# Older Dopers: What new musical artists do you listen to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 4, 2021, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632 "2021-01-04T12:39:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2021, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/62 "2021-01-11T13:49:11Z")
Honestly, I don’t think I could match music with artists from the 80s on. I recognize the names of some artists, but once I got out of college, I just didn’t care to keep up with current music. I don’t even much like listening to the Oldies stations playing the music of my high school and college years, because it seems they play the same dozen songs over and over again. In my curmudgeonly years, I much prefer silence. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guy_incognito/32/3920_2.png) [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/63 "2021-01-12T18:09:02Z")
Love that song! I first heard it on a Levi’s commercial and had to look it up. Cool video, too! ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guy_incognito/32/3920_2.png) [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/64 "2021-01-12T18:18:51Z")
Just adding a few more artists to the short list that I gave up above. I notice that my musical preferences lean more towards female artists or female-led groups now that I think about it. PJ Harvey - I’ve known about her for a long time, but am getting into her music more now. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - So good… Chromatics - Love Ruth Radelet’s voice and I’ve got a soft spot for the 80’s retro sound. I’m sure I’ll think of more artists… ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/65 "2021-01-13T01:22:42Z")
My son’s been trying to get me into Drake but it’s not working for me. Rap has to be really smooth for me to enjoy it. Like Eminem or NF smooth. The Weeknd is the only new artist I’m compulsively listening to at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/66 "2021-01-13T20:17:19Z")
Fifty-something here. By virtue of my workplace’s sound system, I hear a lot of slightly out-of-date pop music. Like any other body of music, there’s some good stuff, and some crap. As I’m thoroughly tired of the classic rock songs I’ve been listening to for forty years – my life would not be diminished in the slightest if I never hear the Beatles or the Rolling Stones ever again – I’ll seek out songs or artists I’ve heard and like. So, I listen to Adele, bits of Brood and Joseph, Maggie Rogers, Beth Orton – I prefer female voices. Some, though, I’ve liked enough to look for more than the hits: Adele, Ingrid Michaelson, Delta Rae. I’m a very big fan of Billie Eilish. Lately, at the suggestion of my slightly older cousin, I’ve been listening to vocal chill and dubstep. So my most “Whoa. _You_ listen to _this_?” artist is a Vancouver-based dubstep singer called Veela. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-iYzuc_gM9U/maxresdefault.jpg "Maduk ft. Veela - Ghost Assassin VIP") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iYzuc_gM9U) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/67 "2021-01-17T07:28:11Z")
> [@Guy\_Incognito](#): > > PJ Harvey - I’ve known about her for a long time, but am getting into her music more now. > Yeah Yeah Yeahs - So good… Hehehe, I’ve been listening to Polly Jean since long before I was married. She and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs don’t quite fit in the 10 year time frame of the OP, but if you’re listening to either of them and you’re as old as I am, I think you’re at least listening. PJ Harvey has a quite extensive catalog, with several style changes. I still love the records where she plays guitar most of all. Rid Of Me is as good an example as any. Plus, damn good production. It still sounds pretty current to my 50+ years (hey, sounds a lot like Billie Eliish to me, but heavy) . I’m sure the kids probably disagree. Damn, I love her guitar playing. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8PlaNe3mXl8/maxresdefault.jpg "Rid Of Me") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PlaNe3mXl8) But, then again, that gives me an in to the band that I’ve probably feasted on the most in the last 5 years. They actually formed in the mid 90’s, and started releasing records in '99 but they didn’t enter my radar in a solid way until after 2010. They’ve released a couple of LPs in the 2010s, but the best thing is still this live clip recorded in 2014. The albums rule, but they don’t match this. I’ve never seen them live, it’s probably my main goal at this point. This clip sold me on them, and I’ve been a serial consumer since. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3NZGbD236fw/maxresdefault.jpg "Lightning Bolt - Dead Cowboy @ TAICOCLUB'14") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NZGbD236fw) It’s ten minutes of your life that you’ll never get back. But the closest description I can come up with of Lightning Bolt is: Imagine a thrash metal band, a noise rock band and a free jazz band were distilled into a bass player and a drummer. That’s Lightning Bolt. To my ear, there is no substitute. The easiest/most difficult contender (who totally qualifies) is King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard as mentioned earlier by @pulykamell . Between microtones, time signatures, fixations on odd Japanese mfrd. guitars, every record having some sort of concept underlying it, those guys are dense. But then again, they put out gorgeous, somewhat easily digestible stuff like The River. The concept on this record is every track is exactly one quarter of the record. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PUZn1I6llJs/maxresdefault.jpg "King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - The River") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUZn1I6llJs) But really, Hot Wax is the song I try to sing in the shower: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/s8azlP-FgHs/maxresdefault.jpg "King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - 'Hot Wax'") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8azlP-FgHs) But, you’ve got no guarantees with them. Planet B is heavy thrash. Rattlesnake is its own special repetitive monster. They digested both The Fall and Slayer. I’m halfway waiting for them to put out the most insane rockabilly record ever. Rattlesnake is just disturbing in how it validates repetition validating itself through dedicated repetition. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Q-i1XZc8ZwA/maxresdefault.jpg "King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Rattlesnake (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-i1XZc8ZwA) But I’ll spoiler Planet B for semi-comical but semi-realistic shotgun killings of the band members. It’s pretty great thrash, though: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtTi\_uyYynA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtTi_uyYynA) But the long and short of it is, you never know what King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard is bringing to the table, other than you can guess guitars will be involved. Put the needle down (or just queue up the track, as appropriate), and enjoy the ride. And screw it, just because this band labored outside of my consciousness for so long, and a band mate let me know they existed in 2015 or so. Enjoy yourself some Melt Banana. They make me happy, even though they formed in 1992 and have been releasing records for decades. They’re still this decade to me. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BcqC8LSoBws/maxresdefault.jpg "MELT-BANANA - The Hive - Official Music Video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcqC8LSoBws) ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guy_incognito/32/3920_2.png) [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/68 "2021-01-17T07:56:24Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Hehehe, I’ve been listening to Polly Jean since long before I was married. She and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs don’t quite fit in the 10 year time frame of the OP, but if you’re listening to either of them and you’re as old as I am, I think you’re at least listening. Geez, the OP even mentions the 10 year time limit in bold print at the bottom of the post. Smacking myself on the forehead about that… I’ll be checking out those videos that you linked to, though. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/69 "2021-01-17T19:27:03Z")
I just realized after this post that I had another favorite that is “just a guitar and drums” and just fits in the 10 year window (technically, they formed in 2008, but most of their output is in the last 10 years). This is a cover, but it’s the song that hooked me. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Cv64wcn25cc/maxresdefault.jpg "OUR HIT PARADE - Hank and Cupcakes - Like a G6") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv64wcn25cc) ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/70 "2021-01-18T02:33:10Z")
I recently discovered Rina Sawayama. She’s a British singer originally from Japan. I think she’s really good. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/71 "2021-01-18T14:25:10Z")
I’m going to cheat a little. A lot of bands/solo acts might have put out an album or two prior to 2010 that just weren’t very successful and most people hadn’t heard of them. So I might include a few on this list. Billie Eilish - I’m not a mega fan or anything but I like “Bad Guy” and hope she’s got a bright career ahead of her. Adele - Her first album came out on 2008 but I don’t recall hearing anything from her until 2011’s “Rolling in the Deep.” I was listening to mostly Dutch radio on the internet at the time (don’t ask) and didn’t realize she was on American airwaves. The Pretty Reckless - They’re a rock band out of New York whose first album came out in 2010. I’ve heard a few songs on the local rock station without knowing who they were but their recent “Death by Rock & Roll” put them on the map for me. Bruno Mars - I don’t own any albums or singles but I’m almost always happy to hear him on the radio. Nicki Minaj - Pro tip, if Nicki is on your mix list don’t let your wife pop on the I-Tunes when you’re in the car with your mother-in-law. I don’t own a lot of her songs but I think she’s best when she’s at her most ridiculous. Meghan Trainor - She had two singles in 2014 but I don’t know what she’s been up to lately. So while I can’t claim to be a huge fan, I like some of her songs. She did have one silly video where she attempted to dance around like a sex symbol from the 1990s and it was a terrible look for her. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/72 "2021-01-18T15:57:18Z")
> [@MrKnowItAll](#): > > Oh, and I can’t believe I almost forgot **Esperanza Spaulding**. Yes. I’m an older dude (61) who came into this thread specifically to post that I’m listening to Esperanza Spalding. She’s a monster. She’s got it all. She’s a bass virtuoso, a brilliant singer, and a great writer. And (and this matters, unfortunately, in the video age) she’s beautiful. And she’s able to hop back and forth between glossy pop and straight-ahead jazz without missing a beat. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/73 "2021-01-18T16:10:47Z")
Also, while we’re at it, I’ve been listening to Rhiannon Giddens a lot. ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/74 "2021-01-18T21:30:13Z")
I’m 58 and have recently purchased and am enjoying the following: -[The Beths](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRMoE02hp_s) -[Gemma Ray](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nAUk87v9No) -[The Tallest Man on Earth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so1PB5dxHgA) -[Michael Kiwanuka](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxPJ5qiN8LI) -[Bas Jan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1h3yebYQgg) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/75 "2021-01-25T16:27:35Z")
I’ve tried but I really can’t get into Billie Eilish. But in the arena of pouty girl singers, I rather like this song (as seen in _The New Pope_): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fvKa-Ll9Ers/maxresdefault.jpg "SOFI TUKKER - Good Time Girl feat. Charlie Barker (Official Video) [Ultra Music]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvKa-Ll9Ers) Stupid video but catchy song. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/76 "2021-01-25T17:52:21Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > Also, while we’re at it, I’ve been listening to Rhiannon Giddens a lot I just discovered this singer over the weekend. By searching YouTube for “Gaelic mouth music”. Which, of course, brought me to an operatically-trained African-American native of Greensboro, NC, who also plays banjo for a bluegrass/roots band. Exactly who you’d expect to be singing centuries-old Scottish Gaelic folk music, right? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fEqBw2N8L7A/maxresdefault.jpg "Rhiannon Giddens - Mouth Music (Live at Celtic Connections 2016)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEqBw2N8L7A) It says to me that, fundamentally, there is no such thing as “black” or “white” or “western” or “Asian” music - it’s all _human_ music. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/77 "2021-01-25T21:48:42Z")
almost 61…I have recently been jamming to Billy Strings. Very talented young guy. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/78 "2021-01-25T21:52:32Z")
Billy Strings is super talented as a guitarist, no argument. But doesn’t he have a “punch me in the smart-ass mouth” thing happening? Maybe it’s me. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/79 "2021-01-25T22:47:52Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > almost 61…I have recently been jamming to Billy Strings. Very talented young guy. Absolutely. And his buddy Molly Tuttle is no slouch, either. I think she’s his equal as a guitarist, which sometimes goes unnoticed because her style is far less flashy. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/80 "2021-01-26T00:42:43Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > But in the arena of pouty girl singers, I rather like this song (as seen in _The New Pope_ ): Sophie is one of the least pouty people on the planet. Check out one of their daily Twitch streams. She’s all smiles. Sofi Tukker is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632/81 "2021-01-27T05:58:09Z")
Post 2010 stuff I listen to on the regular: Meg Myers [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Xvh_0CuMMtM/hqdefault.jpg "Meg Myers - Heart Heart Head [Music Video]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvh_0CuMMtM) Skating Polly [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TNdiPi6Sy3o/maxresdefault.jpg "Skating Polly - Pretective Boy (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNdiPi6Sy3o) Kælan Mikla [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Ki05waE03Kc/maxresdefault.jpg "Kælan Mikla - Næturblóm") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki05waE03Kc) Sigrid [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/w5x93pXSmRM/maxresdefault.jpg "Sigrid - Don’t Feel Like Crying") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5x93pXSmRM) Aurora [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/06ht9MyJLT4/maxresdefault.jpg "AURORA - Running With The Wolves") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06ht9MyJLT4) The Big Moon [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1OijD72t4XY/maxresdefault.jpg "The Big Moon - Your Light (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OijD72t4XY) Melanie Martinez [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/q6IW2aul43A/maxresdefault.jpg "Melanie Martinez - Detention [Official Music Video]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6IW2aul43A) Lesbian Jesus (umm, I mean Hayley Kiyoko) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TV-_Yuc228s/maxresdefault.jpg "Hayley Kiyoko - Feelings [Official Music Video]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV-_Yuc228s) and my two cheats: Caroline Polachek (Her band Chairlift was around from 2007, but all her solo stuff is post-2010) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sn3cHUtNZKo/maxresdefault.jpg "Caroline Polachek - So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn3cHUtNZKo) and Kimbra (performing in NZ before then, but first proper single out in 2010) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4K1hoMlxQmg/maxresdefault.jpg "Kimbra - Miracle [Official Music Video]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K1hoMlxQmg) Also some aforementioned stuff I like: The Regrettes, Haim and Rhiannon Giddens. See if you can spot the pattern… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-dopers-what-new-musical-artists-do-you-listen-to/929632.md?page=5)