Anti-folk is a genre of folk music that emerged in the 1980s in New York City. It was founded by singer-songwriter Lach, as a response to the prevailing folk music scene. It is characterized by its amateur sound, DIY ethos, and often humorous, rebellious, or satirical lyrics. Antifolk music was made to diverge from, and sometimes mock, the perceived seriousness of the era's mainstream music scene, while often still being protest music aimed at social change. The latter element especially overlaps with folk punk.