continuing adventures in the search for the perfect song
So, music angst is not like, a new thing for me; see the music tag for the various ways I make music into this life-ending issue of issues. And yes, it's an Issue, because in my thirty-three years on this planet, I still don't know what makes a song click.
For a while, I was sure that I didn't really like hip-hop or rock all that much. I was sure of this, up until the Great Ipod Organization of August 2009 where I went through 1907 songs in my active library and started adding notes to the ones that I associated with vids and correcting for genre, then adding a note--no, still not kidding--to indicate which songs I'd written fic to and what fic and in some cases the time period so you know, what the fuck. It seemed like a good idea at the time
At which time, I realized I had three playlists worth of hip-hop that I listened to pretty regularly. I just didn't write to it. I took it to work or when I was exercising or when I took walks because it was energetic. Because no one sane puts on goddamn Pucifer or Elegia to take a walk; I used to have Korn and A Perfect Circle and Muse for that and I always ended up not so much relaxed as vaguely destructive and hostile. Also, as it turns out, half my music is technically rock or alt-rock so whatever. So what I like to write to is that moody stuff I put on the playlists Atlantis Project and Cut Your Wrists and End of the World (no, I really named them this. I'll screenshot my iTunes to prove it. I'm pretty much always about one good break with reality from liquid black eyeliner and black hair dye, you see. Why hide it?).
This is my epiphany. Apparently the only thing I don't have a chunk of library attached to is indie rock, because I live in Austin and listening to Indie in Austin is totes selling out. Or maybe I'm just tired of music where the primary instrument is a guitar in minor while people with strangely shaped facial hair have existential crises on stage. Trust me, if you had to live your entire life within thirty miles of South by Southwest and every place with electricity shows a band every night, it starts to wear on you. I've been tempted to get a Britney Spears concert t-shirt next time I go downtown to express my solidarity with mainstream. I don't care if it's hollow and plastic and soulless--it does not induce the desire to get high, smoke cloves, and read Ayn Rand and embrace quasi-anarchism, and honestly, I am way too busy for a real try at anarchism.
New to Me
Every Time I Try by Absence of Concern, youtube link - Genius recommendation, two steps off One Less Reason. I came back three times to listen to it, so while it does not rock my socks or anything, the chorus really works for me. I think it's one of those that will end up being hideously significant to me at some point and won't remember I was lukewarm at first.
Favorite Color by One Less Reason, youtube link - okay, see, when I was downloading their music in August, I didn't like this one. However, the fact I obsessively played two other songs of theirs while writing Trek apparently changed my music brain waves or something, because while I do not love it, I like the beat and I am seriously working the chorus.
[Hinder probably didn't help with that; they have a similar general sound, so I have the unpleasant feeling I'm bonding to this style.]
Still Around by 3OH!3, youtube link - this is my favorite in this batch, found three steps from One Less Reason (or four? I need to screenshot the Seperis Music Process one day) and felt very zen listening. This reminds me of something, which means this is in that mental list of Songs Based on Music I Heard During a Significant Moment in My Life but No Clue Which One. I'm thinking my freshman year of college, but I wasn't really musicy back then, so possibly it my mid-twenties. *hands* No clue. But I relax and feel vaguely like I need to get high while listening, so who knows.
All That's Best In You by One Less Reason, youtube link - okay, right now, I dn't like this song, but if experience is any indicator, I will from the minimal guitar thing going on there. I don't know usually what I like, but sometimes, I will know I will like it one day. It feels very moody chocolate.
Paparazzi by Lady GaGa, youtube link - *hands* Blame Trek. I associate Lady Gaga with James Kirk. Blame talitha78. I also have Just Dance, so you know. There you go. Goddamn Jim.
I'm Sorry by Advent, still searching for link - this one is a grower. I didn't like it at first, second, or third hear, but I kept going back and listening a little more. It doesn't like, outright offend my ears or anything; I think this one is a sneaker. It's background enough to listen when I'm writing, but interesting enough not to make me impatient.
Here I Am by Mercy Falls, still searching for link - this sounds like so many songs its ridiculous, but that's okay, because I like familiar and this is very familiar. I keep thinking Lifehouse, but maybe closer to Three Doors Down for this song, I'm not sure.
Party in the U.S.A by Miley Cyrus, youtube link - I embrace the lack of shame by posting not only did I get this, I like it. It's bouncy. It puts me in a good mood. I feel solidarity with my teenage roots. It's fun to listen to. Is it just me or is her voice a little nasal? Keep in mind her dad was a significant part of sixteen year old me's puberty, so go with it.
Second Chance by Shinedown, youtube link - I--don't know? I like their other stuff, so I can put this on background and its' familiar and comforting. I'm pretty sure I sing along, but I have no idea what its about, but it mentions parents, so I'm going on a limb that this is some kind of growing-up-and-moving thing? Maybe? IDK
Still Don't Like No Matter What Genius Says
Burning Season - I have learned to loathe them because they show up on almost every Listeners Also Bought ever. I mean, I used to be more, eh, not my thing. But now, I see their name and start hating the word burn. I have no idea how to convince Genius that if they keep showing me that, I'm going to snap and start plotting how to hack into iTunes store and erase that goddamn band.
Deadsun and Soul Harbor are also showing up just a bit too much, but I'm still letting them live. Mostly because I can't figure out how I'm getting them on the curve. I sampled every song and they just do not work for me, but Genius does not believe it and it's at two steps from everything.
I think if anyone ever asked me to characterize myself by my music, it would be "Embraces Mainstream Like a Religion" with a side of "Has Problems Admitting Love of Rock" and "Power Ballads Are My Life". I don't understand how I could go to a liberal arts college, be forced to attend more indy bands in tiny, smelly bars, be inundated with Kurt Cobain and the entire Seattle subgenre and end up like this.
For a while, I was sure that I didn't really like hip-hop or rock all that much. I was sure of this, up until the Great Ipod Organization of August 2009 where I went through 1907 songs in my active library and started adding notes to the ones that I associated with vids and correcting for genre, then adding a note--no, still not kidding--to indicate which songs I'd written fic to and what fic and in some cases the time period so you know, what the fuck. It seemed like a good idea at the time
At which time, I realized I had three playlists worth of hip-hop that I listened to pretty regularly. I just didn't write to it. I took it to work or when I was exercising or when I took walks because it was energetic. Because no one sane puts on goddamn Pucifer or Elegia to take a walk; I used to have Korn and A Perfect Circle and Muse for that and I always ended up not so much relaxed as vaguely destructive and hostile. Also, as it turns out, half my music is technically rock or alt-rock so whatever. So what I like to write to is that moody stuff I put on the playlists Atlantis Project and Cut Your Wrists and End of the World (no, I really named them this. I'll screenshot my iTunes to prove it. I'm pretty much always about one good break with reality from liquid black eyeliner and black hair dye, you see. Why hide it?).
This is my epiphany. Apparently the only thing I don't have a chunk of library attached to is indie rock, because I live in Austin and listening to Indie in Austin is totes selling out. Or maybe I'm just tired of music where the primary instrument is a guitar in minor while people with strangely shaped facial hair have existential crises on stage. Trust me, if you had to live your entire life within thirty miles of South by Southwest and every place with electricity shows a band every night, it starts to wear on you. I've been tempted to get a Britney Spears concert t-shirt next time I go downtown to express my solidarity with mainstream. I don't care if it's hollow and plastic and soulless--it does not induce the desire to get high, smoke cloves, and read Ayn Rand and embrace quasi-anarchism, and honestly, I am way too busy for a real try at anarchism.
New to Me
Every Time I Try by Absence of Concern, youtube link - Genius recommendation, two steps off One Less Reason. I came back three times to listen to it, so while it does not rock my socks or anything, the chorus really works for me. I think it's one of those that will end up being hideously significant to me at some point and won't remember I was lukewarm at first.
Favorite Color by One Less Reason, youtube link - okay, see, when I was downloading their music in August, I didn't like this one. However, the fact I obsessively played two other songs of theirs while writing Trek apparently changed my music brain waves or something, because while I do not love it, I like the beat and I am seriously working the chorus.
[Hinder probably didn't help with that; they have a similar general sound, so I have the unpleasant feeling I'm bonding to this style.]
Still Around by 3OH!3, youtube link - this is my favorite in this batch, found three steps from One Less Reason (or four? I need to screenshot the Seperis Music Process one day) and felt very zen listening. This reminds me of something, which means this is in that mental list of Songs Based on Music I Heard During a Significant Moment in My Life but No Clue Which One. I'm thinking my freshman year of college, but I wasn't really musicy back then, so possibly it my mid-twenties. *hands* No clue. But I relax and feel vaguely like I need to get high while listening, so who knows.
All That's Best In You by One Less Reason, youtube link - okay, right now, I dn't like this song, but if experience is any indicator, I will from the minimal guitar thing going on there. I don't know usually what I like, but sometimes, I will know I will like it one day. It feels very moody chocolate.
Paparazzi by Lady GaGa, youtube link - *hands* Blame Trek. I associate Lady Gaga with James Kirk. Blame talitha78. I also have Just Dance, so you know. There you go. Goddamn Jim.
I'm Sorry by Advent, still searching for link - this one is a grower. I didn't like it at first, second, or third hear, but I kept going back and listening a little more. It doesn't like, outright offend my ears or anything; I think this one is a sneaker. It's background enough to listen when I'm writing, but interesting enough not to make me impatient.
Here I Am by Mercy Falls, still searching for link - this sounds like so many songs its ridiculous, but that's okay, because I like familiar and this is very familiar. I keep thinking Lifehouse, but maybe closer to Three Doors Down for this song, I'm not sure.
Party in the U.S.A by Miley Cyrus, youtube link - I embrace the lack of shame by posting not only did I get this, I like it. It's bouncy. It puts me in a good mood. I feel solidarity with my teenage roots. It's fun to listen to. Is it just me or is her voice a little nasal? Keep in mind her dad was a significant part of sixteen year old me's puberty, so go with it.
Second Chance by Shinedown, youtube link - I--don't know? I like their other stuff, so I can put this on background and its' familiar and comforting. I'm pretty sure I sing along, but I have no idea what its about, but it mentions parents, so I'm going on a limb that this is some kind of growing-up-and-moving thing? Maybe? IDK
Still Don't Like No Matter What Genius Says
Burning Season - I have learned to loathe them because they show up on almost every Listeners Also Bought ever. I mean, I used to be more, eh, not my thing. But now, I see their name and start hating the word burn. I have no idea how to convince Genius that if they keep showing me that, I'm going to snap and start plotting how to hack into iTunes store and erase that goddamn band.
Deadsun and Soul Harbor are also showing up just a bit too much, but I'm still letting them live. Mostly because I can't figure out how I'm getting them on the curve. I sampled every song and they just do not work for me, but Genius does not believe it and it's at two steps from everything.
I think if anyone ever asked me to characterize myself by my music, it would be "Embraces Mainstream Like a Religion" with a side of "Has Problems Admitting Love of Rock" and "Power Ballads Are My Life". I don't understand how I could go to a liberal arts college, be forced to attend more indy bands in tiny, smelly bars, be inundated with Kurt Cobain and the entire Seattle subgenre and end up like this.