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FOLK: TOP 10 OF 1999

Editor, Steven Stolder

No one is going to point to 1999 as the year of another great folk revival. But a scan of the best the genre has offered in the last year offers ample evidence that the music remains remarkably vital and diverse. While Beth Orton demonstrated how to stretch the singer-songwriter format into exciting new shapes, Kate Rusby, the Hank Dogs, and Steve Earle proved there's plenty of life in the old traditions. Meanwhile, grizzled folk nonconformists the Holy Modal Rounders and Michael Hurley produced albums that are as musical are they are irregular.

1. "Central Reservation"
Beth Orton
Folk stylist? Pop troubadour? Trip-hop chanteuse? Classifications go haywire when they're applied to fresh-faced Londoner Beth Orton. Her second stunning full-length album, "Central Reservation," is one part Dusty Springfield, one part Chemical Brothers, one part "Astral Weeks"-era Van Morrison, and all Orton. It's also been selected Amazon.com's Album of the Year in our annual Editor's Poll. Read more

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2. "Too Much Fun"
Holy Modal Rounders
The least reverent (and most relevant?) folk group of the last three and a half decades is back with a vengeance. The Holy Modal Rounders' latest is an odd but thoroughly entertaining and delightful foray into acid folk, '60s style. Peter Stampfel and longtime running mate Steve Weber put the "hoot" back into hootenanny, which makes them as necessary as they are bizarre. Read more

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3. "Bareback"
Hank Dogs
Combining a rock-solid Fairport Convention-like musical base (Joe Boyd, Fairport's producer, also helmed this collection) with sterling vocals and wonderfully crafted, startling songs, "Bareback" is an album that extends and undermines the British folk tradition in a fascinating manner. "Bare Back" stands as the best folk debut of the year and the Hank Dogs are bursting with promise. Read more

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4. "The Mountain"
Steve Earle & Del McCoury
The union of country-rock rascal Steve Earle and bluegrass statesman Del McCoury may not have been built for the long haul (McCoury and his band dropped off the tour in support of this album). No matter. The Earle/McCoury bond, however brief, led to one outstanding album. "The Mountain" boasts great playing from Del and his men. Earle, for his part, proves to be a surprisingly adept bluegrass vocalist and pens an exceptional assortment of songs. Read more

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5. "Weatherhole"
Michael Hurley
The man who made "snockgrass" a household name (OK, we're talking about a few scattered--and likely rather odd--households) returns from yet another extended absence with a characteristically laconic, whimsical, and tuneful set. If you haven't discovered the charms of this veteran songster, start here and work your way back to the early '60s. Read more

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6. "Hourglass"
Kate Rusby
Widely hailed as an exceptionally promising newcomer, British folksinger Kate Rusby's sophomore release delivers ye olde traditional Brit folk that belies her freshness with a verve that befits her youth. The uncommonly poised purveyor of British Isles folk has been riding a wave since the release of her 1998 debut. After the release of an album by her Poozies side project and the reissue of a 1995 collaboration with Kathryn Roberts, Rusby stands as one of the genre's most exciting talents. Read more

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7. "Crusades of the Restless Knights"
Ray Wylie Hubbard
Some strains of music benefit from plenty of seasoning, and that definitely seems to be the case with the Texas songwriter school. Ray Wylie Hubbard, like such peers as Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, and Willie Nelson, is experiencing a midlife renaissance. This outstanding outing finds the one-time upstart perfecting his brand of stark, literate country folk. Read more

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8. "Bleecker Street: Greenwich Village in the '60"
Various Artists
The likes of Chrissie Hynde, Loudon Wainwright, Cry Cry Cry, and Suzanne Vega celebrate the works of New York City's finest folkies in this uncommonly cohesive and consistent tribute album. Some of the artists honored here went on to achieve great fame (Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Judy Collins); others fell by the wayside (Tim Hardin, Tim Buckley). But even if you're not familiar with the names Fred Neil and Tom Rush, it's a good bet you're familiar with such songs as "Everybody's Talkin'" and "No Regrets." Read more

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9. "A Cowboy's Wild Song to His Herd"
Skip Gorman
Skip Gorman's series of CDs for Rounder Records are must-owns for anyone who appreciates cowboy music. Deftly inserting his own tunes among a number of sagely selected traditionals, this New Englander manages to both serve the genre's illustrious past while prodding it forward. Read more

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10. "Through a Glass Darkly"
David Olney
David Olney, who's been recording for Philo since the mid-'70s, checks in with a 16-song collection that's impressive in its breadth. Musically, he stretches the parameters of contemporary folk to encompass blues, country, and rock. Olney covers songs from Tom House and his late pal Townes Van Zandt, while his own compositions (particularly "1917" and "Dillinger") are truly distinctive. Read more

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