I’m all over the place with music, but mostly listen to the same artists and styles that I’ve been into since 10th grade (2001?).
I’ll go a week or two without listening to anything, then go on a binge and listen at work (headphones), on my short commute, at home before wife and kids are home, etc etc.
While I was in Korea (both times), I listened to music all the damn time, because it was just me. On the subway, on the bus, walking around taking pictures.
Anyways-
Various styles and bands I’m into:
The Get Up Kids, Cursive, The Juliana Theory, Mineral, Sunny Day Real Estate, American Football, Jimmy Eat World (older stuff), New Amsterdams- all that mid 90’s indie/emo stuff that was honestly before my time.
SDRE’s (sunny day real estate) album, Diary, is amazing.
This is the first track. I listened to this a ton in high school.
Lots of instrumental stuff:
Mono, Gregor Samsa (holy shit i love these guys), The Album Leaf, Flashlight Fiction (small time Austin band my cousin recorded around 2000), Ratatat.
Mono, live, is amazing. I’ve seen them in TX, NC, NYC, and Seoul.
Gregor Samsa is my “flying on a plane to the other side of the world, where I’ll be away from my family for a year” music. I don’t know why, but it puts me at peace when I’m on a 14hr flight across the pacific, knowing I’ll be away from my wife and son for at least several months.
Various other late 90’s to early 2000’s indie, hardcore, “screamo” bands pop up from time to time still:
Poison the Well, Hopesfall, From Autumn To Ashes (listening right now), Pedro the Lion/David Bazaan, Arcade Fire, Deathcab for Cutie, Phoenix, The Decemberists.
haha Poison The Well video brings back some memories!
David Bazaan performing one of my fav Pedro The Lion songs. I’ve seen him (solo, not as the band) live 3 times, and it’s unlike anything else. No opening act, usually just him on a barstool with a guitar, and talking about books, politics, and family life between songs. Last time I saw him was in a living room up in Birmingham. He’s an amazingly kind person, and loves to talk to his fans.
This song is DARK.
Interesting bit of music trivia- “The Suburbs”, which won Album of the Year (grammy) in 2011, is about the Woodlands, where I lived as a kid just north of Houston. I LOVE that album.
I’ve seen a good portion of these bands live. When I was a teen living in the Houston 'burbs, I would drive down to the city for shows a few times a month. When I was stationed at Shaw AFB in SC, I would go to shows at least weekly in Columbia.
