culture as insecurity-vehicle

[meryl]

i have a question for the fine crowds of this forum. even though it's a bit off topic and the like.

so, Dear Abby...

does anyone else have a problem differentiating between these:

1) Music I Like
2) Music I "Like" (Because I Think I'm Supposed to Like It for the Irony, the Contribution to Music History, and its Shining Reputation Among Clever-Looking Hipsters Wearing Expensive Glasses)

... i can't even seem to tell until i've owned a record for several months; by then either i'll have played it countless times (HPC/HAGH-style) or had to put a great deal of effort and boredom into listening it once through.

teenage thing?

[rue]

Unfortunately, I don't, because a majority of hipsters/scenesters are only there because it's the 'in' thing. I've often questioned if they even like music in general, especially with the growing listen of rehashed, overtly pretentious and ornery groups/bands.

I think I like the irony, or the contribution, though, and that's usually because it's good.

I never thought that anyone should do anything out of fakery, whether it be liking or aversion. Like what you want, dislike what you want.

And there's nothing wrong with giving a listen to music, even if you end up disliking it. I can think of many, many records I've listened to that I end up hating and ashamed of ever liking, but that's what gets me to other artists, usually. So, like, but don't "like."

[ariane]

I think there should be anothe question included and that is:
"do you refuse to listen to Bands/artists cause your friends (or whoever) would find it embarrassing/boring or not reasonable in general.."

There's nothing I can add to the LIKING. Basically it's MY taste in music, innit?!
Therefor I don't give a damn if any of my friends like the music I'm listening to (I was once asked to explain FF. I tried it with all of my heart and in the end I put HAGH in the stereo..I only earned the weirdest looks you can imagine. They couldn't see what I see. But that's of no importance.).

For the "LIKING"..
1. I often give bands/artists a listen cause I hear a lot of talk about ..that doesn't necessarily mean that I will like them.
2. I do like The Beatles. But not as much as I feel "I should". I like some songs and thats it. I don't even own one of their albums..
Same with Radiohead. I never like the whole albums..and not like "oh there're two or three songs I don't like" it's more that I like ONLY two or three songs of every album.

I'm not interested in what other people think I MUST LISTEN TO!
I decide what I'm spoiling my ears with..and no one else.

[pieter]

I dislike some music even though I know I ‘should’ like it (some Muse songs)
I also like music when I know I shouldn’t (this list is so much longer, but it includes some other Muse songs )
Public opinion doesn’t really affect me that much for music, but I do have this problem with some movies, like Citizen Kane. I REALLY don’t enjoy watching it enough to call it the ‘best movie ever’ like almost every other film buff on the planet. Same goes for Cassablanca…give me ‘The Incredibles’ anytime….

There’s no such thing as being supposed to like anything, don’t worry about it
I could very well like the next Robbie Williams and not be ashamed of it…

[ariane]

"I could very well like the next Robbie Williams and not be ashamed of it…"

Good point!
Music's supposed to make you feel like "you're home". No one should feel uncomfortable listening to music..that's something utterly wrong!

[jules]

In the end we tend to listen / buy the music we are exposed to, in fact I would go so far as to believe that the stuff we like is partly due to the stuff our parents played when we are young. All this means is that we can miss out on stuff we would like but don't get exposed to and / or filter out stuff that's not in our range which doesn't make it bad, but just not registering.

So there's nothing to dislike and nothing you should like, there is just you. As everyone has a different taste there are blurred edges and people tend to cut these out due to the cultural scene that they are within.

Once you get beyond that you can appreciate the beauty of ABBA and Zappa without fear.

[ariane]

someoneelse said:

In the end we tend to listen / buy the music we are exposed to, in fact I would go so far as to believe that the stuff we like is partly due to the stuff our parents played when we are young. All this means is that we can miss out on stuff we would like but don't get exposed to and / or filter out stuff that's not in our range which doesn't make it bad, but just not registering.

hehe, like when I noticed I actually already knew The Smiths..
I was all like: Eh, wait..I know that...that's THE SMITHS? Oh my..

[meryl]

ahh. word.

yikes, though, the amount of money going into this whole sorting process... when i hear some all-consuming music-loving machine discuss their favourite bands, and it extends to hundreds of obscure names, my first thought is how do they afford it all? both in the monetary sense and the sense of the time spent lovingly absorbing each CD.

but then, that's my profoundly screwed up and complex idea of being a fan, when really it's as simple as what you guys've said. y'either like it or you don't. pfft. it's not really very Zen, i suppose, wanting more and more new music just to boast the scale of one's tastes. i blame iTunes.

thanks for your insights, thread-dwellers.

[ariane]

meryl said:

i blame iTunes.

...that leads me to another question......
What about digital music downloads?

Personally I'm not satisfied with that. If I really love the music I want to hold it in my hands...
Same thing with books. What's the fuss about audio books. A book isn't a book when you can't turn the pages or touch the cover.

[rue]

paperdreams said:

meryl said:

...that leads me to another question......
What about digital music downloads?

Personally I'm not satisfied with that. If I really love the music I want to hold it in my hands...
Same thing with books. What's the fuss about audio books. A book isn't a book when you can't turn the pages or touch the cover.

I agree about Audiobooks, particularly because it takes away the part of the story that puts the narrator/perspective in your mind. Having something read to you asserts the voice actor's interpretation.

[karpe]

I third the Audiobooks; the idea to me makes no sense at all.

On the digital music thing, it depends. I personally love albums that come with booklets and artwork. More and more artists seem to be using those odd cardboard cases though, so I am undecided.

The one thing I love about digital music is the ability to find and sample the music you like. Without that, I wouldn't have even found Final Fantasy.

[ariane]

Phew I'm way too much on here today...

However, I totally agree, it is indeed easier to find music since ITunes, MySpace, etc. - I wouldn't have found a lot of bands I like.
I just don't understand how people can rely on those downloads...
Cardboard cases or not, it's still a physical release and that's what I need

[rue]

karpe said:

I third the Audiobooks; the idea to me makes no sense at all.

On the digital music thing, it depends. I personally love albums that come with booklets and artwork. More and more artists seem to be using those odd cardboard cases though, so I am undecided.

The one thing I love about digital music is the ability to find and sample the music you like. Without that, I wouldn't have even found Final Fantasy.

And I second the bit about finding Final Fantasy. I only found out about it through a fan of Patrick Wolf, and in that, I admit downloads. I intend to make purchases on the thirty-first.

[meryl]

aha, i'm glad to hear you all feel the same. love owning CDs. tangible plastic & paper loveliness. downloading/digital music, though, is my method of discovery, yeah. i think i found FF on someone's radioblog. and today i realised (through hypemachine) Casiotone FTPA is acer than i ever thought he was.

i merely blame iTunes (and, sort of, myself) for letting good music become background noise when it runs on random while i'm working/playing. it becomes repetitive instead of amiably familiar, like music in commercials.

[cassiacat]

1) Liking vs. "Liking" - Although I often tend to make flippantly critical remarks about bands I personally don't like, I'm a firm believer that people like different music for different reasons, and we all judge the merit of a band based on our own personal needs that we look to music to fulfill. So, for instance, if an abused, lonely girl is looking for escapism, comfort, and solace, she might like a certain set of bands that fulfills those needs for her. Then let's say there is a musical savant who intellectualizes and analyzes every piece of music she hears, and judges music solely on whether or not it offers her something completely original and interesting to listen to, something that will spark her own creativity and intellect, and surprise her with new ideas. Savant Girl might look at Abused Girl's set of bands and see no connection among them at all. She might admire half the bands, think the other half are worthless, and wonder why Abused Girl doesn't like some other bands that are incredibly important to her. But that's because they are judging the bands with entirely different criteria. Consequentially, I try never to criticize or rely on another person's (or music critics', for that matter) taste in music to dictate my own personal taste. "Try" being the operative word here. There are some kinds of music that just disgust me, and it's hard for me to understand why anyone would like it. And actually, I questioned my own taste for the very first time on Friday night, when I was talking to Owen. He made some critical comments about a couple of musicians that I enjoy or admire on some level, and I caught myself thinking, "Should I not like them?" But then I remembered myself, and am content to have a difference of opinion with Owen--because you can admire someone, and like them, and still see things in a different way than they do. And if you change yourself or your interests to try to win someone's approval or affection, then you're only lying to them and to yourself.

(That was a very long-winded diatribe!)

2) I agree that downloading music is good for research/discovery, but nothing is as good as owning a hardcopy for yourself.