Recommendations, please!

A topic to let you say: "recommendations, please!".

Lately, I've found that the best music to listen to while I'm trying to work is something upbeat with non-English lyrics. I've particularly been enjoying Bollywood tunes, but I unfortunately have a limited knowledge. So any recommendations for fast-tempo Bollywood music would be great. Three examples I like, which are, of course, also pretty well known in the west, would be Chunari Chunari (from Monsoon Wedding, though I think originally from another film), Chaiyya Chaiyya (from Dil Se and the Inside Man intro) and Jai Ho (Slumdog Millionaire).

More than anything else I've heard in the last two years, Gorilla Manor by Local Natives is the one album that I heartily recommend. I love it so much that it almost hurts. The awesomeness that is Michael C. Hall is a huge fan of it, too, so I'm in good company!

This is old, but you might like Songs of Sanctuary by Adiemus. It's just made-up chorals with vaguely tribal/world music. Newer is Azam Ali--I like Elysium for the Brave & Portals of Grace. Not all the music is super upbeat, but I'm not dissolved into goo like I am by, say, most Lisa Gerrard. Azam Ali sings in Latin, Spanish, Arabic, and some made up languages. Tribal Derivations by Beats Antique is sort of nouveau belly dance--quite tribal but with some vague electronica influences. No lyrics that I can recall, though.

Thanks for the recs! Beats Antique in particular is quite pleasing. :)

Anyone know of artists similar to either Lana Del Ray or Florence + the Machine?

whatthedeuce wrote:Anyone know of artists similar to either Lana Del Ray or Florence + the Machine?

I'm thinking Kate Bush, Goldfrapp, Cocteau Twins, The Sundays, Massive Attack, Portishead?

Whoa, thank you so much for all those recs, Jaraga!

Imogen Heap (or Frou Frou) too, I'd say.

I like what I've heard from Imogen Heap and Frou Frou in the past, so maybe I oughta try more of her/their stuff. Imogen Heap has such an otherworldly quality about her that I find so intriguing.

My mom is taking French this semester and I'm looking for bands that sing in French. She already discovered one band called Noir Desir. She likes pretty much anything but rap and hip hop.

How about Carla Bruni? I don't any French so I have no idea about the quality of the lyrics but her voice is pretty.

Does she like musicals? If so, there are three cast recordings of Les Miserables in French: Original Concept Album, Paris Cast, and Quebec Cast. There's also a French recording of Cats.

Thanks guys! I'll pass these on to her!

I want to do a special rap and hip hop episode of my radio show, but I know very little about what's good or what's considered classics.  Help?

I suppose you could start with "Rapper's Delight" by Sugar Hill Gang, which is a classic everyone probably recognizes. I'd throw in some Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, and LL Cool J ("Around the Way Girl" is one of my fave songs ever) for the '80s cuz those were widely known hip-hop artists. For the '90s, I say bring on looooots of Biggie, Tribe Called Quest, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac. I'd throw Busta Rhymes in, too. Towards the end of the '90s, Jay Z and Eminem began blowing up in a major way so definitely highlight them, too. There are so many incredible rap groups and artists, but those are what I recall off the top of my head cuz they were the huge stars when I was growing up.

Raksha, Christophe Mae is great. We have a few of his albums and he's sort of like a French Jack Johnson or similar, and his music is super catchy. We also like a young singer called Pauline, who has a lovely, sweet voice.

ETA: Sorry, this was in reply to your request for French music, not the post about rap. My quotes didn't work!

Raksha wrote:I want to do a special rap and hip hop episode of my radio show, but I know very little about what's good or what's considered classics.  Help?

Don't forget the female rappers of the time. I'd also highlight Salt-n-Pepa (they were pretty steady in the 80s and 90s -- Push It and Let's Talk about Sex is classic as well as the 90s Shoop and Whatta Man); Missy Elliott was also hot in the beginning of the 00's -- Get Your Freak on is still a hot jam as well as Gossip Folks (I miss the hell out of her); Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown were also hot in the late 90's but I'm not a huge fan of theirs, so I can't speak to them. 

I also love MIA (she's more recent, but damn is she good) and Nicki Minaj. 

I just wanted to highlight them because Salt-n-Pepa were formative in my rap experience. I love the hell out of that group.

Wow. I am so ahamed that I totally forgot about female MCs. I lived for Salt-n-Pepa's stuff when I was a kid. "Shoop," "Whatta Man," and "Push It" were my jams growing up, and Missy is a brilliant musician and producer. Nicki is half insane, but man, I think her rhymes and split personalities make her work memorable. There some vulnerable tracks on her debut that took me by surprise.

Yeah MC Lyte, Queen Latifah's Ladies First, Roxanne Shante/UTFO's "Real Roxanne", Neneh Cherry's "Buffalo Stance".

I recommend "UNITY" by Queen Latifah. That song is awesome and empowering. I love it!

These are great suggestions, everyone!  Thanks!


And I'll definitely pass those suggestions on to my mom, Eventide82.  Thanks!

Have fun with the show, Raksha!