Music reccommendation for 14-year-old

[kathirynne]

I need some music suggestions for my 14-year-old son.

He likes the Cure, Paul Simon, Queen (selected songs) some 80's pop, REM and Yo-yo Ma. (I think we already have all of Yo-yo's stuff, though. )

He also likes Weird Al, but I've put the kibosh on that.

He doesn't like rap, U2, or most country music.

What's in your teen-ager's CD player? (That you agree on! )

TIA

[cfiddlinmama]

I don't have a teenager yet, but I was one not too long ago! I would highly recommend Bela Fleck. He plays the banjo but it's not what you think. He has a group called the Flecktones and they play some funky music! He has the most phenomenal bassist and percussionist. (no or minimal lyrics) Mark O'Connor is a violinist/fiddle player that is the best in the world. He plays a ton of variety of music. He did an album with Yoyo Ma called Appalachia Waltz which is awesome. He might like Chris Thile, David Grisman, Tony Rice, Ricky Scaggs, Stephane Grappelli (jazz) Jerry Douglas. They are all amazing musicians and play a huge variety of music. I personally wouldn't have a problem with my kids listening to the Greatful Dead (they do!) Right now I'm listening to Mike Auldridge, David Grisman & Bob Bronzman - Tone Poems III - it's very good. My favorites are Mark O'Connor and Bela Fleck though! Hope that helps!

[caffeine_kittie]

when i was still working in Tower Records, a lot of teens buy Hillary Duff, JoJo, Carrie Underwood and Kelly clarkson albums.
I think i will recommend the High School Musical Soundtrack

[osburnsa]

My 14yo dd likes the Killers, Nickelback, Green Day, The Fray and Snow Patrol. Then on the other side of the coin she likes Jesse McCartney, Hillary Duff, and Shakira. Don't know if that helps any. Being a girl, I think some of her musical tastes are different than your son's might be.

[Thalia the Muse]

If he likes the Cure and Paul simon, he's not going to want Hilary Duff!

I recommend Andrew Bird, Interpol, Cake, or Arcade Fire. It sounds like he likes smart challenging pop-rock. I'm not a teenager, but those are the newer bands that I've been listening to a lot!

If he likes the bombast of Queen, he might like Kula Shaker or the Red Hot Chili Peppers (the Peppers have some explicit lyrics, unsurprisingly, if that matters to you).

[sunnysideup]

Originally Posted by Thalia the Muse

If he likes the Cure and Paul simon, he's not going to want Hilary Duff!

I agree with that!

My oldest (14yo) is into indie rock. She likes some of the same things as your son, but it's hard to know how much thier tastes overlap. Some of her favorite bands are The Dresden Dolls, The Decemberists, The Postal Service, The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie.

My ds (12) likes The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Shins, Beck

[Susana]

My ds, also 14, really likes Wolfmother, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, Death Cab for Cutie. I like all of those myself.

All children should listen to the Beatles a lot.

And Weird Al rewls. He may be a little kooky, but I think he's a genius!

[kathirynne]

Not a fan...

Originally Posted by Susana

...Weird Al rewls. He may be a little kooky, but I think he's a genius!

I can't stand when someone takes an artist's work and makes fun of it. I just think it's disrespectful.

[sunnysideup]

Originally Posted by kathirynne

I can't stand when someone takes an artist's work and makes fun of it. I just think it's disrespectful.

It's parody, I don't think artists are insulted by that.

[soygurl]

Elliot Smith? Glen Phillips? Blur? White Stripes? Radiohead? Smashing Pumpkins? A lot of teens I know are into 80's and early 90's music.

[UnschoolnMa]

What's wrong with Wierd Al!? He is so funny.

Mine listen to a variety.

Frequently played at our house: Fall Out Boy (Dd's fave band), The White Stripes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Pussycat Dolls, The Fray, System of a Down, Hinder, Smashing Pumpkins, some Nirvana, Atmosphere, Rage Against The Machine, Sum 41, Korn, Panic at the Disco, God Smack, Daft Punk, Gorillaz, Audio Slave, Breaking Benjamin, Mindless Self Indulgence, NIN, Stone Sour, TOOL, occasionally AFI, Kelly Clarkson, Tim McGraw, Josh Gracin, Big & Rich, some Static X, Fleetwood Mac, Cassius, Johnny Cash, Seether, Evanessance, Disturbed, Dixie Chicks, The Wreckers, Anna Nalick, Lost Prophets occasionally, Shania Twain, SheDaisy, Little Big Town, Nickel Creek, Avenged Sevenfold....

There are more but I could go on forever lol. The more poppy stuff is Dd's deal, and the harder stuff tends to be more Ds - but they agree on a lot too. We do not censor or control music so some of those bands have lyrics that might not be right for every family.

[NiBeKa]

My 13yo DD loves music...AFI,Simple Plan, All American Rejects, 30 Seconds to Mars, Green Day, Panic! At the Disco, The Academy Is..., Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, Blue October and Nirvana.:

[Mama Poot]

When I was 14, I was still kinda into "boy bands" like the Backstreet Boys and NSync When I was 16 I was more into The Cure, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, NIN, Stabbing Westward, SOAD, things of that nature, but I also loved and still love country and classic stuff my mom listened to. Growing up around the house I heard Simon and Garfunkle, MJ's Thriller, Sade, Anita Baker, ZZ Top, Black Sabbath, Earth Wind and Fire,....could keep going on and on. I'm a classically trained violinist and pianist. There is a lot of wonderful music out there. If you think he might enjoy "classical" music, I would recommend starting out with Beethoven symphonies- and NOT just any recording! Get John Eliot Gardiner conducting his orchestra which is made up of ALL period instruments. Shostakovich, Wagner, Mahler- I'm recommending some pretty heavy stuff because I think it would really pique a young boy's interest. Your choices are endless.

[soygurl]

Originally Posted by Mama Poot

When I was 14, I was still kinda into "boy bands" like the Backstreet Boys and NSync

yeah me too! Scary huh!

[Hazel]

try some of the older albums of They Might Be Giants such as Flood or Appollo 18. Also from that era (80's) New Order and Big Audio Dynamite.

[Tracy Gooby]

hey, no one likes Christian bands anymore?

Hillsong United , Planet Shakers , Chris Tomlin are nice.

[UnschoolnMa]

Sometimes a will catch the occasional Christian song I like. The kids? Less so lol. We are not Christians.

[fanniefarkle]

My step-son, who is 13, loves the Beatles. That has been a real bond between him and his dad. He also likes the Bee Gees. Go figure. We've made him a number of mix cd's with some of our favorite songs: Steeley Dan, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Parliment Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone. He likes the old stuff as well as current bands, like Green Day.

[Storm Bride]

This has been an interesting read. DS1 doesn't really seem to be into any of the music that most of his peers like. He likes some of it (Green Day & White Stripes come to mind), but doesn't really get into it. His two favourite bands are my two favourite bands and he doesn't show any signs of losing iterest in them at all.

I think music is just too highly personal to be really predictable, even in the teens, where I think there's more self-identification involved in musical taste than is usually the case at an older age.

I'm afraid I'm totally clueless about "what the kids are listening to" (I was when I was one of "the kids", too!), but with respect to older stuff... (since you mentioned he likes some 80's pop) - what about Rush or The Police?

[Flor]

I LOVE the cure and Paul Simon, and what's in my cd player now is Neutral Milk Hotel, Wolf Parade, the Shins and Jawbreaker.