Music Here and There

I don't branch out very much in my music listening. I know that's really jacked up, though, because when I do I always find something I like. i.e. LCD Soundsystem. I'd listened to them before I saw them open for Arcade Fire but I'd written them off quick as lightening. Then I saw them and was impressed. I came home and started listening to them and, hey, what do you know? I really like LCD Soundsystem. Shame on me.

I don't know how music critics do it. The folks at Pitchfork must listen to hundreds of bands a week. Do they get to the point where it's easy to know what is good and what isn't without spending a week or a month on an album? Do they ever write a review that cans an album only to realize a year or two later that they were completely wrong? I mean most of the time it takes me a good five or six listen-throughs of an album to even begin getting a feel for it--let alone if I like it or think it's good. Of course, there are the magic albums where I immediately know I love them (Alligator, Hissing Fauna, Who Will Cut Our Hair, Chutes, Gimme Fiction, ). Usually I have to listen and listen and listen and listen. And I guess, after looking at that last sentence, maybe I just don't put in the time to get to know new music.

I've never listened to more music in my life than I did in 2005. I listened to everything that came out. I listened to everything than anyone would recommend. The fact of the matter is I just don't have the time to live my whole life like that. I was listening nearly every minute at work and maybe an hour or two at home at night. Now I don't listen at work very closely (my music plays in the background--no headphones). And when I get home I want to listen to the stuff I know I like; I don't want to have to work through an album, you know? I just want the release of familiarity.

But what would I be missing out on if I didn't put in the time? Okkervil River. Ted Leo. Spoon. Sufjan. AMFM. Wilco (who I know I'm still missing out on because I haven't put in the necessary listening time). Those are some of my favorite bands. And the ones I've had to work the hardest at getting to know. And the bands I listen to now instead of listening to new music. They've risen to that place. Maybe I've gotten to a point where I know what I like and I don't have to pressure myself to listen to everything like I did in 2005. Maybe I can let the music come to me instead of going out and searching every corner for it. That'd be great. I could put on Islands and not worry about what else I should be listening to instead of Islands.