Sounds of adolescence

[jadis31]

This christmas my niece is getting an MP3 player. I am in charge of filling it for her... or at least giving her some music. She's 12. Right about the age where music starts being important.

I know what music was world altering to me in the 7th grade. But that was a LOT of years ago. And that was just me. Not everyone had their world changed by the

Comments

[brooklinegirl]

Barenaked Ladies? Uh. BARRY MANILOW. (...no?) The Beatles (Abbey Road!)! I'm pretty sure I was listening to JACK WAGNER when I was 12. Gaslight Anthem is pretty awesome. I AM SURE LIZ CAN COME UP WITH BETTER THINGS.

[jadis31]

BNL sounds like a good idea. And I will check out gaslight anthem. Not so much with the Manilow, I'm thinking. Thanks :D

[kinetikatrue]

I got into Dr. Demento's compilations right about then. And already knew and loved some Violent Femmes and Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel and Joni Mitchell and John Prine and Pete Seeger and Woody/Arlo Guthrie and such. And a bit later I fell for They Might Be Giants and Weezer and Nirvana and Pearl Jam and Indigo Girls and Sarah McLachlan.

Uh, I second the rec for Barenaked Ladies, as I think I would have loved them then, even though I didn't get into them until late in high school/early in college. And add that Moxy Fruvous are similarly awesome. As are Ludo. Hmm. Maybe some soundtracks to musicals? And selected works of Bamdom/Bandom-adjacent bands. I think everybody should know Steel Train. And I can totally get more specific if you want...

[soupytwist]

Everyone should love Moxy Fruvous!

[kinetikatrue]

Right? SO AWESOME! If she's at all into the unabashedly parody-ish end of songwriting (see: Weird Al), I also recommend The Austin Lounge Lizards, one of whose CDs kept a van full of middle-schoolers/early teenagers seriously entertained for several weeks one summer of my youth. Like, that's all we ever wanted to listen to entertained.

[jadis31]

Oh, thank you SO, SO Much for this. And I've never heard Moxy Fruvous, so thanks for that twice :D My niece is gonna have an awesome music foundation!

[soupytwist]

Ooh.

I imprinted on the Smiths and Pulp at about that age... the Smiths are more age-appropriate, though. *g*

More modern stuff she might like: Janelle Monae is WONDERFUL and geeky and woman-positive. Thea Gilmore is quite asskicky folky stuff that I really like.

Does she have any specific tendencies already?

[kinetikatrue]

YES, definitely seconding the Janelle Monae! And maybe adding some Suzanne Vega and Joan Jett (each doing quite different things)? Also possibly some Nellie McKay - though she's a bit more complicatedly, uh, sarcastic?

[jadis31]

I am pretty sure her father (he's a bit of a puritan) would skin me alive for most of pulp. But the smiths is a great idea. And We could both use more geeky woman positive music in our lives. Thanks so much.

[alpheratz]

David Bowie! Also seconding Simon and Garfunkel and They Might Be Giants. I'm also completely in love with The Hush Sound's Goodbye Blues album. I would have loved it at the age of 12 too.

[mysid]

If you want something playing on the radio now, my 15 year old daughter recommends both Taylor Swift and Adele. My 11 year old daughter loves songs from Glee. (Personally, I love Kurt and Blaine's duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside". And what better way to teach her that boy/boy is cute!)

In addition, I'd recommend Pink, Lady Gaga, and Kelly Clarkson if you want to cherry pick the female-empowering songs.

[jadis31]

OH MY GOD, how had I not thought of Glee? Your 11 year old is brilliant. I had thought of Taylor Swift on my own, I am stupidly proud to say. Thanks for all the recs.