June 14 2007

[Heather. Redmon.]

Well, here I am, showin' up late again. Once again, I found myself avoiding this thread today because I don't have an answer to the question. I guess I just like the "rock" genre. Phil and I went through a loungey phase for a bit there in the late 90's. But, I'm just a creature of habit I guess.

Today was a fairly boring day at work. I told my boss that I didn't have much to do today, and volunteered to help her out with a project. She had me create a spreadsheet to track data contained in a crap load of emails. I had to read each email, find what I needed in our antiquated CRM database and put it on the spreadsheet. It took me all day and I'm still not done. I should be able to finish up in the morning though.

Weird that Niv had a kinda dirty dream that involved my husband! Yer damn right I'd be looking for Phil if he was getting the "full" treatment from some prostitute masseuse. Glad Niv's wife was with me!

[Niveous]

Weird that Niv had a kinda dirty dream that involved my husband! Yer damn right I'd be looking for Phil if he was getting the "full" treatment from some prostitute masseuse. Glad Niv's wife was with me!

Not dirty, more of 80's buddy movie hijinx.

[Steve Durand]

QOTD: Jazz, swing, dixieland, ragtime, bluegrass.

If you listened to my songs over the last two years then you might have picked up on this.


Steve

[Phil. Redmon.]

I also quite enjoy Roll, as well as combinations of Roll and Rock.

Niv, in your dream, had I won Nur Ein yet?

Also: Rodimus Prime was a horrible toy. Hot Rod was much better. Rodimus Prime was basically a Gobot in disguise.

And: Nemesis Enforcer would whoop any other 3 3/4 inch dude.

[Caravan Ray]

I also quite enjoy Roll.

I prefer Woogie

[Caravan Ray]

anyway, hinc, a few superficial nods to classical, a Cut Chemist track, etc., do not a varied taste make. I don't recall seeing a single jazz cut in the last 80 selections. maybe there's more in #1-156. I did see two Weird Al songs. wow, what daring choices. I'm sure I sound like an asshole, I don't mean to act like I'm better than you, I'm only a student of music myself. but your website isn't helping your case so far.

Ahhh Marcus - you make me nostalgic for the days when I was a pretentious little twat too!

Besides - Bill is quite right to shun jazz. Jazz really sucks. Who wants to hear a bunch of drug addicts all playing different songs at the same time?
Anyway, I notice you haven't listed te kainikamaen music from the Central Pacific. You should try to get out more and expand your tastes a bit

I enjoy other art music ("classical") but probably not as much as I should

How much should you like? Is there a Recommended Daily Intake (RDI). Do the "Cool Police" carry out audits?

[sausage boy]

Also: Rodimus Prime was a horrible toy. Hot Rod was much better. Rodimus Prime was basically a Gobot in disguise.

Wreck-gar wasn't much better. Theres a Titanium series die-cast Rodimus Prime that came out recently that isn't half bad. The Optimus Prime in his Cybertronian form from that series is pretty cool, too.

[Niveous]

Niv, in your dream, had I won Nur Ein yet?

Also: Rodimus Prime was a horrible toy. Hot Rod was much better. Rodimus Prime was basically a Gobot in disguise.

And: Nemesis Enforcer would whoop any other 3 3/4 inch dude.

1) We hadn't discussed it. Too busy with the hijinx.
2) Truer words can not be said.
3) Falser words can not be said. Storm Shadow? Snake Eyes? Tunnel Rat? Zartan? Okay, maybe not Zartan. B.A.T.? Serpentor!?!

[HeuristicsInc]

Marcus. No reason to be hostile. Although I too have been annoyed at people who say "everything" and then turn out to only listen to what's on the radio. So I know where you're coming from, but I do not think that I was lying, either.

I just looked at the last 80 tracks you've chosen, and it looks like your favorite genre outside of rock is pop. besides Dvorak and a couple of ambient pieces, it's all rock, pop, pop-rock.

Okay, I've been meaning to check which genres I have been covering at some point anyway but hadn't gotten around to it until you tried to insult my musical tastes... so I have classified all the songs I've covered so far, and here they are:

Code: Select all

20      80s
17      Soundtrack (score)
14      Electronica
14      Electronic rock
13      Downtempo
12      Progressive rock
12      Oldies
12      Humour
10      Rock
8       Jazz
8       Industrial
7       Pop
7       Ethereal
7       Classical
7       Alternative
6       Ambient
5       Synthpop
5       Rock instrumental
5       Goth
5       Folk
5       Adult alternative
4       Trip hop
4       Jamband
4       Blues
3       World
3       Video game soundtrack
3       Postrock
3       Experimental
2       Space rock
2       Ska
2       Rap
2       Punk
1       Religious
1       Reggae
1       R&B/soul
1       Funk
1       Country
1       Classic rock

I think that covers a heck of a lot of genres. Although - you may be on to something - I didn't realize I had that much from the 80's in there

people say "everything," or "almost everything," but they don't usually mean it, it doesn't seem to me. what's your favorite metal act?

Hmm, perhaps Metallica, but only up to ...And Justice For All - I have not enjoyed their more recent stuff as much.

traditional folk song?

Picking a favorite song in any genre is difficult. But I'd have to think on this.

blues musician (don't say SRV)?

Robert Cray, followed by John Lee Hooker... I think.

punk album?

Can't say, but probably something by Wire or Fugazi.

nusrat fateh ali khan

Lots, he's awesome. I especially like his collabs with other musicians such as Bally Sagoo and Michael Brook.

gilberto gil

only a little.

tito puente

He's fun, although I don't own any CDs.

michio kurihara, steve reich

No, and yes.

james p. johnson, leadbelly, jelly roll morton? shirley collins? animal collective, wolfmother, frog eyes?

Not really any of these, although I'm not sure what this proves... I said "almost everything" regarding genres, not specific musicians.

and you didn't choose a performance for Strauss or for Dvorak? for shame

All the songs in my list are specific performances. What you may not know is that all of these songs are drawn from a large pool of around 1600 songs that I have put onto mix CDs over the years. When I make a song post I pick one out of the directory that contains all these mp3s based on what I feel like writing about at the time, so these don't necessarily represent the depth and breadth of my musical interests either. Also, not all songs are good for a mix CD and so may not be represented. A 20-minute song may be great but better be darn good to spend 1/4 of a CD on it.

--also, as JB can tell us, songs have words).

Forget that attitude. I'm not going to write only about songs with words.

anyway, hinc, a few superficial nods to classical, a Cut Chemist track, etc., do not a varied taste make. I don't recall seeing a single jazz cut in the last 80 selections. maybe there's more in #1-156. I did see two Weird Al songs. wow, what daring choices. I'm sure I sound like an asshole

Yeah, you do. Anyway I have written about 8 jazz songs (so far). I'm not trying to be "daring", and I'm not sure why exactly you said that. I'm writing about songs I like. Also, I like a lot of songs. I'm sorry if I roused your ire by saying that, but I still don't think it was false. You be the judge, I guess.
-bill

PS I left off one extra genre, which isn't really a genre at all, but would double-count some songs:
19 People I know

[erik]

How do you all write about your day before it's over?

Yesterday I went to lunch at a place that is close by work, and they told us that we could wait 25 minutes, or we could be seated immediately outside. We told the hostess that we'd like to be seated outside, and then we were taken to the front patio, where nobody else was. We told her "Could you make sure someone knows we're out here? Last time they forgot about us." She makes a face like "Ohno!" and then says "Sure, I'll make sure they know you're here!" But then the hostess has to come back like 5 minutes later to take our drink order.

Uh-oh.

The waiter, the same one who forgot us last time, took like 20 minutes to even come out there. He took our order, and then that was it. Someone else brought it out, he never came to refill our drinks, or to make sure the food was good, or to anything. When it was time to drop off the check, he got a hostess to do it. He got a $0.15 tip, and next time I will make sure he is not working there before I sit at the patio.

Last night I ripped down one of my skinny drape panels and used it to ghetto -reupholster a chair that I got from Goodwill so that I can get rid of the office chair that is stuck in the lowwwwwwwwest setting in my computer room. Yay.

I am also now the proud owner of a Spec's keychain price discount supermember thing. Yay for sales on booze.

[Hoblit]

Last time they forgot about us." .....
But then the hostess has to come back like 5 minutes later to take our drink order.

The waiter, the same one who forgot us last time, took like 20 minutes to even come out there. He took our order, and then that was it. Someone else brought it out, he never came to refill our drinks, or to make sure the food was good, or to anything...

This has happened to me more than a few times. I eat alone quite a bit and for some reason the wait staff assumes that I'm either waiting on someone else or assume that I'm being helped by the bar tender or something or other. Once I tipped the hostess on the way out and she winked because she knew what had happened.

On the flip side, back at a Restaurant I cooked at, one of our waiters was doing a great job for a group of guys getting pretty drunk at a dining room table. (as opposed to a bar table on the other side of the restaurant) They were rowdy and only ordered one appetizer (wings) about 45 minutes into their stay and proceeded to just keep ordering more drinks at this dining room table. The waiter... just stayed patient with them even though others were waiting for a table to be available. Finally they decided to leave and tipped $0.25. The form of one american quarter. The waiter lost it and caught up with them out back as they were leaving and landed the quarter square into the back of one of the guys as hard as he could accurately throw it. Some harsh words were exchanged and voices raised but ultimately the waiter got a week suspension.

I'm betting it was worth it.

[Leaf]

This has happened to me more than a few times. I eat alone quite a bit and for some reason the wait staff assumes that I'm either waiting on someone else

Just a testament to your aura. How could a guy like you be alone?


/you're welcome

[Hoblit]

This has happened to me more than a few times. I eat alone quite a bit and for some reason the wait staff assumes that I'm either waiting on someone else

Just a testament to your aura. How could a guy like you be alone?


/you're welcome

You are monsterously kind sir. However, I can't imagine that there is any truth to <i>that</i>.

[mkilly]

I am sorry for the tone of my post. I wasn't angry with you, but I was kind of angry at bad DJs at the station that don't do anything adventurous. Of course I realize that not knowing specific musicians doesn't assail familiarity of a genre. Let me be clear: my post was #1 directed at your post, specifically your citing your list of songs as evidence, and #2 directed at people saying they dig everything and not meaning it.

"* rock" is rock, and I'd classify alternative, synthpop, goth, jam, AAA, ska, punk, funk as based in rock too. But that's kind of immaterial. That dumb list I made in a minute wasn't some Litmus test of coolness. Or if it was I shouldn't have done it, because that's retarded. I'm just some twenty-year-old that doesn't know anything. I know enough, though, to know that I don't know anything. I'm glad you like many genres, but your list doesn't so far reflect that, imo. (Have you ever taken a look at the labels Putumayo or Smithsonian Folkways? they put out some really stellar world music.) That's all I meant to assail, and I'm sorry, again, that I came off so bitterly.

The meat of the matter is that "everything" or "almost everything" does very little to inform. I spoke too soon, since there is a great deal of ambient/electronica/etc. on your list that I maybe conveniently overlooked--though, the last 40 or so entries are pretty rock and 80s heavy--but I meant to invite posters here to talk about what they like about different genres, their favorite musicians in those genres, how they incorporate it in their own music, what circumstances they like to listen to it in, and so forth. I've started replying to some messages in here three or four times but abandoned them. about that "wow, what daring choices" remark... I thought it was weird to say you dig everything and then I notice two Weird Al songs. but that might be selection bias.

to erik: man it's all about enjoying music. I might bust someone's balls about their musical preferences but fundamentally there is no accounting for taste. you dig what you dig, that's how it goes. my roommates and I have a lot of common ground, but they hate decemberists and rilo kiley, two acts I really enjoy. myself I hate iron & wine and joanna newsom. lots of people disagree, even people with whom I generally otherwise agree on matters musical. but knowledge about music, where its roots lie, knowledge about the performers, helps to appreciate music. it helps to appreciate paintings, sculpture, architecture, graphic design, typography, too. ignorance isn't a virtue.

At my radio station the station manager has banned the use of the phrase "eclectic mix," because every other DJ puts that in their show description, and it's close to meaningless. I run into other DJs who brag that they'll play Slayer right next to Raffi. To me, doing good radio shows doesn't necessarily follow.

[jute gyte]

Mkilly, It's really amusing to me that you blast Hinc for his choices then list really REALLY obvious examples (Steve Reich, Leadbelly) as well as complete pap like Wolfmother. Jesus Christ. What's your favorite chamber work by Corelli? How much Boulez do you listen to? What's your favorite metal band? Probably Wolfmother; sorry I asked. I already know that your favorite blues musician is whatever one Nirvana covered. Fucking daring.

[mkilly]

Mkilly, It's really amusing to me that you blast Hinc for his choices then list really REALLY obvious examples (Steve Reich, Leadbelly) as well as complete pap like Wolfmother. Jesus Christ. What's your favorite chamber work by Corelli? How much Boulez do you listen to? What's your favorite metal band? Probably Wolfmother; sorry I asked. I already know that your favorite blues musician is whatever one Nirvana covered. Fucking daring.

well, let's not get into a pissing contest, here. and let's not dismiss a blues musician just 'cause of his fans. I like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Charley Patton a lot, too, and I'd cite Pink Anderson except you'd tell me I only know him because of Pink Floyd. 'Course Charley Patton's been namedropped by Gomez and Bob Dylan. Sorry I'm not authentic enough. My favorite metal band is Slayer, though Children of Bodom are pretty righteous too. I've heard some Boulez because of Frank Zappa. Corelli I don't know, but I like the chamber music of Shostakovich quite a lot.

Like hinc said, though, the question was what do you like besides rock, not how many names can you drop. I behaved in an asinine way, I acknowledged that. I don't spend tons of time with blues, and I don't think there was much innovation left in the postwar era. I know more about jazz than I do about blues, and I know more about blues than I do about the history of art music from medieval choral to contemporary post-serial music. I repeat myself that I am a student, I like what I like, sorry I was prickish. God damn.

[erik]

but knowledge about music, where its roots lie, knowledge about the performers, helps to appreciate music. it helps to appreciate paintings, sculpture, architecture, graphic design, typography, too. ignorance isn't a virtue.

I hear you, but appreciating things that one doesn't really like isn't a virtue either.

[HeuristicsInc]

"* rock" is rock, and I'd classify alternative, synthpop, goth, jam, AAA, ska, punk, funk as based in rock too.

I feel like this makes for far too small of a list of genres... e.g. punk and progressive rock are pretty different and I wouldn't classify them together. I was looking at rock as just rock. Which could really include things like alternative, sure...

(Have you ever taken a look at the labels Putumayo or Smithsonian Folkways? they put out some really stellar world music.)

Yes Putomayo but not Smithsonian. What do you recommend?

The meat of the matter is that "everything" or "almost everything" does very little to inform. I spoke too soon, since there is a great deal of ambient/electronica/etc. on your list that I maybe conveniently overlooked

Okay, I'll admit I was being a bit flippant in my response. I will answer the question you really asked, and the ones I listen to most would be various forms of electronic, and progressive rock, if you leave out straight rock and pop songs.

but I meant to invite posters here to talk about what they like about different genres, their favorite musicians in those genres, how they incorporate it in their own music, what circumstances they like to listen to it in, and so forth.

That sounds like fodder for a new thread! That sounds like it's gotten out of the scope of DRC.

about that "wow, what daring choices" remark... I thought it was weird to say you dig everything and then I notice two Weird Al songs. but that might be selection bias.

Oh, two recently you mean? That's just my selection of the moment, luck-of-the-draw based on my mood at the time... I've also picked 3 Brad Sucks songs already. 'Cause Brad Sucks rocks. Stick around and you'll see the whole range.

Anyway, no hard feelings, I think we're still friends And just for you I'll pick another jazz song for today. Um... something by Nils Petter Molvaer, I haven't mentioned him yet.
-bill

[sausage boy]

And: Nemesis Enforcer would whoop any other 3 3/4 inch dude.

3) Falser words can not be said. Storm Shadow? Snake Eyes? Tunnel Rat? Zartan? Okay, maybe not Zartan. B.A.T.? Serpentor!?!

In the Transformers/Gi-Joe cross over comics, Snake Eyes beats up Starscream (well, one of the jets, at least). Surely is Snake Eyes can beat a giant robot, he can beat Nemesis Enforcer?