I Finally Determined What Kind of Music I Like

Early B.

After being in this hobby for several years, I finally realized what music I like. For the past few years, the answer was "mostly jazz vocals," but what I really like is music that defies categorization. In order to sell "popular music," it's gotta fit into a nice, neat little genre, and due to the limitations that a genre imposes, among other things, a lot of good musicians simply refuse to comply. As a result, I've recently begun increasing my repertorie of indie artists.

I finally figured it out after a change in components and from listening to a "country" CD from a relatively obscure artist. However, on a couple of tracks on this particular CD, those songs could have been labelled as jazz or blues or rock. I don't really like country music, per se, but this one sounded very good because the singing was great, the lyrics were very well written, and the musicians were awesome. What else is there? If these three criteria are met, then the genre becomes almost irrelevant. Of course, the CD has to be well recorded and the musicians have to use real instruments (synthesized music is a form of torture, IMO!).

So if you ask me what kind of music I like, I'll say, "The kind that sounds good." I dunno what else to say.

Just wondering if anyone else has struggled to find their "voice" in music or if I'm just crazy as hell for posting this gibberish?

Face

It's not gibberish. I recently found a new genre of music that appeals to me and isn't mainstream. Now that I know what I'm looking for, more of it should be easier to find.

bikezappa

I have had that problem for over 40 years. What to buy? I used to read the LP and CD reviews in all the magazines. I also used to read what CDs and LPs they used to test the latest equipment. The usual result was very hit or miss. Once you find an Artist that you like you go and buy some more, but the hard part is finding an artist that you like without breaking the bank.

What I do now is listen to a few good FM stations. NPR and college stations mostly. I have a nice tuner and an outside antenna and rotor and am lucky to have about 5 choices of interesting FM DJs with interesting tastes in music in the Boston area. FM isn't perfect but it allows me to listen to many different types of music that I would never be exposed to. If I like the tunes on FM I usually will go and buy the CD.

Ricardo

Pandora is also a great way to find new music.

zombie boy 2000

I'm with BZ on this one. Find your local college station on the dial and stay tuned. You'll find everything under the rainbow without ever spending a ducet.

shack

Rather than define what I like...I define what I don't like and go from there. It is not so much what genre I don't like.. but artists. There are several artists that many here condsider icons that I simply do not like and don't own any of their music because nothing I've heard interests me or pleases me. For instance I am not a big fan of jazz fusion. I can take a little Stanley Clarke but there is nothing by Miles Davis that I consider worth listening to. I some smooth jazz like George Benson, Spyro Gyra, Stanley Jordan...but care very little for the female jazz singers out there.

bikezappa

Ricardo wrote: »

Pandora is also a great way to find new music.

What is Pandora?

Sorry for the dumb question.

Ricardo

www.pandora.com

You set up your own "stations" with a given artist, and it will play songs from that or other similar; great stuff

bikezappa

Ricardo wrote: »

www.pandora.com

You set up your own "stations" with a given artist, and it will play songs from that or other similar; great stuff

Thanks. Amazing.

Kex

Ricardo wrote: »

www.pandora.com

You set up your own "stations" with a given artist, and it will play songs from that or other similar; great stuff

Is that any different to Yahoo! music? Just wondering, since I get Yahoo! Launchcast Plus for free from AT&T with DSL service. I haven't used it much though since I'm only on a laptop with no decent speakers as yet.

Edit: I already found one difference: Pandora works with Firefox (which I use) whereas Launchcast only works with Internet Exploder (which I do not normally use). I'm not sure how much of an issue this is since Window$ based machines have to have Internet Exploder active to enable the Update feature (which is obviously very necessary for security updates etc.).

dorokusai

zombie boy 2000 wrote: »

I'm with BZ on this one. Find your local college station on the dial and stay tuned. You'll find everything under the rainbow without ever spending a ducet.

I love college radio. There's a couple XM stations that remind me of that style of programming.

obieone

I too, have had a revelatiion of sorts.
After moving to the south, I discovered country and bluegrass. Needless to say, my family up north gets nervous when I tell them I'm enjoying this music.
Prior to that, I was, pretty much a head banger, and new age.

bikezappa

Ricardo wrote: »

www.pandora.com

You set up your own "stations" with a given artist, and it will play songs from that or other similar; great stuff

Another stupid question.

Is there a simple way to connect my laptop or pandra to my main 2 channel system?

Thanks

Face

bikezappa wrote: »

Another stupid question.

Is there a simple way to connect my laptop or pandra to my main 2 channel system?

Thanks

http://signalcable.com/analogmini.html

ben62670

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55854
Last pic
Shameless Plug:)

bikezappa

Face wrote: »

http://signalcable.com/analogmini.html

I'll check to see if I have that jack on my lap top.

That is simple.

Thanks

ben62670

You can use the headphone jack on your laptop if you do not have a line out. They both use Op Amps for outputs, but the headphone jack can put out too much of a signal if turned up to high.

John K.

Zapp, although I also have local stations that carry classical music full-time, to get an even broader selection from stations streaming from all over the world I use my computer. If your laptop has a USB port you can use its cleaner(than the analog)digital output with a device such as the Xitel HiFi-Link which contains a DAC and then connects the analog output to unused stereo inputs on your receiver.

A great site for stations is Classical Webcast . Favorites include BBC Radio3, WQXR New York, WCLV Cleveland, WFMT Chicago, and KUSC Los Angeles. For example, at the moment I'm listening to Jim Svejda's excellent program from KUSC(weekday nights, 7:00 to 12:00 PST)playing the Bruckner 8th. Streaming audio isn't of the very highest quality, of course, but the bottom line is the tremendous selection of music which can be heard.

dorokusai

There is too much concern over quality sometimes when you can simply enjoy yourself.

Early B.

dorokusai wrote: »

There is too much concern over quality sometimes when you can simply enjoy yourself.

Agreed.

My 2-channel components represent a significant downgrade in quality from my previous setup, but I'm enjoying the music more. The downgrade led me to discover new music that I wouldn't have considered before.

dorokusai

I downgraded awhile ago to get some perspective. I finally found enjoyment again and have been on the rise ever since.

Danny Tse

I've learned that if I like what I hear, I could care less what catagory it's marketed under. Which is why I think I am the only Asian guy who listen to Toby Keith

Early B.

Well, part of the issue for me was that I built a 2-channel system that was "too refined." In other words, I built a system around jazz vocals. Everything I bought (speaker cables, ICs, passive pre, etc.) was done to accentuate the midrange. And boy, it was a glorious midrange, that's for sure. However, the lows were compromised and dynamic music was a bit dull. At the time, I wasn't very concerned about it because I was buying music that fit the system. But once I "downgraded," the bass blossomed and my music was much more dynamic, and these attributes opened up new possibilities for musical exploration.

madmax

Early B. wrote: »

I finally figured it out after a change in components and from listening to a "country" CD from a relatively obscure artist. However, on a couple of tracks on this particular CD, those songs could have been labelled as jazz or blues or rock. I don't really like country music, per se, but this one sounded very good because the singing was great, the lyrics were very well written, and the musicians were awesome.

After reading your posts I have to think we are running in parallel planes or something. Awhile back I ran across a contemporary country station on XM and found a lot of new music I really liked. (probably close to what you were listening to). It is called Cross Country.

It changes from time to time with me. For the past year I've really gotten into dixieland and 40's big band. Takes a different system for that stuff. I need more listening rooms in my house for the different eras of music.

madmax

fatchowmein

Danny Tse wrote: »

I've learned that if I like what I hear, I could care less what catagory it's marketed under. Which is why I think I am the only Asian guy who listen to Toby Keith

You might be right on that one. I can't think of one Asian family/friend who listens to Toby but if you have C.C. Catch, Fancy, Bad Boys Blue or Italo Disco in your collection, all is forgiven.