I don't think I'll ever get tired of jangly guitars, big melodic hooks and introspective lyrics.

But, sometimes, I just sit there listening to all my familiar favorites and I feel like I'm idling too long.

Enter: the challenge.

I purposely go out of my way to get into and genuinely feel music that is otherwise completely different than my norm.

I get an education and I understand things I didn't previously. I gain a new appreciation.

Back where I'm from, we used to call this, "Broadening one's horizons."

Do you do this?

Do you think it's healthy for a music fan to do this?

Do you hate when people go overboard and try to flaunt their "eclecticism"?

Are you comfortable in your bubble?

What's your greatest discovery, if you do indulge in this sort of listening?

~Austin

Donate:
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"Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it."
—Jules Renard

>
>Do you do this?
>
Unintentionally, most of the time. But yes. I sometimes, subconsciously it seems, just get infatuated with albums or artists that I've heard a lot about but have never properly checked into. Sometimes I resist, other times not.

>Do you think it's healthy for a music fan to do this?
>
I do. Even if I don't adhere to a strict policy myself.

>Do you hate when people go overboard and try to flaunt their
>"eclecticism"?
>
Yes. And I hate that sometimes I become that person. But I'd like to think I'm the exception — a person who is just genuinely enthusiastic about the music I'm into at the time, as opposed to someone who just drops names for the sake of looking good. No, I've actually sat through Metal Machine Music three or four times, trying to understand it, unfortunately.

>Are you comfortable in your bubble?
>
Generally, yes. But, like I said initially, the idle gets to me sometimes. I admire good, resonating pop music. But every now and then, I'm like, "Fuck it, turn up to 10 and why bother tuning up?"

>What's your greatest discovery, if you do indulge in this sort
>of listening?
Probably Sun Ra or the Stooges.

~Austin

Donate:
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"Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it."
—Jules Renard

not most, but a lot.

most folks i know have pretty good music taste. maybe its just me.

<--- Big Baller World Order

Talk about it, man.

I'm interested.

~Austin

Donate:
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"Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it."
—Jules Renard

But somehow I stumble on great discoveries, either by coincidence or via the playlists of my friends. And its a greater feeling when you don't plan/expect it.

of music listeners so by default I end up hearing music which would typically be stuff I wouldn't go out of my way to hear, which leads me to ask them to send me the full album or more examples of great music in that genre or by that group/band/artist. So I don't have to work too hard.

I also just last year (a year ago this week, in fact) came up with an idea with a buddy of mine, of a weekly email chain called "Jam of the Week," where me and 6 other friends exchange one song a piece per week which the other music nerds can then listen to and comment on. Which has been amazing because I've discovered so many artists that I Would have NEVER otherwise heard, so my music library and my musical tastes have been way more diverse even just in the past year.
Some weeks we have random themes to make it a little more interesting or challenging. And all 7 of us have vastly different music tastes for the most part so we always have an eclectic mix.

----------------------------------------

"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

for house goodness:

http://www.djrsenal.com

http://soundcloud.com/dj-rsenal

ahhh, why the hell not:
www.facebook.com/djrsenal
www.twitter.com/djrsenal

Usually, we send each other playlists monthly (average playlist is no less than 18 tracks). It doesn't always have to follow a theme, it could be all over the place.

So, by the end(or sometimes, the beginning) of each month, you end up with a wealth of music. Great, except that it will potentially make you hit the skip button and end up discovering a BRILLIANT song that you ignored,,,,,last year. Which is bound to happen. Plus, the idea of compiling your playlist and uploading it could be a headache.

At least in your case, your attention span won't stretch for too long , and you'll give each individual song its fair attention.

many times I've tuned into a college radio broadcast and heard something pretty good. I'd say Sun Araw "crete":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKhEnUd8zTA

was one of my best discoveries. Flt rsk also:

http://flightrisk.bandcamp.com/album/people-and-places

After realizing Miles Davis box sets ("in a silent way", "Bitches brew") are what I'm vibing with now after being into a wide range of music: R&B, hip-hop, black-rock, hardcore punk, alt-rock, neo-soul, etc. I am pretty sure I'm now less inclined to be too blinded by one style at the expense to another, so whatever I hear on radio dial surfing excursions, I know I'm in the best position to process it at this moment.

If a music lover has the time and inclination to investigate all sorts of music, I guess something good could come of that but I'm one of those types of music lovers who makes people in radio have a purpose, because I do appreciate radio djs (college or otherwise) playing some decent stuff.

but I definitely need my comfort zone listening moments, whether they be challenging music that fits my idea of challenging music (Henry Threadgill & Zooid as opposed to free-jazz) or peaceful hymns or subdued odd classical organ music pieces, or the afro-American thing (Badu, Ohio Players, Monk, Fishbone, P-funk, etc.) or modern day pop music.

>Do you do this?

Yes, but less self-consciously than I used to. It's how I got to know opera, for one thing, and a lot of genres/styles within classical music that initially bored me. Opera was largely a recognition that I liked instrumental classical but generally flipped off vocal music if it came up on the local classical station - I didn't like the voices and it often seemed aimless. I started intentionally seeking it out. I quickly fell in love with a lot of "art song" or lieder or whatever and was annoyed that it took me so long to give it an honest run. Opera took longer to embrace and I'm still pretty selective in what I actually enjoy, but I still try to listen to an opera all the way through every month or two. Good for the musical soul.

>Do you think it's healthy for a music fan to do this?

Music can be a very solipsistic activity in a number of ways, and the isolation encourages you to focus on what you like, what you don't like - *your* opinions. If nothing else, I think it's good to suspend that on a regular basis. If a composer or an artist took the time to make something, they must have had a reason. It's healthy to crawl out of our little shells and engage something we don't like.

>Do you hate when people go overboard and try to flaunt their
>"eclecticism"?

Somewhat - but I really don't get that annoyed by other folks' taste/style. The few close music friends I have (irl) run the gamut from very very eclectic to pretty narrow - I think I like them not because of what they listen to, but because of how they listen to it.

>Are you comfortable in your bubble?

I'm never comfortable.

>What's your greatest discovery, if you do indulge in this sort
>of listening?

Probably that I like long-form, often very quiet, very repetitive pieces of music. When I first indulged my musical geekness in my teens, I was all pop/rock, bits of jazz, very scattered classical. I never would have found the music of Morton Feldman or Steve Reich or Arvo Part interesting. But there's a certain minimalism that I've learned I really love in longer works that really test my own abilities to pay attention. I think it speaks to my wannabe-Zennishness, my agnostic mystical side, lol. I don't think I would know that today if I hadn't taken the initiative to push my own listening into some of these stranger territories. At this point, if someone says something is boring I usually get excited.



-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

>Do you do this?

Yes.... it's been more passive lately though, and primarily due to the MuCru.

>Do you think it's healthy for a music fan to do this?

Absolutely, if for nothing other than to reaffirm what they do or do not like (and to help them articulate those things). Pleasant surprises are the gravy.

>Do you hate when people go overboard and try to flaunt their
>"eclecticism"?

meh

>Are you comfortable in your bubble?

sure

>What's your greatest discovery, if you do indulge in this sort
>of listening?

fIREHOSE, I think, enough that their brand of melodic, jazzy punk (at least as exhibited on Ragin' Full On) has become part of my bubble.

More recently, I've loved being surprised by some of the electronic music that the guys here have exposed me to. Still not my comfort zone, but the realization that it could actually be beautiful came as something of a revelation to me.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

it's probably self-evident but it's a lack of time/energy.

I used to have music on around the house ALL THE TIME.

Now it's the exception. Hell, the last time I had on music during dinner the kinds got upset b/c it's not the routine. I was kinda pissed but hey we want to keep mealtimes as low stress as possible.

In fact the only time I have to listen to new music and really concentrate on it, which is what I need to do when challenging myself, is in the car.

And half the time (or more) I'm in the car I don't feel like putting a CD on b/c hey, the drive's only 12 minutes, and if I put MY CD on then I'll lose our place in "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place" or whatever book-on-cd I have going for the kids. so it winds up easier to turn on NPR and let it go at that.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

I mostly know what I like and I like to listen to that.

I am open to new things when they present themselves to me, but I rarely go searching for them, y'know?

_____________________

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/287/6/c/the_wire_lineup__huge_download_by_dennisculver-d30s7vl.jpg
The man who thinks at 50 the same way he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life - Muhammed Ali

always something new to hear even in something you have heard a thousand times from different ways.

for instance a song like " a night in tunisia" still haunts me on tone

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

Especially when it comes to an artist I'm greatly fascinated by.

Had it not been for Stevie Wonder, I probably wouldn't have discovered Johnny Ace & Little Jimmy Scott. And its a chain reaction, my love for the latter artists encouraged me to dig their influences, and so on.

This is the aspect of exploring music I don't think I will ever get tired of. "A Night In Tunisia" is definitely one of the most mysterious musical statements, in the sense that you'll have a hard time tracking down where it drew its influences from.

and what lead to the harmony or the break down or the rhythms and how they came to be.

when i hear Louis Armstrong i'm wondering how you sound like that on trumpet and sing like that and be so smooth with it? and nobody has sounded like him on trumpet or voice since.

or Nat King Cole with his vocal runs and his switch up from leading a Jazz band to vocalist.

or a cat like Jimi Hendrix who had influences on Guitar from some obvious places and other spots you wouldn't believe.

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

>Do you think it's healthy for a music fan to do this?

I think it's unhealthy not to

>Do you hate when people go overboard and try to flaunt their
>"eclecticism"?

nah, I'm an admitted musical elitist. I hang well with my own

>What's your greatest discovery, if you do indulge in this sort
>of listening?

La Monte Young

i don't really go out of my way to hear different genres of music at all
i'm happy in my comfort zone
but i definitely challenge myself to make sure i check out the new shit
so i'm not 'stuck in the 90s'
lol

THAT'S ENOUGH

but i also rely a lot on my "comfort music." when i'm busy or doing something that requires a lot of attention to detail, i tend to put on what i'm comfortable with and kind of listen to it as background music.

when i'm relaxed and can pay more attention to music, i tend to to challenge myself with new stuff.

I don't mean that statement to sound either jaded or egotistical.

There are two elements in the OP. First, there's "discovering musics you have not previously heard." Second, there's "acquiring a taste for musics you previously did not enjoy."

At my age, I'm done discovering. There isn't much, if anything, that I simply have not heard. There may be new variations on old themes, but nothing of significance. The horizon is pretty well broadened. This should happen, at some point, to every *serious* music listener.

Instead, these days I focus on the second element. In the last decade my taste in metal, for example, has gotten progressively less melodic and more technical, while my taste in jazz has gotten much more avant-garde and "out."

That phenomenon seems to me like mining an ore vein: how deep can you go down this particular hole?

The things I don't like, I don't like for definite, established reasons. I see no need to try to persuade myself otherwise.

>The things I don't like, I don't like for definite,
>established reasons. I see no need to try to persuade myself
>otherwise.

that said, tastes can change over time. i couldn't imagine in my 20s that i'd ever like any country music.

>Do you do this?

I do, but mostly because I'm on that constant search for "....my new favorite song."

>Do you think it's healthy for a music fan to do this?

Absolutely. I look at it like food. You gotta try new things. Sure, a lot of times you might not find something new you like, but every now and again, you'll hit something that you haven't ever even given a second thought to, and it can awaken an outlook or perspective that you didn't even know existed.

>Do you hate when people go overboard and try to flaunt their
>"eclecticism"?

Only when they're not genuine or dismissive. Or iff they aren't well versed in everything they're speaking on.

>Are you comfortable in your bubble?

Not at all. As a matter of fact, I hate my bubble. Because I never wanted to be a guy in a bubble, yet... here I am... 35 years old and in a fucking bubble. lol

_
Yo! That’s My Jawn: The Podcast - Available Now!
http://linktr.ee/yothatsmyjawn

I get bored pretty easily and I'm always looking for new sounds and new vibes to move to. MY fav albums are pretty varied and I'm always adding to the potentials.

1. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
2. David Bowie - Station to Station
3. Fiona Apple - When the Pawn....
4. Incubus - Make Yourself
5. The Roots - Illadeph Halflife
6. The Doors - LA Woman
7. Nas - Illmatic
8. Jamiroquai - The Return of the Space Cowboy
9. Beck - Sea Change
10. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
11. The Shins - Oh! Inverted World
12. Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star
13. Moloko - Statues
14. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
15. Erykah Badu - Mama's Gun
16. Parliament - Mothership Connection
17. The Vines - Winning Days
18. Janelle Monae - ArchAndroid
19. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
20. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

>Do you do this?

Probably the last time I really made a large conscious effort to see how the other half lived was when I decided to put together my comprehensive "Best Hip-Hop albums of the '00s" list a few years ago. Over the space of a year, I made an effort to seek out albums by artists that I wouldn't have paid any mind to otherwise. And, sorta surprisingly, I found that I actually really liked some of these albums quite a bit. So in that case it expanded my horizons and made me aware of good music that I'd previously ignored, at least within that genre.

The time before that was in '08 when I decided I was gonna explore '80s/'90s R&B, which I'd grown up hating passionately. In this case I also found some really good stuff that I still listen to now.

Since then, I try to explore other areas of music every once and a while, but I kinda don't know where to start. So I just check for collections from different regions, but I really have no idea if its representative of what the artform has to offer or not.

>Do you think it's healthy for a music fan to do this?

Sure, I guess. I do feel that I'm old enough that I'll give anything it's day in court. However, I'm also old enough to know that my tastes are my tastes, and I want to spend my time listening to music that I know I like. And I have even less patience for the type of music (and just things in general) that I know I don't like. Plus, there's just so much good music out there that falls within my wheelhouse, that I often feel like I need to make the effort to spend time with listening to music that I feel "Eh" about.

I guess it's always good to be open to new things musically, but if you're not feeling it, there's nothing wrong with moving on.

>Do you hate when people go overboard and try to flaunt their
>"eclecticism"?

Eh, sorta. I get more annoyed by people who go out of their way to show how "current" and hip their music tastes are.

>Are you comfortable in your bubble?

Hell yes. My taste is awesome.

>What's your greatest discovery, if you do indulge in this sort
>of listening?

I'll get back to this later.

-----------------

www.albumism.com

Checkin' Our Style, Return To Zero:

https://www.mixcloud.com/returntozero/

i also try to buy different kind of records all the time. like if i buy a hiphop record the next thing would have to be avant garde music or something. i really want a diverse discography.

>I don't think I'll ever get tired of jangly guitars, big
>melodic hooks and introspective lyrics.

likewise!

>But, sometimes, I just sit there listening to all my familiar
>favorites and I feel like I'm idling too long.

my problem is the opposite; i'm so often listening to new stuff that i need to make time to listen to old favorites.

though albums do grab me and hold my attention, i still manage to get stuck on repeat on a few, they're usually current obsessions.

>Enter: the challenge.
>
>I purposely go out of my way to get into and genuinely feel
>music that is otherwise completely different than my norm.
>
>I get an education and I understand things I didn't
>previously. I gain a new appreciation.
>
>Back where I'm from, we used to call this, "Broadening one's
>horizons."
>
>Do you do this?

sure. working in a record store years back really broadened my taste. i'd always been very much into music, but that opened me up a lot more. and then i've often been around other people who were into different things who put me onto good stuff. and then there was mojo and such mags who i'd get tips from - and later, blogs. even okayplayer.

i get excited finding new bands and music that turns me on.

>Do you think it's healthy for a music fan to do this?

yes. it's always healthy to expand your horizons. there's so much music out there. don't be afraid to explore it.

>Do you hate when people go overboard and try to flaunt their
>"eclecticism"?

if they're doing so to show off, rather than express a passion, it isn't really genuine, is it? i don't necessarily hate it, but i feel they're missing the point.

>Are you comfortable in your bubble?

it's spacious enough.

>What's your greatest discovery, if you do indulge in this sort
>of listening?

lol @ 'greatest'. um, this is too difficult to really quantify.

do you have any more specific questions?

i look into music that had inspired the artists i know i like.

fuck you.

>Back where I'm from, we used to call this, "Broadening one's
>horizons."
>
>Do you do this?

I do it for a couple of reasons. One is work related and the other is sometimes just to see if I can hear/feel what other people are feeling. I get really curious about music that I'm not into when I see or hear fans of that artists go on and on about them.
>
>Do you think it's healthy for a music fan to do this?

I think it's never a bad thing to explore music. If you don't like it then what's the harm?
>
>Do you hate when people go overboard and try to flaunt their
>"eclecticism"?

I hate it when people try and wear their so-called eclectic taste as some sort of badge as if they are above everyone else. That's annoying and I usually dismiss people like that. I'm not going to say I like something just to show how eclectic I am or that I'm not your "average brotha". Whatever.
>
>Are you comfortable in your bubble?

I'm not sure what bubble you mean? Being classified as a person who only likes one particular style of music?
>
>What's your greatest discovery, if you do indulge in this sort
>of listening?

Hard to pin it down to just one artist or one genre. If I had to though I'd probably say it's been Afro Beat & Highlife. I became aware of Fela Kuti about 15 years ago and it made me more curious about similar music and I've been hooked since. It ended up not just being something I would casually pull out and listen to but stuff that I pull out the same way I might pull out a Stevie Wonder or Prince album.
>
>~Austin
>
>Donate:
>http://bit.ly/14IDA7Q
>
>Latest 'choon: "feel the pain"
>http://bit.ly/ZtuOYn
>
>"Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it."
>—Jules Renard

I love hearing shit that I've never heard before, especially when it's old
there's no such thing as having heard it all, and I always look forward to checking out stuff I've never heard or wouldn't normally listen to

__________________________________________
CHOP-THESE-BITCHES!!!!
------------------------------------
Garhart Ivanhoe Poppwell
Un-OK'd moderator for The Lesson and Make The Music (yes, I do's work up in here, and in your asscrease if you run foul of this

Taking everything in.

. . .awesome.

~Austin

Donate:
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Latest 'choon: "honesty blush"
http://bit.ly/ZHgvyW

"Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it."
—Jules Renard

we did some sort of mixtape swap that was a nice way to just be thrown into something completely different/new.. not because you didn't know anything on the mix necessarily, but because you were hearing everything in a different context, and processing it as someone else's vision

I don't remember all the details, but I *think* there was an original post where people expressed their interest, then someone was responsible for randomly assigning posters to each other... then we took it from there (make the mix, send it out)

I feel bad for anyone I made mixes for, lol - I was young in my musical taste and so I know people got some random shit from me. Pretty sure I still have discs from love2000 around here somewhere... that was actually a lot of fun.


-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

...but after a while it gets really boring doing so, so to make sure I don't burn out on music I listen to talk radio and NPR/IPR also.

https://tinyurl.com/y4ba6hog

---------
"We in here talking about later career Prince records
& your fool ass is cruising around in a time machine
trying to collect props for a couple of sociopathic degenerates" - s.blak

a great example of this is initally, I didnt care too many for Roger and Zapp but back in 2009 while I was telling my former dj friend dre about how Prince is a genius and how Prince is the greatest musician that ever was....he says to me, "NO....Roger Troutman of Zapp and he kept it real on both sides of the spectrum" and I went back and I bought ever single Roger and Zapp album that ever existed and started listening and studying their music and then I changed my mind completely about Roger and Zapp and it really sealed the deal for me after I saw their unsung on tvone. that is why sometimes I go back to songs that I didnt like in my collection years ago and listen and see what I think about them today because I dont hear music the same way now as I did when we are younger.

In a lot of poppier/fluffier material. I like music you can't really put your finger on or completely figure out on your first listen. It's the radio stuff where I think I know everything I possibly need to know about the song fifteen seconds into my first listen. That's what I'd be challenging myself to sit down with and really listen. To be honest, I'll probably never do it. Just not a big pop music fan, even the undeniably classic stuff.

----
I check for: Serengeti, Zeroh, Open Mike Eagle, Jeremiah Jae, Moka Only.

Overall, I find it easier to enjoy stuff like Foreigner and Toto via their 70's material than the 80's stuff which is too sappy and weak for me. Also, bands that came into AOR from a more hard-rock/metal side (think Rainbow in their 79-83 era) is easier for me to get into than the straight radio-rock rooted bands. Overall, this music is quite a challenge for me because I always hated it.

Also, I take a weekend every year or so when I listen to nothing but Queen's 70's albums which is a band I REALLY don't like but I still find fun to listen to every now and then.

Basically, I don't need to think that music is good to still enjoy listening to it. That may sound strange but I'm quite nerdy and immediately hear music from a more theoretical perspective so I can weed out the enjoyment factor and still get into the music if the structures or ideas or whatever are cool. Hard to explain but maybe someone can relate. Anyway, it's quite challenging for me to listen to music like that because the enjoyment becomes purely intellectual and has very little to do with a more "basic"/primal appreciation which I obviously (?) don't have for Queen or Foreigner or whoever...

>I don't think I'll ever get tired of jangly guitars, big
>melodic hooks and introspective lyrics.
>

>
>Do you think it's healthy for a music fan to do this?

Of course. One of the things that always annoyed me about music criticism/thinking/whatever is that a more analytical/intellectual appreciaton is frowned upon. Meanwhile, people can talk about everything from movies to litterature to fucking sports in the most academic manner but when it comes to music, it suddenly just HAS to be about ''feelings'' and emotions and blah-blah. Listening to music where the emotional enjoyment is non-existant can be very fulfilling because you can focus more purely on the sheer mechanics of music-making without getting distracted by emotional issues...
>
>Do you hate when people go overboard and try to flaunt their
>"eclecticism"?

It depends. i get pissed off when people claim that they don't care about genres and only listen to music they find "interesting" or whatever; usually, a word like interesting is just a code-word for a set of values that may transcend genres but is ultimately more often than not even more narrow-minded and set in stone than any genre-conventions...

If someone appreciates a bunch of different styles of music on the musics own terms (interpret that as you will), I obviously don't have no beef with that...

>
>What's your greatest discovery, if you do indulge in this sort
>of listening?

Ever? That's a bit hard to say since my taste has broadened so much over the years. However, in the context of the time I got into them and how they related to my general taste at the time: Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, Parliament's later stuff, early Napalm Death and first Carcass album (I was obviously into fast and hard music but this shit was so rugged and OTT I could barely believe my ears as a kid; it truly made me ''immune'' to abrasion/extremity/ugliness afterwards and set the stage for me getting into stuff like free-jazz and Beefheart with a minimum of effort), Pentangle (the most recent one even if it's been a couple of years now) and some others all come to mind...

>but I'm quite
>nerdy


~Austin

Donate:
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Latest 'choon: "honesty blush"
http://bit.ly/ZHgvyW

"Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it."
—Jules Renard

>Basically, I don't need to think that music is good to still
>enjoy listening to it. That may sound strange but I'm quite
>nerdy and immediately hear music from a more theoretical
>perspective so I can weed out the enjoyment factor and still
>get into the music if the structures or ideas or whatever are
>cool. Hard to explain but maybe someone can relate. Anyway,
>it's quite challenging for me to listen to music like that
>because the enjoyment becomes purely intellectual and has very
>little to do with a more "basic"/primal appreciation which I
>obviously (?) don't have for Queen or Foreigner or whoever...

I definitely understand what you're saying here and often feel very similar... for me, it's not about liking or disliking the music, but instead finding something unique/interesting to pull me in. This is often theory-ish ("wow, that chord progression is crazy but it works"), or else it frequently has something to do with the arrangement and can often be isolated to just one or two elements (a drum track, a bass line, whatever).

That being said, that hook is often what then becomes enjoyment (if that makes any sense). At some point the closer listening falls away and allows a bit more of an emotional connection to be made. The whole song can start to sound different at that point.

It's one of the reasons I rarely feel inclined to say I dislike something. Something either grabs me or it doesn't, and from grabbing me it evolves into something else.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

i used to do this constantly.
but back then, music was the most important thing in my life.

so when all my old favorites sounded stale,
i'd dive into another genre.


now, when i'm bored with music,
i'll do other things.

i have a pretty set palate.
i'll discover new stuff, but i don't make it a point to go too far outside of stuff i
already kinda have an ear for.

someone above me said "heard it all before."
i don't think that's really the case for me, but i have heard a shitload of different types of music, and i don't go out of my way to broaden my palate anymore.

i'm okay with that.

there are times I have (and ironically, hip-hop in the '90s was the biggest catalyst of this sort of thing... actually in a way, hip-hop still is, but not as much), but in general, I have a comfort zone that I stick to. I don't actively avoid music, I just don't really -know- of it. it has to catch my ear some way or another.

it's rare that I'll just not even listen to something altogether.

I don't think eclecticism for the sake of such is always a good thing. if it's there, it reflects values you came to naturally, rather than otherwise.