Tuesday, March 24, 2009

a song by any other name would get a thumbs down.


Relient K. I like them.

Or do I? The simple fact is, my music tastes are being influenced by band-names. I like Be My Escape and Who I am hates who I've been and Silver Lining.... I know I like those ones. What I don't know is, is my like of those songs influencing me to like other songs by Relient K songs that I might not really like, but like because they're written by the same artist who wrote songs that I do like?

That was gibberish.

Does my knowledge of the fact that a particular artist has written songs that I like cause me to think that I like other songs that they've written... even though I don't really? It's kinda like the placebo effect: I think "oh, Relient K, I'll like this!" and so I do like it. But if I hadn't known who it was would I have thought "Oh, this is crap, thumbs down pandora, don't play that!"

This is especially hard with bands who have a lot of variety: Switchfoot, I like half of their songs, and pretend to like the other half.

This is really easy with bands that have no variety: MercyMe, I like one of their songs, and all of their songs sound the same, so it's easy to like them... in small quantities.

Pandora will play Skillet, and I'll be like "woah, too heavy for me, skip." but then it will play Switchfoot, and it will be almost as heavy and I'll be like "woah, to heavy for... oh, Switchfoot, okay."

It's retarded.

Like making a paragraph two words. Especially when you could have made it three by avoiding the use of conjunctions. But conjunctions are easier to type, and they're more cnversational.

4 comments:

  1. hahah! I'm the same way, except sometimes it happens not just with the band name, but also with who introduced the music to me. "Ugh, this sounds awful...but then again, Michael likes it." =P

    Silly, yes, but sometimes I actually do start liking them after a while of pretending I do.

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  2. Hah, I don't get you guys. Why can't you just like what you like and not analyze why you like it? And I'm not sure I see anything wrong with making yourself like something - it makes it easier to find the things you do truly hate. Yeah.

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  3. "What I don't know is, is my like of those songs influencing me to like other songs by Relient K songs that I might not really like, but like because they're written by the same artist who wrote songs that I do like? " -Sheer brilliance. That may be the most insightful thing I've read all day. Though...I think the trouble isn't with liking things because of the artist, but NOT liking things because you don't like it at first and are afterwards unwilling to listen to it, and so never realize it's awesomeness....if you like the band however you might hear it a few more times to make SURE you don't like it..give it time to grow on you....you know? And sometimes...you still hate it (U2's album Pop=Epic failure, minus "wake up dead man")

    "Ugh, this sounds awful...but then again, Michael likes it." Lol...most of the time Becka, is the other way 'round with my friends: "this sounds alright...but Michael likes it and...you know...he likes U2 so it can't be that good" :P

    I don't see a problem with making myself like something...because in the end....I like it. It's only an issue if I don't ACTUALLY like it but pretend to...to myself, to prove to myself that I am a loyal fan of X band :P

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  4. I don't really see the problem with it either, unless it's a conscience thing. "This song isn't edifying, I shouldn't listen to this. But it's by a band I like... hmmm."

    Yeah, I don't really mind it if its just the sound, but if it's the song itself that is causing me to question the merits, having a band-loyalty doesn't help things.

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