Philadelphia band: Jimmy Hughes, Chad Arnett, Charlie Biando, Scott Churchman, Avalon Clare, Jason Henn, Andrew Keller, Yianni Kourmadas, Cheryl Nguyen
Athens band: Jimmy Hughes, Jon Croxton, Aaron Jollay, Ian Rickert, Raoul De La Cruz, Che-Na Stephens, David Specht
helpful hands:
Nick Bronson, Sam Tremble, Andy Pruett, Margaret Child, Laura Carter, Derek Almstead, Chris Riser, Philip Brown, Nick Canada, Pete Erchick, John Fernandes, Bren Mead, Andrew Rieger, Amy Dykes, Scott Spillane, Heather McIntosh, Adam Spiegler, Linnea Weiss, Chris Bracco, Will Quinnell, Cousin Steve
Influences
Velvet Underground, The Mamas and The Papas, Pavement, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, New Order, Neil Young, Buddy Holly, Masters Of The Hemisphere, Os Mutantes, Leonard Cohen, John Cale, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Simon & Garfunkle, The Who, The Stone Roses, Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth, Electric Light Orchestra, The Kinks, Minutemen, CAN, Tullycraft, Dinosaur Jr, Faust, Descendents, The Beach Boys, The Cure, The Turtles, Brian Eno, They Might Be Giants, Jandek, The Pixies, REM, Sebadoh, The Smiths, Wire, etc.
“As the band's name suggests, Hughes is a storyteller of epic proportions, weaving tales set to music of a lo-fi moody nature. His concepts set the tone for the entire project, spinning hand-crafted narratives to some rather compelling chamber pop.”
Review from The Philadelphia Weekly (2009)
"(Carpenter's Falls is) a lush, epic album with storylines, plots and climaxes. With pronounced experimental and folk influences, the aptly-named band is more akin to the dense psychedelia of Olivia Tremor Control than the indie pop of Elf Power."
-Katherine Silkaitis
Review from Analogue Magazine (2009)
“a beautifully dynamic and enrapturing experience altogether.”
Review2 from PopMatters (2008)
“Folklore’s (Carpenter’s Falls) and their brilliant record The Ghost of H.W. Beavermann might be two sides of the same coin. If so, Carpenter’s Falls suggests the coin fell through a hole in Ian Curtis’s pocket and landed in some mud...“Bingo Beats” launches Folklore into another realm. It’s as if the icy voice of Curtis and the rhythm of Joy Division are haunting every step... Carpenter’s Falls is a less immediate record than it’s predecessor but still a convincing take on angst, decay, significance, entropy, and perspective.”
-D.M. Edwards
Review from DayTrotter (2008)
“Just in the last month, Jimmy Hughes took himself out of Athens, Georgia moving to the city of brotherly love … It’s a move that’s unlikely to affect his personal tides and compositions, for once the zaniness and uncorked atmosphere of one of the weirdest cities in America has reached you on a personal or impersonal level, there’s no extracting it back out… the yarns that he spins are reminiscent of those that a babbling old man at the end of his days would produce.”
-Sean Moeller
Review from The Onion: AV Club (2008)
"On last year's The Ghost Of H.W. Beaverman and the new 'companion' LP, Carpenter's Falls, he tells his tales through multiple perspectives and with an otherworldly catchiness. Innocent and melodic as they sound, Hughes' vocals seem to circle up from woozy recollections, as does an instrumental blend that takes in everything from guitar to slide whistle to clarinet to trumpet. For such an esoteric concept, it's got a child-like sense of play."
Review from Optical Atlas (2008)
"Essentially the first two Folklore albums are flip sides of the whole, telling the same story, although stylistically they’re drastically different. Together, they present a band that’s quickly emerging as one of the top bands to emerge from Athens in recent years... The Ghost of H.W. Beaverman is united by Hughes’ surprising strength as both a songwriter and as a storyteller.... The follow-up, Carpenter’s Falls... acts like the dark underbelly of the first album... moodier, overtly psychedelic."
-Jeff Kuykendall
Review1 from PopMatters (2008)
“Folklore’s debut is a lovely opaque work that should appear on all serious Best of 2008 lists... The Ghost of H.W. Beaverman is a tale told from several perspectives broadly in the tradition of Kurusawa’s Rashomon, Sudden Sway’s To You With Regard and Iain Pears’ An Instance of the Fingerpost. This device conveys mystery and posits the notion that we all make our own reality within the grand illusion of life… a totally satisfying blend of imagination, truth, myth, personal history, bullshit, nostalgia, experiment and philosophy. Regardless of whether Beaverman is a malevolent presence with inhuman powers, a convenient enigma, a misunderstood accident, or something else entirely, this is a delightful record.”
-D.M. Edwards
Review from Viva Indie (2008)
“Hughes spent years collecting these stories for a novel that never came to pass. Luckily for us, he used his considerable song writing skills to capture the stories in verse and share them with the world... great effort by Hughes and absolutely everyone involved. “
Review from Americana UK (2008)
“Not the simplest thing to achieve in the context of indie-pop and if you factor in nine different vocalists it is amazing that it sounds as coherent as it does… Those of you excited by the Neutral Milk Hotel re-issues will find something to like here.”
Review from Whisperin & Hollerin (2008)
“...an overall feel of a half hour Baroque psych-pop opera very much in keeping with the offbeat lo-fi style of Elephant 6 collective from which many of the contributors are drawn…. Hughes' concept is nevertheless an intriguing and original one.”
Review from Southeast Performer (2008)
"Concept albums are a tricky thing; they work either because the music is fantastic or the story the record tells is engaging, but rarely do both things work out simultaneously. The first full-length CD from Athens band Folklore is one of these rarities."
-Charley Lee
Review from Pitchfork (2007)
“Folklore, a new project from Elf Power guitarist Jimmy Hughes with quite an intriguing premise. On its concept LP The Ghost of H.W. Beaverman-- which features guest appearances from pretty much half the population of Athens, Georgia-- the combo "takes ghost stories based in the mountains of upstate New York and dissects them into the myths and rumors from which they are based”… Sample tune "H.W. Beaverman" ain't too shabby, packing enough melody into its layers and vocal cataracts to make it worth a download.” - Matthew Solarski
Best of 2007 List on www.mp3hugger.com (2007)
“...my favourite album of 2007 was Folklore's deeply imaginative The Ghost Of H.W. Beaverman which proved to be a stunning tale that weaved and bobbed like Cassius Clay in his prime.”
Live Review from Madison Wisconsin’s The Isthmus (2007)
“Folklore… provided the best set of a tepid night. By breaking out the clarinet, trombone, trumpet, keys and your standard bass-guitar-drums, these guys were both tuneful and humorous. At their giddiest, they echoed the happiness of Cornershop and The Tragically Hip, and at their quirkiest, the mishmash of The Coral and The Waking Eyes. Theatrically spoken, ode-like lyrics paired well with the sideshow antics from guys who looked like your local bait and tackle shop workers. During one song, two members played the instruments the other was wearing, employing a silly, musical buddy system. These small touches added humor and appeal.” - Emily Denaro
Review from Cable & Tweed (2007)
“The Ghost of H.W. Beaverman is an interesting and ambitious record. It is a concept album, crafting songs around a mythology centered on events and personalities from upstate New York… This effort is broadly rooted in a sort of psych-folk aesthetic, with songs ranging from accessible folk ("The Vet" and "The Pharmacist") to jangle-pop ("The Father") and psychedelia ("The Drowning of Lake Bonaparte").”
Review from Captain Is Dead (2007)
“The Ghost Of H.W. Beaverman is great piece of psychedelic pop that reminds me of uncle Bob Pollard on his best days… its a concept record, but doesn’t feel like one at all as each track could stand alone and you wouldn’t feel like you were missing some piece of the puzzle.”
Folklore "Bingo Beats" (Live)
Feb 25th 2009 @ The Khyber, Philadelphia
Folklore on DayTrotter.com:posted 10/09/08
there is an interview with Jimmy Hughes of Folklore at:
there is a more recent interview with Folklore at:
there is a NEW review of both Folklore albums posted at:
"There came a time I realized that everyone thought I was crazy. And in a town a mile down the people there were telling stories, and no one laughed 'cause no one thought the properties had all just been there. And those who "count" just sat around and sputtered out unconscious nonsense. No sense to it all and words evolve into a story, allowing rumor trees to sprout and spread their roots throughout Onondaga. So choose who you choose to believe before you choose the words you write with. Remember when the days were better (better than you could ever imagine) when people laughed because it was fun and rides to see as far as the eye could. Back years before even I was born before the shores were drowned out by shadows." H.W. Beaverman - Syracuse, NY
Folklore's first album The Ghost Of H.W. Beaverman is currently being re-released and promoted by our Irish label overseas: INDIECATER RECORDS
Buy Folklore STUFFS at the Folklore SHOP!
Folklore - "The Ghost Of H.W.Beaverman" CD (2007)
Click image for Ordering Information
Folkore - "Carpenter's Falls" CD (2008)
Click image for Ordering Information
Folklore T-SHIRTS! Click image for Ordering Information
The Beginning - music video
Bingo Beats - music video
based on the failed t.v. sitcom pilot "CHARMINAR!" Starring: Jeff Griggs, J.J. Flores, Carrie Jedlicka, Bren Mead, Ian Rickert, and Jimmy Hughes
Click here to read my cartoons, latest news, to hear my new album The Calm Before and other cuts for free and to join my email list to learn about my next show in your town.
Dear friends, I've just uploaded a new song called "The uses of enchantment". Please have a listen and tell me what you think. Thanks for your time, be well. Kind regards Paper kites
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