Poetry Corner / Quacks Like an Anti-Duck

So I've been trying out all sorts of new music recently, some of it comes from CBC, which has the unique habit of playing random music from artists you've never heard of before. Sometimes you get crazy things like Chinese hip-hop, Bollywood Country, or whale songs. Other times it is more mundane, traditional, world music. Sometimes it is just lesser known bands, or indy music, and sometimes it is just a the latest from an established Canadian artist, because CBC supports her own. You get like tops 1-2 songs an hour nestled between news and programs. So it really is a surprise, and once in a while I hear something that just clicks, like Regina Spektor. I think I may have mentioned her before, but I'm given her a second mention for a few reasons, one is that I like the music, two I've started hearing her on more mainstream stations (yeah I heard something for once that became popular after I liked it, :) and three because her Wikipedia article has me confused, but I will explain that in a second.

So here is a bit of her poetry, a lyric from her most popular single, and the one that caught my ear, I was reminded of it by Erin, who picked up on it herself as a great sentiment.

No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again

- Regina Spektor, On the Radio

So her Wiki, before I get to her Wiki a little more rambling, we watched Juno a few weeks ago, great movie by the by, and one of the notable features of it is a great sound track. So compelled by the sound I went out and grabbed both the sound track, and the album by the artist who really represents 50% or more of the it by herself. That being Kimya Dawson.

So where does this all come together, well I've recently come to the conclusion that the majority of the music I like actually falls into the genre basket of "Folk." So as I come to understand that music style I said to myself, wow these two new artists I am listening to they totally sound like folk, I bet that is why I like them.

So I looked them up, first one, then the other, as I had guessed they were both of a similar genre, but not folk, they were bum bum bummmmm Anti-folk... You know that old saying if you look like a duck, and quack like a duck... Well as far as I can tell (and music snobs can correct me) but anti-folk is really just folk artists who got turned down for being to boarder line folk from some of the more prominent venues, probably for actually just not being of big enough name yet. So they just said fine, if we're not folk enough for you, then now we are anti-folk, and TADA a new genre was born.

So my ear might not be able to divine the secret minutia of the sub-genre's, but I will say that be they ducks, or anti-ducks, folk or anti-folk, I still like the sound...