Help me make my musical tastes more pedestrian!
October 31, 2014 6:29 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for a certain flavor of music—I guess the kids call it indie pop?—with the (often female) vocalist front and center, largely electronic production, relatively sophisticated and grown-up lyrics, and a tendency to borrow freely from dance music (while steadfastly resisting the temptation to go full-on OONSTA OONSTA).
I've loved electronic music my whole life. So this AskMe isn't "I am only familiar with pop music; please help me find some of that neat electronic stuff I've been hearing". It's more like: I've been listening to electronic music and ignoring pop music for ages, but lately I've been hearing some poppier stuff that I rather dig—and I want to find more.
The stuff that catches my ear meets most or all of these criteria:
—features a single vocalist (usually female), who is usually credited or presented as "the" artist (i.e., they aren't considered the frontwoman for a band – although many of them obviously do have backing bands in the studio or on stage)
—wholeheartedly embraces electronic instruments and production methods (non-electronic instruments are fine too, but no rawkin' geetars please)
—has a vocal style that is emotional and expressive, but not showy or melismatic
—wouldn't be out of place on a certain kind of dancefloor, but is not party music or "dance music"—this stuff tends to be a little more musically, lyrically, and emotionally sophisticated than any given club jam
—tends to be British (although this is by no means a requirement; it's just a tendency I've noticed)
—is not trip-hop (the stuff I have in mind seems to have come into its own well after the trip-hop era)
—is not caught up in some glamorous / sexpot / party image (borrring)
—if you're going to suggest Lily Allen or similar, please reduce your poppiness levels and try again
A few examples:
Owl Eyes – "Crystalised"
Ellie Goulding – "Lights"
Frou Frou – "Let Go" (maybe a little more Tori Amos than what I'm really after, but otherwise in a similar vein)
La Roux also has a bit of what I'm looking for, but is maybe a little too poppy or synthy.
A few other tracks which might be instructive, but are sorta outliers: MS MR – "Bones" (more darkwave); Maya Jane Coles – "Easier to Hide" (more house); Bernhoft – "Shout" (more neo-soul and is a dude).
Again, suggestions don't have to be female, and don't have to be British.
Thanks!
I've loved electronic music my whole life. So this AskMe isn't "I am only familiar with pop music; please help me find some of that neat electronic stuff I've been hearing". It's more like: I've been listening to electronic music and ignoring pop music for ages, but lately I've been hearing some poppier stuff that I rather dig—and I want to find more.
The stuff that catches my ear meets most or all of these criteria:
—features a single vocalist (usually female), who is usually credited or presented as "the" artist (i.e., they aren't considered the frontwoman for a band – although many of them obviously do have backing bands in the studio or on stage)
—wholeheartedly embraces electronic instruments and production methods (non-electronic instruments are fine too, but no rawkin' geetars please)
—has a vocal style that is emotional and expressive, but not showy or melismatic
—wouldn't be out of place on a certain kind of dancefloor, but is not party music or "dance music"—this stuff tends to be a little more musically, lyrically, and emotionally sophisticated than any given club jam
—tends to be British (although this is by no means a requirement; it's just a tendency I've noticed)
—is not trip-hop (the stuff I have in mind seems to have come into its own well after the trip-hop era)
—is not caught up in some glamorous / sexpot / party image (borrring)
—if you're going to suggest Lily Allen or similar, please reduce your poppiness levels and try again
A few examples:
Owl Eyes – "Crystalised"
Ellie Goulding – "Lights"
Frou Frou – "Let Go" (maybe a little more Tori Amos than what I'm really after, but otherwise in a similar vein)
La Roux also has a bit of what I'm looking for, but is maybe a little too poppy or synthy.
A few other tracks which might be instructive, but are sorta outliers: MS MR – "Bones" (more darkwave); Maya Jane Coles – "Easier to Hide" (more house); Bernhoft – "Shout" (more neo-soul and is a dude).
Again, suggestions don't have to be female, and don't have to be British.
Thanks!
Lykke Li sounds like it would work.
posted by JannaK at 6:49 PM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by JannaK at 6:49 PM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
Perhaps you are looking for something like The Blow?
posted by ltisz at 6:52 PM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by ltisz at 6:52 PM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
Omg Saint Etienne. A million times Saint Etienne.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:52 PM on October 31, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:52 PM on October 31, 2014 [5 favorites]
Can't listen to your examples right now, but a couple of (possibly more chill) groups that come to mind are the XX and Metric. If you listen to Metric, check the acoustic versions of Help I'm Alive and Gimme Sympathy from the album Fantasies.
posted by jhs at 6:56 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jhs at 6:56 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
You might enjoy this thread asking for songs like Computer Magic's "Running." Certainly I did.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 6:59 PM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Monsieur Caution at 6:59 PM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
As ADM Haddock suggests, St. Etienne, definitely. A little more recently, Lali Puna.
posted by exogenous at 7:03 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by exogenous at 7:03 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Robyn
posted by matildaben at 7:05 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by matildaben at 7:05 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Is Goldfrapp too obvious?
posted by Mothlight at 7:08 PM on October 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Mothlight at 7:08 PM on October 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
Older: chairlift, tilly and the wall, the Rosebuds
Newer: Noosa, College, the Preatures
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:10 PM on October 31, 2014
Newer: Noosa, College, the Preatures
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:10 PM on October 31, 2014
Leeni?
posted by Gneisskate at 7:18 PM on October 31, 2014
posted by Gneisskate at 7:18 PM on October 31, 2014
Fever Ray!, also, her other project The Knife. They're a band, but the overall effect is quite singer-songwritery for me.
Maybe Roisin Murphy, too?
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:24 PM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
Maybe Roisin Murphy, too?
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:24 PM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
Oh, and juuuuust in case there is the slightest chance she somehow never got on your radar, your descriptions fit pretty much all of Bjork's output.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:25 PM on October 31, 2014
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:25 PM on October 31, 2014
+1 on Bjork.
Less pop: Purity Ring. My favorite song is Ungirthed.
More pop: Ryn Weaver. The single that recently exploded: Octahate. A slower song by her: Stay Low.
posted by wrabbit at 7:29 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Less pop: Purity Ring. My favorite song is Ungirthed.
More pop: Ryn Weaver. The single that recently exploded: Octahate. A slower song by her: Stay Low.
posted by wrabbit at 7:29 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Marina and the Diamonds? I'm pretty sure she's below Lily Allen on the poppiness scale, but I'm just an old lady who sometimes grooves to her kids' music, so I could be off.
posted by drlith at 7:31 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by drlith at 7:31 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Tennis is a group I've been hearing a lot lately which is in this vein. (this video is a bit more in the "rock" idiom, though, with actual drums and piano.)
A bit older, but what about Dirty Projectors?
Even older, but you can't really talk about female-led indie electro-pop without mentioning Le Tigre.
posted by Sara C. at 7:31 PM on October 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
A bit older, but what about Dirty Projectors?
Even older, but you can't really talk about female-led indie electro-pop without mentioning Le Tigre.
posted by Sara C. at 7:31 PM on October 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
If you dig Frou Frou, hopefully you know of Imogen Heap's solo work. She has a new album out this year that I really need to check out.
Emiliana Torrini fits the bill nicely.
Also, Grimes meets some but maybe not all of your criteria.
posted by iamisaid at 7:52 PM on October 31, 2014 [4 favorites]
Emiliana Torrini fits the bill nicely.
Also, Grimes meets some but maybe not all of your criteria.
posted by iamisaid at 7:52 PM on October 31, 2014 [4 favorites]
It's not really a continuing genre but a search term might be "chillwave".
posted by vogon_poet at 7:56 PM on October 31, 2014
posted by vogon_poet at 7:56 PM on October 31, 2014
A couple ideas:
Broods
Zola Jesus
On the pop-ier side:
Tove Lo
Sky Ferreira
On the more indie side:
XX
Cut Copy
posted by litera scripta manet at 8:00 PM on October 31, 2014 [4 favorites]
Broods
Zola Jesus
On the pop-ier side:
Tove Lo
Sky Ferreira
On the more indie side:
XX
Cut Copy
posted by litera scripta manet at 8:00 PM on October 31, 2014 [4 favorites]
Uh Huh Her
Chairlift
Sophie Ellis Bextor (might be too poppy, dancey, and glamorous for you ... but she's definitely a British solo artist!)
posted by John Cohen at 8:13 PM on October 31, 2014
Chairlift
Sophie Ellis Bextor (might be too poppy, dancey, and glamorous for you ... but she's definitely a British solo artist!)
posted by John Cohen at 8:13 PM on October 31, 2014
this might be too far outside, but I really enjoy Aoki Takamasa + Tujiko Noriko:
Fly Variation
posted by jonbro at 9:11 PM on October 31, 2014
Fly Variation
posted by jonbro at 9:11 PM on October 31, 2014
Maybe this is too mellow, but Jessy Lanza and Kelela might be good choices?
posted by mckenney at 9:36 PM on October 31, 2014
posted by mckenney at 9:36 PM on October 31, 2014
Crystal Castles and Sleigh Bells.
posted by ChuraChura at 6:40 AM on November 1, 2014
posted by ChuraChura at 6:40 AM on November 1, 2014
There are some rockin' geetars on there, but Haim's studio album is built around deceptively masterful digital/electronic production.
posted by STFUDonnie at 7:57 AM on November 1, 2014
posted by STFUDonnie at 7:57 AM on November 1, 2014
I think you might need some Santigold in your life. It's a few years old now but Santogold is a great album.
posted by billiebee at 8:51 AM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by billiebee at 8:51 AM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
If you like Frou Frou, you know Imogen Heap does her own stuff, right? Do you already know Hide and Seek?
What about Feist? For instance, Sea Lion, maybe?
posted by spelunkingplato at 8:53 PM on November 1, 2014
What about Feist? For instance, Sea Lion, maybe?
posted by spelunkingplato at 8:53 PM on November 1, 2014
I haven't seen iamamiwhoami yet.
Also, Notwist. This is one of their older albums, but maybe they fell under your radar.
James Blake.
Baths
Also: FKA Twigs, Beacon, Bibio, Glasser
posted by ohisee at 10:38 PM on November 1, 2014
Also, Notwist. This is one of their older albums, but maybe they fell under your radar.
James Blake.
Baths
Also: FKA Twigs, Beacon, Bibio, Glasser
posted by ohisee at 10:38 PM on November 1, 2014
A few tracks from Tegan and Sara might fit the bill. Possibly insufficiently electronic and excessively poppy, though.
posted by gox3r at 11:32 PM on November 1, 2014
posted by gox3r at 11:32 PM on November 1, 2014
The Santigold station on Pandora is perfect for this.
Little Dragon
The Naked and Famous
AlunaGeorge
Banks
Kelela
Kimbra
YACHT
MØ
Lorde
Glass Animals
Miike Snow
posted by zap at 1:36 AM on November 2, 2014
Little Dragon
The Naked and Famous
AlunaGeorge
Banks
Kelela
Kimbra
YACHT
MØ
Lorde
Glass Animals
Miike Snow
posted by zap at 1:36 AM on November 2, 2014
Chvrches seems like a perfect fit for your criteria.
I can't speak to other songs by this artist, by In Your Eyes by Kate Boy.
Oh! Ladytron too.
posted by joeyjoejoejr at 11:54 AM on November 2, 2014
I can't speak to other songs by this artist, by In Your Eyes by Kate Boy.
Oh! Ladytron too.
posted by joeyjoejoejr at 11:54 AM on November 2, 2014
Kimbra might fit the bill. (Not really a fan of the video, but the music is good stuff).
posted by bluloo at 11:13 AM on November 3, 2014
posted by bluloo at 11:13 AM on November 3, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mkb at 6:42 PM on October 31, 2014 [3 favorites]