Narrow minds?

[superfrank]

My problem is in my experience, most people following perfunctory, generic pop-rock are completely musically close-minded, and dismiss anything different at will.
Following on from this quote, I'm just wondering here: how varied are people's musical collection on here?

Looking at the exchange and best album threads, most people seem to listen to a lot of (what I'd call) rock music. I don't think people are so narrow though so let it out. What do yez like?

Me, I like a lot of different types of music.

I'd say my favourite genre is funk. Stuff from the 70's mainly like Parliament/Funkadelic (later), Ohio Players, Bootsy, Zapp, Kool & The Gang, early Prince, Marvin Gaye, Cameo, Curtis Mayfield and a lot of the Salsoul acts.

I also like hip hop alot and, lately, I've got into 60's psychedelic rock like The Yardbirds, Jimi Hendrix, early Funkadelic and Jefferson Airplane. I also have a great interest in Fela Kuti, Brazilian music, jazz and dance.

I've never been one for indie but what would you call Arcade Fire and The Coral?

Despite all this, my favourite artist is David Bowie, even though I've never liked his contemporaries.

I consider myself open-minded, although I can't stand punk or heavy metal.

So what are the rest of yez like?

[ken foree]

from beach boys to james brown, horslips to hototogisu. what's not to like. there's too much music to not enjoy it all

[jebus]

I'd say most people, especially over the age of around 25, would listen to a variety of music in fairness. I've gone through so many phases with what I like I've ended up with a real hodge podge of a CD collection.

Up until about 21/22 I would have mostly listened to indie alright, mostly Britpop to be fair with a few American bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Lemonheads, Weezer etc. thrown in with the usual suspects (Beatles, David Bowie, the Clash and all that). After that a few friends of mine I met when I moved down to Cork for me into some hip hop, I wasn't mad about it, but acts like Outkast, Arrested Devolpment, A Tribe Called Quest and their ilk led me to get into Motown and the acts that would have got their breaks after the Motown breakthrough (Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield, Issac Hayes and others). Since then I've gone through my brother's extensive reggae collection and found artists and bands I love from that (The Maytones, Toots and the Maytals, Horace Andy), classical music (Chopin above all else, but others too), and I have realised in the past four years that dance music has resurrected itself since the mind-90s when I drifted from it. In the past two years I've started listening to African music more and more, have only really listened to the essentials like Ali Farke Toure and Amadou et Miriam, as well as some best of africa CDs, but I plan to start hitting into that more in the coming months and years

[John83]

I have some classical, classic rock, electronic downtempo, and a hodge podge of other stuff. I'd agree with Jebus - anyone over a certain age has sampled several genres.

[Stevo Da Gull]

Whenever I'm asked what music I like I just say that that there's too much to mention or write `various`.
As you know sf, if someone were to ask me to compile a list of my top 10 favourite albums and a list of my top 10 favourite songs it could take me years ;):eek: ....I have the list here beside me right now.

I do consider myself open-minded and if I somehow stumble across a band on the net through friends or anything then I usually try and listen to plenty of their music. I don't believe that any music is rubbish, although some boybandy stuff can get on my nerves.

EDIT: At the moment I've got 5 songs lined up on youtube (if I were to do this again tomorrow the following could be very different though) -
Augustana - Boston, Evanescence - My Immortal, Mariana's Trench - Alibis, John Mayer - Heart Of Life and Christophe Beck - Close Your Eyes

[sligoman]

I don't decide what music I like by their catagory, I judge by whether I like the song or not.

[stann]

There does seem to be some very narrow minded types alright. Their loss ultimately.
With me it'd be easier to list the stuff I don't like, there's not much of that.

- Jazz. The only genre I truly hate, except the odd bit of light dixieland that can go down quite well in the right pub on a Sunday afternoon, and strangely enough Bitches Brew by Miles Davis, that a friend bet me one time that I'd love and he won.
- Most of the more modern metal is also without any redeeming feature, particularly, but not solely, the 100-notes-a-second fretboard wankery espoused by the likes of Whingey Malmsteen. Axe solos in general are pretty sad, but this stuff!
- Pop music created by committee would be another one. Boy bands (though would The Monkees be an exception?), X-Factor winners and losers, some girl bands. Most of it is harmless but some is poisonous.
- Some of the really full -on ravey dance music leaves me a bit cold.
- James Blunt.

Within the genres I really do like there are many acts I don't know (you can't listen to everything) and some I've just taken against for some reason (Radiohead).
My knowledge of World music is criminally small, but increasing slowly.

[tetsujin1979]

I stuck the library from my iPod onto nutsIe ages ago.
Check it out here and judge for yourself: http://www.nutsie.com/playlist/Music/20546

[Pauro 76]

Suppose like most others, a bit of variation in my playlist. Genres I avoid like the plague:

Gangsta rap, R&B,, classical (but ok in small doses), general male solo artist types (James Blunt, James Morrisson and the bland likes), hardcore ravey dance, out and out pop, cheesy pop, girlband/boyband, X-Factor wannabes..

then again think that’s the same with most people. Heaviest album on my iPod, Slipknot ‘Iowa’. Album that’s on it that I really don’t want anyone to know about, Snow Patrol ‘Eyes Open’. But I cogged it for free in my defence...

[noby]

I'll listen to any type of music, as long as there are four skinny white guys with guitars. Except ones with left-handed bassists. That's a big no-no.
I make certain allowances - one member can be either non-male, or non-white, or non-skinny. Sometimes all three if I'm feeling very daring.

I also have classical cds that came free with the Sunday papers, but I never listen to them - they're just for show.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I'll listen to any type of music, as long as there are four skinny white guys with guitars. Except ones with left-handed bassists. That's a big no-no.
I make certain allowances - one member can be either non-male, or non-white, or non-skinny. Sometimes all three if I'm feeling very daring.

I also have classical cds that came free with the Sunday papers, but I never listen to them - they're just for show.

Ah I thought I was the only one who squinted suspiciously at the south paws. Though shouldn't your four skinny white guys have a non threatening androgenous thing going on as well?

[Billsthoughts]

To me narrow minded would be saying certain artists are only liked by people who know nothing about music. There is plenty of that round here. Id give anything a go but wouldnt listen to something just for the sake of it. Just so I could say "oh I love a little bit of african music" or something similarly silly.

[superfrank]

Whenever I'm asked what music I like I just say that that there's too much to mention or write `various`.
As you know sf, if someone were to ask me to compile a list of my top 10 favourite albums and a list of my top 10 favourite songs it could take me years ;):eek: ....I have the list here beside me right now.
I think that was about two years ago, Stevy...shameful.

[TonyD]

I like both types of music, Country and Western.

Nah, seriously though, I suppose some people would class my tastes as narrow. I generally have a thing for melodic guitar bands. Not into rap or dance music at all. Heavy Metal just reminds me of Spinal Tap. Among some of my favourite stuff would be Trash Can Sinatras, Teenage Fanclub, early REM, Beatles, Elvis Costello,Stars of Heaven, Billy Bragg, Crowded House, You Am I, Belle and Sebastian, Guided by Voices, Pixies. All white guitar bands I know, but what can you do ?

[paul_oshea]

I always laugh when people say I am open minded I listen to anything, and then go but i cant stand heavy metal :D

Listen to everything to be honest, like a lot of classical stuff, but its not something you listen to whilst at work, so finding the right time to listen it can be hard i.e. sitting at home chillaxing(i dont read books if i did, i'd listen to a lot more of it :D). Like some country as well, probably the usual stuff to be honest. I like a bit of dance, more so the classics, I wouldn't be too up on it to be honest. I hate house music, but i think that has a lot to do with living over here as much as anything else(you cant avoid it and its crap). Like pretty much everything, even a bit of the likes of satriani and that instrumental stuff. My preferred taste would be rock/heavy metal. I dont mean the killers/all that crap skinny jeans type "rock" i mean proper rock, none of that homo-erotic rock of the late 90's and current bands.

[noby]

I always laugh when people say I am open minded I listen to anything, and then go but i cant stand house music. [sic]

[Neish]

I regularly listen to:

Rock(Ie Led Zep, Ac/Dc, The who etc)
Indie
Reggae
Ska
Soul
Hip Hop(But not pop/chart hip hop)
Punk
Singer Songwriters(Ie Bod Dylan, Tom Waits Neil young etc)
Dance/Electro (Groove Armada, Chemical brothers etc)

I also ocassionaly listen to stuff like the Dubliners and some classical music(really like Ludovico Einaudi's stuff)

[Dodge]

So how does generally not liking a genre of music make you closed minded? If you give a song./band/album a chance, thats open minded for me. I've listened to heavy metal. The fact I think its pretty much 100% tripe isn't being closed minded, its just having taste.

Oh and I've at least 2 Britney Spears songs on my mp3 player. Most of her stuff is cack obviously but give me Toxic over 99% of stuff released in the last 10 years.

If forced to pick a favourite genre I'd go with Late 60s/early 70s soul.

[paul_oshea]

I always laugh when people say I am open minded I listen to anything, and then go but i cant stand house music. [sic]

well done noby, i was hoping someone would spot the irony :D

Everyone says they are open-minded when it comes to music, but really they aren't, that was my point :)

[paul_oshea]

I regularly listen to:

Rock(Ie Led Zep, Ac/Dc, The who etc)
Indie
Reggae
Ska
Soul
Hip Hop(But not pop/chart hip hop)
Punk
Singer Songwriters(Ie Bod Dylan, Tom Waits Neil young etc)
Dance/Electro (Groove Armada, Chemical brothers etc)

I also ocassionaly listen to stuff like the Dubliners and some classical music(really like Ludovico Einaudi's stuff)


I'd put myself in near the exact same category as that.

[paul_oshea]

[QUOTE=Dodge;1026152]So how does generally not liking a genre of music make you closed minded? If you give a song./band/album a chance, thats open minded for me. I've listened to heavy metal. The fact I think its pretty much 100% tripe isn't being closed minded, its just having taste.

QUOTE]

well if you say so it must be right :D

[noby]

well done noby, i was hoping someone would spot the irony :D

Everyone says they are open-minded when it comes to music, but really they aren't, that was my point :)


You sound like my old Geography teacher in his 'Did you spot my deliberate mistake?' mode. I didn't believe him either.

[paul_oshea]

thats completely up to you noby, if you have enough time on your hands to be remembering your geography teacher then fair play :D Do you remember RE to the same extent then?! ;)

So do you not think that everyone is closed minded to a varying degree when it comes to music?

[noby]

Yes, but with a wide varying degree. Some people dip their toe in some genres. listen to a little, and decide it's not for them. I don't think that's very close-minded, but just being practical - I don't have enough time to listen to every metal band out there, if that were even possible, but from what I've heard from the genre it's not for me. I do have some Math rock stuff that wouldn't be a million miles from it though, so there is a lot of blurring of the lines of genres. But, essentially, metal is crud. <winkie>

[paul_oshea]

That Math rock is just crap, i like all others but that :D

Seriouslly though, its definitely not for me. Sometimes I think there is a "snobility" when it comes to certain genres and types of that genre, and with that Math ROck( and grind core/math core) stuff I would say that there is an element of that to it. Loads of black dots on a sheet doesn't necessarily make - or mean - good music. I'm sure great composers would say that too.

[Pauro 76]

I do have some Math rock stuff that wouldn't be a million miles from it though, so there is a lot of blurring of the lines of genres. But, essentially, metal is crud. <winkie>

PUN ALERT...
Would American band +44 be Math rock?

I'll get my coat. Seriously, I've never heard of Math rock before. Any examples?

[paul_oshea]

I think Captan Beefheart would be a good example, he reminds me of Tom Waits with actual music in the background. Loads others from the 80s, simplest way to describe it is music without any particular direction, i.e. no VCV basics and few riffs the same. I'm sure the nerds have a "proper" description for it though ;)

Sum 41 would be a good eample of Math rock. :D

[Pauro 76]

Sum 41 would be a good eample of Math rock. :D

2x4 by Metallica is a good Math rock song.

[gustavo]

I dont mean the killers/all that crap skinny jeans type "rock" i mean proper rock, none of that homo-erotic rock of the late 90's and current bands.

Just as well there's nothing homoerotic about metal so

[Billsthoughts]

So how does generally not liking a genre of music make you closed minded? If you give a song./band/album a chance, thats open minded for me. I've listened to heavy metal. The fact I think its pretty much 100% tripe isn't being closed minded, its just having taste.

Oh and I've at least 2 Britney Spears songs on my mp3 player. Most of her stuff is cack obviously but give me Toxic over 99% of stuff released in the last 10 years.

If forced to pick a favourite genre I'd go with Late 60s/early 70s soul.

Exactly.
This would be my definition of having an open mind. If I like the sound of something I listen to it. If I dont , I dont. I dont really care what genre or whether the band are considered cool or not cool when deciding whether to like somethig or not. Or even if every other one of the band in questions songs are cack. If the song is good I like it. A lot of snobbery when it comes to music and this would be my definition of narrow minded.

[NeilMcD]

I only like songs that are condidered cool. I don't care if I actually like it at all as long as the cool people and journalists say its good thats all I care. Actually I don't really listen to music but just read music magazines and fashion magazines so I know what is good and sure as long as I know what I know is good, it keeps it simple for me

[Stevo Da Gull]

well done noby, i was hoping someone would spot the irony :D

Everyone says they are open-minded when it comes to music, but really they aren't, that was my point :)

Well I said something along those lines, I mentioned some boyband songs annoying me.

Open minded to me is not liking all music, it's not branding music that other people like and you don't as rubbish.. like my father does.

[Billsthoughts]

I only like songs that are condidered cool. I don't care if I actually like it at all as long as the cool people and journalists say its good thats all I care. Actually I don't really listen to music but just read music magazines and fashion magazines so I know what is good and sure as long as I know what I know is good, it keeps it simple for me

Father Jessup.

[stann]

I only like songs that are condidered cool. I don't care if I actually like it at all as long as the cool people and journalists say its good thats all I care. Actually I don't really listen to music but just read music magazines and fashion magazines so I know what is good and sure as long as I know what I know is good, it keeps it simple for me

I don't even read the music press, I have a friend that does it and tells me what's impossibly hip each week. I used to have another lad that did that but one of the bands he told me about sold a couple of hundred albums one time so I had to get rid of him. Glad to say am very happy with the current arrangement though.

[noby]

Seriously, I've never heard of Math rock before. Any examples?

Ok, I'm no expert on the field, but the likes of Captain Beefheart etc. would be influences, with their strange timings etc.

There's a funny quote on the Wiki page from Matt Sweeney from Chavez (a band I was into in the mid-nineties, long before I ever heard the term):


It was invented by a friend of ours as a derogatory term for a band me and James (Lo) played in called Wider. But his whole joke is that he'd watch the song and not react at all, and then take out his calculator to figure out how good the song was. So he'd call it math rock, and it was a total diss, as it should be.
Besides Chavez, who I still wouldn't pigeon-hole into the 'genre', a friend's brother was in a band called Death to Tyrants, so I picked up their album - all instrumental, heavy riffs, odd timing etc. - which I would class as your typical math-rock. From there I picked up another couple of albums from the same label. Only after all this was I informed of the math-rock tag. And there ends my knowledge of the genre.
Unfortunately Haircut 100's Love Plus One is not Math rock.

[Beavis]

I like the sound of something I listen to it. If I dont , I dont.


Perhaps I'm picking this up incorrectly, but this suggests that if a tune hasnt got an instantly attainable sound, for example a catchy (superficial) drum and riff combo, then you're not interested. This is the primary allegation I make against RHCP fans, and I think it constitutes narrow mindedness.

We all have our preferred genres and I agree that there is no point feigning an interest in other music just to show an extensive palette. However, some music requires numberous listens before you enjoy it, and in my experience, these albums usually prove the most fruitful in the long run.

[Billsthoughts]

Perhaps I'm picking this up incorrectly, but this suggests that if a tune hasnt got an instantly attainable sound, for example a catchy (superficial) drum and riff combo, then you're not interested. This is the primary allegation I make against RHCP fans, and I think it constitutes narrow mindedness.

We all have our preferred genres and I agree that there is no point feigning an interest in other music just to show an extensive palette. However, some music requires numberous listens before you enjoy it, and in my experience, these albums usually prove the most fruitful in the long run.

translation..."perhaps if I could just put words in your mouth....":confused:
no it means if I like something I will like it regardless of whether the artist is some obscure throat singer from outer mongolia or ...gary barlow. I wouldnt turn off the RHCP if they were on the radio in the car but I wouldnt own anything belonging to them. Or particularly want to. If they released a song ya did like would ya not listen to it cause it was them?
I dont know what "instantly attainable sound" is? This week I was listening to Kate & Anna McGarrigle(amazing), slide (traditional Irish but a class apart) Abba, the Who ,Creedance, picturehouse, elo ,fleet foxes, bob dylan ,hortense(sp) ellis,aretha franklin dont play that song for me,a tribute concert for woody guthrie,blondie and the new single "Paris" from la rocca(available at all good record shops now). next week it will be a bunch of different stuff. (The only sound I dont like is that over produced 80s synth sound. e.g. Prince. )

[Macy]

Pretty much anything except Jazz - I'm with Jimmy Rabbitte on that one.

Giving genre's a go and finding you don't like them isn't being closed minded - you're hardly going to spend time listening to stuff you don't like.

Mostly male, internet football message board users are predominately into white guitar music. Who'd have thunk it?

[Wolfie]

There is only one genre of music I cannot abide - Bavarian traditional music. At night, I can still hear the screams.

In attempting a definition - Tuneless Brass "music" basically.

I was terrorised with this caterwaul cunningly passing itself off as music while trapped in a taxi in Munich on Sunday. With a Hangover.

[micls]

I don't decide what music I like by their catagory, I judge by whether I like the song or not.

Yep me too. I generally have no idea who the band or artist is. Just judge the songs

[Green_Hoop]

It all depends on my mood what I listen too. Apart from that if I hear something I like I'll download and listen to it and work from there. I'm not stuck with any particular genre per say. At the moment my 25 most played on my ipod is scattered with Daft Punk/Sigur Rós/Jack Johnson/REM/Dispatch

Only genre that doesn't take any interest for me is Heavy Metal,all that bashing of guitar's and screaming doesn't quite do it musically for me..

[holidaysong]

I like a range of artists. My favourite bands would be Arcade Fire, Pixies, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, The Breeders, The Beatles and The Smiths. Below are artists I own at least one album by. For most of them, I probably have most (of not all) their albums. I'm definitely missing some too..

Pixies
Frank Black
Pearl Jam
The Breeders
Foo Fighters
Placebo
The Smiths
Morrissey
Nirvana
Mudhoney
Soundgarden
Mother Love Bone
Radiohead
Arcade Fire
Los Campesinos!
Franz Ferdinand
The Beatles
Sex Pistols
Blondie
The Hives
The Frames
Damien Rice
Mundy
Mic Christopher
R.E.M.
Paul McCartney
Sigur Rós
The Stone Roses
Eels
Mogwai
The Smashing Pumpkins
Metallica
Oasis
Bloc Party
Thin Lizzy
Basement Jaxx
Mylo
LCD Soundsystem
Nina Hynes
Mark Geary
Queens of the Stone Age
Hole
Jonny Cash
Alice in Chains
The Postal Service
Arctic Monkeys
Led Zeppelin
Green Day

[NeilMcD]

I am guessing you drink in the Spirit Store from time to time. Great spot.

[Billsthoughts]

I am guessing you drink in the Spirit Store from time to time. Great spot.

good spot alrite..

[holidaysong]

I am guessing you drink in the Spirit Store from time to time. Great spot.

I used to go most weeks when I lived in Dundalk. I haven't been there in about a year and a half now unfortunately.. I hope it's still as good as I remember it!

[NeilMcD]

Yeah have not been up there in a while myself, but it was a saviour when I went to college in Dundalk.

A bit improvement on LA Rock.

[BohsPartisan]

I like a lot of stuff. Metal in general is out but I do like some early Deep Purple stuff and a few Black Sabbath songs. Generally, I listen to Soul, Jazz, Reggae/Ska/Rocksteady/Dub, Psych, Freakbeat, Latin, Punk, Garage rock, Indie, Some dance, some hip hop. Fairly broad really. Have way too much stuff to start listing artists or even lists of favourites.

[kingdom hoop]

Yeah, I like a lot of stuff as well. Listening to a gorgeous compilation of 70s Caribbean soul (http://www.amazon.com/Calypsoul-70-Caribbean-Various-Artists/dp/B001BS0JMO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1222901999&sr=8-1) at the moment, Daft Punk before that, Os Mutantes before them and so on til you go back to breakfast when I listened to the sound of milk wash over my cereal. I just like noise as a phenomenon in general to be honest. Except metal of course, that's just pure noise. Little waves lapping at a lake shore is, on the other hand, nice noise. But that's all a bit philosophical and stuff.

Anyway I suppose like the way out of curiosity I'd watch football at any level from anywhere in the world, I listen to music from as wide a range of styles as I can find. So I have a fairly random range of stuff. But in terms of new music I'd only really properly follow the dance/electronic league - in that I'd be upset if I missed out on a good new album or track, and get most excited when I hear something special. So obviously I listen to electronic music the most. Outside of that, reggae would be next, and my latest flame is Breton Celtic music. But at a most basic level I'll like any music that enters my ears and tries to escape out my toes, hands, knees, or any other body part seemingly susceptible to beat-control. :D

And I suppose I better disclose that I too have some Britney in my collection. :)