Modern Times

Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, the national museum of the United States. They are dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound. Folkways Records believe that musical and cultural diversity contributes to the vitality and quality of life throughout the world. Through the dissemination of audio recordings and educational materials, Folkways Records seek to strengthen people's engagement with their own cultural heritage and to enhance their awareness and appreciation of the cultural heritage of others. Our mission is the legacy of Moses Asch, who founded Folkways Records in 1948 to document "people's music," spoken word instruction, and sounds from around the world. The Smithsonian acquired Folkways from the Asch estate in 1987, and Recordings has continued the Folkways commitment to cultural diversity, education, increased understanding, and lively engagement with the world of sound.

• Chronicles the evolution of rural songs as Southern mountaineers and farmers moved into an industrialized era of coal mines and weaving mills
• Demonstrates a mix of styles and influences brought to older folk modes with modern subject matters (machines, cars, etc.)
• Producer John Cohen says in the liner notes: "The study of folklore is not simply to preserve the past but to make the present more comprehensible."