Time for some music


I have hangups about sharing music. Basically, I hate everyone else’s taste in music so much, I can’t see why I should expect anyone to feel different about my tastes. At the same time, I hope that people hate it, then they might know how I feel about culture in general.

Multiple people have said the music I like is “depressing”. I can see why, although I have never thought of it that way myself. I just like the tonality. But fair warning. Streaming videos below the fold.


This is one of my favorite Radiohead songs. A while back, I picked up electric guitar, and the main thing I wanted to do with it was play this song. Sometimes I wish I understood music theory just so I could understand those chord progressions.


You all know Nine Inch Nails, right? Trent Reznor started another band, How to Destroy Angels, starring his wife Mariqueen Maandig as singer.  Something about this minimalist song feels different from everything else, and that appeals to me.


I also listen to doom/drone metal, along the lines of Earth. Most of Earth’s music has no vocals, but their last album is an exception.


The Body is a group I only found recently. I don’t know what it is about that first wall of static, but I was sold from that moment.


Recently I was trying to branch out by listening to other kinds of music. I tried a lot of ambient music, but my main complaint was that most of it was trying too hard to be happy and relaxing. I guess I should stick with doom metal! The only ambient artist I ended up liking was Tim Hecker. I have no idea what is going on in this video.


I also like classical music! But only 20th century classical. This was composed by Hindemith in 1925. Wikipedia informs me that his music isn’t technically atonal, it’s simply non-diatonic. How conservative!


More classical music! This is by Penderecki, in 1974. I just learned when searching for videos that this piece was featured in The Shining. I’m surprised that people will accept (only) in horror films music that I’d just listen to all the time.

Comments

  1. Rob Grigjanis says

    Love the Hindemith, but the Penderecki wouldn’t play. What I have heard makes me engaged but uncomfortable, but maybe that’s the point.

    How do you feel about Philip Glass or Steve Reich? I remember hearing Reich’s Different Trains for the first time on the radio years ago, and being utterly mesmerized.

  2. says

    @Rob,
    The Penderecki video still works for me. If you want to look it up, the piece is “The Awakening of Jacob”. I’d characterize it as less dissonant than the Threnody.

    I’ve listened to a little of Reich (Electric Counterpoint) and Glass (Metamorphosis), although neither piqued my interest to listen to more. (I did buy Electric Counterpoint though, so.) They both have the minimalism thing going on, which I think just isn’t successful for me. A lot of music I listen to is incidentally minimalist though, so I’m not sure why.

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