W - Z

The folk section covers a broad spectrum of mostly American folk (traditional and contemporary), folk-rock, singer-songwriter and indie recordings. Primarily, you can expect to find music which strikes at the heart of the folk tradition, where we spotlight innovative songwriters and performers who've laid the groundwork for the great folk tradition and who help to maintain that tradition today.

You'll find acoustic music here, as well as bands playing traditional music with electric guitars and bands playing new music on traditional instruments. Old-style folk meets rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and other stuff with its roots in folk traditions. Explore this section to find a tasty selection of musical possibilities.

While some people argue that "folk music" is by definition limited solely to traditional pieces, we have been reminded by others that songwriting itself is a proud tradition. If new music isn't being written and performed to expand the dog-eared playbook, those old songs are in danger of becoming hackneyed and worn-out cliches.

For folk music from the Canadian Maritimes, look here.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Stephen Wade
• Banjo Diary: Lessons from Tradition (2012)

Virginia Wagner
• Darkness Visible (2007)

Wailin' Jennys
• Firecracker (2006)
• Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House (2009)
• Bright Morning Stars (2011)

Loudon Wainwright III
• Here Come the Choppers (2005)

Sloan Wainwright
• Upside Down & Under My Heart (2013)

Tom Waits
• Real Gone (2004)

The Wakami Wailers
• The Last of the White Pine Loggers (1985)
• Waltz with the Woods (1993)
• River Through the Pines (1999)

Wake the Dead
• Wake the Dead (2000)

Anne Walker
• Labyrinth (2010)

Melody Walker & Jacob Groopman
• We Made It Home (2013)

Ryley Walker
• All Kinds of You (2014)

Walkie Talkie
• Twilite at Spanish Castle (2000)

Colter Wall
• Western Swing & Waltzes & Other Punchy Songs (2020)
• Memories & Empties (2025)

David Wall & Marilyn Lerner
• Still Soft Voiced Heart (2001)

Kate Wallace
• Too Long from the Sea (2000)

Bob Walser
• Outward Bound on the J.M Carpenter (2010)

Joe K. Walsh
• Borderland (2016)

Marion Walsh
• Home to Home (2005)

Chris Walz
• All I Got & Gone (2025)

Cyd Ward
• Between the Lines (2002)

Lucy Ward
• Single Flame (2013)

Washington Revels
• Behold That Star! An American Song Quilt (2001)

Watermelon Sugar
• Something to Savor (2005)

Waterson:Carthy
• Fishes & Fine Yellow Sand (2004)

Norma Waterson
• Bright Shiny Morning (2000)

The Watersons
• A Yorkshire Christmas (2005)
• Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy (2007)

Doc Watson
• Foundation: The Doc Watson Guitar Instrumental Collection, 1964-1998 (2000)
• Legacy, with David Holt (2002)

Doc & Merle Watson
• Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues (2004)

Doc Watson & Gaither Carlton
• Doc Watson & Gaither Carlton (2020)

Jacqui Watson
• Cocaine & Brandy Days (2005)

Willie Watson
• Folk Singer Vol. 1 (2014)

Shad Weathersby
• Chomp Chomp (2004)
• The Beaten Path (2007)

Ben Weaver
• Paper Sky (2007)

LisaBeth Weber
• Farmhouse Sessions (2000)

Linda Welby
• A Story to Tell (2008)

Elisa M. Welch
• The Wheel (1999)

Gillian Welch
• Time (The Revelator) (2006)

Kevin Welch
• Beneath My Wheels (1999)
• A Patch of Blue Sky (2010)

Geoffrey Welchman
• One Band Man (2007)

Well-Tempered String Band
• Well-Tempered String Band (2002)
• Book Two (2004)

Sara Wendt
• Here's Us (2006)
• Weightless with Love (2007)

Annie Wenz
• Poet's Dance (2001)

We're About 9
• Engine (2003)

Susan Werner
• New Non-Fiction (2001)
• The Gospel Truth (2007)

Corinne West
• Second Sight (2007)
• Starlight Highway (2015)

Eli West
• The Both (2016)

Lizzie West & the White Buffalo
• I Pledge Allegiance to Myself (2006)

Eric Westbury
• Walking Tracks (2000)
• Burnt Tongues & Blue Truths (2003)

Western Centuries
• Songs from the Deluge (2018)

The Westies
• Six on the Out (2016)

West of Eden
• A Stupid Thing to Do (2003)
• Four (2006)
• The West of Eden Travelogue (2009)
• A Celtic Christmas (2010)
• Safe Crossing (2012)
• Songs from Twisting River (2014)

Lee Westwood
• To Sleep: Farewell Songs (2006)

The Mike Weterings Band
• Aluminum Sea (1998)

Whalebone
• Mirabilia (2016)

Coles Whalen
• Nothing is Too Much (2007)

Cheryl Wheeler
• Different Stripe (2003)
• Pointing at the Sun (2009)

Erica Wheeler
• Three Wishes (1999)

When Pigs Fly
• Pigatude (2001)

Amy White & Al Petteway
• Golden Wing (2004)

Andrew White
• Pray for Rain (2001)

The White Buffalo
• Shadows, Greys & Evil Ways (2013)

Effron White
• Day in the Sun (2000)

Josh White Jr.
• Jazz, Ballads & Blues, with Robin Batteau (1986)
• House of the Rising Son (1999)

Nancy White
• Gaelic Envy (1998)
• Stickers on Fruit (2002)

Yasmine White
• Simple Truths (2002)

Rick Whitelaw
• Polishing the Stone (1999)

Ken Whiteley
• Listening (2000)
• Gospel Music Makes Me Feel Alright! (2004)

Stuart Whitford
• Vertical Land (1998)

Greg Wickham
• If I Left This World (2016)

The Wide Open
• Long Road Home (2018)

Garrett Wieland
• What Keeps the Heart Afloat (2021)

Jason Wilber
• Echoes (2016)

Wilco, with Billy Bragg
• Mermaid Avenue (1998)
• Mermaid Avenue Vol. II (2000)

Wild Carrot
• Hope (2003)

Ginny Wilder
• Lessons in Life & Love (2002)

Steve Wildey
• Little Man (2002)
• Along the Way (2005)

Wild Flowers
• Total Vocal (1994)

The WildRoots
• Sessions, Volume 1 (2021)

The Wild Rumpus
• 304 (2012)

Nathan Wiley
• The City Destroyed Me (2007)

The Wilkinsons
• Here & Now (2000)

Brooks Williams
• Hundred Year Shadow (1999)
• Little Lion (2000)
• Skiffle-Bop (2001)

Dar Williams
• End of the Summer (1997)
• The Green World (2000)
• Out There Live (2001)
• The Beauty of the Rain (2002)

Jack Williams
• Across the Winterline (1997)

Keller Williams
• Laugh (2002)

Lucinda Williams
• Lucinda Williams (1993)
• performance review (1998)
• Essence (2001)
• Lu's Jukebox, Vol. 3: Bob's Back Pages: A Night of Bob Dylan's Songs (2021)
• Lu's Jukebox, Vol. 4: Funny How Time Slips Away: A Night of '60s Country Classics (2021)
•  World's Gone Wrong (2026)

Victoria Williams
• Sings Some Ol' Songs (2002)

Kelly Willis
• What I Deserve (1999)

Tom Wilson
• When the Wagon was New, with Border Bluegrass (1997)
• On the Radio (2001)

Jesse Winchester
• Love Filling Station (2009)
• A Reasonable Amount of Trouble (2014)

Wing & Hollow
• Frozen Trees (2011)
• North of Nowhere (2012)

Wingdale Community Singers
• Spirit Duplicator (2009)

Ben Winship
• Acorns (2019)

Ben Winship & David Thompson
• Fishing Music II (2009)

Wishing Chair
• The Ghost of Will Harbut (2000)

Without Gravity
• Tenderfoot (2005)

Gretchen Witt
• Gretchen Witt (2003)
• Six (2006)

Patti Witten
• Land of Souvenirs (1999)
• Prairie Doll (2000)
• Sycamore Tryst (2003)

Whitney Wolanin
• Funkology XIII (2005)

Carley Wolf
• Set Sail (2009)

Wolfe Bros.
• 2001 -- An Old-Time Odyssey (2001)

Laura Wolfe
• Siren (2005)

Women in Docs
• Under a Different Sky (2005)

Beth Wood
• You Take the Wheel (2003)
• Marigolds (2005)

Jon Wood
• One to Five (2004)

Royal Wood
• Milkweed (2003)
• Tall Tales (2004)

Jeff Woodell
• Pictures of Nothing (2006)

Joyce Woodson
• Capistrano Girl (1997)

The Woods Tea Co.
• Journey Home (1995)
• Side By Each (1995)
• Live! (1999)
• Standing Room Only (2003)

Ina May Wool
• Moon Over 97th Street (1999)
• Crack It Open (2004)

Work o' the Weavers
• We're Still Here (2007)

Bruce Wozny
• Sleeping Dogs (1999)

John Wright
• Just Left of Center (1998)
• SongDance (2003)
• That's the Way Love Is: A Collection of Love Songs (2003)
• The Gypsy Life (2006)

The John Wright Band
• Language of the Heart (2000)

Richard Thomas Wright & Cathryn Wellner
• Rough But Honest Miner (2000)

Ruth Wyand
• Distant Drums (2002)

Jim Wyly
• The Artisan (2018)

The Wyrd Sisters
• Raw Voice (1997)

XTC
• Apple Venus, Vol. 1 (1999)
• Wasp Star (Apple Venus, Vol. 2) (2000)

Chris Yakopcic
• Live at the Hidden Gem (2023)

Gabriel Yacoub
• Les Choses Les Plus Simples (The Simple Things We Said) (2002)

Mark Yakes
• Poems & Music, Vol. 1 (2003)

Glenn Yarbrough
• Come Sit By My Side (2006)

Yarn
• Come On In (2010)
• Almost Home (2012)

Bethany Yarrow
• Deep Folk (2003)

Hans York
• Young Amelia (2007)

John York & Kim Fowley
• West Coast Revelation (2011)

Doug Young
• Laurel Mill (2003)

Jamison Young
• Shifting Sands of a Blue Car (2003)

Jubal Lee Young
• Wild Birds Warble (2024)
• Squirrels (2025)

Lesley Young
• Inside (2007)

Neil Young
• The Bridge: A Tribute to Neil Young (1989)
• Harvest Moon (1992)
• Unplugged (1993)
• Silver & Gold (2000)

Neil Young & Crazy Horse
• Live at the Filmore East (2006)

Mike Younger
• Every Stone You Throw (2006)

The Young'uns
• When Our Grandfathers Said No (2012)

Charlie Zahm
• A Summer's Morning Rare (1995)
• Festival Favorites (1997)
• The White Snows of Winter (2001)
• Americana (2002)
• Out of the Mist (2002)
• Songs for When the Sun Goes Down (2002)
• Among the Heather (2005)
• Lighthouse on the Shore (2007)
• Recent Journeys (2008)
• Precious Memories & Other Special Songs of Faith (2009)
• Songs of Highlands, Islands & Home (2011)
• Nothin' like the South (2013)
• Angels We Have Heard on High & Other Favorite Songs of Christmas (2016)

Diane Zeigler
• Paintbrush (2002)

Liz Zelvin
• Outrageous Older Woman (2012)

Debbie Zepick
• Enjoy the Journey (1999)
• Out of the Ruins (1997)

Leah Zicari
• Pretty on Thursday (2003)

Zoe & Cloyd
• Eyes Brand New (2017)

The Zozo Sisters
• Adieu False Heart (2006)

Zubot & Dawson
• Chicken Scratch (2002)

Zuco 103
• Outro Lado (2000)

Adam Zwig
• Cast Iron Letters (2007)

Zyrah's Orange
• Body (2000)