Tuesday, May 26, 2009

A Musical Makeover

I've been listening a lot to Eels, Weezer, Ben Folds, Smashmouth, Cake and similar music lately.

It's a bit of a jump from the usual suspects on my iPod. Sweet friends who'd had enough, albeit baseless, faith in my musical taste were almost always disappointed when they borrowed it. The initial content was archaic, and that's putting it mildly. The youngest musician was Frank Sinatra, and he's been dead for a while. The rest were mostly nether-century composers, when music involved very little singing or none at all and most of the cover art were paintings of the composer because photography then was probably advance technology.

So I decided to botox it since a. it's getting a bit depressing because I'm leaving my house to places this summer (starting from a fortnight from now) which means I'll be leaving the piano behind which means I would miss playing and listening to classical would be like salting the wound, b. my socially adept sister (more than I can say about myself) says you are what you listen to these days and from that principle I would be a boring sixty-year-old snob. I wouldn't say that's inaccurate, but I'm not sixty, and c. I've started listening to contemporary music and hey, they're not half bad, and they'd probably help me in future karaokes.

So, my mp3 player now holds an eclectic repertoire of everything new from Black Eyed Peas' Boom Boom Pow (I still giggle when I see the title) to Lenka, Katy Perry, Kings of Convenience, One Republic, All American Rejects, The Ting Tings (what's in a name anyway), Jason Mraz, Lady Gaga (she can actually sing), Kris Allen (gasp) and the abovementioned maestros on the first line. I still keep some selected classical pieces on a separate folder, though, as collateral. Save it for a rainy (summer) day. My sister's pretty proud of my updated taste, even when I pointed out that if I'm what I listen to now I'd probably be a very confused fifteen-year-old chart-hopper. Give it two weeks and I'd probably start reading romance novels. Err... or not. I'd take Flo Rida over Nicholas Sparks any day.

4 comments:

Masyhur said...

Black Eyed Peas--check
Lenka--check
Kings of Convenience--check
The Ting Tings--check
Jason Mraz--check

I take it I am now also one step away from reading romance novel?

On the other hand, being "a very confused fifteen-year-old chart-hopper" might not be so bad. Beats being a twenty-something.

astari said...

I am currently reading a book called "one fifth avenue" by the author of sex and the city. Enchanting. So watch out there.

Maybe if you keep it strictly to Japanese romance novels it'll be worth your while... hehehe.

Masyhur said...

I am not sure what to say. what's with Japanese romantic novel sih? Am not familiar with Japanese pop culture (read: I have an inexplicable aversion to it).

astari said...

I wouldn't know. I've switched back to reading Anne Rice horrors. They're much more soothing. Well, what I meant was since it's in japanese it might help you with your japanese, wakarimasu ka? I bet the "inexplicable aversion" will disappear in a month or so after immersion into society. Sociologically, you have two choices: hang on to your root culture or plunge into your host culture. Either you'll turn japanese or become a frightfully patriotic javanese. Or a confused hybrid. Omedetou on graduating btw.