Music for 11-12 Year Old Girls

[DisgustipatedinCA]

My 11-year old half sister is getting an iPod for Christmas, and I'm charged with getting the music to fill it. I'm 38, live across the country from her, and I don't know the first thing about what girls of this age listen to, other than the most obvious choices like Hannah Montana, High School Musical OST, and someone called the Cheetah Girls. So I went through my collection and started trying to find stuff that wouldn't offend her parents (my dad and step-mother; sex and drugs and cursing not kosher). But I'd like to give her a mix of stuff she likely already enjoys, along with some music she might learn to like, some old, some new. Nothing too flagrant or too subversive, but something that might open up some paths one of these days. So, for example, Tool's Opiate and Gil Scott-Heron's The Revolution Will Not Be Televised probably wouldn't be good choices. Here's a list of music I'm considering. I'd appreciate any suggestions you might have too.

B-52's: Cosmic Thing
Beatles: All Studio Albums
Peter, Bjorn, & John: Writer's Block
Sondre Lerche: Phantom Punch
Jack Johnson: the Curious George thing
They Might Be Giants
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Mr. Mister: Welcome to the Real World
Abba: Gold
Casey Chambers: Carnival
Ron Sexsmith: Whereabouts & Blue Boy
Sufjan Stevens: Illinois and Greetings From Michigan
Polyphonic Spree: Beginning Stages
Michael Franti & Spearhead: Yell Fire!
LCD Soundsystem
Hem: Rabbit Songs
Dan Zanes
Lyle Lovett: My Baby Don't Tolerate
Be Good Tanyas: Blue Horse
Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlantacism

[NightWatcher]

1. Michael Franti and Spearhead......

Great song and I love the idea of an 11- year old girl walking around singing.

All the shit you given us is fertilizer
The seeds that we planted you can brutalize them
Tell the corporation you can never globalize it
Like Peter Toss said Legalize It


I LOVE that song. be sure to also giver her some David Rovics (more great protest music). Also: Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"

[DisgustipatedinCA]

3. point taken

I think of Michael Franti as a force for good in the world, and I don't think of the music I listen to in terms of whether or not it has "bad words" in it, so I honestly never thought of the ganga-esque lyrics. Of course, they DO live in Mendocino. I'll give it some more thought. Thanks for the reply.

[Shine]

2. My 11 yr old daughter is REALLY into Ally and AJ.

They're sister twins that have a musical act together. Their music is catchy. It doesn't hurt that they happen to be gorgeous, too. You should definitely add some of their stuff to your collection, imo.

My dtr has their videos downloaded onto her iPod, too.

Your music selection so far looks pretty decent. A lot of it I don't recognize, truthfully, but I did happen to notice the Be Good Tanyas. :thumbsup: I love those gals! Good choice.

:hi:

[DisgustipatedinCA]

4. Thanks for the suggestions.

I'll look at Ally & AJ.

[bbernardini]

5. Too bad they're wacko fundies. Also, try The Jonas Brothers.

I read it somewhere. About the wacko fundie thing.

The 7th grade girls are teach are absolutely insane for the Jonas Brothers.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

6. Here's the Wikipedia entry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aly_%26_aj

In an interview with Blender magazine, the two expressed their disbelief in the theory of evolution, with the interviewer asking what their thoughts were, with AJ saying– "no," and with Aly saying: "Are they teaching that in schools now?" When told that it had been taught for the last quarter of the century, she replied, “I think that’s kind of disrespectful, anything that has to do with anybody’s beliefs on religion, that should stay out of the classroom. I mean, I think people should be able to pray in school, if people were into that. Everybody should just do their own gig", and AJ added "Evolution is silly. Monkeys? Um, no."

[Shine]

10. LOL! Amazing.

:rofl:

they're dumb as shit, but they look good. Sounds like business as usual.... :eyes:

[DisgustipatedinCA]

11. I'll probably throw them in the pile anyway

Please just tell me they're not the Nazi twins. I didn't see anything in the Wikipedia article referring to them as such.

[Shine]

12. hmmmm...don't know anything about the Nazi twins

:shrug:

[XemaSab]

14. No, they're not the Nazi twins

[nomorenomore08]

7. Give her some Big Star.

It'll open up a whole world of non-mainstream pop music.

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. I adored Duran Duran and Boston at that age. Also, my own kids enjoy Crazy Frog, but do not show

her the video as he is anatomically correct.

If you want to download some cool mixes you might also try: http://cheermusicstore.com/

[sakabatou]

9. The Pillows -- Litle Busters

[XemaSab]

13. Simon and Garfunkel, Beach Boys...

maybe some of the old Jazz musicians, and some of the old 50's pop songs.

It's always important to have a grounding in the classics. :D