I hope there hasn’t been a thread like this recently… I searched, but couldn’t find a general one newer than 2006, and the ones newer than that were all genre-specific. I’d like to make this a place for general music recommendations, a place where anyone could come and say, “I like X artist or song. Recommendations?” no matter the genre.
So I like Harry Chapin, and would like to download some similar music. I’m not all that familiar with his stuff in general, but I *LOVE *the *Greatest Stories Live *album, and I’d like to find more stuff like that. My favorite songs on there are “Taxi,” “Mr. Tanner,” and “A Better Place To Be,” mostly, I think, because of the fact that they all tell a story and I kinda dig the folksy melodies and instrumentals. I know the “Taxi” story was continued some time in the characters’ future, but I’ve never heard it.
So, folksy narratives… are there other Harry Chapin albums I should check out? What about other artists? I know my mom, who introduced me to Chapin’s music, also liked America, but the only song I know of theirs is “Horse With No Name.” That song tells a story; do other America songs?
You must listen to Weird Al Yankovic’s song “The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota.”
America (the band) and their first album (also called America) has a lot of great songs. Horse is just one of them… Clarice, Sandman, Three Roses, I need You. I recommend you get the entire album. Their next two albums - Homecoming and Hat Trick are equally as good.
I’m thinking the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band might kind of fit your folksy (country/rock) narrative genre…
OK, here’s a new one… I fell in love with Lily Allen this weekend when I stole It’s Not Me, It’s You from a friend. I think it was mostly 1) her filthy mouth combined with 2) her rather sweet voice. But 3) the British accent may have been part of it, too, so who else combines at least the first two qualities, if not all three?
Others, feel free to ask for recommendations… I don’t want to be the only one begging for help here!
Have you listened to much Neil Young? Try Harvest or After the Gold Rush? How about James Taylor?
Of the newer artists, try Iron & Wine (the name Sam Beam performs under), or Calexico, or Niko Case (try Blacklisted with Calexico as her backing band). I am also a huge fan of Sun Kil Moon - try their CD Ghosts of the Great Highway…
Awesome… thank you for the suggestions so far.
Gordon Lightfoot - “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “Canadian Railroad Trilogy”
What you are looking for, based on your description, is John Prine.
I highly recommend the album I linked to - it’s a two-disc retrospective - but any of his single discs will do nicely.
You will love Great Days.
mmm
John Hiatt
I’m a big Richard Thompson fan. A lot of his stuff with his ex-wife Linda and just after he split with her might strike your fancy: Beeswing, 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, A Heart Needs A Home, etc. He seems to rock harder as he gets older. King of Bohemia, Happy Days and Auld Lang Syne, and A Brother Slips Away are some of his folksier newer stuff.
You’ll like Kirsty MacColl
John Prine +1, but also Steve Goodman. His voice takes some getting used to, and there’s plenty of humor with the melancholy (like Prine) but SG is a hidden treasure.
If you like Harry Chapin’s story songs, check out:
John Wesley Harding.
Recommended songs:
The Red Rose and the Briar
Ordinary Weekend
Sussex Ghost Story.
Momus
Murderers, the Hope of Women
Flame Into Being
Three Wars
David Wilcox
Johnny’s Camaro
Eye of the Hurricane
Jamie’s Secret
Hothouse Flowers
Ballad of Katie
You might enjoy a lot of Al Stewart stuff (but he’s never really appealed to me, Year of the Cat would be a good place to start).
As for Lily Allen:
Nelly McKay
Cupcake
David
Drew Pilgram
Keen Impressionable Fool
Jill Sobule
Money Shot
Soldiers of Christ
Sweet Little Summer
If you just like that soft timbre of Lily Allen, I’d also throw out: The Sundays, Alison Krauss, Martha’s Trouble, and maybe some of Cerys Matthews/Catatonia stuff too.
I was introduced to Nellie McKay recently and I really like her stuff, even though I’m not usually a fan of female singers.
I was also introduced to Lilly Allen (my friend and I exchanged a bunch of music - go USB sticks!) and also found myself getting in to her. I think the British accent does help a lot.
Last.fm (links to Harry Chapin page) is a good place to find recommendations and hear clips. Sure you can find clips on YouTube and stuff but Last.fm shows you songs ranked by popularity so you can see where to “start”.
Thinking of Lily Allen/Nelly McKay, may I suggest Jesca Hoop. Ms. Hoop got her big break by being Tom Waits’ nanny.
As regards Lily Allen, my kid’s listening to a lot of her, goin’ through a phase I call “Skanky Brit Girls”.
Try Eliza Doolittle and Kate Nash.
Or for less pop, less skanky, Joan Armatrading or Julia Fordham.
I posted my John Prine recommendation without a video link.
Here he is singing Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow); the clip starts off with a ride through Prine’s childhood town while he explains the origin of the song.
Bruised Orange
mmm
I don’t think The Falling Joys are known outside Australia, in fact they aren’t very well known in Australia either.
They only had one song that became anywhere near a hit way back in 1991 but I love everything on the album it came from.
Wow, the last thing I ever expected to see in a thread like this was a reference to the Falling Joys! They’re not even that well known in Australia. But I love all 3 of their albums. One of my favourite bands.
Did you know they recently reformed and did a 20-year reunion gig in Canberra? It was great! And they’re doing a Sydney show in June. I’ll be down the front singing along with “Jennifer” and “You’re In A Mess” and all the rest.