What are you listening to right now?

[sinewav]

Sinewav, you like nothing older than you?

I didn't for a long time. I listened to what was new, and what "my generation" was into. It wasn't until I started to get a full grasp of music that I started to enjoy music of different periods. I get the feeling I'm a bit ignorant of European culture, and ignorant of the youth of today.

[Kijutsu]

By the way, do you play an instrument or have any music training?

piano, classically trained


a fairly new band i like, best coast, released a new album. really liking it.

up all night

[Phytotron]

Sinewav, you like nothing older than you?

I didn't for a long time. I listened to what was new, and what "my generation" was into. It wasn't until I started to get a full grasp of music that I started to enjoy music of different periods.

Hmm, I always listened to older music. Some of the first music I listened to as a youngster was '45s from '50s (mentioned that several pages back with respect to La Bamba), for example. And contrary to what some of you may believe, I was not in fact alive in the 1950's.

I get the feeling I'm a bit ignorant of European culture

Not sure what you mean here. (Is there even such a thing as a "European culture?") I highly doubt that European kids are more likely than American kids to listen to music that predated their generation, if that's what you mean.

Now, European kids may be more likely to check out American music than the reverse, which is kind of funny considering how much some Europeans like to complain about American culture being shoved down their throats while simultaneously gobbling it up. But as for American kids not being interested in music from Europe, well, who can blame them? Really, when was the last time any good music came from over there, especially where relatively popular or original music is concerned? Like, maybe a few English bands in the early 80's? But I'm honestly drawing a blank on anything since. OK, there are bands the likes of The Ex (Netherlands, but started in '79), Uzeda (Sicily) and Three Second Kiss (Italy), or the Kruger Brothers (Switzerland, but they play Americana anyway), but those are all 'underground' type bands. And I know Word is champing at the bit to say Oasis, but they're unadulterated doody. (And by the way, I have no respect for the old "British Invasion" appropriation music they ape, either.) So, I mean, what has Europe produced in the last 25 years that's not just shitty "EDM" they seem to love so much?

[A bit of the preceding paragraph was tongue-in-cheek, but some not. ]

and ignorant of the youth of today.

Well, they were this hardcore band, see.

a fairly new band i like, best coast, released a new album. really liking it.

New(ish) band, old sound. [EDIT:] Just listened to the whole album. Didn't much care for the more upbeat songs like "Let's Go Home," but for the most part otherwise pretty nice. Have you heard The Softies?


Oh yeah...

I like Canned Heat ... and I generally don't like artists who try to imitate some other time period to show they have taste (and don't leave out a single cliché to achieve this....

Apparently the irony here is lost on you.

[sinewav]

I get the feeling I'm a bit ignorant of European culture

Not sure what you mean here.

Right, I guess what I'm saying is European kids may listen to American music without some of the prejudices kids in the USA have. They might think the music is cool regardless of popular trends in the USA. I can imagine me liking some Swedish bands (like this fav of mine) just because they sounded fresh and not because of some kind of peer pressure. I remember being somewhat forced to listen to a lot of crappy bands when I was younger just because all my friends liked them. Here is one example: Sometime in the mid to late 90's a couple friends dragged me against my will to a L.A. Guns concert. I never owned a L.A. Guns record, but I'll be damned if I didn't know the words to every song. Musical osmosis.

It's just I can't quite wrap my head around the power of music, culture, regional influences, and interpersonal relationships. Pretty mind-blowing stuff. Maybe I'm exaggerating?

and ignorant of the youth of today.

Well, they were this hardcore band, see.

Ha! Nice one...

[Phytotron]

Right, I guess what I'm saying is European kids may listen to American music without some of the prejudices kids in the USA have. They might think the music is cool regardless of popular trends in the USA.

Hmm, I have no idea. But, what with the internet and everything else these days, don't the popular trends in the US overlap with those over there? And for that matter, when you have someone like Liz discovering an underground band like Polvo (albeit, relatively well known underground), presumably through last.fm or something, "popular trends" don't even apply.

I can imagine me liking some Swedish bands (like this fav of mine) [Komeda]

Ooh, I'm kinda digging this, too. I'm going to have to listen to more songs.

I remember being somewhat forced to listen to a lot of crappy bands when I was younger just because all my friends liked them. Here is one example: Sometime in the mid to late 90's a couple friends dragged me against my will to a L.A. Guns concert. I never owned a L.A. Guns record, but I'll be damned if I didn't know the words to every song. Musical osmosis.

Goddamnit, that's hilarious. I can't say I had that sort of experience, either. As early as middle school, and to some extent even earlier, seems my friendships were always aligned with musical tastes. And the local music scene was rather vibrant here back in the day, so there was that social element on top of it. My oldest friends are ones with whom I bonded over music when we were kids. The ties that bind, heh.

It's just I can't quite wrap my head around the power of music, culture, regional influences, and interpersonal relationships. Pretty mind-blowing stuff. Maybe I'm exaggerating?

I dunno. Music is everything to me, and my wife--we wouldn't be married otherwise. On the other hand, most people don't really give a shit about real, good music. They may have thousands of (pirated) songs on their iPod or other device, but it's just background music. Oftentimes shitty 'EDM' for the younger generation, 'triple-A' for the older, or what have you, and of course those whose tastes change with the fashion. These people don't even know or care what they're listening to half the time, whereas you could play me 3 seconds or less of any song I have on record and I could name it; hell, I could play the whole thing in my head. Most people don't give a shit about music, not really, and yet feel entitled to it, hence piracy. I think that's what it really comes down to. A lack of respect and appreciation, worsened by the obliteration of music education, combined with a perverse sense of entitlement. But I digress.

[sinewav]

Right, I guess what I'm saying is European kids may listen to American music without some of the prejudices kids in the USA have. They might think the music is cool regardless of popular trends in the USA.

Hmm, I have no idea. But, what with the internet and everything else these days, don't the popular trends in the US overlap with those over there? And for that matter, when you have someone like Liz discovering an underground band like Polvo (albeit, relatively well known underground), presumably through last.fm or something, "popular trends" don't even apply.

True. I think perhaps I have an old, immature way of seeing music and culture based on experiences in my youth which don't apply today. I guess seeing liz's taste in music prods me to fit her into a schema -- but I don't have a good one for it. Oh well. Time for some more personal growth I guess.

[Word]

Apparently the irony here is lost on you.

Oh, yeah! But still, Canned Heat do much more than simple boogie woogie, don't they?

And I know Word is champing at the bit to say Oasis, but they're unadulterated doody.

No, I know how much Oasis borrowed from other bands.
I'd say Travis (far better than Coldplay), mostly for historical reasons (because it's the first band I discovered for myself). I liked some of the earlier stuff by Wir Sind Helden and Ich+Ich (not on youtube).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N5WpoBwkQc
http://tinysong.com/#/result/ich+ich%20ich+ich/
(this is what my sisters like, so I rarely listen to that myself, but I find it OK)

Kate Nash:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGbnK6mDxow

A bit different from Oasis:
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Also, what about Gotye (don't listen to him quite often)? not a secret tip either but deserves consideration imo.

[tacit]

Na Tazzulella 'E Cafe

[Kijutsu]

a fairly new band i like, best coast, released a new album. really liking it.

New(ish) band, old sound. [EDIT:] Just listened to the whole album. Didn't much care for the more upbeat songs like "Let's Go Home," but for the most part otherwise pretty nice. Have you heard The Softies?

Yeah, Best Coast doesn't consist of the best songwriters but the beats and simpleness put me in a happy mood.

Never heard of, any album recommendations?






Listening to my all time favorite album, Unknown Pleasures.

[Phytotron]

None of the above, Word. And most of it, good lawd no. Sorry. And, speaking of Gotye, I think this is amusing: Gotye Vs. The Police (AKA "If Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers were in Gotye"). Definite improvement. That snare hit preceding the final chorus alone makes all the difference in the world (which still isn't saying much).

I gotta say, I don't understand the collaboration with Katy Perry, though.

No, I know how much Oasis borrowed from other bands.

And to be clear, I'm saying I have no respect for those bands, either--the ones classified as part of the "British Invasion." I'm referring to the "British Invasion" bands as cultural appropriators, in the most negative sense of the term. Oasis are just boring regurgitators.

Never heard of, any album recommendations?

Not really, but here's something to get you started: http://www.epitonic.com/artists/the-softies/



You know, another point of consideration, sinewav, may be the fact that so many Europeans have at least a basic understanding of English. That surely accounts for the directionality of musical (and other entertainment) interest.

[Word]

Haha, had no clue that was Katy Perry but thought that girl would look like her somehow..

And to be clear, I'm saying I have no respect for those bands

Oh, I wasn't referring to Blur or other British Invasion bands, but this:
http://www.cracked.com/article_19848_7- ... -hits.html (strictly speaking the only band there is T-Rex though)

[tacit]

Einstein

[Kijutsu]

Is this the Travis you're referring to, Word? 'Cause I love that song.

[Word]

Yes. They're all good. My favourites are all on the second and third album:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8QdgXSlB2Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeCcuH-EsuM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwh3FmpZ7kg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsMu1L9x_Qc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCQ2yCBedqc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvHQkQjEf6Y

(I find the videos boring as hell, but the music is great)

[dreadlord]

http://soundcloud.com/jimlun11/grind-me-maybe