Musical preferences

[Matt Seil]

That's a fair question given that while growing up Music played a 
central role in my "identity."

I'm far less bounded by those set of rules as an adult, but I too have a 
tendency though I've traced it to being something a bit more generic:  
dark and moody.  A prime example of songs at opposite genre spectrums 
would be "Code Against the Code" 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTb4eRLE2Vs by Katatonia contrasted with 
"The Lone Deranger" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxwtm3_FXY4 by 
Vildhjarta.  Both songs made me snap to attention and they have some 
similar feels. I would have said that minor keys were mandatory as well, 
but the Vildhjarta song is in Aflat Major.  Which floors me because it 
doesn't sound like a "major" scale to me.  (But I'm also a music theory 
neophyte.)

I just got back into music after a 16yr break, and I would say that I 
"like" alot more than I used to, its rare that I find something I 
"love."  It's not the polish... despite his success in the 90s it would 
be difficult to say that NIN is "mainstream." And Reznor's work is 
super-polished.

I guess as I reflect on the question:  I don't care as much whether or 
not something is "mainstream" or not.  I'm probably less likely to 
really love a mainstream song though because I'm attracted to 
experimental newness.  I loved the mix of industral and rap on this 
track from Ghostmane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPD12h6tJik

You probably didn't want someone to write this much and I'm sorry for 
that.  I just haven't really sat back to reflect on this question in 
awhile.

IF any of those bands ended up being super famous making millions of 
dollars, I don't think I'd like those songs any less.

Here's a mainstream song that I can't stop listening to: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFy03i_LRO8

I would consider that more "pop" than anything else but it's a great song.

As for what I'm starting to write since such a long break, very mixed 
bag right now.  I have one song that sounds like Atari Teenage Riot, and 
the most recent is something that sounds like Prince would have written 
back in the Purple Rain days.   (I will of course share, once I get the 
ideas fleshed out more.)

I haven't quite gotten to your list yet.  I will, I love new music!


On 12/19/2021 2:21 PM, Mikael Hansson wrote:
> Something I’ve thought about for a while is what defines my musical preferences.
>
> Even though my taste spans quite a few genres, one thing that is common, is that it’s mostly in the alternative genre, i.e rarely mainstream and if it is, most likely on the border between mainstream and alternative.
>
> I’m not really sure why. What’s your thoughts about this, what differs between mainstream and alternative. Is it the ethos, the not so polished production, another “mould” to make music (or lack of thereof) etc.
>
> /Micke
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