For amusement purposes this is what an atypical 12-year-old boy in Washington is calling his Favourites (British spelling) now, alongside a lot of They Might Be Giants

[open.spotify.com]

Just started making my now-13-year-old a playlist of songs that I think he would like based on what he already likes (Beatles, They Might Be Giants, Bob Marley, random EDM hits, isolated songs by Björk and the Who, etc.).

[open.spotify.com]

Good plan! my 11-year-old likes some top 40 stuff, but we’ve tried to expose her to the classics, even taking her to Beatles and Elvis tribute shows (hey, they were free, in a park), so at least she’s somewhat culturally literate. She likes cool jazz and singers like Peggy Lee and Dean Martin, to the surprise and bemusement of my wife and I, but their music is pretty low-key and tuneful, even if it isn’t “children’s music.”

Someone remembers Chamillionaire!

My continued efforts to get my kid to like interesting music. He likes punchy, bright songs and vocals, but also video game-styled EDM. His favorite rock bands are the Beatles and Queen. He likes Bob Marley and has gotten really into They Might Be Giants. He weirdly sometimes picks up on a single song by an artist, like Björk’s “Crystalline” remixed by Omar Suleyman, or the Who’s “Pinball Wizard,” without being interested in the rest of the catalogue.

He thinks it’s weird that I keep listening to new music. Why not just listen to the stuff I already know I like?

[open.spotify.com]

Damn, these are some bangers, if I say so myself.