Speaking of correlations with the political spectrum...

... I have received this comment in email:

Don't tell me you're moderating comments! I thought only
conservatives did that.

and immediately ceased moderating comments. Is there any truth to the claim?

My Musical Taste is HORRIBLE!

One's own taste is, by definition, self-evidently good. People will tell you they are bad people, or ugly, or stupid, or a bad parent, but rarely, if ever, will anyone perceive themselves as having poor taste in music, or colors, or people, or clothes, etc.

I was recently accused of having bad taste in music, and not for the first time, either. Here's the situation: I spent the day with someone, and in the morning we listened to some of my selections on the Hype Machine, which he was apparently fine with. And then in the evening, we again listened to more selections, which he again seemed to think was perfectly ok. Until... he reached his breaking point and told me my music was Horrible! Horrible! Just Horrible! Not at all Melodic! I was unsurprised by the horrible part (like I said, I've heard this one before) but non-melodic was a real surprise, because I consider these pop songs. This was not Schoenberg; this was not Black Flag. Too simple, I could understand; too upbeat and poppy, likewise; too obscure, certainly; but non-melodic?

In a week or two I will begin posting songs for your consideration. I view this as a combination apologia/educational outreach/general forum for the discussion of music in general and musical taste in particular. Please feel free to comment and for now, I recommend the Farmer John versions posted below.

Meanwhile, findings from a Zogby poll about correlations between taste in media and self-reported place on the political spectrum here (HT: Freakonomics Blog) and a psychological test about musical taste here.