Music

I've noticed something very odd in the last year. My taste in music has been changing. I've always had eclectic taste. Funny, most writers I know do. You look on their iPods or mp3 players and they have a mix which runs from rap and hip hop to Bach and Beethoven. I've gone through phases before; ska in the 80's, hard rock in the early 90's and Radio Disney in the 2000's (didn't have much choice there). But lately I've immersed myself in indie alternative. Big time. I'm not sure why. I think some of it has to do with the Internet.

Radio in Los Angeles sucks. For being such a huge entertainment factory with a dearth of talent, the radio is horrible. As soon as I find a station I enjoy, it disappears. And even if there were decent stations, I live too close to the mountains to get great reception. So I've turned to the Internet. I was listening to Indie 103.1 but then I discovered Pandora. I love this site better than any of the others. I've listened to quite a few. But too many of them have bad streams or they repeat the same songs over and over.

Do you go through phases with your music? What prompts a change?

Catching a New Wave

I don't know, perhaps it qualifies as child abuse, but I have been subjecting my kids to 80's New Wave. I've always been a big New Wave fan, back when it was popular the first time. But this summer it has jumped into being the soundtrack of my summer.


Here we have one of my favorite songs from the era. This video personifies what a good 80's music video should have. Paul King's horrible green suit and spray painted Doc Martens along with his hair just screams 80's to me.

I'm sure part of my attraction is the nostalgia. This music was popular when I was in high school. Not that high school was any great shakes, but certainly I loved the music. Perhaps its the fast beats and the creative use of electronics. Certainly there was energy, it got you moving.

Oddly enough, I enjoyed the rough sound of punk as well. For fun, turn on the Sex Pistols and see what your kids do.

I suppose I love the slick sound of new wave, listening to the over-produced music was like reading a super glossy magazine. A nice way to spend a few hours without applying too much brain power. Maybe that's why I like it, it isn't thinking music, its fun music.