Welcome back to Crate Digging, our recurring feature series that has artists explore music history in search of albums that all music fans should know. In this edition, Ginger Root’s Cameron Lew recommends 10 albums to get to know him.
When Cameron Lew shows up to Gold-Diggers recording studio, bar, and hotel in Los Angeles, he’s finally catching his breath after a whirlwind Coachella debut. But the breather can’t last too long; as Ginger Root, Lew has to drive back to the desert for a Weekend 2 performance, and then immediately joins Japanese Breakfast as the opener for her ongoing “Melancholy Tour” (get tickets here).
Still, even with the pressure of fest performances and opening slots looming, Lew remains grounded and gracious. He’s an Orange County native and grew up hearing stories about Coachella and its glitzy aura, but most of his festival experiences so far have taken place in Asia. So, Lew soaked in as much of it as he could — which included seeing Kraftwerk, a band first introduced to him by his high school statistics teacher.
Meanwhile, he also guested with JBrekkie for her Coachella performance, covering Gorillaz’s “On Melancholy Hill” alongside Michelle Zauner. Lew confesses he’s not exactly a Gorillaz scholar, however. Instead, Lew’s got more of an old soul dynamic when it comes to his favorite albums.
While newer, jam-heavy funk and soul acts like Vulfpeck and White Denim helped form a huge basis of musical identity, he also lists The Beatles’ White Album and Paul McCartney’s McCartney II as essential albums for his “Ginger Root Starter Pack.” Plus, he’s a massive fan of the J-pop artist Hiromi Iwasaki’s 1979 album Fantasy, and an even bigger fan of the City Pop pioneer Haruomi Hosono and his band Yellow Magic Orchestra.
Check out Ginger Root’s list of the 10 albums to get to know him below and by watching the video above. Trouble seeing the player above? Watch on YouTube.
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Kraftwerk — Computer World
This one was introduced to me by my statistics teacher in high school. Kraftwerk was introduced to me by that man, and I have him to thank because last week at Coachella, we actually saw Kraftwerk, and that was an absolute blast. So, very cool.
Stream Computer World on Apple Music or Amazon Music | Buy on Vinyl/CD
White Denim — Corsicana Lemonade
Corsicana Lemonade is a nice, feel-good Texas rock album that doesn’t feel dated. It feels timeless. James Petralli is a creative genius. They’re one of my favorite bands, and I love pretty much every record they put out. So, a big, big high school-era Cameron pick there.
Stream Corsicana Lemonade on Apple Music or Amazon Music | Buy on Vinyl/CD
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