music choices..

[jrsmith]

this has been creeping along my brain all day today... what kind(s) of music do you all prefer? i'm interested to see if your love for programming has any impact on musical preference.. i guess the stereotype would be geek-types mainly listen to classical music, then again maybe not, what with there being much more access to varying music types in this day and age.. i mean i can't be the only one who appreciates the beauty in the contrast of loud violent rap and beethoven or bach can i?

[neshura]

On a daily basis, I find myself torn between that age-old question -- "Gangsta rap or Guillaume de Machaut?" -- so no, you aren't the only one. I'm not a genre snob, I like a lot of shit. I like a live performance better than a recorded one, and a spontaneous live performance even better. I also enjoy solitude and the absence of any music beyond what comes in through the window.

Here's what I listen to these days:

• Eels == my latest happy discovery
• early music, esp. madrigal and organ music, also anything by Alfred Deller (resurgence in countertenors hasn't lasted very long)
• the occasional pop hit
• Ravel, who would have liked perl
• Vaughn Williams, who would have preferred php
• lots of random techno mixed in with world music, eg Ancient Future (fave track = "Somaloka", get it while you can at mp3.com)
I like sitting down with a musical instrument and playing what I feel best of all.

e-mail neshura

[kudra]

I'm wondering where the classical music stereotype comes from...what it looks like is that people do like classical music, along with other types of music. It looks to me as if people who've replied listen to what they like and don't worry about what 'category' it's found in (as long as it isn't Britney, of course ;).

As for me, I've spent the last week in nostalgia-land, listening to stuff from around 1980-90. Aside from that, my current favorites include:

• Kari Rueslåtten
• Psaulmes de la Reforme - my favorite song is 'Par le desert de mes peines'
• KMFDM
• Left Hand Solution, and
• Tori Amos

Update (3 December, 2000): Since this thread came up again, I thought I'd update. This week's favorites:

• Deadbolt ('Zulu Death Mask')
• After Forever
• "Where the Wild Roses Grow" (from 'Murder Ballads' by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds...with Kylie Minogue singing a bit differently than she normally does)

Update (12 March, 2001): Since this thread came up yet again, I am updating for this week:

• Hooverphonic
• 'You Make Me Sick' by Pink
• 'I Know' by Birgit Schuurman
• 'Voodoo' by Godsmack
• 'Anything, Anything' by Drama Rama
• 'Wuthering Heights' by Kate Bush
• 'How Many Licks' by Lil Kim & Sisqo
• 'Wicked Game' redone by HIM
It's kind of nice that this topic keeps coming up. I think a series of slices show more about my musical preferences than a one-time list of my favorites. It probably reveals how many things I like now that I'll consider drek in a few months ;).

[Ozymandias]

Let's see, a glance at the current playlist reveals...

Rage Against the Machine
(perfect for debugging :)
Wierd Al
Mahler
Rusted Root
Aerosmith
Beethoven (5th, 6th, and 9th symphonies)
Van Halen
Nine Inch Nails
Rachmaninoff
Sting
Bryan Adams

...and a few others. So no, I don't think any of the stereotypes apply. :)

Oh - and those are in a random playlist. I just heard Nine Inch Nails "Head Like a Hole", Beethoven's 5th (my favorite, I think) and Rage Against the Machine "Wake Up" one right after the other. Makes for interesting days at the office.

- Ozymandias

[cei]

See, I'd give you points for Rachmaninoff, because the prelude in C# minor just rocks! But Bryan Adams??? If you're going to go for guys who do soundtrack themes, go for the trio of Eric Clapton, Michael Kamen & David Sanborn. Four "Leathal Weapon" soundtracks can't be wrong. B^)

[Ozymandias]

Sure they could. One and two might do no wrong, but three and four not only could be, they were. <G>

And I like "Summer of '69." Back off. :) (You're right about R.'s prelude in C# minor. GREAT coding music.)

- Ozymandias

[infoninja]

Well, the short list for my choices for a coding soundtrack would be what I *don't* listen to, but here's a brief sample of what's been playing recently:
• Moby
• Dragon Ash (Japan's best gangsta rap group)
• The Beta Band
• Belle and Sebastian
• Atari Teenage Riot
• various bits 'o' opera (mostly Italian)

[cciulla]

In no particular order (well, alphabetically):

• Chick Corea
• Devo
• Enya
• Front 242 (newer, rather than older)
• Front Line Assembly
• Rush
• Tangerine Dream
• Tchaikovsky (especially the 1812 Overture performed by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields)

While this isn't music, wilst coding, I also listen to Public Radio (e.g., NPR and PRI) quite a bit:

• All Things Considered
• Fresh Air
• Morning Edition (also on NPR)
• Talk of the Nation

[chromatic]

I can't listen to music while coding most of the time, unless it's really really quiet Baroque (Water Music or the Four Seasons are good, Beethoven symphonies are good though they're not Baroque).

When I'm not listening to pre-1825 stuff, I'll pop in some modern rock. Currently on my desk is the first Chasing Furies CD (I had the fortune of walking into one of their shows last year almost by accident -- can't stop listening to them now) and Over the Rhine is nearby.

[KM]

I listen to Brittney Spears all day, and all night!!! Just kidding. These are the bands I usually listen to, if nothing is on the radio:
• Dead Can Dance
• Phish
• Grateful Dead
• Queen
• Joan Baez/Joni Mitchell (I have some mixed CD's of them)
• Miles Davis
• and Rusted Root

Cheers,
KM

[dempa]

I don't have a specific type of "coding music". If I'm into metal at the moment, I listen to metal when I code. If I'm into synthpop, I'll throw some of that on when I'm coding. Needless to say, I've got a broad taste in music. Heavy metal, instrumental rock, industrial metal, synthpop, trance, electronica, classical music (most church organs and stuff).

I also make my own music... and now everyone's thinking "Oh no, here it comes. He's going to give us a link to his crappy music". Oh well, it's on my personal node, so go there if you're interested. :)

[BigJoe]

The CDs that I have stacked up on my pc are:

• AC/DC (Back in Black)
  
• Kid Rock (Rock History)
  
• White Zombie
  
• Pantera 101 proof
  
• Limp Bizkit
  
• Coal Chamber
  
• 3 Doors down
  
• Korn
  
• Garth Brooks
  
• Chris LeDoux
  
• Godsmack
  

[ChuckularOne]

Me, I like anything that's not rap, country, or opera. I typically don't even consider those three as actual music.

Your Humble Servant,
-Chuck

[Adam]

I listen to almost everything under the sun. I like some classical stuff ( Bach has some awesome stuff ) and I like more modern stuff. I used to listen to a lot of oldies, but not lately. I avoid most country and top 40 sticky-pop. Current cd's in my car cd changer:

• Eagles (greatest hits 2)
• Wallflowers (I don't know the album name)
• They Might Be Giants (Flood)
• Soul Coughing (El Oso)
• Matrix Sound Track
• Propeller Heads ( decksanddrumsandrockandroll )

And a Vanessa Mae album is currently in my home stereo.

So I guess you could say my music is Eclectic.