What kinds of music do you like?

[Larks2242 251]

Originally posted by: ilikehotdogsalot

Also, anyone who says modern music is bad is considered ignorant in my book.quote>

Its not bad but you really gotta dig deep underground to find good non comerical music nowadays.

[simfreak90 3]

I don't have anything published before 1950, but my sister is a big fan of Billie Holiday. I do like, but don't own, a lot of 30's and 40's style blues. My grandma has some records from that period that she used to play a lot when I visited.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Originally posted by: simfreak90

I don't have anything published before 1950, but my sister is a big fan of Billie Holiday. I do like, but don't own, a lot of 30's and 40's style blues. My grandma has some records from that period that she used to play a lot when I visited.

quote>

Well, I guess you haven't had time to find other genres.  For openers, why not pick up a copy of some stuff by George Gershwin.  I think you would like Rhapsody in Blue, and some of the popular songs he wrote.  I think a 1930's to 1940's retrospective would put you in a different frame that might be interesting to you.  This was the era of big sound with real instruments, and not much by way of electonic enhancements.  Some of the big band sound in those days is pretty good.

[TheCrybKeeper 301]

Interesting, that you mention Alban Berg Nonny Moose - I am currently attempting to license his works for USA media outlets and orchestras here. Meanwhile, my partners are doing the same in the U.K. and Germany. Philharmonic turned it down, but only after a long period of consideration and there is a very nice side effect from our work, as Bergs work is being talked about more frequently in certain circles.

Eclectic? Well, I certainly believe that I am that. Black metal, progressive rock, to classical and on, to bluegrass, jazz, rockabilly and blues - I love music, as the art form it is. Yes, even rap artists. ICP or Coolio, if it's considered music, I will give it my open minded ears =)

[nathanthemayor 1,263]

I like smooth jazz, movie music, and the nutcracker

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Originally posted by: frndofyaweh

Interesting, that you mention Alban Berg Nonny Moose - I am currently attempting to license his works for USA media outlets and orchestras here. Meanwhile, my partners are doing the same in the U.K. and Germany. Philharmonic turned it down, but only after a long period of consideration and there is a very nice side effect from our work, as Bergs work is being talked about more frequently in certain circles.

Eclectic? Well, I certainly believe that I am that. Black metal, progressive rock, to classical and on, to bluegrass, jazz, rockabilly and blues - I love music, as the art form it is. Yes, even rap artists. ICP or Coolio, if it's considered music, I will give it my open minded ears =)quote>

Interesting you like Berg.  His 12-tone approach used to be only for the cognoscenti.  I find it difficult, but the operas are worth it.

Originally posted by: nathanthemayor

I like smooth jazz, movie music, and the nutcrackerquote>

If you like the Nutcracker, how do you find the rest of Tschaikovsky?  Do you ever listen to other Russian composers like Prokofief or Borodin?  You hear a lot of Borodin in the movies.  The score from the King and I contains some of it. 

Are you a fan of Erich Korngold (MGM's resident composer in the 1930's and on)?  He wrote the score for Gone With the Wind among many others. 

In the UK, you have Richard Adinsell who did scores for The Dam Busters and A Christmas Carol and many others in the British film genre.

[Larks2242 251]

Originally posted by: blade2k5

 So I guess I like a little bit of everything except rap.  Can't stand that garbge.

quote>

Garbage??  Just cause you don't like it don't mean that its garbage, in that case all rock music is noisy garbage.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Originally posted by: Larks2242

Originally posted by: blade2k5

 So I guess I like a little bit of everything except rap.  Can't stand that garbge.

quote>

Garbage??  Just cause you don't like it don't mean that its garbage, in that case all rock music is noisy garbage.quote>

Here, there, now, Larks!  One man's garbage is another man's meat.  I tend to agree that most rap is just obscene black protest blithering.  Music is no excuse to use ugly or theatening language.  Some rap, on the other hand, manages to get some modern poetic thought in front of people who would normally ignore it, so there is some good in it.

There are some classes of rock that I can't stand.  Acid and metal turn me off, even though my brother-in-law is a metal type performer.  Some of the best rock is the early stuff, but there are some good later developments.  My tastes in music are pretty general.  Hell, I even like Hildegarde von Bingen.

And then, of course, there is general humor in music, like this:

nottotallyrad.blogspot.com/2009/11/waking-up-is-hard-to-do.html

[hummer0328 6]

I guess I should clarify what I mean by my a distaste for modern "loud music".  It has less to do with the actual music than what modern sound engineering has done to it, the Loudness Wars.

Like I said, fewer and fewer people just listen to music without distractions.  Music is now so highly portable we take it with us wherever we go.  While driving, studying, surfing the internet, working out, ect...  It is more and more, just something in the background.  So, it is no wonder statistics have shown that the bestselling music is also the loudness. It is most likely to grab somebodies attention while they are busy "not listening to their music".  

Music producers have been very aware of this for quite a while.  And you can bet this has influenced the way music is made.  So, just how has it influenced modern music?  Well, the vast majority of albums have their volumes maximized.  What does this mean?  Basically, there is less and less variation in volume levels of any audible sounds.  It is all equally loud.  This leads to a degradation in dynamic range and makes music far less transparent.  It gives it a much flatter feeling.  

But the majority of people will never be able to hear this while listening to highly compressed mp3 files over their stock 10 cent headphones that came with their ipod.  Most of todays music is engineered with this in mind.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Hummer my friend, I guess that's why I like older recordings.  Of course I prefer live concerts, but not by some of the modern groups who have no idea what the volume control is for, nor how to properly use a mixer.  It is almost impossible to attend a concert these days that doesn't have a "sound engineer" pretending he knows how you like your music.  I far prefer concerts without a "sound system" but they are getting fewer and fewer.

Generally, you have to find a good acoustic venue like a church.  Many churches were built at least a century ago, and they are tuned for sound by the architecture.  It is usually pretty good because the ministers want to be heard everywhere without having to shout.  At the same time, the choir shouldn't have to bellow.  So good architects did a good job.

Some modern venues are pretty good too, but even they err on the side of insurance by using sound systems.  An example is Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto.  It is the home of the Toronto Symphony and it really doesn't need any electronic assistance.  All seats are just about within spitting distance of the stage and there are tunable panels all over.  I haven't been in the new Toronto Four Seasons Center (opera house), but I did see a special on their acoustic tuning.  I don't think they need sound assistance unless the singers are weak sisters and can't sing over the orchestra.  Most opera singers can be heard in a hurricane.  They spend a lot of money training for voice production.

Then there are some of the more recent singers.  Ever listen to Russell Watson?  I've never heard him live, but if the recordings I have are any example, he can project his voice over a football stadium without assistance (I hope).  And Ben Heppner can be heard anywhere without assistance (I actually knew him when he was in the Canadian Opera Ensemble).

There is nothing wrong with sound assistance if it is done right.  The Centre in the Square in Kitchener, Ontario is one example where a little sound engineering is helpful.  Not much, but some.

[EyeofMobius 27]

I will drop in my musical tastes here as exceptionally ecclectic.

A lot of the music I like especially if it seems out of place is because of a strong memory I have asscociated with it; for example Alien Ant Farm's Smooth Criminal, I dont think the song is actually very good but I have a very positive moment asscociated with it.

Generally my tastes have lumps in the following genres:

Grunge

Several variations of Metal

90's alternative

Canadian Alternative

Canadian Folk

Jazz (big names & instrumental, particularly muted trumpet)

well made Satyrical stuff from most genres

Electronica in many forms

Reggae

Punk (not Blink 182 type punk but bands like Dead Kennedys, Sex Pistols, NoFx, Dead Milkmen etc.)

World Music (stuff that cant be heard on mainstream North American media)

Classical (a broad reach but actual sub genres are very mood dependant)

Classic Rock (notably Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers)

Two reccomendations for anyone:

Daikaiju: Kind of a psychedellic instrumental surf rock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjHJQA4VV2k

Jonathan Coulton: Just a guy singing some great songs with social commentary.

@ A Nonny Moose: I Appreciate Rhapsody in Blue quite alot but I shall say that Dvorak's New World Symphony is my favourite piece as I can really feel rises and falls in the tension of that piece better than any other; quite like a good story.

[Larks2242 251]

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

Originally posted by: Larks2242

Originally posted by: blade2k5

 So I guess I like a little bit of everything except rap.  Can't stand that garbge.

quote>

Garbage??  Just cause you don't like it don't mean that its garbage, in that case all rock music is noisy garbage.quote>

Here, there, now, Larks!  One man's garbage is another man's meat.  I tend to agree that most rap is just obscene black protest blithering.  Music is no excuse to use ugly or theatening language. quote>

Sometimes its the only way to get the point across, If you even listed to DMX you'd know what i mean But  anyway its music regardless if its obscene or not.

"Black Protest"???? Why must music have a race, ever heard of Necro or Eminem? That sounds racist and isn't entirely correct.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Originally posted by: Larks2242

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

Originally posted by: Larks2242

Originally posted by: blade2k5

 So I guess I like a little bit of everything except rap.  Can't stand that garbge.

quote>

Garbage??  Just cause you don't like it don't mean that its garbage, in that case all rock music is noisy garbage.quote>

Here, there, now, Larks!  One man's garbage is another man's meat.  I tend to agree that most rap is just obscene black protest blithering.  Music is no excuse to use ugly or theatening language. quote>

Sometimes its the only way to get the point across, If you even listed to DMX you'd know what i mean But  anyway its music regardless if its obscene or not.

"Black Protest"???? Why must music have a race, ever heard of Necro or Eminem? That sounds racist and isn't entirely correct.quote>

Well, most of the disgusting rap I have heard has come out of the black ghetto in L.A.  There is nothing racist about facts.

[grimeytime 0]

oldskool east coast hip hop

reggae

grime

funk

oldskool r&b

jackin house

oh and jungle

sum drum and bass (no modern jump-up)

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Originally posted by: grimeytime

oldskool east coast hip hop

reggae

grime

funk

oldskool r&b

jackin house

oh and jungle

sum drum and bass (no modern jump-up)

quote>

Too young for me.  Have you ever listened to anything else?  What about old-fashioned rock?

[Larks2242 251]

Jackin house?

Oh and jungle?

Sum drum and bass?

Gotta say those are all new to me.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Wow, Larks, I was afraid I had missed something significant.  I am glad you have no idea what that stuff is either.  And I assume old skool (sic) is some new genre that I've never heard of either.  That is unless the writer meant Old School, in which I believe the correct term is classical.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Old skool rap as it is spelled means early rap. This means the first 10 years of rap in the United States, primarily gansta rap.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Is that gansta or gangsta?  In any case, I abhor that stuff.

[panthersimcity4 162]

Originally posted by: ilikehotdogsalot

Also, anyone who says modern music is bad is considered ignorant in my book.quote>

People who say that are generally those who only hear Justin Bieber or Ke$ha on the radio. (If any of you don't know who either one of those are, consider yourself very lucky) Alot of modern music isn't so bad though...  I like Florence + the Machine for example.

I can't stand gangsta rap... mostly because it's vulgar and just plain bad.  I do however like Old School Hip Hop, such as Afrika Bambaataa or Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five... and I also like Run-DMC.  I always liked electronic and dance music... in recent years I've got into New Wave music of the 1980's... currently my favorite band has to be New Order.

[grimeytime 0]

how can you not know what jungle or drum and bass or grime are, your american right?

oldskool grime tapes off the pirates like deja92.3 are favouittre tho nuff hype n vibes

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: Larks2242

Originally posted by: blade2k5

 So I guess I like a little bit of everything except rap.  Can't stand that garbge.

quote>

Garbage??  Just cause you don't like it don't mean that its garbage, in that case all rock music is noisy garbage.quote>

It's all an opinion and matter of taste, no need to get your pants bunched up over it.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Originally posted by: grimeytime

how can you not know what jungle or drum and bass or grime are, your american right?

oldskool grime tapes off the pirates like deja92.3 are favouittre tho nuff hype n vibes

quote>

No, I am Canadian and old enough to remember all the words to "There'll be Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover" and who sang it.

[EyeofMobius 27]

Alas I am not yet 30 and considered myself abreast of new music until I had to have emo explained to me. I have never heard of grime but i do like grunge but my guess through word asscociation that it is yet another sub-genre of the electronica category. I'm of the opinion that the only distinct sub-genres of electronica are trance and hardcore; one mellows you out the other sets you on edge in a very hyperactive way and everything in between is electronica. Just like metal is metal, punk is punk, rock is rock and alternative sits in the middle of all those encompassing a ton of stuff. And pop-factory music of any-genre typically makes my skin crawl.

In the essence of the holidays I will add to this coversation to say that the only christmas song I look forward to over the holidays is the Twelve days of Christmas as performed by Bob & Doug McKenzie.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

That was a great belly laugh.

The only Christmas music I really like is the score by Richard Addinsell for the motion picture version of The Hammer (A Christmas Carol).  Dickens wasn't kidding.  Where is our Charles Dickens now?  It sure isn't ;Assange.

Monday, 13 December 2010

Giving this a little more thought, are we more traditionalist carollers, or do we like the modern interpretations?  There are some I like, but some of them give me the nauseating disgusts.  Some of the so-called vocal stylists that tackle things like Silent Night with turns and decorations where they don't belong creep me out.  As far as I am concerned, vocal stylist means that the singer can't make the note on the first try and slide around trying to arrive on it.

[ZackAttack 0]

And I thought everyone loves "Jingle Bell Rocks" from the movie "Mean Girls"

Hm.... they don't play any Christmas songs over here :-( love the season of holidays back in the states.

Well surprises to me myself is that I'm listening mostly over 50% to the 80s 70s and 60s music, but every time I play a song that was a hit my parents go crazy and yell "TURN IT UP" just to name a few Blondie, Toto, The Beach Boys, these are just on my mind right now.

The rest of my time listening to music is mostly Trance, Dance and Electronic. I myself indulge to some of Ke$ha and top 40 songs (guilty as charged )

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Hey, Zack, Merry Christmas, and where is over here?  If you play '60s stuff, do you play folk?

[Larks2242 251]

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

Wow, Larks, I was afraid I had missed something significant.  I am glad you have no idea what that stuff is either.  And I assume old skool (sic) is some new genre that I've never heard of either.  That is unless the writer meant Old School, in which I believe the correct term is classical.

quote>

No he is right its spelled old skool stuff like the early  is consider that. Cause it has more an aged feel also cause of it being out of the 80s.

Is that gansta or gangsta? quote>

Its gangsta, The geto boys are a perfect example of that type of music. Or also N.W.A, then in gets into gang affiliated rappers such as bloods and crips ect.

[ZackAttack 0]

Thanks!

Well I'm living in the middle east, Syria to be exact and in a city called Aleppo it's quite old so old that it's one of the oldest cities out there!

Sorry I don't listen to that much folk music.

Happy Holidays

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Aleppo was (is?) a seaport.  It is mentioned in Shakespeare, so it must really be old.

"Her husband's to Aleppo gone

"The master of the Tiger.

"Hither will I in a sieve,

"And I'll do, and I'll do, and I'll do

"For though his barque may not be lost

"Yet it may be tempest tossed"  - The Scottish Play