Word: folk
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...influences. Rice’s sound is reminiscent of, if not directly derived from, a long tradition of moping whiners who whispered their way to the top of the alternative charts. It’s not a bad move, ripping off the acoustic plinkings of bygone modern folk singers. But let’s not forget: Jeff Buckley drowned, Nick Drake overdosed, and Elliott Smith was found stabbed in the chest. Sure their records were lovely—raw, and eerie. They may have made heaps of money: but then they croaked. They died untimely deaths and now their songs...
...connection to the birth of Jesus. Rather, traditions such as Christmas trees, Yule logs, giving and receiving gifts, and possibly even the date of December 25 itself arose out of pagan celebrations that pre-dated Christ altogether. Meanwhile the figure of Santa Claus actually arose out of a Dutch folk tale that was originally unassociated with the nativity. So much for always keeping focus strictly on the reason for the season...
There's precious little light in Iceland during the winter, which makes the upper latitudes ideal for viewing the northern lights--especially on New Year's Eve. In Reykjavík, Icelanders gather around dozens of massive bonfires to sing traditional folk songs accompanied, according to local legend, by trolls, fairies and elves. (Iceland's Tourist Board claims that 80% of Icelanders believe in little beings.) At midnight the city explodes in a massive fireworks display. The dancing and partying that follow last until the sun comes up, which in Iceland is at about lunchtime...
...awakens in the 21st century after a hundred-year snooze and is, of course, utterly bewildered by what he sees. Men and women dash about, talking to small metal devices pinned to their ears. Young people sit at home on sofas, moving miniature athletes around on electronic screens. Older folk defy death and disability with metronomes in their chests and with hips made of metal and plastic. Airports, hospitals, shopping malls--every place Rip goes just baffles him. But when he finally walks into a schoolroom, the old man knows exactly where he is. "This is a school," he declares...
Usually thought of as playthings for little girls, dolls take on a much more artistic function as interpreted by the artist Alexander Girard, who died in 1993. The Wooden Dolls, above, originally made by Girard in 1963 and inspired by his love of folk art, have been re-created by the design firm Vitra. More of a decorative item than a toy, the colorful and slightly kooky figures delight...