Recommend me music by Asian-Americans
February 2, 2019 10:30 AM   Subscribe

I would like to expand my music library. There are only 2 qualifiers: 1. They're Asian 2. They're American

I know some people are going to be like "well this kpop band has a single member who used to live in the US and now they're in Korea"---NO!!! I am very specifically looking for Asian-Americans trying to make music in America.
posted by picklenickle to Media & Arts (51 answers total) 28 users marked this as a favorite
 
Mitski
Jay Som
Japanese Breakfast
posted by pxe2000 at 10:32 AM on February 2, 2019 [8 favorites]


OHYUNG
posted by catcafe at 10:35 AM on February 2, 2019


Kina Grannis. Born in California; her mom is of Japanese descent. She was great as the wedding ceremony singer in Crazy Rich Asians, and I love her cover of Yellow.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:37 AM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]


Do you have anything in there currently or do you have to start from basics like classical musician Yo Yo Ma, Ravi Shankar's daughter Nora Jones, or rapper/actress Awkwafina?
posted by jessamyn at 10:38 AM on February 2, 2019 [3 favorites]


My sister-in-law is Poor Eliza. Korean-American born and raised in Knoxville, now living in Boston.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 10:38 AM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]


Rocky Rivera! I know her album Gangster of Love best but the rest is good too.
posted by terretu at 10:38 AM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]


Milck
posted by Temeraria at 10:47 AM on February 2, 2019


MNDSGN
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:48 AM on February 2, 2019


Seconding Mitski, here’s the music video for Your Best American Girl, which was my first exposure to her.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 10:50 AM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]


Pop Etc
Priscilla Ahn
posted by sunset in snow country at 10:52 AM on February 2, 2019 [2 favorites]


Cibo Matto
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:52 AM on February 2, 2019 [6 favorites]


On the more well-known side, looking through my music collection, Asian-American musicians I spot at a quick glance include: Vienna Teng. Nicole Scherzinger. Bruno Mars. Michelle Branch. Darren Kriss had a post-Glee musical career. Yaeji. Emi Meyer. Far East Movement. The Shanghai Restoration Project. Mike Shinoda of Lincoln Park. apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas.

Also, above-mentioned sister-in-law ran a series of variety shows in Boston this fall focusing on Asian-American performers; that's the list of all the participating artists and some of them are musicians and songwriters.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 11:01 AM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]


Vienna Teng. Smart songwriting and amazing vocals/piano.
posted by Alterscape at 11:05 AM on February 2, 2019 [4 favorites]


I forgot Kishi Bashi! Okay, really putting down the laptop. At least until the next song by an Asian-American artist comes on shuffle and I'm like I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT ABOUT THEM TOO.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 11:06 AM on February 2, 2019 [2 favorites]


Karen O (born in South Korea; grew up and currently lives in the US; mom is Korean). She does solo work and is the lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:11 AM on February 2, 2019 [6 favorites]


Jake Shimabukuro
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 11:13 AM on February 2, 2019 [4 favorites]


*runs back in* Alex Wong! (Not the dancer from SYTYCD.)
posted by Pandora Kouti at 11:32 AM on February 2, 2019


Steady Holiday
posted by pipeski at 11:40 AM on February 2, 2019


The Slants.
posted by hydra77 at 12:11 PM on February 2, 2019


Bohan Phoenix
Andrew Huang
posted by batter_my_heart at 12:12 PM on February 2, 2019


Hayley Kiyoko
posted by thetarium at 12:16 PM on February 2, 2019


Dirty Beaches is Taiwanese-Canadian.
Yaeji
posted by suedehead at 12:17 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]


Heems
posted by thack3r at 12:18 PM on February 2, 2019


Nancy Whang! She performs with LCD Soundsystem and The Juan MacLean.

Andrew Huang, while great, is Canadian.
posted by capricorn at 12:27 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]




Ruby Ibarra.
posted by Lexica at 12:42 PM on February 2, 2019


Dengue Fever, Blonde Redhead, Deerhoof, and Xiu Xiu.
posted by kickingtheground at 1:20 PM on February 2, 2019


Takenobu.
posted by clavicle at 1:39 PM on February 2, 2019


Yoko OK is a great songwriter/singer/guitarist from NYC (now in SFO). I really love her band Dream Bitches in particular.
posted by equalpants at 1:58 PM on February 2, 2019


Tiffany Young (wiki) just recently released a few pop songs:
Over My Skin
Born Again
Teach You

Edited to add: She also sang Remember Me from the Disney movie CoCo (how could I forget that!)
posted by forforf at 1:59 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]




A. J. Lee
posted by blob at 2:45 PM on February 2, 2019


(I should point out that A.J. Lee plays mandolin and sings, and is not associated with the A.J. Lee who is a retired professional wrestler.) A youtube search may give you strange results.
posted by blob at 3:01 PM on February 2, 2019


Joji and many of the artists on 88 Rising
posted by airmail at 3:01 PM on February 2, 2019


Awkwafina, dumfoundead and year of the ox!

There's also an awkwafina-curated playlist on spotify which features a lot of Asian American artists but not exclusively.
posted by eastboundanddown at 3:14 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]


I immediately think of people like Ikue Mori, Aki Onda, C Spencer Yeh who are all movers in the avant-garde, experimental music scene. Might be some more challenging listening though - not a lot of lyrics going on.
posted by rdnnyc at 4:31 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]


Sen Morimoto
posted by Fig at 5:38 PM on February 2, 2019


Sameer Gadhia of Young the Giant
posted by armeowda at 7:15 PM on February 2, 2019


Jane Lui.
posted by invokeuse at 7:52 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]


River Run North
posted by BrashTech at 8:46 AM on February 3, 2019


Lyrics Born is a Japanese-American rapper.
Jhené Aiko is part Japanese, but I don't know how much she identifies with it.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:33 AM on February 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


Doris Muramatsu of Girlyman and Django Jones
posted by hydropsyche at 10:22 AM on February 3, 2019


Kid Koala, if Canadians count as (North) American.
posted by Gortuk at 12:12 PM on February 3, 2019


Joe Kye
posted by Expecto Cilantro at 3:29 PM on February 3, 2019


Really, no one recommended Tokimonsta yet? Okay.

Haley Heynderickx and her NPR Tiny Desk Concert is also very lovely.
posted by yueliang at 5:09 PM on February 3, 2019


I don't think Exit Clov are still performing but they made a few great albums. The singers, Emily and Susan Hsu, are identical twin sisters.
posted by potrzebie at 6:55 PM on February 3, 2019


K Rizz (Filipina-American rapper). My introduction to her was If It Ain't Foreign, It's Borin'.
posted by creepygirl at 7:44 PM on February 3, 2019


Goh Nakamura
posted by *s at 10:44 AM on February 4, 2019


Skankin' Pickle was a 90s ska band fronted by Korean-American Mike Park.
posted by CopRock at 2:12 PM on February 4, 2019 [1 favorite]


Also: ZHU
posted by airmail at 3:29 PM on February 4, 2019


Vijay Iyer, Eyvind Kang, Ikue Mori, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Susie Ibarra, Satoko Fujii
posted by euphotic at 5:11 AM on February 8, 2019


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