Fleet Foxes and Crosby, Stills, Nash

Read this: Wild Tales by Graham Nash

Anyone else out there think the indie folk group Fleet Foxes sounds like Crosby,Stills, and Nash? I’m a fan of folk/rock music and a long time fan of Crosby, Stills, Nash (Neil Young, too).  Their harmonies placate the stressed mood and nourish the weary soul. Okay, a little melodramatic, but these musical icons from the late 60s and 70s have a story any music lover would appreciate. Did you like the music from Inside Llewyn Davis, the story behind the real folk singer from Greenwich Village, Dave Van Ronk? He was one of many who sang in smoky bars and represented the merging of folk music from the California scene with stars like The Mamas and the Papas, the New York scene with stars like Bob Dylan, and in the Midwest, dropped from Canada into the Detroit scene came Joni MItchell. Music was the glue that held the country together when the egos clashed and the government failed. David Crosby, Graham Nash, and Stephen Stills were friends with them all. In Wild Tales, it was fascinating to learn about the relationships and stories behind the songs I’ve heard hundreds of times. If you are interested in 60s/70s pop culture, I highly recommend Nash’s book, Wild Tales. 

So we have an indie/folk music revival going on and I couldn’t be happier. Five years ago, Washington group, Fleet Foxes came out belting their harmonies. Their looks, their lyrics–I can’t help wonder if they aren’t the sons of Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Let me show you how similar they are. Listen first to Crosby, Stills, Nash, “Helplessly Hoping”

Now listen to Fleet Foxes, “Drops in the River”

When I play Fleet Foxes music, I have to stop and ask myself is it them or CSN?

How about another example from Crosby, Stills, and Nash, “Just a Song Before I Go”

Love the smooth harmony. Now listen to Fleet Foxes “The Shrine: An Argument”

In this case, I love history repeating itself. Glad to have a new round of beautifully crafted music to listen to again. Young and old alike can appreciate Fleet Foxes while revising Crosby, Stills, and Nash never gets old.