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Episode #3.9 - Fol-de-rol and Fiddle-dee-dee
Season 9 Episode 3
Non-lexical vocables are syllables without any semantic meaning, sometimes called “nonsense syllables.” In this episode of Folk Files, we’ll explore …
2 hours ago
Episode #3.8 - Beat the Drum Slowly
Season 3 Episode 8
The Anglo-Irish ballad "The Unfortunate Lad," the cowboy classic "Streets of Laredo," and the blues song "St. James of Infirmary" are often considere…
4 weeks ago
Episode #3.7 - I Got the Blues
Season 3 Episode 7
According to many textbooks, the blues is a genre that was born in the rural Mississippi Delta, with roots in the “sorrow songs” of enslaved people. …
2 months ago
Episode #3.6 - There Was Two Brothers
Season 3 Episode 6
Whereas the “Two Sisters” murder ballad is a complete, coherent story, “Two Brothers” is messy. What’s the motive? Who are these brothers? Who kills …
2 months, 4 weeks ago
Episode #3.5 - Rise Again
Season 3 Episode 5
Stan Rogers was one of Canada's greatest singer-songwriters, despite his music having never had major distribution or significant radio playtime. In …
4 months ago
Episode #3.4 - There Were Two Sisters
Season 3 Episode 4
A harrowing murder ballad in which an older sister shoves her younger sister in the water (and sometimes a musician makes an instrument from the drow…
4 months, 3 weeks ago
Episode #3.3 - The Music of Temple Bar
Season 3 Episode 3
In this St. Patrick's Day episode, I ask the question: Is it actually Irish? We will explore over thirty songs that are performed in Irish contexts a…
6 months ago
Episode #3.2 - He Never Returned
Season 3 Episode 2
Is "The MTA Song" a conservative song or a communist song (or neither)? And why did record companies try to hide the origins of the tune of one of th…
6 months, 4 weeks ago
Episode #3.1 - Piping in the Haggis
Season 3 Episode 1
Welcome to the third season of Folk Files! We are starting off the year with a Robert Burns-themed episode to celebrate Burns Night on January 25th. …
7 months, 4 weeks ago
Episode #2.12 - Lully, Lulla
Season 2 Episode 12
Happy Holidays! Coventry Carol is a lullaby to a "little tiny child"...but surprisingly, that child is not Jesus. Learn more about this Christmas car…
8 months, 4 weeks ago