Coming off of Max's comment from about 20 years ago regarding John Stewart's then "geezer" voice, all I can say is John was getting a few trips around the sun under his belt by then. So, what can I say about two guys in their mid-20s who chose to affect "geezer" voices to complement their old-timey/string-band/fiddle music? The Holy Modal Rounders, it seems, may have been reacting to the lack of "authentic-sounding" voices available in newer artists' polished renditions of this older music. Thus, they may have decided to try to recreate a more genuine-sounding groove. Let's also not forget that these guys were strange to begin with and also enjoyed taunting the "high-brow" folk/acoustic music critics and aficionados with their irreverent bending of the lyrics to many songs. I'd like to hear our old-timey music aficionado Jeremy's thoughts on The Holy Modal Rounders. Thanks For Lookin' In & Folk On!

From my September 2025 postings on Acoustic Guitar Forum about The Holy Modal Rounders:

Does "Hesitation Blues" from their 1964 eponymous album include the first usage of the word "psychedelic" in music, or even before most folks ever heard of the term?

Okay, they sound like they stepped out of some holler in the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee, but Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber hailed from the Greenwich Village folk scene of the late 1950s and early 1960s. I hadn't heard of their eponymous 1964 and 1965 albums until I was looking for songs to play on my early 2000s online radio station, Shady Grove Radio. Upon first listening to this album, I was torn between throwing up and falling in love with them! I found out it's possible to do both and enjoy what these irreverent rascals were performing, and I've been a fan since. Through light-hearted, over-the-top parodying of "authentic" folk and acoustic artists, and rewriting the lyrics of many traditional songs, Pete and Steve were laughing at folk music purists and critics who were quick to denigrate "polished" artists like The Kingston Trio, The Limeliters, and other artists they deemed too "commercial."

The Holy Modal Rounders are best known for their song, "If You Want To Be A Bird," which was in the movie and soundtrack album from the 1969 movie, Easy Rider, and is where and when I first heard of this band.

"Hesitation Blues" The Holy Modal Rounders

"If You Want To Be A Bird" The Holy Modal Rounders

If any out yonder wanna hear The Holy Modal Rounders' first two albums, you can hear them below. Once you get beyond their feigned vocal theatre that can become endearing, and sucked into these rascals, IMHO, they're darn good listenin'!

Listen to The Holy Modal Rounders Albums 1 & 2 1964/1965: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k0IyfiWbORJDfmfuZDq0A9Ar28E6kelkU

Or jump right into one of their songs: