Music & Tea

I’m really into Ryan Adams, especially his “Love Is Hell” record. Bands like Copeland, the Black Keys, and Manchester Orchestra really get me into a chill, mellow mood while having a cup or two. But I seriously recommend Ryan Adams, especially The Shadowlands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unYu7PeDMKE

Good thread.

Tea and music are a great mix.

So what to listen to. Well like different teas, different music matches different moods and feelings.

In the Shanghai shop we have a lot of traditional Chinese music. Mainly instrumental. Likewise we like to listen to a range of downbeat world music, from latin, afro, asian, reggae/dub to some relaxed ambient music, likewise jazz fits well too.

What does the team listen to? Well a huge mix. Amy is very much Chinese only music, from Chinese pop to classic Chinese opera. Wan Ling listens to everything though except for Chinese classics, she especially likes reggae and piano music. For dancing then it has to be d+b. James, again a wide cross section, blues is well suited to enjoying tea as is jazz (modern, classic and electronic cross over). You can have a listen to James’ Wan Ling Tea House Soundcloud profile: http://soundcloud.com/wanlingteahouse due to the nature of Soundcloud main of the tunes are electronic in orientation.

Unfortunately as we are in China, we can’t get to Youtube, so we will have to take it for granted that the violin/dubstep is good.

As for Royksopp – yes very good, James and Wan Ling have seen them a couple of times. James was launch party for the first album. Beautiful melodies.

Oddly enough I find jazz- e.g. Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane a good pairing for my oolong afternoons

Here’s a small sampling of artists that I’m always ready to put on at any moment. This is just stream of thought, so they’re in no particular order. Honestly, pop country is one of the only things I just straight up don’t like.

Childish Gambino, Tool, Todd Snider, Black Keys, Tom Waits, The Pogues, Justice, Of Monsters and Men, Handsome Boy Modeling School, The Punch Brothers, Electric 6, Mastodon, Baroness, KMFDM, Luceo, Middle Brother, Daft Punk, Le Castle Vania, Steely Dan, Zeppelin, Queen, Primus, That 1 Guy, Easy Dub All Stars, Gorillas (Gorillas vs Spacemonkeys specifically), Frank Turner, Motorhead, Protest the Hero, Hayes Carll, Mumford and Sons, The Streets, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dropkick Murpheys, and anything Jack White related. Oh, and any blues. Chicago, Delta, Memphis, Texas, doesn’t matter.

I love me some good classical stuff. Opera, choir, piano, whatever. Eric Whitacre, John Rutter, and Muzio Clementi are probably my favorites from that right now, but I also love female singer/songwriters – Vanessa Carlton, Christy Altomare, etc. I listen to things that make me happy, just chill stuff mostly.

I mostly listen SpaceDance genre tracks like that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR1hIcITIVc

or touhou doijin remixes like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGQec3lC2WM
or this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF6wRMV50nw XD

with a bit of rhapsody/avantasia when I need to concentrate on work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvYjmZX4DSo

or Sophie Ellis Bextor when I feel like it :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxR5YIb3Q-0

And now that I think about it – good tea blends well with each one of these :)

P.S. Miha Rekar, yeah, Lindsey is really cool, she has more on youtube and it’s totally worth checking out:)

Also, speaking of violins :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfouqNtKtoQ

I typically listen to mellow music as I find music can really affect peoples state of being (or at least mine). I will listen to anything, as long as it is not mass produced junk. Though whatever people enjoy is cool.. I’m just not that into it.

Currently, my favourite artists have been these wonderful artists:
Evy Jane – Sayso (Downtempo dubstep from Vancouver. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XKKaMzMz3w and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeUwbaRhQic&feature=related )
Husky Rescue – Blueberry tree (part 2) (one of my favourite artists for homework right now. They’re a very chilled out Finnish band. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsWv9QncQWI )
Ben Howard – Black Flies feat. Daughter (live version, but extremely good. I would say two of my favourite artists. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJsauDL4MsE )
Purity Ring – Lofticries (sorry, only music video that wasn’t a half naked girl, or a weird movie.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm9c0d2hnA0 )
Baths – Lovely Bloodflow (really neat video. I suggest you check it out if you are into electronic, downtempo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtTpszuKXqA )
Beach Fossils – Sometimes (very beachy and relaxed, if you’re into that sort of thing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKURBmeWOO8&feature=related )

On top of that; old music from The Black Keys, Black Mountain, Bombay Bicycle Club, Chad Vangaalen, Patrick Watson, Andrew Bird, Grizzly Bear, Current Swell, Dan Mangan, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Feist… oh jeez I could go on for a long time. But I won’t. If any of this interests you.. let me know. I love to share music and discover new music!

All while drinking delicious tea of course (generally oolongs or black teas)

What exciting posts here under this topic. As well as all the diverse choices. We have a few of the links posted here loading while typing this reply.
For us here at Kally Tea, we love listening to fun songs, as well as mellow rock, but for a strong Ceylon, we don’t turn away a good Ten Years After Alvin Lee jam!
We’ve posted quite a few of our favorite tea themed videos on our YouTube page:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL57779D761A6747CC&feature=plcp
A sample of a fun tea video is Professor Elemental “Cup of Brown Joy”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELH0ivexKA&list=PL57779D761A6747CC&index=1&feature=plpp_video
Don’t want to forget even some old Byrne/Eno as well, and add Cat Stevens… geese guess you can go on and on.

On Pandora, it is usually Chinese Flute or Spa Suite with greens and oolongs, for black tea maybe Traffic, Moody Blues, Al Stewart, 70’s and 80’s but not much 90’s oddly enough, then things like Train, Coldplay, One Republic, Two Door Cinema, Script, etc. White tea or a mellow morning or peaceful late night tea might get Smetana, Luc Baiwir, Nabuo Uematsu, lots of soundtracks like Howard Shore LOTR. Pretty much a little of almost everything, including Gregorian chant, motet and madrigal, I like almost everything. Depends on the tea, the mood, and the time of day!

Oh goodness, so many styles. From jazz to blues, classical to acoustic/folk, bluegrass to country, rock to metal… the list could go on and on.