Now you know fine well I'm staying

It’s often said that there are only two types of music.

Good music and bad music.

I’m not entirely sure I agree with that sentiment. Sure it’s a cuddly, clever answer aimed at cutting dead a potentially interesting debate but it’s also a cuddly, clever answer aimed at cutting dead a potentially interesting debate. It’s a dull answer. An answer that smacks of faux pretention and does nothing more than aim to belittle the person it’s aimed at for daring to make a judgement. There’s no way to respond to it because it’s such a dead end answer. Yes, music may well be good or bad but that judgement is subjective and that in itself makes the answer more complicated than the simplistic either-or option of that response. To say you like one thing over another does not make you close minded, small minded or narrow sighted. It demonstrates your ability to not only have an opinion, but to have an opinion you’re willing to stick up for. It expresses personality and character.

Because the truth is that none of us are as musically adventurous as we like to think we are. We may well claim to be open minded. We may well own records that straddle a range of musical styles and genres. But I reckon if you looked at your whole music library, a pattern would emerge. I’m almost certain you’d find a heavy bias towards a certain genre. A leaning that could be crudely distilled as your favourite style. A sound you can’t help but fall for, no matter how many bands have ploughed that particular furrow before.

And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. For me, there are few more things annoying than asking someone what kind of music they’re into and getting the standard ‘oh I like all sorts’ response. I don’t speak the exact language but I think that roughly translates as, ‘I have no real opinion, am devoid of either the intelligence or confidence required to differentiate and specify my tastes and am an unquestionably dull person’. This may seem like a wide sweeping statement but in my opinion it’s a pretty accurate one. I’d much rather someone tell me they’re a huge Pussycat Doll’s fan and validate it with real love, than give the answer that’s the limp equivalent of a village idiot shrugging. Have some balls. Take a stand. Dare to offer an opinion. Life is much more interesting that way.

All of which maye currently leave you puzzled as to what my point is. Well, before the rant ensued, I was just interested to see how you all answer when you’re asked what music you’re into. Do you state a genre? Reel of a list of your favourite bands? Or do you struggle to find an answer that sums up your tastes, satisfies yourself and doesn’t leave an awkward pause while the person who asked the question realises they have no idea what you’re talking about? Personally, I’ve never found a particularly satisfying way to answer it, but my best friend once summed my music collection up as being depressing music made by men who can’t sing and girls with lesbian haircuts. Which, while neither particularly pc nor flattering, is succinctly accurate. And as if to prove it, here’s some music that could happily fall into the realms of that description.

Arab Strap - here we go (live acoustic session version) original version available on 'Philophobia'

Sleater Kinney - one more hour (live session version) original version available on 'Dig Me Out'

Interpol - nyc (live session version) original version available on 'Turn On The Bright Lights'

mp3 / music / arab strap / sleater kinney / interpol