So I've been listening to the radio a lot lately. I've got a 45 minute commute to work each day, so may as well, huh? Searching the dial, I've come up that the stations I listen to the most are the hard/alternative rock stations, and a couple of "today's mix/variety" thrown in for good measure. And I've discovered I'm really starting to like bands like Linkin Park and Godsmack...along those lines. I never really got into that kinda music when I was younger and more impressionable. Hell, my parents were the masters of the radio on the family road trips, so I ended up growing up on oldies. So these are bands I never thought I'd like, and I actually end up liking them. Though, for now, I'm still in the mindset of only liking one or two songs from each band (the ones that are on the top of the rotation, usually). So most of my commute is scanning the dial in search of these few songs to listen to. For the most part it works; I can find a few of the songs I like. Though, if I had to prioritize, these are songs that would closer to the middle/bottom rather than top. For example, I'm running the risk of burning out on "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age, even though it ranks on my list. Top of my list is "Bring Me to Life", by Evanescence...it's hard for me to imagine EVER getting tired of that song :)

Another song I like, though it deviates a little from the rest is "All Those Things She Said", by t.a.T.u. (I think that's how it's officially spelled, I dunno). Yeah, it borders on techno...I'll get to that in a minute. My point here is, when I first heard the song, I liked it. (I still do, don't get me wrong, just bear with me here). So, trying to figure out the name of the song, I come up on one of their unofficial websites, www.tatu.us. I'm only looking for the name of the song, so I only see pretty much the main page. On it are pics of the two girls, and a pic (drawing?) of them manga-style. In bed. In their underwear. This, of course, piqued my curiosity, and my imagination. But I was content just with that and continued to enjoy the song. Then I decide to learn more about them, and delve a little deeper into this website. I learn they're both Russian, and like 15 years old. And there seems to be some kind of controversy about them exploring homosexuality with each other. Heck, that's what the song is pretty much about. Their biographies on this page read like some kind of contract signing..."I, , being of sound mind and sound body...", etc. I'm not sure whether that's due to fractured English, or just poor translation, or what. In any event, all this information put a bit creepy spin on the whole thing. Am I a bad person for liking a techno-style song sung by 15-year-old Russian lesbians? (The correct answer is: No, Tim, it's all in your head. Shut up and enjoy the song.) To clarify: my problem with this is not the lesbianism...it's that they're *15-years-old* and exploring lesbianism. I think I wrote more on this subject than I probably should have.

So you might be saying to yourself, "Eeww! He likes techno?" Well, short answer: yes. BUT, only a little. More accurately, I like the techno sound, but it's not anything I listen to regularly or dance to. (As if I could dance.) To answer one of those oft-asked questions ("What kind of music do you like?"): I like what I call "powerful" music. Music from almost any genre that gets into your heart through the bass line, grabs you by the reproductive organs (so girls know what I'm talking about too) and forces you to bang some part of your body...head, pelvis, what have you. Chords and harmonies then can either bring you to tears, or to some kind of epiphany-like re-awakening. By that I mean your jaw hits the floor and you kinda tilt your head and say, "ooo..." - think monster pipe organ chord. Music that makes you feel good. Sure, slow songs are OK once in a while, but they get boring quick. Plus there's too many weepy songs about lost love and depression and stuff...I've got enough of that as it is, I need music to pick up my spirits. Like Barenaked Ladies or They Might Be Giants; silly songs that make give you a laugh. Repetitiveness gets boring too, which is why I generally don't like hip-hop, R&B, rap, country, reggae...there might be some more there. Exceptions: I like Shania Twain...she puts a little more pop into her music, plus she's smoking HOT...put Shakira into that category as well, though her voice is a *little* too all-over-the-place (wait, put them together...ahhhh...oh, where was I?)...I kinda like Eminem's "Lose Yourself", but again, that's another high burnout risk factor, plus I don't like Eminem on principle...that goes for boy bands too. See? Boy bands: interesting harmonics/sounds, but if I ever admit to myself that I like the band, I'd have to beat myself up severely. And did you notice too that all of Eminem's songs are about himself?

So I can't call myself a music lover by the standards of the "music industry". But I do love music, since I had been in concert band all through elementary and high schools, plus I was in the UMass Minuteman Marching Band in college. Yes, I am a band geek. With that kind of background, I've noticed I tend to like music more for the music, and not necessarily the lyrics or message it tries to convey. So classical music ranks fairly high on my list of favorite muscial genres.

To wrap up, the short answer to "What kind of music do you like?": Most everything...I don't have any particular favorite. (with exceptions)

posted by Tim at 2:22 AM