I don’t know much about music, but I know what I like
I’ve updated my last.fm profile, so that it lists the sort of music I like and dislike. I couldn’t fit in the “Everything from Odin Dragonfly to Opeth” line, unfortunately.
Under “I love” I’ve listed the sort of genres where I’m far more likely to like something in that genre that dislike it. I know there are some contemporary prog bands who are a bit rubbish (The Flower Kings?)
- Modern progressive rock
- Symphonic Metal
- Classic 70s and 80s hard rock and metal
- Classic 70s prog-rock
- Anything with great lead guitar
- Male and female vocalists who can actually sing in tune without the aid of pro-tools
- 12-minute songs about Hobbits
- Mellotrons
Under “I cannot stand” I turned the sarcasm meter up to 11. Yes, there are whole genres that leave me cold (Rap and contemporary R’n'B do nothing for me, I’m afraid), but I decided to for the things that really irritate me.
- Corporate landfill indie
- Tuneless scratchy post-punk
- Sausage factory manufactured pop
- Music which is more interesting for pseudo-intellectuals to talk about than to actually listen to
- Tabloid celebrity drug addicts who can’t get their act together
- Bands who put more effort into their haircuts than their actual music
- 3-chord songs about fights outside chip shops sung in fake working-class accents.
- Accordions
So, does anyone know me well enough to say whether or not this sums up my musical taste or not.
September 28th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Despite having listened to the odd thing on Last FM, I’ve never bothered to set up an account until this evening.
Once it had analysed my iTunes history some of the results were quite suprising. My most played track is Magnum’s ‘Kingdom of Madness’ it would seem. Now, whilst I’m a huge Magnum fan, that came as news to me - I guess it’s down to the number of times it crops up on live albums. Similarly, Marillion’s ‘See it Like a Baby’ as second most played is a bit of an eye opener. One of my fave bands, but I’d never have said that was the track I’d played the most. Must be down to the download single, CD single, album version, etc, etc.
OK, it’s not very accurate, as it’s only what I’ve played on my iPod/iTunes and completely ignores the thousands of times I’ve shoved a CD into a CD player (remember when we used to do that?) but it’s all interesting stuff nonetheless.
I took the liberty of adding you as a ‘friend’ as I don’t know anyone else sad enough to trainspot their music with Last FM
Mind you, I’m not sure someone who isn’t a massive Flower Kings fan is the kind of person I should be mixing with! 
September 28th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
You’ll be telling me you love accordions next
September 29th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
After 24 hours I think I love accordians more than Last FM. It picks up anything I play on the PC but ignores a complete day’s play on my iPod - just says there’s nothing to scrobble. Plus it’s caused iTunes to throw a wobbly (not a task that takes much effort, I’ll admit) so all things considered I’m a gnats away from an uninstall.
Anyway, what kind of w*nkword is ’scrobble’ when it’s at home?
September 29th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Don’t use iTunes - that’s a tool of the cult of L.Ron Jobs, isn’t it?
Been tuned into last.fm’s “Radio Mellotron” tonight
September 29th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
‘Don’t use iTunes’
Sage advice, I’ll grant you, but there aren’t many alternatives to an iPod if you want reasonable amounts of storage. And there aren’t many alternatives to iTunes if you’re using the iJob.
Funny how the latest version of iTunes is starting to look more like Windows Media Player, but try telling a MacHead that
(Apologies in advance for any MacSpam you now get on your blog!)
September 29th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
The iJob? Is that what you need an iToilet for?
Are Mac-heads a bit like Scalefour advocates?
September 29th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
‘The iJob? Is that what you need an iToilet for?’
Indeed. Much the same as in iPeed.
‘Are Mac-heads a bit like Scalefour advocates?’
I think so. They won’t accept blood transfusions, or is that Jehovah’s Witnesses?
September 30th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
As a Mac-head who likes accordians (but only in a live folk or morris dancing setting not recorded, ever), I feel I must object
My iPod is scrobbling again now, but it does seem to be an intermittent thing. Yes it is a horrible word, reminds me of scrofula which is something no one wants.
October 1st, 2008 at 8:51 pm
I always liked The Far Side cartoon with two panels. The top one was “Welcome to Heaven, here’s your harp”. Below was “Welcome to Hell, here’s your accordion”.
October 1st, 2008 at 11:17 pm
I used to love “scratchy post-punk”, but the problem is that it’s now been recycled to death by supposedly “new” bands, to the point it’s stale and predictable- all the novelty it once had is gone- it’s just another tried & tested, money-in-the-bank formula. same with punk, indie and guitar pop.
at least with prog rock if there are formulae in the form of the music, they’re less rigid.
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:05 pm
@BB
Not sure about that - there are quite a few rather derivative ‘neo-prog’ bands that churn out unimaginative pastiches of 70s Genesis and Yes much like landfill indie bands endlessly recycle The Kinks and The Smiths.
I won’t name any of them, because Steve Jones might get upset
The big difference is you won’t find them unless you go out looking for them, so only the people predisposed to like that sort of thing will actually get to heard it. This is probably a good thing.