[number1sixerfan]

I'm a huge hip hop head and just recently have taken the plunge into different types of music. I am really liking ben folds and james blunt. Are there other artist that I'd probably just based off of that? I know that alone isn't a lot to go off of, but I love their music, especially james blunt.

Thanks,
Richard

 

[Ross1]

Maroon 5 and the fray are equally terrible, you might like them.....

Mika?

 

[kunuggs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maroon 5 and the fray are equally terrible, you might like them..... Mika?

Hmm, that was kinda rude. To the OP, if you like Ben Folds, you might like Cake.

 

[Davey]

Not a big James Blunt fan, but if ya like Ben Folds and don't mind going back to one of the classic rock eras in the late 70s, Joe Jackson's debut is great ...

 

[nickrobotron]

Missy Higgins is really awesome.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will check them out. More suggestions are welcome!

 

[GlendaleViper]

Not a James Blunt fan, but I am a HUGE fan of Ben Folds, and I'd second the recommendation for Joe Jackson, and add Elvis Costello to the mix. Both these guys have a "pop but so much more" aesthetic to them - kind of the art-house weirdos that managed to write some pretty damn appealing music, much like Folds, IMO. You might even like Billy Bragg, but I think that could be pushing it.

Both Jackson and Costello have extensive "greatest hits" catalogues, though as ever, if you are so inclined, the LPs should be the goal.

You may also like Ben Lee (a little more folky), but I'm not too sure. Not a huge fan myself.

And Elliot Smith wrote some absolutely amazing music, highly worth checking into. My first experience with him came from his album XO, prompted by what I heard from the Good Will Hunting Soundtrack.

Ooh! And the Apples in Stereo! Man, I guess I could go on and on...

Oh, and this is something completely different, but do yourself a favour and pick up "Coast to Coast Motel" or "Philadelphonic" by G. Love & Special Sauce. The former is the pinnacle of the band's raw, bluesy sound, while the latter is their best work with a smooth, slick sound.

 

[immtbiker]

A good happy medium between hip hop and BF5 and the Joe Jackson/Elvis Costello era would be Eric Benet. He's an R&B'ist with some good mood swings.

Here's samples from my favorite album of his:

Amazon.com: A Day in the Life: Music: Eric Benet

 

[Sordel]

I think that you're starting at the top with Ben Folds, and I can't think of another singer-songwriter out there who does what he does as well as he does it. That said, Davey is really onto something with Joe Jackson.

 

[Eric M]

Checkout Bitches Ain't Sh-t by Ben Folds.

Best of both worlds.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm just trying to find out what genre it is that I like. I don't like the hard rock stock. I like the mellow style of james blunts music more than his actual talent. I also like One Republic's latest cd. What type of genre is this? Alternative Rock?

 

[308med]

I think Mat Kearney is a similar sound you could check out

 

[goober-george]

He doesn't really sound like Ben Folds but he is melodic, catchy, and mellow, try out Jack Johnson.

 

[zombieDave]

Huuuuuuuge Ben Folds fan here - don't like Blunt. Have seen Ben many times live and it's always a treat. Pick up Ben Folds Live to hear how amazing he is at a show. Also, you may want to check out Ben Harper (especially his new CD, Lifeline). The other poster that mentioned Ben Lee is onto something, as Folds recorded an EP with Lee and another Ben (Kweller) called, appropriately, The Bens. You also may want to check out Ben Kweller's stuff. What these guys all have in common are a self-depricating sense of humor in their material. They're funny, but hardly a "novelty" act (although Ben Folds has recorded with Weird Al).

Make it easy on yourself and just buy CD's from guys named Ben.

 

[timberwolf]

how about trying these guys?

nick drake

jeff buckley