Real Folk Music is the umbrella organization
for all my musical projects; songwriting, publishing, performing,
promoting, recording, and live sound engineering. The
Real Folk name is intended to serve as a statement about what it
means to be ‘folk singer’.
Since the first folk boom of the 1950s and 60s, the term "folk
music" has
had an unduly narrow definition; encompassing practitioners of musics traditional
to narrow, specific, ethnic and regional groupings; made exotic by geography,
history, or social class (as if only oppressed people can make "folk" music).
When the folk musician is not himself a member of an oppressed or exotic group,
he or she takes on the trappings of working class dress and shows up onstage
carrying an acoustic guitar, wearing demins, flannel, and ugly shoes, mumbling
between songs disparaging remarks about at least one other current genre of
popular music. All this works to turn "folk" music into a classical
form, as strict in rules of sound and presentation as concert music or heavy
metal: play particular instruments, maintain a particular attitude, wear a
particular set of clothes.
We at Real Folk believe that in the last half of the twentieth
century, voices from all the cultures of the world; Western "high" culture, American
pop culture, and a thousand traditional cultures have been talking to, and
more importantly, listening to each other. That conversation is the process
of producing a new world folk culture that includes elements of everything
that has become part of the environment we all live in. A real folk music will
include all the sounds we hear now (on radio and CDs and movies and commercials)
and all the musics that preceded these sounds; the chants of medieval troubadors,
polyrhythms of West Africa, rock'n'roll, rap, Celtic, flamenco, bluegrass,
ragas, heavy metal, blues, Balinese gamelan music, western concert music, CW,
funk, and on and on and on. Real"folk" music for the next century
will be inclusive of all these. And a real folk music will speak for and to
the high-rise working, computer geeking, information-market-world-economy wage
slaves and entrepeneurs, as well as to the granola-crunchers and hemp-wearers
of the world.
Real Folk Music has produced two records so far, with work recently
begun on third:
Loky's Here
in Paradise brings elements of 60s psychedelic rock and old-time
CW into a mix with multiple hand percussion to create a groove that evokes
Afro-pop and reggae as interpreted by spaced-out hillbillies. The songwriting
has strong roots in its native locale, urban Houston, and tells real-life stories
with humor and intelligence.
Life
is Good, by David Fahl, is Real Folk's second release.
It includes songs that are molded in classic folk, blues, and country forms,
as well as experiments that stake out new territory for folk music. Fahl's
vocals and guitar playing are enhanced with contributions by players from
Houston's blues, techno, and jazz scenes.
We’ll be putting out a new studio album by Fahl & Folk, entitled We Meant to Do That, currently scheduled for release in fall 2006.
Another project of RealFolkMusic is producing special shows. Our “Thanks, Bob” and “Thanks, Bob 2004” Bob Dylan tribute shows were exciting for all involved. As of spring 2006, we’re getting ready to put on two “Thanks, Bob 2006” shows, one at DanElectro’s in Houston and one at the Old Quarter Acoustic Café in Galveston. They will be happening May 19 and May 20. Each show will feature Houston and Galveston musicians from all genres doing their versions of Bob Dylan shows. More news when line ups are set.
Future releases will feature songwriters from Houston's pool of
exceptionally talented unknowns and sounds from players who thrive
on the cross-pollination of the musical cultures in this city; a
happy byproduct of Houston's status as a crossroads for the world
energy business.
Real Folk Music
5090 Richmond #52
Houston, Tx 77056
713.805.5816