Posted in: Musicouching by Mark Gordon Brown on December 13, 2008 | 5 Comments
Music is very important to most people. The sad part is that most people have very limited exposure to different music styles. In fact people at times put limitations on the genres of music that they personally listen to.
I will often hear people say “I like country”. “I’m a rocker.”, or the ever so odd statement of “I only listen to Top 40”. There are many good songs out there in various genres of music. I have compiled a list of songs to aid you on a journey of exploration into other styles of music than that of the type you may now listen to. The songs are in no particular order of importance.
For most of my life I have not big a huge fan of country music and would not want to be with a Redneck Girl like the writer of this song, but I do hope he found his Redneck Girl. This is kind of a fun song to listen too if you are not familiar with country type music.
Slapp Happy is an Art Music group and the sound a bit like psychotic cabaret. This selection is from their release Casablanca Moon which is a bit more palatable than their first release Desperate Straights. The later being one of my all time favorite records
This is the type of music that my parents listened to. As a teenager I lost touch with this type of music, however as I grew older I came to appreciate the beautiful intricacy of the arrangements of songs like this.
The lyrics of this song from the Nigerian Afro Pop phenomenon speaks about West African attitudes about women, while the music is a purely African take on Big Band Jazz.
Mr. Fesov is a Tajikistani pop singer. Pop music in Tajikistan is quite different from Western Pop music and unless your from Tajikistani it’s doubtful you will understand the songs. However these songs are gorgeous and enjoyable, even if you don’t understand the lyrics.
If this song does not make you want to get up and dance you may need to seek medical attention. Like a delicious gumbo Zydeco music has a lot of musical elements thrown in the
mix.
One of the most beautiful songs that came from the most beautifully subversive television show of the love generation.
Mr Calloway was a very visual performer and as such you may go beyond purely the audio and seek out film footage of his performance of Minni The Moocher.
The Man in Black and an Australian with a quintessentially “Gothic” voice teamed up for a duet of a folk love song, how can you go wrong?
This song has the most interesting and suggestive plays on words that, if it were released today, would get a Parental Advisory Sticker, or confuse whomever it is that decides which songs get those kind of tags.
Mr Mathis has one of the silkiest voices in the history of music and this song an engaging arrangement.
Yes Mr Spock can sing, and this particular song was written by a technician from the original Star Trek series. I have included this because at times the arrangements on so-called “Golden Throat” releases are incredible. This could be for reasons of making television or film stars who venture into a musical career sound better than they in reality do. Mr Nimoy is an exception to other “Golden Throats” as his voice is actually very good. However, I do suggest checking out other “Golden Throat” artists for the musical arrangements alone as you will hear some very unique ones.
This music will draw you in with it’s slow seductive sound. Strangely, Red House Painters songs sound like something is missing while also sounding completely perfect. You may remember others release by them “Have You Forgotten” from the soundtrack of Vanilla Sky and their cover of The Cars “All Mixed Up” that was used in an Old Navy commercial.
A very intriguing trip-hop piece with intricate juxtapositions of sound and oddly spiritual lyrics.
Klezmer is fun music and this song gives the listener a small lesson in Yiddish which is the language of most klezmer lyrics.
The lyrics of this song are taken from the poetry of Badr Chaker As-Sayyab (1927-1964). The music is a blend of traditional Sufi instruments and electronic with Abed sincere deep voice chanting this poem with a devotional passion.
I am going to end this list now to make it the length of a CD. I am aware that the current trend is for MP3 play lists, however if wish to make a mixed CD based on this list, to help someone else expand their musical taste, then giving a mixed CD of various artists, or CDs of one of these artists is much better than giving a play list, as a CD is a fixed medium that can not be changed.
Feel free to add songs by artists you feel have been overlooked or would expand people’s musical tastes in the comments section below. Please stick with forgotten classics and rare or unusual pieces of music that are interesting rather spamming about current Top 40 acts. That type of music gets far too much press and those types of comments will be deleted simply because they do not fit the topic of “Expanding” musical tastes.
bjr December 13th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I like it.
eddiego65 December 14th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Wonderful music! Thanks!
alex December 14th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I like your list very much, but why no classical, romantic, baroque, etc.?
Mark Gordon Brown December 15th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I was making the list 16 songs long, so it was enough for a CD, alex (or anyone) if you want to add more song ideas here, please do, I had to limit it. But you dont!
Patrick Bernauw December 21st, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Interesting list!… There is so much wonderful music around!