How do you choose music

[Longcol]

Read the reviews in Q, the Guardian, plus recommendations from my 2 lads and anyone I get talking to music about really - might be students in the pub, people at work, couple of my old mates (although they don't seem to have heard of anything released since 1980) - then listen to it on Spotify before I decide if I'm going to buy.

[EdnaKrabappe]

When I was a wee nipper, the top 40 - I wouldn't recommend that now.

When I got to 10/11, I used to go to a youth club where i was lucky enough to meet the DJ, Grandad Dave. He saw me as a little protegee and extended my knowledge of 60's music, particularly Stax, Motown and Northern soul. I'm eternally grateful to him, he would lend me records and tell me to bring them back the following week. I'd love them by then. Also at that age, Smash Hits which was incredibly witty and well written

 

Mid teens, Annie Nightingale in her Sunday night guise. She gave me The Smiths, Wedding present, Prefab Sprout, Aztec Camera, Everything but the girl. Massive influence on my music taste. I would listen religiously whilst doing my homework.

Peer influence - The Jam. When they split, everyone wanted to be a mod. I fancied the boys who were mods. I still am a mod at heart. Weller is still my favourite. The occasional Sounds, Melody Maker and NME.

 

16-18 Then going out and seeing live bands, having friends who like music, visiting record shops, Circles in Rotherham at the time really knew their stuff.

 

Getting older - just being a student and going out a lot. Madchester scene going off, I was also a big fan of the Acid Jazz stuff and would just be going out and listening to it. Buying albums on the chance as i liked one song.

and yes, reading the cover and being inspired and taking a chance.

 

 

My Twenties - TV programmes like The Word, Old Grey Whistle test, Jools Holland, The White Room, Music TV was superb in the nineties. TFI Friday.. I had very similar taste to Chris Evans at the time so i liked a lot of the stuff he had on. Reading Q magazine; I always found the NME a bit psychopant. Embracing Britpop and buying compilations.

 

My Thirties - Going out to gigs lots. Internet, my spaz was really good for linking to other bands you may like. Making sure you are there for support slots. Festivals including the smaller ones like Live at Leeds and Middlesbrough. Having lots of friends who are also into music/in bands/in that industry. Still watching Jools Holland. and I still buy Q. XFM usually have similar taste to my own.

[Guest]

There's a variety of ways I generally get into other music. Either recommended by friend, recommended by last.fm, maybe read about them in a magazine or something. Right throught to being support bands at other gigs.

 

My last ten tracks just to show how varied I like music....

 

Aim – No Restriction

Pennywise – Date With Destiny

KoЯn – I'm Done

Asobi Seksu – Exotic Animal Paradise

Miles Davis – Godchild (live)

Wu-Tang Clan – Reunited

Swallow the Sun – Don't Fall Asleep

Tom Waits – Way Down In The Hole

Fear Factory – H-K (Hunter-Killer)

Godflesh – White Flag

 

Try some, you may like....or might not!

 

Don't get hung up on genres, if you like something then listen to it I have some friends who will only listen to certain genres but that's their loss!

[Jabberwocky]

Nowadays I mainly listen to music thats associated with good memories of when I had a life.

My mp3 players are loaded with stuff like ELO and Human league and Numan and Kraftwerk and Ultravox- stuff like that with lots of synthesizers. I originally liked the music because synths were new back in the 70s and I liked the sound and loved the concept of music that didnt actually come from a nuts and bolts instrument and instead was created by a computer.

 

That music stuck with me and Im still a fan of it and last year when I went to see Human league it took me right back to when I was alive!

[Lockjaw]

There is a reason for my asking.

I started with the music my parents liked to listen to; then went through the AC/DC, Black Sabbath phase; then onto Genesis and Floyd; even a bit of Simon and Garfunkel.

Then my tastes changed completely when I was introduced by an ex to Rasmus; and my kids introduced me to Nickleback; and my brother in law introduced me to Enigma. Another ex introduced me to Jethro Tull.

But the last couple of groups I have found a liking for have been songs I caught an earful off from mtv - era and Blue October.

 

I seem to have drained all the people around me of decent music so wishing to expand my tastes is the reason for me asking.

 

I think that, in conjunction with JFK's point,pretty much sums up my view. Music does find you and how much of it does depends on being open to the sources.

 

New music from me has come from, from the top of my head, parents (a little), friends, radio, tv, music paper & magazine reviews, free cds and tapes on the front of publications, live performances (festivals are great - you get to see who you went for but are also exposed to all sorts of other stuff), pub sessions, stuff being played while I'm in record shops, following musical threads (though not in the internet sense - more below) and girlfriends ... along with all the other great aspects, every significant relationship I've had has led me to a new world of undiscovered music.

 

Obviously, none of the above are particularly profound but the trick is to remain open and willing to listen ... From what you've written above you seem to possess that prerequisite. One of the things that never ceases to delight me as I grow older is that, regardless of how much great music I know & love, there's ALWAYS more to discover.

 

Two personal points. Firstly, the musical threads mentioned above. There have been many of these over the years and they always delight.

 

A simple example is when, at a Bolton rock disco in the early 80s the DJ waggishly played Marrakesh Express by Crosby Stills & Nash. I hadn't heard anything like it before so asked who it was. This then led me to discover the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young himself (I already knew of the Hollies!)

 

Slightly more life changing was when, in 1976, my Aunt played me Tubular Bells which became the first album I ever bought followed some years later by Hergest Ridge & Ommadawn. The latter of these has a section with just acoustic guitar and one other (exceedingly weird sounding at the time) instrument. Reading the liner notes enabled me to discover that this instrument was the Uillean Pipes, played by Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains. Cue the purchase of a few Chieftains albums. This, plus some input from one of the above-mentioned girlfriends led me to understand that traditional folk music is not, in fact, ****e as I'd previously believed and, more importantly, provided me with the opportunity to finally realise my teenage dream of being in a band ... Not UFO or the Scorpions as I'd hoped back then but still great fun.

 

Secondly, since you mentioned a desire to expand your tastes, I find that the occasional random surf around youtube ... just following the links on the RHS of each video page to something new plus similar wanderings on Spotify plus, most usefully, regular listening, via the bbc iplayer, to Radcliffe & Maconie (radio 2 Mon to Thurs 8 - 10) keep me on my toes in terms of discovering new stuff. The latter carries the obvious mega-bonus that you get to listen to two blokes from the proper side of the pennines having a good laugh whilst providing you with new music opportunities.

 

Finally it has come to my attention that a foolproof method of discovering some excellent music is to, simply, click a link in the signature of any person offering long winded posts on music threads who happens to have a beautiful Lancashire Rose as his avatar.

 

HTH

[Randomly Set]

just set my media player to random lol

[Redyam]

I listen to 6music and download or buy the music that I like. 6music play a variety of interesting and new music, so its quite good to find something new. I also go to the BBC iplayer and listen to some of the specialist shows they put on during the night, some wicked music appears there.

'tis a shame they are shutting down 6music though.

[Hal Jordan]

Last.FM is always good for recommendations, i've found.

[DragonofAna]

Again - I would like to thank you all for the advice. I will be looking into the suggestions offered.

 

Getting fed up of listening to the same old same old in my car.

 

Much appreciated.

[Wildcat]

My interest in music developed swapping cassettes with school mates, and expanded by borrowing albums from the library and from reading magazines and books.

 

I now go with what others have said about Spotify, I listen to whatever I want on the computer at no cost with just a few seconds of advert as an irritation.

 

Just clicking links within Spotify makes it easy to find new things to listen to.