"Ocean Breathes Salty," Iron Horse
|
|
|
|
In case you hadn't heard, sea shanties have been having a moment over on TikTok lately. It's a genre that isn't particularly well-represented in my music collection, but I do have a *lot* of songs about the ocean. And it turns out that bluegrass versions of Modest Mouse's Pacific Northwest post-grunge indie rock wind up sounding an awful lot like sea shanties, to my ears at least.
|
|
"Sea Shanties - Born Yesterday
|
|
|
You might be wondering, just what the heck *is* a sea shanty, anyway? This podcast from 2014 is a great intro to the history and sound of the form, which has actually gone through quite a few revivals over the years.
|
|
|
"50 STATES OF FOLK: Chanteys on Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay" - by Kara Kundert, No Depression
|
|
|
This 2020 article also delves into the history of the genre, but makes an even stronger case than the podcast above for the African roots of the call-and-response format that is the hallmark of the shanty/chantey.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Did you enjoy this newsletter? Tell a friend that they can sign up on our website, or support it by checking out Beartrap Spring Records' latest release:
|
|
|
by Theodosia (2020)
The first single from Beartrap Spring's newest project was recorded at historic Sun Studio in Memphis, and is available on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Amazon, and on just about every streaming service around.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
