VW Touareg Commercial folk song (the commercial w/ the camera)

[DigMe]

So I've been seeing this commercial for a while...the one where the people bring the old lady the camera in their Touareg and they stop to take pics and stuff on the way.

I'm a sucker for these kinds of sparse acoustic songs a la Tom Waits' "Hold On" etc...

I found out that the artist is Richard Buckner and the song is called Ariel Ramirez. I'm listening to the album now on Rhapsody and it's under alt-country. So far Ariel Ramirez is the best song.

Does anyone else dig this? If you like these kinds of sparse, slower modern folksy acoustic kinda songs then recommend some similar type stuff for me to check out. I'm not talkin' about Peter Paul and Mary and Simon and Garfunkel here. They have their place but I'm looking for the kind of modern, gritty, brooding stuff but that doesn't mean emo.

Some examples:
Tom Waits - Hold On, House Where Nobody Lives, Alice
Leo Kottke - Flattened Brain...sorta
The Eels - Woman Driving, Man Sleeping
Rufus Wainwright's version of - Hallelujah (Cohen's version was too....old, 70's folksy)
Actually there is one recent Paul Simon song that I could include in here - It's "Quiet" off of his last album "You're the One." Not gritty but slow, very sparse (if I remember correctly the only music is a single drone) and beautiful.

I especially like the sparse one-instrument and vocals sound. It's not the kind of music I listen to all the time but sometimes I just really get in the mood to listen to this kinda stuff..especially when driving in my car at night.

brad cook

[DigMe]

So I'm still interested in getting some recommendations for more music similar to what I described above...anyone?!

It turned out that "Ariel Ramirez" (the "close on down" song from the VW commercial) was pretty much the only good song on that Richard Buckner album..at least that was my impression after listening to it once.

brad cook

[fulcrum]

Originally Posted by DigMe

If you like these kinds of sparse, slower modern folksy acoustic kinda songs then recommend some similar type stuff for me to check out. I'm not talkin' about Peter Paul and Mary and Simon and Garfunkel here. They have their place but I'm looking for the kind of modern, gritty, brooding stuff but that doesn't mean emo.

Can't help you much, but I can say that you could do worse than Hem. Who apparently have a new record out that I didn't even know about.

[Tim Barber]

You could try Jesse Sykes, Marina V, Milla Jovovich, some of Bruce Cockburn's acoustic stuff, Champion Birdwatchers, Grey Eye Glances or Lamb (the "Darkness and Wonder" album)...although some of those might be a stretch depending on your tastes. All those are on Rhapsody - I'm listening to Lamb right now.