Anti-folk

Anti-folk is a genre characterized by its lo-fi, DIY ethos and eclectic blend of folk, punk, and indie rock elements. Emerging in the 1980s, it gained momentum in the 1990s and 2000s, particularly in New York City's East Village scene. Anti-folk music often features simplistic, storytelling-style lyrics, acoustic instrumentation, and a rejection of traditional folk music's polished production values. The genre's cultural significance lies in its raw, emotive, and often humorous critique of societal norms, politics, and personal relationships. Drawing from punk's energy and folk's narrative tradition, anti-folk also incorporates elements of psychedelia, country, and avant-garde music. Notable for its anti-establishment stance and emphasis on creative freedom, anti-folk has influenced a range of genres, from indie rock to singer-songwriter styles, and continues to inspire artists who value authenticity and experimentation over commercial polish.

Latest Anti-folk Release
undefined album image
New Kind of Lonely
Single - Released December 19, 2025

RecentMusic users are tracking 85 Anti-folk artists for new releases, and have access to the full timeline of 1,797 releases

Join them and feed your new music addiction, and add the Anti-folk artists you love!

Get Started Browse Releases
(Please) Don't Blame Mexico
AJJ
Adam Green
Amigo the Devil
Apes of the State
Arseless Chaps
Asleep in the Sea
Atom And His Package
Barabbas T. Jones
Beans on Toast
Beck
Billy Bragg
Binki Shapiro
Black Guy Fawkes
Bombadil
Bonnie Prince Billy
Brent & Madeline
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone
Caxade
Chips for the Poor
Connie Converse
Cory Branan
Daniel Johnston
Devon Sproule
Diane Cluck
Dirk Darmstaedter
Djalma Não Entende de Política
Faustine Seilman
French Cowboy
Good Flying Birds
Griefcat
Guided By Voices
Jad Fair
Jeffrey Lewis
Jim White
Joanna Sternberg
Jonathan Richman
Kate Nash
Kimya Dawson
Kobrakasino
Langhorne Slim
Lisa Li-Lund
Lois
Mal Blum
Margot and the Toothless Hags
Marshmellow Overcoat
Mathias Kom
Mirah
Nellie McKay
Only Son
Pacing
Pat Hull
Pavement
Penelope Scott
Rae Spoon
Rebecca Schiffman
Regina Spektor
Shilpa Ray
Smog
Soft Black
Starov
Sticky Steve
The Blendours
The Ditty Bops
The Fall
The Fishermen Three
The Fugs
The Hold Steady
The Men They Couldn't Hang
The Mountain Goats
The Namedroppers
The Resonant Rogues
The Shalfonts
The Wave Pictures
TonyLaMuerte OneManBand
Turner Cody
Uncle Bonsai
Vashti Bunyan
Will E. Skandalz
Yo La Tengo
Záviš
_pappmaché
h. pruz
rhys from the sticks
Захар Май
Beck
Regina Spektor
Penelope Scott
Pavement
The Mountain Goats
Kimya Dawson
Billy Bragg
AJJ
Amigo the Devil
Yo La Tengo
Kate Nash
Vashti Bunyan
Langhorne Slim
Jonathan Richman
Daniel Johnston
Guided By Voices
Smog
The Fall
Beans on Toast
The Hold Steady
Apes of the State
Bonnie Prince Billy
Mal Blum
Mirah
Connie Converse
Záviš
Adam Green
Joanna Sternberg
Jeffrey Lewis
Cory Branan
Diane Cluck
The Resonant Rogues
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone
Nellie McKay
The Men They Couldn't Hang
Shilpa Ray
Bombadil
Pacing
The Fugs
Lisa Li-Lund
Atom And His Package
The Wave Pictures
The Ditty Bops
Only Son
Jad Fair
Kobrakasino
Jim White
Binki Shapiro
The Fishermen Three
Pat Hull
h. pruz
Mathias Kom
Turner Cody
Good Flying Birds
Rae Spoon
Devon Sproule
French Cowboy
Rebecca Schiffman
Griefcat
Black Guy Fawkes
Caxade
Dirk Darmstaedter
Asleep in the Sea
Захар Май
Uncle Bonsai
The Blendours
Brent & Madeline
Djalma Não Entende de Política
Sticky Steve
Soft Black
(Please) Don't Blame Mexico
Marshmellow Overcoat
Will E. Skandalz
TonyLaMuerte OneManBand
Arseless Chaps
The Namedroppers
Lois
Barabbas T. Jones
Starov
The Shalfonts
_pappmaché
Chips for the Poor
Faustine Seilman
Margot and the Toothless Hags
rhys from the sticks