What would you do if Mom asked for music suggestions?

[Davey]

Yikes! So my mom emails me and says she needs some new music and was cruising my compilation listings and wants a copy of my latest Down the Road thingie. Unfortunately that's the only comp of mine that I have with me so I can't really steer her to something else, but what would <i>you</i> do in the more general sense if Mom came asking for a good CD to buy? Your mom, not mine! Would you pick something you like even knowing that it may be too eclectic for her tastes, or would you try to play it safe and go for some MOR that you don't really like that much? Or does your mom rock to the same sound as you?

Hmmm.....maybe I'll drop her a copy of my latest fave from Arcade Fire and see what she thinks of that? :D

[ForeverAutumn]

Well, first of all, my Mom lived with me through the teenage, head-banging, blow-out-the-neighbour's-windows, metal years. So...she knows better than to come to me for recommendations. :D

Then again, I grew up in a house where opera was the norm. Eek! So we're kinda even. Screeching metal or screeching opera. My poor Dad!!!

Seriously though, I think that there's a middle ground. While my taste in music and my Mom's are at different ends of the spectrum, there is some music that we can agree on. It's usually the MOR, folky or Broadway soundtrack kind of stuff. However, if put on the spot, I'm sure that I could come up with a few things that rock my world that Mom would enjoy too.

The Honeydogs might be a good example of that. While not my Mom's usual fare, I could see her enjoying this disk if she were open-minded enough to give it chance. I just picked up the new disk by The Thrills. Again, something mellow, melodic and unoffensive that Mom might be able to stomach. While I can't see her loving either of these disks, I could see her giving them a few spins and not hating them.

If I really wanted to play it safe, I'd lean more towards the easy-rock kind of stuff. Amanda Marshall, Diana Krall, Ben Harper, Jamie Cullem, that sort of thing.

If I never wanted her to ask me again, I'd give her some Mars Volta or Queens of the Stoneage. That'd keep her quiet. :D

[DarrenH]

I doubt my mother would ever come to me for musical suggestions. She rarely listens to music anymore. She never liked the Beatles but was once a pretty big Elvis fan and saw him in concert just before he died. She also loves Bob Seger. In fact, Seger's live CD Nine Tonight is her absolute favorite.

She also likes that dreadful new pop/country stuff. I think she listens to that more than anything else these days. So, if by chance my mother ever approached me needing music recommendations, I'd probably have her test the waters with some Wilco and similiar alt/country bands.

I once made her a Steely Dan comp thinking she would like that. Turns out only about half of it grabbed her. She doesn't like jazz at all.

Maybe I should introduce her to some Opeth. :rolleyes:

Darren

[Davey]

The Honeydogs might be a good example of that. While not my Mom's usual fare, I could see her enjoying this disk if she were open-minded enough to give it chance.
Hey, that's a good idea. Hadn't thought of the Honeydogs latest. Coincidentally, just sent a demo copy of it to our buddy J to check out along with my latest crapilation so I still have the EAC image on my computer. Maybe the latest Willard Grant Conspiracy and that new National disc I've been grooving to. Hmmm.....she has gotten used to my taste somewhat over the years when visiting, but I tend to keep it more on the ambient side and avoid anything that gets too guitar freaky. Well, most of the time. She's pretty open to newer stuff. I remember one long drive with just me and my mom where I mainly played that first Erykah Badu CD and we both really liked that. Mom-friendly R&B music. Plus I like a lot of music from before my time too so there's always something to play that we both like. But it would be fun to turn her on to something brand new that her grandchildren might not even know about :)

[Dusty Chalk]

Actually, every once in a while, I do turn my mom onto something. She never heard Peer Gynt with a soprano until I played it for her (she was only familiar with the orchestral suites). But she's very staid and traditional, so there's very little overlap (between her tastes and mine).

OTOH, when I played in a garage band, she did come to see us play. But that was back before she started having hearing problems. Now it would probably just be a wall of noise, and I don't mean George Martin's production technique.

...which would be "wall of sound", anyway...
Well, first of all, my Mom lived with me through the teenage, head-banging, blow-out-the-neighbour's-windows, metal years. So...she knows better than to come to me for recommendations. :D

Then again, I grew up in a house where opera was the norm. Eek! So we're kinda even. Screeching metal or screeching opera. My poor Dad!!!OMG, your childhood and mine aren't that different! Add an ", R.I.P." at the end, and I could have written that.

[Stone]

Like others of you, my mom wouldn't ask for a recommendation unless she really qualified it and gave me specifics (like, "I want something that sounds just like...."). She experienced a lot of hardcore punk coming from my room when I was in high school, and all kinds of other stuff too.

My mom is a fan of accessible pop - sing-along stuff mostly. She likes the Beatles (especially the early era) and ABBA. I'd probably recommend Village Green Preservation Society or maybe something newer like A.C. Newman or one of his bands. I also would have no problem with recommending Van Lear Rose to her. If I were going out more on a limb, I'd recommend Astral Weeks or Exodus (I have a feeling she would really like more accessible reggae, but I'm not sure she's even ever heard reggae, except maybe coming from my room when I was in high school). Lucinda Williams might be another one I'd recommend to her if she asked.

[Slosh]

Of what I listen to, my mom really likes the more folksy, mostly acoustic stuff and often plays:

Andrew Bird's Bowl Of Fire - The Swimming Hour
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
The Fruitbats - Mouthfuls
The Decemberists - Castaways & Cutouts

Next time I see her I'm gonna let her borrow Old Canes - Early Morning Hymns

Now if I could just make her see the light with Emergency & I . . . . :)

[Ex Lion Tamer]

My Mom just loves her copy..

[Mike]

Court and Spark - The Witch Season

After sampling your comp again the other day I've just ordered a copy. I usually pick up a couple of artists after listening to your comps and they were the first, might be Carina Round or Lilac Time next.

As for my mum she's still locked into 60's easy listening, Sinatra, A Williams, T Bennett, Como etc just the same as she was in the 70's through to the 90's. Not that there is anything wrong with that you kind of expect of her generation but it makes you think will we ever get locked into a particular period.

Cheers
Mike