Musical Tastes Survey For The Taking

First thing's first. What are you listening to right now?
A:"Maria" by Blondie.

How did you find that artist/group?
A: I feel like everyone knows Blondie, even if they don't know that they know Blondie, you know? But for me, it wasn't until I watched Six Ways To Sunday that I became interested. Which anyone familiar with that movie knows is a little f*cked up.

What do you think of them?
A: I'm really into her at the moment, she's a little edgy without being gimmicky, she draws from a lot of different styles which is interesting. She's also hotter than hell, which threw me off for a second.

Name the top three artists you have been listening to lately.
A: The Psychedelic Furs, Blondie, and probably The National.

Who is your go-to artist?
A: Either The Smiths or The National typically.

What artist have you listened to the longest?
A: An indie folk rock artist named Dan Bern. I've literally been listening to him since infancy.

How does your musical taste differ now from five years ago?
A: What was I listening to at 18? I may have been just solely listening to The Smiths then, and I think maybe I was listening to Bright Eyes, and the Dresdon Dolls. I still listen to those artists, though I haven't played Bright Eyes or the Dresdon Dolls for a while. The biggest difference now is probably that I'm a lot more open to different kinds of artists.

How about ten years ago?
A: I think I was going through a pretty intense Matchbox Twenty revival period when I was thirteen, I also listened to a lot of Green Day and Goo Goo Dolls, I'm pretty sure... I haven't listened to the Goo Goo Dolls in years, and I can't really stand Green Day anymore, but I still love Matchbox Twenty. I think I basically listened to what I remembered my brothers listening to, now I listen to God knows what, I just play what I like, it doesn't have a lot of rhyme or reason.

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs?
A: Oh god yeah! Songs like "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John, any Beach Boy song ever (or so I'm told), Klaus Nomi anything, my weird love for songs like "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones, or "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" by Leo Sayer. All of these songs earn some strange glances, but I like them anyway.

What was your first concert?
A: Dan Bern was my first concert, and the guy was incredible.

What was your last concert?
A: Elton John, he was brilliant.

Name three deceased artists you would like to see in concert.
A: I'd say, Queen, Joy Division, and Buddy Holly, probably.

Do you have strange musical tastes?
A: I mean, that's pretty subjective, but generally speaking I probably do.

What do you look for in music?
A: Originality? Maybe not initially, maybe the first thing I look for is simply a good melody, but I stick around for clever or interesting lyrics, original thoughts, and concepts.

What is your 'pick me up' song?
A: My go-to pick me up song is typically something like "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers, or lately "I Like" by the Divine Comedy. It changes from time to time, sometimes I just need to turn on "Hotel Yorba" by The White Stripes and let it do its magic.

What do you listen to when you're stressed out?
A: Gordon Lightfoot or Cat Stevens, or if I'm really down and stressed about the future, The National.

Best love song, in your opinion.
A: Oh god... I'm going to go with "Origin of Love" from Hedwig and The Angry Inch. Especially the lyrics:
"Last time I saw you
We had just split in two
You were looking at me
I was looking at you
You had a way so familiar
But I could not recognize
Cause you had blood on your face
I had blood in my eyes
But I could swear by your expression
That the pain down in your soul
Was the same as the one down in mine"
The imagery is stunning, and it's so painfully heartfelt, it just slays me.

Name a song you think people would be surprised to find on your mp3 player/phone/computer.
A: I have a Nickleback song... Yeah.

Put your library on shuffle. Now, what are the first five songs?
"You And I" performed by Seth MacFarlane
"That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine" by Simon and Garfunkle
"Don't Worry Baby" by the Beach Boys
"When You're Young" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
"Jane Says" by Jane's Addiction

Are you embarrassed?
A: No, it could be worse.

Name a band or musician your mother introduced you to.
A: My mom has probably introduced me to hundreds of musicians, she used to sit us down and browse Rhapsody playing "her generations' music" so I'm pretty well-versed in the music of the sixties and seventies thanks to her. She also had a way of just being like "This is a thing, you should probably know about it" which is how I became a fan of Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and the like.

What about your father?
A: The only good thing that guy ever listened to was Bob Dylan,

Sibling?
A: Barenaked Ladies, and the music of the nineties.

What about a friend?
A: The Arctic Monkeys and some of the more "hip" bands of today.

Name three living musicians you would like to see in concert.
A: The National, Bruce Springsteen, and Paul Simon

Okay, now what are you listening to?
A: "Best Day Ever" still have Blondie playing.

Last question. If you could suggest a song for readers to check out, what song would that be?
A: I think either "Heartbreak Beat" or "The Ghost In You" by the Psychedelic Furs.

Okay, that's it, we're finished here.
A: Awesome, I'm off to bed.