like a preacher stealing hearts at a travelling show
In response to frozenemerald's music ethnography post/query, as there's no way this will fit in a comment. I keep thinking of lines from High Fidelity writing this up, and then snickering, given how much she can't stand that movie.
Soundtrack for this post:
Erasure, “Ship of Fools”
Kate Bush, “Hounds of Love”
Florence & the Machine,”Howl,” “Shake It Out” (dedicating that one specifically to all my wonderful ladies)
Sam & Dave, “Hold On, I'm Coming”
Alex Clare, “Too Close”
The Beatles, “I Want To Hold Your Hand”
[1] What is your earliest memory of music?
Went into more detail in L's post, but probably my mom and grandmother singing lullabies to me. I distinctly remember watching Sleeping Beauty at c.3/4yo, and while I know I probably wasn't remotely cognizant of the music then, the ballet has become and remains one of my favorite pieces of music. I came across a worn-out old WeeSing tape during a move once. Usual Sesame Street exposure. All the famous classical pieces in original recipe Looney Tunes; an extremely casual fantastic intro-education that Kids These Days are definitely missing out on.
[2] What album/strong had the strongest effect/influence on you?
I don't think I have one, for better or for worse. Like, thank whatever, I never e.g. listened to the Greatful Dead/what have you and experienced a complete change of life philosophy. And I think it just has to do with my personal wiring-I like to think I enjoy and can be profoundly moved by music, but I guess just not profoundly enough for any *one* thing in particular to have had a specific, driving influence. [And L said I was not allowed to use books, so I just have to sit here and twitch.]
[3] What do you listen to now and how does it compare to the past you?
The core stuff is the same? My dad was the classic rock fan, so I had that growing up (side note: every now and then I wonder if anyone has empirically compared misogynistic or just otherwise general women-deprecating lyrics for Zeppelin and the Stones to see who comes out ahead), and still listen to that. I'd say my favorite bands as a teenager were U2 by far (hello, Live At Red Rocks; dug it out of the library bin along with Nick Cave's Let Love In, so there's a pairing) and maybe The Doors (somewhere, K is suddenly making derisive noises and not sure why). I still like them, but maybe 5? years ago, I had a profound and severe disconnection from nearly everything I listened to. You know how you can step outside of enjoying what you're listening to and objectively see it for what it is? That, for everything. I couldn't turn on the radio because it was all just so much noise; I couldn't process music at all and think. So I started listening to NPR exclusively because that I wanted to listen to something and it was the only music I could tolerate and still function while listening to it. I think it really took about two years to be able to listen to anything else for any length of time, and there's still a lot of music that I've just gone off of. I guess to actually answer the question, I listened to a lot more classic rock, etc in high school, but not so much now as I do the collective '80s/New Wave/New Order/Depeche Mode/etc umbrella.
Personal Music History notes:
[1] We used to have a piano when I was growing up; IIRC, it was in fact my mother's childhood piano. I tried to teach myself how to play once (I think we see all the problems right there) by pencilling the note names on the underside of the keys, because understanding/remembering scales and note relations was so far from remotely intuitive for me. Mom erased them, and that was kind of the end of that. I do remember whipping out the hymnals as a kid prior to this, picking random songs, and making up my own music while singing the words.
[2] Grunge hit while I was in elementary school, so between that and my range of cultural exposure/influences, it was not really something I had any exposure to/awareness of. I do remember the “cool, alternative” kids arguing about the lyrics to "All Apologies," which I only connected much later. [I was not remotely cool. I was a massive, massively awkward dork. The more things change, right?]
[3] I know I had other cassettes, but the only “adult” one I remember having was Paula Abdul's Spellbound. We didn't have cable, so it was always fun to catch the Rebel W/o a Cause-esque “Rush, Rush” when I was at my nan's. Side note: I've come around to being firmly of the opinion Halifax's cover of “Straight Up” is better than the original.
[4] I'm pretty sure this was one of the first times I ever went to naeelah's house, back when we were in middle school(??). We played Star Wars Trivial Pursuit and she exposed me to the Smashing Pumpkins. They didn't really take for me at the time (sorry, K, I remember thinking,”what is this noise?”), but I eventually grew to appreciate them.
[5] One of my father's favorite bands (if not the favorite) is The Moody Blues. Kill me now. To each his own, I have my own terrible/inexplicable likes, but just, kill me now.
[6] Tears For Fears' Songs From the Big Chair on repeat got me through a world history paper on education reform in 19th century Prussia.
[7] Regardless of actual lyric content, Zeppelin's “Fool in the Rain” was my hopeful, upbeat high school crush anthem. It always put me in a good mood, and for years I specifically refused to ever acquire it because I only wanted to hear it randomly and unexpectedly.
[8] Borrowed a music theory/history book from one of K's classes in high school and finally learned (a) what the bass and treble clefs were and (b) what they were for! It was probably mentioned at some point in grade school music, but I have/had zero memory of it, and spent years wondering what the hell they meant on sheet music.
[9] Due mostly to naeelah, I have in fact been to some decent concerts.
[a] Pretty sure the first “official” one I ever went to was going w/ her to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers when they came to town (and seriously, almost nothing ever comes through here; it's usually Atlanta or Charlotte, and less occasionally, Columbia). First time I met frozenemerald (hey!). Let's see: also, Tori Amos, Radiohead (where I lost my copy of Lenny Bruce's How to Talk Dirty and Influence People, sigh), Bella Morte, and others I've apparently forgotten in my encroaching senility.
[b] Because of her music classes, we spent a lot of time in high school going to local orchestra concerts. We were classical groupies! I LOVED this. My kind of experience. I really need to get back into it.
[c] Last concert I went to: tagged along with L to The Black Keys in Charlotte earlier this summer. Good show.
[10] Once upon a time, my mother listened to basically, I don't know, top 40? Then a few years ago she switched over to contemporary Christian. Driver picks the tune, shotgun shuts their cakehole, I know, and there are in fact (less than) a handful that don't try my every last nerve, but. Could be worse, I suppose. She could like country.
[11] Tempo matters. There is just some music, regardless of genre, where the pacing absolutely kills my ability to listen to it at all. Jam bands of whatever ilk, anything meandering - seriously, it kills my will to live.
[12] I still miss the '80s-specific station that got gobbled by a bunch of unsuccessful revolving formats. 97.7 is almost as good, but I really liked the rebroadcasts of Nina Blackwood's New Wave Nation show they did on Sunday nights, because man alive but is Sunday night DEAD AIR on the radio. We need a new '60s pop/Motown/oldies station, though.
[13] Looking at my music folder, I'm pretty sure it's probably fairly evenly split between male and female singers, but for whatever reason I tend to usually prefer the lady vocalists. This is mostly just a bullet point to justify mentioning: Kate Bush! Natasha Khan! Florence Welch! (extremely limited time/genre focus!)
[13] I do in fact listen to music that's not '80s pop. I swear. The end.
Soundtrack for this post:
[1] What is your earliest memory of music?
Went into more detail in L's post, but probably my mom and grandmother singing lullabies to me. I distinctly remember watching Sleeping Beauty at c.3/4yo, and while I know I probably wasn't remotely cognizant of the music then, the ballet has become and remains one of my favorite pieces of music. I came across a worn-out old WeeSing tape during a move once. Usual Sesame Street exposure. All the famous classical pieces in original recipe Looney Tunes; an extremely casual fantastic intro-education that Kids These Days are definitely missing out on.
[2] What album/strong had the strongest effect/influence on you?
I don't think I have one, for better or for worse. Like, thank whatever, I never e.g. listened to the Greatful Dead/what have you and experienced a complete change of life philosophy. And I think it just has to do with my personal wiring-I like to think I enjoy and can be profoundly moved by music, but I guess just not profoundly enough for any *one* thing in particular to have had a specific, driving influence. [And L said I was not allowed to use books, so I just have to sit here and twitch.]
[3] What do you listen to now and how does it compare to the past you?
The core stuff is the same? My dad was the classic rock fan, so I had that growing up (side note: every now and then I wonder if anyone has empirically compared misogynistic or just otherwise general women-deprecating lyrics for Zeppelin and the Stones to see who comes out ahead), and still listen to that. I'd say my favorite bands as a teenager were U2 by far (hello, Live At Red Rocks; dug it out of the library bin along with Nick Cave's Let Love In, so there's a pairing) and maybe The Doors (somewhere, K is suddenly making derisive noises and not sure why). I still like them, but maybe 5? years ago, I had a profound and severe disconnection from nearly everything I listened to. You know how you can step outside of enjoying what you're listening to and objectively see it for what it is? That, for everything. I couldn't turn on the radio because it was all just so much noise; I couldn't process music at all and think. So I started listening to NPR exclusively because that I wanted to listen to something and it was the only music I could tolerate and still function while listening to it. I think it really took about two years to be able to listen to anything else for any length of time, and there's still a lot of music that I've just gone off of. I guess to actually answer the question, I listened to a lot more classic rock, etc in high school, but not so much now as I do the collective '80s/New Wave/New Order/Depeche Mode/etc umbrella.
Personal Music History notes:
[1] We used to have a piano when I was growing up; IIRC, it was in fact my mother's childhood piano. I tried to teach myself how to play once (I think we see all the problems right there) by pencilling the note names on the underside of the keys, because understanding/remembering scales and note relations was so far from remotely intuitive for me. Mom erased them, and that was kind of the end of that. I do remember whipping out the hymnals as a kid prior to this, picking random songs, and making up my own music while singing the words.
[2] Grunge hit while I was in elementary school, so between that and my range of cultural exposure/influences, it was not really something I had any exposure to/awareness of. I do remember the “cool, alternative” kids arguing about the lyrics to "All Apologies," which I only connected much later. [I was not remotely cool. I was a massive, massively awkward dork. The more things change, right?]
[3] I know I had other cassettes, but the only “adult” one I remember having was Paula Abdul's Spellbound. We didn't have cable, so it was always fun to catch the Rebel W/o a Cause-esque “Rush, Rush” when I was at my nan's. Side note: I've come around to being firmly of the opinion Halifax's cover of “Straight Up” is better than the original.
[4] I'm pretty sure this was one of the first times I ever went to naeelah's house, back when we were in middle school(??). We played Star Wars Trivial Pursuit and she exposed me to the Smashing Pumpkins. They didn't really take for me at the time (sorry, K, I remember thinking,”what is this noise?”), but I eventually grew to appreciate them.
[5] One of my father's favorite bands (if not the favorite) is The Moody Blues. Kill me now. To each his own, I have my own terrible/inexplicable likes, but just, kill me now.
[6] Tears For Fears' Songs From the Big Chair on repeat got me through a world history paper on education reform in 19th century Prussia.
[7] Regardless of actual lyric content, Zeppelin's “Fool in the Rain” was my hopeful, upbeat high school crush anthem. It always put me in a good mood, and for years I specifically refused to ever acquire it because I only wanted to hear it randomly and unexpectedly.
[8] Borrowed a music theory/history book from one of K's classes in high school and finally learned (a) what the bass and treble clefs were and (b) what they were for! It was probably mentioned at some point in grade school music, but I have/had zero memory of it, and spent years wondering what the hell they meant on sheet music.
[9] Due mostly to naeelah, I have in fact been to some decent concerts.
[a] Pretty sure the first “official” one I ever went to was going w/ her to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers when they came to town (and seriously, almost nothing ever comes through here; it's usually Atlanta or Charlotte, and less occasionally, Columbia). First time I met frozenemerald (hey!). Let's see: also, Tori Amos, Radiohead (where I lost my copy of Lenny Bruce's How to Talk Dirty and Influence People, sigh), Bella Morte, and others I've apparently forgotten in my encroaching senility.
[b] Because of her music classes, we spent a lot of time in high school going to local orchestra concerts. We were classical groupies! I LOVED this. My kind of experience. I really need to get back into it.
[c] Last concert I went to: tagged along with L to The Black Keys in Charlotte earlier this summer. Good show.
[10] Once upon a time, my mother listened to basically, I don't know, top 40? Then a few years ago she switched over to contemporary Christian. Driver picks the tune, shotgun shuts their cakehole, I know, and there are in fact (less than) a handful that don't try my every last nerve, but. Could be worse, I suppose. She could like country.
[11] Tempo matters. There is just some music, regardless of genre, where the pacing absolutely kills my ability to listen to it at all. Jam bands of whatever ilk, anything meandering - seriously, it kills my will to live.
[12] I still miss the '80s-specific station that got gobbled by a bunch of unsuccessful revolving formats. 97.7 is almost as good, but I really liked the rebroadcasts of Nina Blackwood's New Wave Nation show they did on Sunday nights, because man alive but is Sunday night DEAD AIR on the radio. We need a new '60s pop/Motown/oldies station, though.
[13] Looking at my music folder, I'm pretty sure it's probably fairly evenly split between male and female singers, but for whatever reason I tend to usually prefer the lady vocalists. This is mostly just a bullet point to justify mentioning: Kate Bush! Natasha Khan! Florence Welch! (extremely limited time/genre focus!)
[13] I do in fact listen to music that's not '80s pop. I swear. The end.