[FM] Erin, Dave and Tracy, et al

[Scott Strickland]

Interesting what you say about Folk in Philadelphia (pardon the
alliteration).  Our "genre" didn't fare so well in the Big Apple.
Following their lists of "mainstream" top 10 recordings, the four NEW
YORK TIMES "pop" music critics offered their selections of
"alternative" CDs, which means anything that isn't vaguely commercial,
especially stuff from artists you've never heard of and labels you'd
probably have to work to find (maybe even resort to the telephone and
websites).  Ann Powers, their cantankerous Flower Child whose memoir
this year outlined her time in the counter culture, was the only one
of the 4 to select something out of the folk community:  at number 8
she chose Patty Larkin's REGROVING THE DREAM.  Ironic, isn't it that
Larkin records on the respected and generally available Vanguard?
Thank goodness for other sources since scholars from the future
relying on the newspaper of  record might assume we didn't exist.
But then, as Dave Alvin has so eloquently said in justification of
his PUBLIC DOMAIN,  folk music describes the history of the People and
this is something the Media often ignores.  Happy New Year and in the
coming months may all you gardeners out there keep the Bushes trimmed
(or at least play them some folk music to stunt their growth in the
People's soil).

Scott
F_M Folks,

WXPN in Philadelphia played their top 50 albums of 2000, and Erin
McKeown
came in at #29, while Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer made it up to #
16.
Philadelphia's been good to them, and their music is appreciated here.
Erin
will be at The Point in Bryn Mawr, PA (610-527-0988 or atthepoint.com)
in
February, and at Concerts Under the Stars in King of Prussia, PA in
Sept.
Dave and Tracy will also be around.