Anti-Folk stood in direct contrast to the warmhearted traditions of folk music -- at least, what was perceived to be the traditions of the folk of the '50s and '60s. The songwriters and performers in the anti-folk movement were raised on punk, inspired by its raw, direct power. They had that same vibe, the same desire to shock and protest -- (read more)

Anti-Folk stood in direct contrast to the warmhearted traditions of folk music -- at least, what was perceived to be the traditions of the folk of the '50s and '60s. The songwriters and performers in the anti-folk movement were raised on punk, inspired by its raw, direct power. They had that same vibe, the same desire to shock and protest -- the only difference was, they did it with just an acoustic guitar and blistering, intelligent lyrics. Such singer/songwriters as Roger Manning and Billy Bragg brought the genre attention in the '80s. Often, anti-folk seemed forever tied to the '80s, since much of it was protest about Reagan and Thatcher, but it managed to survive since artists like Ani DiFranco found ways to keep its spirit alive in the '90s.(collapse)