Just a curiosity - why do you think that the overwhelming trend in rock 'n' roll / pop style music with male lead vocals is for the male vocalist to sing in a tenor / high tenor / contratenor or higher range - viz. Steve Perry, Triumph, etc.? I just wonder because that isn't the trend so much in other popular music - blues, R'n'B, country, traditional folk, etc. It's simply puzzled me for years and I wonder if MeFi has any theories?
posted by BrooksCooper on Aug 31, 2009 - 12 answers

I like Amy Winehouse, psychobilly, the Pipettes, the Acid House Kings, the O Brother... soundtrack, and even that throw-back-to-the-Andrews-Sisters Christina Aguilera song. I have a craving for music produced in the now but inspired by the 1930s to early 1960s, with my favourite era being the 1940s. Can you recommend anymore good contemporary rock/pop bands along these lines, including psychobilly bands I may not have heard about yet? [more inside]
posted by flibbertigibbet on Aug 30, 2009 - 52 answers

What are some good pop/rock songs that feature an accordion? I'm not looking for any polka/cajun/zydeco-influenced sounds, but more traditional rock tunes - think "The Last Beat of My Heart" by Siouxsie and the Banshees or even "What it Takes" by Aerosmith - where it's just another backing instrument.
posted by adverb on Jun 20, 2009 - 29 answers

I'd like some rock en español recommendations, current stuff in particular. I used to listen to a lot of Spanish language pop and rock in the past, but I don't know what's out there these days. [more inside]
posted by needled on Nov 6, 2008 - 12 answers

Music video question: It's probably from the late '90s or early aughts, and it might be a Canadian band, rock-pop. I remember the lead singer might be named Dave, or have his band named after him in some way, but it's not Dave Matthews. It's just a video staged in a blue studio with text overlaid about current socio-economic and political crises in the world. Decoration is very sparse and involved things like ladders and amps; the blue tone to the video is overwhelming. Can you help me find this music video?
posted by flibbertigibbet on Oct 5, 2008 - 5 answers

What are some good 70's and 80's songs suitable for playing in a pharmacy? My father owns a family pharmacy and we have an iPod with nice 70's and 80's songs set to play for the customers. Can you tell me some that I can add to the playlist? Remember nice calm easy listening ones are best, and no dirty or bad songs about dying etc.. To get an idea of some of the songs I have here's a link to the playlist so far. Specific songs are great, but I will also take artists. Try not to give duplicates. If 10 people give 10 songs that's 100 new songs! Thanks!
posted by ptsampras14 on Aug 18, 2008 - 34 answers

Let's say you're putting together a mix of your favorite obscure 1990s pop/rock music. What are the top couple of tracks you'd be sure to include? [more inside]
posted by iamisaid on Jul 2, 2008 - 72 answers

How can I find the right bass player for my band in the Philadelphia area? [more inside]
posted by ludwig_van on Dec 30, 2007 - 20 answers

I'm in Buenos Aires for a week, what Argentine rock and pop (not Tango) CDs should I buy? [more inside]
posted by fdhidalgo on Aug 11, 2007 - 8 answers

I would like to make a mix of "post grunge" modern rock type music. Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet Sprocket etc. [more inside]
posted by ND¢ on Jul 26, 2007 - 71 answers

I recently admitted to myself and to the world that I really, really love ABBA's Dancing Queen! Are there any interesting indie / rock covers of it to be found online? [more inside]
posted by Lush on Jan 27, 2007 - 28 answers

Where can I get indie rock gigs outside of (but nearby to) Pittsburgh, PA? [more inside]
posted by ludwig_van on Jun 28, 2006 - 21 answers

songfilter: I am trying to compile a CD of pop/rock tunes that uses the bagpipes or its assorted cousins including keyboard fakery to achieve a celestial set of tones that only squeezing a bladder with a mouthpiece can provide. [more inside]
posted by jadepearl on Jun 25, 2006 - 33 answers

Where should I try to get (indie-pop) bookings in London? [more inside]
posted by ludwig_van on Jan 9, 2006 - 15 answers

Songfilter: This one is kind of a long shot, but can someone tell me the name of this rock song based on my sloppy transcription of its notes? [more inside]
posted by Slimemonster on Nov 4, 2005 - 10 answers

Tips for tightening up my live vocal performance? [more inside]
posted by ludwig_van on Oct 17, 2005 - 9 answers

I am a fan of radio music documentaries, like the BBC's 6 Music Plays it Again or The Edge's The Ongoing History of New Music. Is there any place online where I can listen to such things? Some sort of archive is preferred so I can listen at the odd hours I keep rather than tuning in at a certain time. [more inside]
posted by synecdoche on Feb 27, 2005 - 4 answers

I'd like to put together a collection of new (i.e., unfamiliar) music for a friend who gravitates toward the more wistful moments of Belle and Sebastian, James, et al - Brit indie pop that often falls under the dubious label "twee." Any recommendations?
posted by stonerose on Dec 21, 2004 - 37 answers

What's the difference between Pop and Rock? [More Inside.] [more inside]
posted by grumblebee on Aug 15, 2004 - 37 answers

I've been asked to present a special three-hour radio programme on pop/rock bands from Manhattan. Not NYC - a very limiting factor. I'm currently bowled over by The Walkmen and I want to book-end them with The Velvet Underground. Any suggestions for in between? All I can think of is John Lurie and his progeny, as we tend to think of New York bands, rather than "Manhattan". Thanks beforehand!
posted by MiguelCardoso on May 2, 2004 - 35 answers