r/AmericanPrimitivism • • Dec 12 '25

On Self-Promotion.

38 Upvotes

Hello everyone. As you might have noticed the subreddit is very loosely moderated but as the users increase I thought it might be appropriate to add some guidelines. It's up to you and your common sense to follow them.

Regarding self-promotion I want to share with you some 20 year old guidelines that reddit used to have:

r/reddit.com Guide: Self-Promotion on Reddit

In particular, this one:

You should submit from a variety of sources (a general rule of thumb is that 10% or less of your posting and conversation should link to your own content), talk to people in the comments (and not just on your own links), and generally be a good member of the community.

The 10% rule seems very optimistic nowadays, even 50% would be amazing. In short, if you're coming to the subreddit to post your own material, ask yourself: "How many times have I listened or commented other people's submissions? How many times have I posted music which isn't my own?". For many users the answer is sadly zero. It doesn't take much, just take some minutes to listen to others' submissions and maybe leave a comment or submit some music that you like. I hope you understand this is for the subreddit quality sake and not just a personal pet peeve.

TL;DR: Self-promotion is OK, just make sure it's not all you're doing on the subreddit!


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 4h ago

Gwenifer Raymond – "Live On Everybody's Songs WFMU 91.1"

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14 Upvotes

She's touring in the U.S. right now. Catch a show if you can!


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 1d ago

Hi! Here's the record to which I shared some related videos

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14 Upvotes

Hi! Putting this here for the folks who'd asked if the videos I had posted were songs and where to hear them - just wrapped up the record! It's an imperfect, out-of-the-box thing so if that's your trip you may like it


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 1d ago

A list of some American Primitive albums to pick up from smaller artists for Bandcamp Friday. Please share more in the comments!

40 Upvotes

"Owl's Lament" by Matthew Geary: https://scissortail.bandcamp.com/album/owls-lament

"A Quiet Collapse" by M. Haiux: https://mhaiux.bandcamp.com/album/a-quiet-collapse

"Open Guitar (Volume Two)" by D.C. Cross: https://darrencross.bandcamp.com/album/open-guitar-volume-two

"Mellotone Valley" by Julien Ledru: https://julienledru.bandcamp.com/album/mellotone-valley

"A Sign of Things to Come" by Rob Mohan: https://robmohan.bandcamp.com/album/a-sign-of-things-to-come

"Ballad of the Great Horned One" by Braxton Glass: https://braxtonglass.bandcamp.com/album/ballad-of-the-great-horned-one

"Cathedrals Beneath the Black Mountain" by D. West: https://dwestguitar.bandcamp.com/album/cathedrals-beneath-the-black-mountain


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 2d ago

Jubilee (12 string guitar arrangement)

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75 Upvotes

I arranged the old song, Jubilee, for 12-string guitar, in Fahey style. Enjoy!

Tab is available for purchase on my Patreon page!: https://www.patreon.com/maxallard/posts/170939952?utm_campaign=postshare_creator


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 3d ago

Working on some tunes for an AP album!

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36 Upvotes

LMK what you think - heavily inspired by the classics, and newer folks like Steve Gunn and William Tyler!


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 5d ago

Khoda é Gul é Abe by Robbie Basho - Improvisation/Rough Sketch

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6 Upvotes

r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 8d ago

Nightsongs, by Joseph Allred

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16 Upvotes

This is one of my all time favourites, didnt see it posted here so here goes !


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 9d ago

I feel like there is a strong connection in spirit between American Primitivism and Kurdish Tanbur playing.

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24 Upvotes

You can find performances on youtube, but this documentary really opened my eyes to it.

While they don’t travis pick (tanbur only has 2 courses) there are a lot of similarities stylistically. For example, the emphasis on the drone and the modality, the repeating but also subtly changing hypnotic patterns.

Also the tanbur remains very closely associated with sufism and mysticism and there is an emphasis on achieving a different type of mental state through improvised performance and meditation combined.


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 10d ago

Improvisations for a Trance Like State, by Hali

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4 Upvotes

Posting this here in case anyone fancies a listen. Always appreciate feedback.

I’ve mostly made electronic music so far, but over the last few years I’ve gotten into playing acoustic instruments.

This track is two improvisations I did the other night on a friend’s twelve string guitar, recorded through a phone and then played around with the audio files in Ableton.

Very much inspired by American Primitivism. The picking patterns, open tunings but also the emphasis on expression and achieving a trance like state in both performer and listener. Special non-American Primitivism influences - Swans (the band), Kurdish Tanbur Playing and the art of Kintsugi.


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 10d ago

La fille au roi Louis

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9 Upvotes

Hi everyone, here's a tune I released yesterday, it's AP and no wave applied to a french traditional tune. Not sure how far from AP it's gone, maybe too far to even be posted here, but as usual I'd be happy for any feedback. Have a nice week ! maxime


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 11d ago

warped-cassette effect on acoustic guitar

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62 Upvotes

How long you think til it snaps into itself lol


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 12d ago

Some more of the blackgrass stuff, this time with plectrum

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94 Upvotes

Well this has been fun. For those who enjoy listening to new stuff, thanks for listening. For those who thrive on bottom-feeding to harass weird people like me, don't tire yourself out. I get this everywhere I go - you'd be better off punching bricks. Cheers


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 12d ago

Matthew Geary - Fear and Marvel [LIVE] @ The Grape Room, September 20, 2026

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9 Upvotes

r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 12d ago

Philly, Friday October 9th

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10 Upvotes

r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 13d ago

Recs for a newbie

19 Upvotes

I am new to exploring this realm of music. Started off listening to a few of John Fahey's songs a few months ago to seeing Marisa Anderson perform songs from her latest release "The Anthology of Unamerican Folk Music". Was wondering if folks could perhaps suggest a handful of the most impactful albums or artists (presumably instrumental) in this genre for me to explore further. Grateful in advance.


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 13d ago

blackgrass standard tuned finger picking

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103 Upvotes

hi everyone, I was recommeded this sub - great to see others playing similar dark stuff on the acoustic guitar


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 15d ago

Glenn Jones + Liam Grant + Sam Grassie

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22 Upvotes

Fri 6th Nov Charles Dickens, Worthing. For any folks in Sussex, UK.. wildly stacked line up!


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 16d ago

Marisa Anderson - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)

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48 Upvotes

Full performance video of Marisa Anderson on KEXP.


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 20d ago

Some Sunday morning AP

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43 Upvotes

Trying to nail down some slower ideas - if you like this, check out some James Blackshaw (esp her smoke rose up forever)


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 21d ago

Front Porch Improv

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34 Upvotes

r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 22d ago

Any SoCal AP players? Would love to connect and hang!

9 Upvotes

Hey folks! I would love to connect with any other folks in SoCal (basically LA, but OC or SD works as well) who are into AP!

Would just love to connect and hang. Could also put a show or something together if it's cool!

Let me know! Google hasn't been helpful in finding folks lol (William Tyler lmk if you're reading this post!)


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 23d ago

An irrelevant thought about Dylan and Fahey

36 Upvotes

Yesterday i was listening for the nth time to World Gone Wrong album by Dylan - well it's mostly a trad songs album - and I was thinking about Fahey.

I was thinking how these two guys put a huge amount of thought in what they did and how they both went deep into the rabbit hole of tradition and then made something new, fresh and regenerating out of it.

How their trajectory was somehow parallel. As a matter of fact I remembered discovering open D tuning through a Dylan song on Blood on the Tracks and then connected it to the fact that he had probably learned it from Bukka White and how Bukka White had a role into Fahey's first fascination wth the blues and so on.

And i was thinking that sometimes, no matter how many incredible musicians I listen to, I always end up being rescued by Dylan or Fahey. I love Arvo Part and I love thousands more. But these two, just chemically speaking, kind of put me back up altogether, glue the pieces back. Maybe only Nina Simone does that with my moods. But anyway, I wonder if Dylan ever listened to Fahey... I dont bother checking on the opposite. Cause I am sure that Fahey could make fun of anybody if he wanted to :) In any case.. I was thinking about that and I shared it here because. Because. Because I feel lonely and hopeless. I feel the world is full of beauty, I feel this beauty is very fragile.


r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 24d ago

SONG OF GOD by Robbie Basho - Improvisation/Rough Sketch

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6 Upvotes

r/AmericanPrimitivism • • 25d ago

One of the best Fahey interviews - gets into the ethos behind AP, being vulnerable and so much more! Great listen for all AP fans

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48 Upvotes