Help! My soon-to-be 15-year-old nephew likes "Crazy Frog."?

Question

I asked my sister what kind of music her kid listened to, and that stupid Crazy Frog stuff (and maybe Black-Eyed Peas - ugh!) was all she could name ... I need to turn this kid onto some good music, and fast! Maybe an MP3 player for his birthday coming up, pre-loaded with some DECENT tunes ...

He's white, poor, and living in southern Idaho ...

1. Do you think 1G would be a big enough MP3 player? I don't want to spend a whole lot, because chances are he will break it, lose it, or it will get stolen.

2. What do normal 15-year olds listen to ... and what SHOULD they listen to (in your opinion) because I know a lot of them listen to total crap?

Any band or song suggestions are most welcome ... thank you!

...In reference to Heather's concerns, I will add that he's on SSI from the state (as is my sister) and they just took him from her anyway (don't even ask - my entire family is soooo screwed up [except me]) so he'll be living in foster care for the next 6 months or so ...

...I'm sure in that situation that they make sure he has clothes and shoes and stuff like that ... I was thinking, besides how dippy Crazy Frog is ... that I might offer him a little bit of "escapism", so to speak ... I know music has helped ME through some really rough times.

Might work for him, too.

My short list of "music artists that have some good songs" includes the following: Jon Brion, Bjork, Coldplay, Elliott Smith, Eels, Drake Bell (don't laugh, he's really good!), the Cardigans, Delays, Dandy Warhols, Ken Andrews, Jayhawks, Nine Inch Nails, the Shins, Snow Patrol, Kool Keith, Prince, Keane, the Vines, the Killers ...

Answer 1

Its gonna be ok....

Youve identified the problem and thats the first step.

You need to act expeditiously and get the kid on a strict diet of Led Zep,Pearl Jam and Ozzy.

This should help with the first month or so,but after that its up to them,I know how bad this may seem but I wish you all the best in his recovery.

Answer 2

Ok, in the end, this is ENTIRELY his decision. He's 15 years old for goodness sake, not 5!
But, if you'd like to expose him to other kinds in hopes that he'll like it, try some good ole rock n roll. Let me give you a few bands maybe he already knows, or would like:

Red Hot Chili Peppers*
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Collective Soul*
Plain White T's
Relient K
Queen/the Stones/Led Zep/Nirvana/The Who/Styx if you want older stuff
Skillet*
Snow Patrol*
Story of the Year*
Stone Sour
Switchfoot*
The Killers*
Jack's Mannequin
Hoobastank*
Hello Goodbye
Goo Goo Dolls
Death Cab for Cutie*
Dashboard Confessional*
Cute Is What We Aim For*
Coldplay*
Chris Daughtry*
Blind Melon
Better Than Ezra
Augustana
AFI
30 Seconds to Mars*
Dave Matthews Band
Disturbed
Dragonforce
Five for Fighting
BNL
Good Charlotte*

*worth checking out if you dont want to go through them all... even though like half have one... :P

Answer 3

Start him off with the basics and classics such as
Led Zeppelin
AC/DC
The Who
The Doors
Queen
Pink Floyd
Jimi Hendrix

and then if he likes them then put him some bands such as

The Ramones
The Clash
The Police
Snow Patrol
Dashboard Confessionals
Motion City Soundtrack
Avenged Sevenfold
Iggy Pop
Rock Kills Kid
R.E.M
Nine Black Alps
Nirvana

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

SIF crazy frog..
yes 1 gig is big enough..
so he's old enough to realise the crap going on around him.. in my opinion we teens love music we can relate to.. so, sounds like he's got it rough.. maybe some music with pretty meaningful lyrics.. eminem maybe lololololol.. but y'know, just the good stuff. and tupac..
if not..then:
no one can go wrong with a bit of rock.. the classics are the best :)
Jimi Hendrix, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Van Halen, The Doors ..

AND.. we don't listen to a bunch of crap.. that's a pretty big generalisation there.. we listen to what is given available for us to listen to..
i say bring him back to the roots of music..

Answer 5

A person's choice of music is their decision, and it evolves through time. Also, he's far more likely to be influenced by his friends than by his aunt.

However, If you want to get him an mp3 player and preload it with some music, I would recommend loading it with popular music that is easy to get into, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Blink 182. Any music store will sell you the latest mix CD if you want to set him to pop music.

Answer 6

Janis Joplin
Poets of The Fall
Heart
The Scorpions
The Von Bondies

Maybe a walkman and some cassette copies would be better. Even if it broke or was stolen, the most you would be out would be $20 at a time.

Answer 7

if you watch walmart you can get a 256mb mp3 player for like $35-50 that takes sd cards. and those you can get like a 1mb card for about $20-40, you can always check out sites like http://www.newegg.com/ and http://www.tigerdirect.com/ for the same items you can get locally but cheaper and also e-bay (beware tho with e-bay, you can get a seller that is not fully honest)

i just recently purchased on....its easy to use, cheap and upgradeable :) here is the link to mine (well sort of...i have the m202e model)
http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/en-US/modeldetail.html?ProductID=M200

i don't know many songs that the kids listen to...i mean...my husband listens to some of the same stuff that you mentioned. just watch what music you do put on it b/c he could get teased/harrassed because of it...kids a cruel these days.

good luck :)

Answer 8

are you sure that getting him an MP3 player would be good for him? he might do better with some clothes, shoes, etc if he's poor. what he listens to will change. i'm sure that your parents didn't like the stuff you listened to.

Answer 9

DEAR GOD! Get him some Coldplay, R.E.M., Elvis (either one), Sinatra, U2, ....Lord, almost anything!!!

Save this poor youngster before it's too late!

(...well maybe not Motley Crue...or the Wiggles...)