Pandora is a free music service with a unique focus, the Music Genome Project. Since 2000, the company has been analyzing music into "genes," such as major or minor key tonality, gangsta rap attitude, avante-garde leanings, ambient soundscapes, a vocal-centric aesthetic, and my favorite, excessive vamping. Here is Wikipedia's list of Music Genome Project's genes. Go in, type in a song or a band you like, and Pandora will play other songs with a similar musical genotype. Then if you register, you can create a number of personal "channels."
Tim Westergren, Pandora's founder, is coming to speak in Nashville next Thursday night. It's at Bongo Java After Hours. It's free and open to the public, but you need to RSVP at tour@pandora.com. Most likely that same email address would be where you'd write if you're wondering whether Tim will also be coming to your city.
I've known about Pandora for a year, and honestly haven't done much listening to it, but I'm going to commit to it from now til next Thursday so that I can get the most possible out of the event. I am finding so far that the best strategy is to find a number of channels you like, then hit "Quick mix" so the player can mix it up -- otherwise it gets pretty repetitive. Biggest musical surprise of the morning: a Radiohead song came up for me! And I actually liked it!
Showing posts with label taste. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taste. Show all posts
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
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.
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.
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