And the weeklong slog through my musical tastes draws to a close. Don’t forget about Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
Today I’ll talk about all the other stuff I listen to that didn’t fit in the broader categories mentioned earlier. Some of these genres take themselves seriously, but most of them don’t.
And that’s okay.
Classical
Mentioned way back at the beginning along with Disco. There’s a lot here, and no way I could really do it justice. I’ll often put it on in the background when I need to relax. In fact, for several years I would regularly fall asleep to Pachelbel’s Canon. I also had a André Gagnon CD that was a staple of my study time throughout school
Folk
You may have guessed from my mention of Mumford & Sons a while back that I do have a taste for some of the softer stuff out there. Well, I do. In fact, I really like some of the “Celtic” inspired folk music, like Gaelic Storm, The Chieftains, and some of the other artists you hear on radio stations like KBCO. After all, one can’t be angsty and or dancing to the beat all the time. Sometimes you just have to relax…
Comedy
…and sometimes you want to laugh. A lot of these bands are still folksy, but if you take a moment to listen to the lyrics, you can’t help but smile. Jonathan Coulton. The Arrogant Worms. Flight of the Conchords. The Lonely Island. Tim Minchin. And of course, Weird Al.
Nerdcore
If you’re looking for a genre that doesn’t take itself too seriously, look no further than Nerdcore Rap. Now I’m generally not a big fan of rap, but I find this subgenre hilarious. It’s exactly what it sounds like: nerds rapping, and it’s as fun as it is amusing. Remember Zork? MC Frontalot will hook you up. Surge? YT Cracker. MC Lars can even get political. Like I said, fun. And I must say, it kinda confused my coworkers that I would listen to “that kind of music” (until they listened more closely).
* * *
So there you go. A wholly incomplete and limited view at my musical tastes. Of course, as I’ve continued writing this, there are artists I forgot. Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly (Gaelic Punk). Rammstein (German Tanzmetal ). Voltaire (kinda required after the last link). I Fight Dragons (Alternative fused with Chiptunes). Stemage (Heavy Metal covers of songs from the Metroid games). Vernian Process (Steampunk!). Tiësto (I’m amused, because I had a professor with a very similar name in grad school). Trans-Siberian Orchestra (I especially like their album Beethoven’s Last Night). And I’m sure there will be more.
But like anything, it is time to draw this list to a close. I hope you enjoyed it, and don’t think I’m too much of a poser; music is one of those things people tend to get very passionate about, for better or for worse. If you discovered something new, great! If you have something you enjoy that I haven’t mentioned, feel free to let me know about it.
