Acoustic
The term "folk" is used pretty loosely in today's musical lexicon, but it's worth remembering what it's supposed to mean. Traditional folk music is a culturally specific, regional music made by the "folk," for the "folk," using acoustic (usually stringed) instrumentation; in short an inherently populist medium, often with quite specific political agendas, that deals with identity and history through storytelling. The Scotch-Irish bluegrass of southern Appalachia (Bill Monroe), the African-American work songs of the antebellum South (Leadbelly), and the cowboy balladry of the old West are all fine examples of American folk music, to say nothing of Celtic, Irish, and Eastern European folk forms.
Over the better part of the last century folk music has become increasingly assimilated into popular culture, as epitomized by the work of noted ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, who introduced folk artists like Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, Muddy Waters, and Burl Ives to the American public. Perhaps the most recognizable American folk icon is the man Guthrie inspired, Bob Dylan, who, with the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul, and Mary, helped take folk mainstream in the '50s and '60s. These artists radically expanded America's conception of what "folk music" meant, proving both that folk was a commercially viable musical form and that musicians from outside folk culture could perform folk music. Recognizing folk's potential for lyrical urgency and emotional immediacy, many musicians today follow in the footsteps of those mid-century crossover artists, creating electrifying cultural documents without plugging in.
