(no subject)

[nny]

I'm watching 50books_poc, and I'm making sure I'm more informed about the books I choose now although I won't manage 50 this year; at the moment I haven't enough time and I'm barely reading anything at all, which sucks. I'm just going to make a nest of books during the summer holidays and bury myself in it. :D

I was wondering if anyone knows of a similar project for music, though? I'm going through my iTunes and cataloguing it by white artists and artists of colour using the wonder of google and website biographies, because I think it's something that I should make an effort to be aware of, but my exposure to new music largely takes place through osmosis from the old flist. And frankly, at present, a heck of a lot of that is (majority) white bandom boys.

Any ideas?

Comments

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

I do not know of any projects specifically, but what a good idea!

A friend of mine did list and upload some Asian-American music here:
http://littlebutfierce.livejournal.com/399949.html

[villainny.livejournal.com]

I think I might do a themed rec post later, partly because Anti-pop Consortium are absolutely awesome and people clearly need to hear them. :D

Thanks so much for the pointer!

[skygiants]

That is a totally awesome idea!

For my part, I am sure you have heard Vienna Teng's stuff, but if you have not by some wild chance I very much recommend it. (And can provide links, if you would like. >.>)

[villainny.livejournal.com]

I have a couple of tracks - like City Hall and her cover of Damien Rice - but I wouldn't mind more, obviously! :D

[skygiants]

For you!

[villainny.livejournal.com]

...holy wow, you're an angel.

*SMOOCHES*

[skygiants]

<3!

[minkhollow]

All that's springing to mind at the moment is Youssou N'Dour (or, 'that guy who's done backup vocals for Peter Gabriel sometimes'). He's done some pretty awesome stuff on his own; can't understand a word of it, but that's perfectly all right because the music's good.

[unamaga.livejournal.com]

I'm extremely fond of Corrine Bailey Rae (songs for your consideration: Choux Pastry Heart (http://www.mediafire.com/?z4zl4jen3md) & Girls Put Your Records On (http://www.mediafire.com/?lm9cje2yril)), and I've just recently found Raphael Saadiq through PBS (http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200810/20081028_saadiq.html), who I think is pretty cool. I don't know if you'll be able to see this given your UK status, but it's PBS, so probably! Stevie Wonder plays harmonica on his album! \o/

ETA: http://www.raphaelsaadiq.com/ yay flash jukebox!

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

I'd quite like to know too, because my tastes are a little too whitebread but I am just plain not a fan of hip hop so I really don't know where to look.

Oh, I did come across Janelle Monae! I don't remember where but oh my god! ...okay, I just watched this AGAIN and IT JUST DOES NOT GET ANY LESS AMAZING.

[villainny.livejournal.com]

thanks, I'll keep an eye out.

[villainny.livejournal.com]

Thankee kindly, darlin'! I'm liking. :D

[villainny.livejournal.com]

I am always wary of saying I don't like an entire genre, because as soon as I do it's almost guaranteed that someone'll prove me wrong.

Also, hip-hop isn't the only music by artists of colour! ileliberte has uploaded loads of beautiful Asian music, there're a huge variety of artists writing R&B, rap, drum & bass... I'm bad at genres, seriously, because you get all the fusions and crossovers all over the place, and I have a tendency to go more by artists and songs. :D But this is why I think a multi-genre reccing project would be awesome, so that hip-hop isn't necessarily the first association, y'know?

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't know, when i say hip hop i usually include rap and r&b, which is not really fair at all but they share some common elements that I don't like - namely they don't focus on nice vocals. For me good rap is like poetry readings, you have to listen to the words because the words are pretty much it, which means I can't play it in the background, which is annoying. And bad rap outnumbers it horribly in any case :P whereas all I've seen of hip hop has been like rap with extra trappings on.

No, I think if anything I ought to be looking at Jazz and Blues, because there have been some amazing jazz vocalists. I was put off it for a long time by my mum's obsession with Norah Jones who frankly gets on my nerves, but Regina Spektor's getting me back into it.

[villainny.livejournal.com]

I don't really feel qualified to argue my case, because my knowledge of music genres, like I say, is limited as hell. I'm gonna make a music post later, though, so keep an eye out and see if anything sounds appealing. ;)

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

Well like I said Janelle Monae is amazing. I don't even know what genre she is though :P