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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


Cibo Matto
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:52 AM on February 2, 2019


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


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


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


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


Jake Shimabukuro
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 11:13 AM on February 2, 2019


*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


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




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


Dumbfoundead is a Korean-American rapper from LA who isn’t afraid to talk about the realities of growing up Asian-American, but he also does super fun bilingual stuff too, as well as collabs with Asian rappers from the other side of the Pacific.
posted by Snacks at 2:41 PM on February 2, 2019


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


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


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


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


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


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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