(no subject)
What is your favorite genre of music?
If I had to choose I guess I would pick folk.
Why?
Because it covers the most stuff I like (ie, altcountry, a lot of indie rock, low-key psychedelic stuff, punkfolk, creepy old blues songs, "outsider music" etc). I don't have a strong favorite of any genre I listen to.
Name your favorite band(s)
I wrote a really long answer to this about how "favorite band" can be determined in a million really different ways and all of them are really context-dependent and shit but I'm just going to delete it and say The Mountain Goats.
What is your favorite album?
Could do the same for this but I'll just put In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. It's cliche but it's also a really good album. Pet Sounds is kinda perfect (but hipsters tend to overrate the Beach Boys I think).
Name your favorite song(s)
Smokey Robinson's "The Tracks of My Tears" is fucking rock-solid. No disclaimers needed. Also epic: "A New England" by Billy Bragg, but maybe in a less universal way.
Favorite lyrics
How about a songwriter instead: Darnielle would be our Flannery O'Connor if he wrote stories instead of music. Anybody in that southern gothic tradition I just love, people that can imbue common and simple words and turns of phrase with an incredible amount of symbolic power. Tom Waits, Will Oldham, Bill Callahan, whatshisname Molina from Songs:Ohia. I think my favorite song, writing wise, is the folk song "Where Did You Sleep Last Night/In The Pines"
Favorite vocalist
Otis Redding, Karen Dalton, Will Oldham, all because of their delivery. Their phrasing is genius. Roy Orbison makes everything sound so creepy and sad and I love it. Tom Waits too.
Favorite rapper
Kool Keith and Lil Wayne. I love when people combine rap with space, basically. Busta Rhymes is kind of a joke now but he used to KILL IT (listen to Tribe's "One Two Shit" if you don't believe me). Notorious BIG is insanely quotable.
Favorite of anything not mentioned
The bad stuff
What's your least favorite genre of music?
neo-hot topic music I guess. I also really don't understand techno but I don't hate on it.
Who's your least favorite band?
Don't really care. But all the bands that fall into that category I guess. Can't stand The Doors, though.
Who's your least favorite solo artist?
Billy Joel. Not like, he's the worst ever, but I mean, as far as "least favorite solo artists, excluding ones that every person with more than a passing taste in music hates", definitely Billy Joel.
Who do you think is the most annoying musician?
Personality wise? I dunno. The Oasis dudes in the Mr. Show sketch.
If you could shoot any "artist" or "band", who would it be?
I don't think I would. I might punch Jim Morrison.
Who do you think is the least talented?
Of all music ever? what the fuck?
Least favorite song
Don't care
Most annoying song
dont care
Most repetitive song
Womanizer is one note.
Last song to be stuck in your head
....Womanizer.
Did this survey just get that song stuck in your head again? (sorry)
No, surprisingly.
Worst band that used to be good?
Well, the worst for me is that I don't think The Mountain Goats newer stuff is that good. I basically mean the last album, Heretic Pride. It's satisfactory but not up to par with anything else, really. But one bad album does not a shitty band make. Also: Beulah.
A good band that used to suck?
All bands, really. I think Sleater-Kinney really started to get great right there at the end though (girl group cock rock is really a genre I could get behind if they hadn't broken up).
Your musical background
I was into punk rock/hardcore going into high school, by the end of high school I had started listening to lighter stuff, more indie-rock, then I started listening to more experimental things, world music, old blues, and soul when I got to college.
What was the first music you remember listening to?
Roy Orbison
What type of music do your parents listen to?
Roy Orbison. I don't remember them playing much else when I was little, to be honest. They're not super into music but they like Neil Young a lot, and a lot of the folk stuff I play them.
Do you play any musical instruments, or sing?
fl00t. I used to sing.
Do you take lessons for instruments or voice? If so, for how long?
10 years for flute, same for singing though I don't do that anymore.
Do you plan to / have you gone to college for music?
Nah.
Who are your musical inspirations?
I don't really play music very much. But if I had a band it would be a definite rock and roll band, I think. No quiet or experimental stuff, even though I like to listen to that kind of thing. My band would just play funny Descendents covers and "Mother" by Danzig a lot.
Who was your first favorite band or artist?
I don't know, probably something gay like The Ataris. My favorite band has pretty much been The Mountain Goats since freshman year of high school.
Who is your most recent favorite band or artist?
Animal Collective is the most recent one to get into the top 10 15, I think. I've been on a White Magic kick lately but they aren't my FAVES. The newest band I've discovered recently is probably Songs: Ohia. I had them on my ipod for ages but just started listening to them.
This or that
classical or jazz? Jazz.
classic rock or modern rock? classic (a genre I used to hate but am totally starting to come around to, probably because I've been watching Freaks and Geeks a lot)
rock or rap? generally rock.
emo or punk? pxnkkkkkk
funk or blues? WHAT THE FUCK THIS IS THE HARDEST DECISION. I guess blues.
Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin? DUH Zeppelin.
Coldplay or Radiohead? DUH Radiohead.
John Mayer or Jack Johnson? DUH John Mayer (he's basically a modern Blueshammer but at least he can play guitar pretty well)
Eminem or 50 Cent? 50.
Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera? BRITNAYYYYY (Aguilera is way more talented, though)
Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC? The older I get the more i lean Backstreet Boys, TBH.
The Beatles or The Rolling Stones? I don't think I like The Beatles as much as other people do but I think I'm still obliged to pick them.
Ludwig van Beethoven or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? Don't care, but Mozart.
Electric or acoustic? Depends on my mood.
Mandolin or ukulele? Theremin!
Saxophone or trumpet? Fela on sax!
Miscellaneous
Why do you like music?
It conditions my mood in a really powerful way.
When you're angry, what type of music do you listen to? The Descendents, you get to indulge your anger and make yourself feel a little better since the lyrics are so funny.
Has music ever made you cry?
Yes how about all the fucking time.
Has music ever made you laugh? When?
Yeah, I just got a Sean Cullen album, it's fucking hilarious. I can't believe it's from 2000. It sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday. Also they got played out but The D is hilarious.
Do you like local music?
WHITE PEOPLE MUSIC
Do you enjoy being on stage?
not playing music, no.
Do you like to sing, even if you don't consider yourself a singer?
Yeah.
If you could just chill with any musician, who would it be?
Dunno, it's hard to tell someone else's personality through songs when you project so much of your own personality onto them.
What instrument that you don't play now would you like to learn next?
GUITAAAH
Do you like foreign types of music? If so, what types?
African and African influenced stuff is cool (I don't get Vampire Weekend, though, Graceland is good but you are not Graceland, Vampire Weekend), weirdo indigenous folk songs are neat, Tuvan throat singers, TROPICALIA!, krautrock (sometimes), Japanoise, etc.
Well, that was fun.