Entrance - Wandering Stranger (2004)

When i first heard of Entrance naturally i listened to his first album. Its full of great minimalistic freak folk songs, then i listened to his third album it was full of hard stoner rock. With a discography with such variety in musical styles, his second album Wandering Stranger is no exception to his modus operandi. In this album he presents himself as a folkly blues musician, crafting many of his own songs and covering many public domain delta blues tunes. He often only accompanies himself with an acoustic guitar and his masterful blues styling with occasional accompaniment by a fiddle and electric guitar. This channels a blend of freak folk and old delta blues acoustic guitar players such as Robert Johnson or Big Bill Broonzy. A great find among all the freak folk artists coming out of the woodwork these days.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAX_LYI939g

Merle Travis - Folk Songs of the Hills (1947)

Here is one of my favorite albums of all time. You may know Merle Travis from his well known later career where he made himself famous among country musicians for his slide guitar playing skills and honky tonk vibe. This album however is Merle's first release and truly shows his roots in the coal mining country of Kentucky. This album is chocked full of traditional folk/country songs played only on an acoustic guitar (which Merle has clearly mastered at this point). He truly expresses the feeling and angst at a time when many folk artists were singing songs about the hardships that labor workers faced. I could ramble on about the significance of each track and how it so clearly represents the struggle and everyday life of labor workers trying to make it for their family during the great depression, or you could just listen to it and discover all these sentiments for yourself. A must for folk fans of any kind.

PS. the folkie spoken introductions are great context before he plays each song

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