Help me with my playlist - minor-key, energetic folk-rock (w/female singers?)

Cafe Society
1

I have three songs in a row which I think have a very particular sound, they’re three fast-paced rocked-up folk songs in a minor key; more specifically, they’re what old-time and bluegrass musicians refer to as ‘modal’ music. I think it’s Dorian mode. By coincidence the three I found all feature female vocals prominently.

And this is where you come in. The sound of these three songs is amazing and I adore them, and I desperately want more of it! So if you have a few minutes, listen to these three songs, observe how awesome they are, and let me know if they remind you of anything else in your collection. I’m not absolutely looking for women singers, but it’s an added bonus.

  1. Abigail Washburn - Song of the Traveling Daughter
  2. Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile & Aoife O’Donovan -Here and Heaven
  3. Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons, and the Dharohar Project -Devil’s Spoke/Sneh Ko Marg
2

It’s been awhile since I’ve listened to any of her albums, but you might try some Loreena McKennitt. I think she might have a few songs to your liking.

3

You might like Gillian Welch - I think she appeared on the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack, but try “Rock of Ages” here.

4

Fairport Convention, “Tam Lin”

Joan Baez, “Jackaroe”

Steeleye Span, “The Weaver and the Factory Maid” (starts and ends slow, but the rest is uptempo)

(Not energetic, but you might like it anyway: Pentangle, “Cruel Sister”)

5

Energetic folk-rock? Can’t do much better than Ani DiFranco.

6

Clannad, An Ghabar Ban (maybe not rock enough?)

7

Carolina Chocolate Drops, Hit-em-up Style

8

I second the Ani DiFranco recommendation.

Also Indigo Girls, especially the albums Come On Now Social and Become You. Ozilline has that minor key you’re looking for.

9

Be Good Tanyas.

10

You might enjoy the Ashley MacIsaac / Mary Jan Lamond collaboration of Sleepy Maggie.

11

Natalie Merchant, Life Is Sweet. About two-thirds of the measures are minor.

12

Sarah Jarosz - Annabelle Lee -and- Run Away (the music starts about 20 seconds into each video).

The Wailin’ Jennys - Devil’s Paintbrush Road

Dead Can Dance - Cantara (it starts out a little slow, but picks up at about 2:00).

13

You might look for other stuff by Heather Alexander and here’s the page for Annwn,a sadly now-defuct group from the bay area.

14

There’s some Neko Case that might fit the bill. I think Things That Scare Me has the modal sound you’re looking for.