the Pines” by Brad Paisley. You can also never go wrong with “Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. 1.” That’s one of the most influential albums in history, joining together the original stars of C&W with more modern voices who were trying to get away from the slickness that had begun to pervade the genre.

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Rixtertech t1_j9zqysa wrote

Look up Hazel Dickens. I think "Old and in the Way" was one album title.

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