en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices Buffalohed's Last.fm Journal http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal The Last.fm journal for Buffalohed. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. Top albums http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2008/12/25/2ji6q2_top_albums Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:07:34 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2008/12/25/2ji6q2_top_albums Let's see how this works:

Buffalohed's top albums
1. John Murphy - Sunshine (339)
2. Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris (306)
3. Decrepit Birth - Diminishing Between Worlds (232)
4. Wormed - Planisphaerium (212)
5. Cryptopsy - None So Vile (168)
6. Nazgul - De Expugnatione Elfmuth (159)
7. Kronos - Colossal Titan Strife (159)
8. Timeless Miracle - Into the Enchanted Chamber (153)
9. Augury - Concealed (146)
10. Necrophagist - Onset of Putrefaction (126)
11. Brodequin - Methods of Execution (118)
12. Defeated Sanity - Psalms Of The Moribund (113)
13. Weakling - Dead as Dreams (112)
14. Ayreon - The Human Equation (111)
15. Atheist - Unquestionable Presence (101)
16. Devourment - Butcher the Weak (98)
17. Intestine Baalism - Banquet In The Darkness (95)
18. Angra - Temple of Shadows (92)
19. Belong - October Language (92)
20. Dark Moor - The Gates of Oblivion (91)
21. Inquisition - Magnificent Glorification of Lucifer (89)
22. Xasthur - Nocturnal Poisoning (89)
23. Skyfire - Spectral (87)
24. Ildjarn-Nidhogg - Hardangervidda (86)
25. Equilibrium - Sagas (85)
26. Odious Mortem - Cryptic Implosion (85)
27. Inquisition - Nefarious Dismal Orations (83)
28. Severe Torture - Sworn Vengeance (81)
29. Carbon Based Lifeforms - World Of Sleepers (81)
30. Cenotaph - REINCARNATION IN GOREXTASY (80)
31. Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream (78)
32. Nyktalgia - Nyktalgia (72)
33. Max Richter - Songs From Before (71)
34. Gorguts - Obscura (71)
35. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (71)
36. Guttural Secrete - Reek of Pubescent Despoilment (70)
37. Gorod - Neurotripsicks (69)
38. Spawn of Possession - Cabinet (68)
39. The Ruins of Beverast - Unlock the Shrine (65)
40. Lurker of Chalice - Lurker of Chalice (65)
41. Anata - Under A Stone With No Inscription (62)
42. Quo Vadis - Day Into Night (62)
43. Inquisition - Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan (61)
44. Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side (61)
45. Ennio Morricone - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (61)
46. Malignancy - Intrauterine Cannibalism (60)
47. Gorgasm - Masticate to Dominate (60)
48. Malevolent Creation - Warkult (60)
49. Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Bestial Machinery (60)
50. Arsis - A Celebration of Guilt (59)

top albums generator »
]]> Top albums http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2008/12/25/2cs62b_top_albums Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:07:34 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2008/12/25/2cs62b_top_albums Let's see how this works:

Buffalohed's top albums
1. John Murphy - Sunshine (339)
2. Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris (306)
3. Decrepit Birth - Diminishing Between Worlds (232)
4. Wormed - Planisphaerium (212)
5. Cryptopsy - None So Vile (168)
6. Nazgul - De Expugnatione Elfmuth (159)
7. Kronos - Colossal Titan Strife (159)
8. Timeless Miracle - Into the Enchanted Chamber (153)
9. Augury - Concealed (146)
10. Necrophagist - Onset of Putrefaction (126)
11. Brodequin - Methods of Execution (118)
12. Defeated Sanity - Psalms Of The Moribund (113)
13. Weakling - Dead as Dreams (112)
14. Ayreon - The Human Equation (111)
15. Atheist - Unquestionable Presence (101)
16. Devourment - Butcher the Weak (98)
17. Intestine Baalism - Banquet In The Darkness (95)
18. Angra - Temple of Shadows (92)
19. Belong - October Language (92)
20. Dark Moor - The Gates of Oblivion (91)
21. Inquisition - Magnificent Glorification of Lucifer (89)
22. Xasthur - Nocturnal Poisoning (89)
23. Skyfire - Spectral (87)
24. Ildjarn-Nidhogg - Hardangervidda (86)
25. Equilibrium - Sagas (85)
26. Odious Mortem - Cryptic Implosion (85)
27. Inquisition - Nefarious Dismal Orations (83)
28. Severe Torture - Sworn Vengeance (81)
29. Carbon Based Lifeforms - World Of Sleepers (81)
30. Cenotaph - REINCARNATION IN GOREXTASY (80)
31. Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream (78)
32. Nyktalgia - Nyktalgia (72)
33. Max Richter - Songs From Before (71)
34. Gorguts - Obscura (71)
35. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (71)
36. Guttural Secrete - Reek of Pubescent Despoilment (70)
37. Gorod - Neurotripsicks (69)
38. Spawn of Possession - Cabinet (68)
39. The Ruins of Beverast - Unlock the Shrine (65)
40. Lurker of Chalice - Lurker of Chalice (65)
41. Anata - Under A Stone With No Inscription (62)
42. Quo Vadis - Day Into Night (62)
43. Inquisition - Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan (61)
44. Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side (61)
45. Ennio Morricone - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (61)
46. Malignancy - Intrauterine Cannibalism (60)
47. Gorgasm - Masticate to Dominate (60)
48. Malevolent Creation - Warkult (60)
49. Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Bestial Machinery (60)
50. Arsis - A Celebration of Guilt (59)

top albums generator »
]]> John Murphy... http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2008/12/23/2cniqi_john_murphy... Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:08:18 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2008/12/23/2cniqi_john_murphy... In case anyone is wondering what is up with all my John Murphy plays, I have been enamoured with the Sunshine soundtrack recently. The movie is brilliant, probably my favorite sci-fi ever, and the tracks "What Do You See?" and "The Surface of the Sun" are mind-blowing. Check it out.]]> American Nationalism and black metal. http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2008/03/02/41sg_american_nationalism_and_black_metal. Sun, 2 Mar 2008 20:50:10 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2008/03/02/41sg_american_nationalism_and_black_metal. I stumbled upon a rather intriguing idea today. There is a black metal project from North Carolina, USA, whose sole member calls himself an American Nationalist. The band is called Pagan Hammer, and his website features a picture of the US Marines raising the American flag at Iwo Jima in WWII with the words "Ode to My Fathers" underneath.

How does American Nationalism compare to certain Nationalistic ideas from Europe? Is it possible to for true Nationalism to exist in a country that is, by definition, a mixture of other countries?

If I had to describe my own feelings towards America, it would probably veer towards Nationalism as well. I served in the United States military for 4 years, and though I was proud of my service, I am not proud of what the country has become today.

Like many Nationalists in other countries, I think the history of our country is what should be fought for, and I think we are letting that history go. The Founding Fathers of the United States were great people, and they constituted one of the greatest organizations of people working for a cause in the history of our planet. Over the last 70 or so years, America has seen a catastrophic decline in the things that we should have been proud of. We are now a nation of pigs, capitalists, hypocrites, and slaves to religion and greed.

Unfortunately, the problem of religion has been with America from the start. There is no pagan heritage to return to. The heritage of justice and liberty is all but gone, yet our disgusting preoccupation with Christianity has not even dwindled, in fact it has probably strengthened.

If an American Nationalist were to exist, he should be a person that realizes how far our country has fallen, and how drastic the measures would need to be in order to restore our dignity. America has a lot to be proud of, from establishing the first modern democracy and occupying the vanguard of the moral and ethical advance of civilization, to our honorable history in WWs I and II. I think that as an American Nationalist, it is ones duty to fight against the direction the United States is going in.


This idea is fully compatible and in line with the values of black metal. Black metal's hatred of humanity is based on the despicable things that humans do. We treat each other without regard and we destroy nature and the environment at every turn. We are selfish and narrow-minded, ignorant and blind. Nationalism is a fight against these things. Rather than accept them as inevitable and condemn all of humanity, Nationalist black metal calls for a return to past honor and ethical standards. Considering this, it follows that American Nationalist Black Metal serves the purpose of fighting against the diseases of society while recognizing the merit in our history.

Many people, myself included, are put off with purely nihilistic ideas. Personally, I think they are ridiculous. Being the fatally cynical person that I am, I am not convinced that humanity can be saved, or that the human race deserves to continue existing. Nevertheless, I fully support any effort to make a change for the better, and a Nationalist position is one of the things that can be used to fight for those changes.

I don't support random linking to artists, so I will only include links to pages where people might want to read this.

Graveland Nokturnal Mortum Fanisk Walknut Forest Wolves in the Throne Room Drudkh Grand Belial's Key Weakling Peordh Pagan Hammer

One last thing: I should make clear that I believe Christianity, and all other forms of organized religion, especially of the Abrahamic descent, are the source of an incomprehensible amount of evil in this world. Any feelings of Nationalism are paled by my own desire for the end of all religion. There is nothing more disgraceful about America, or any other country, than the religion we adhere to.]]> I lost 200gb of music. http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2008/03/01/41sf_i_lost_200gb_of_music. Sat, 1 Mar 2008 23:58:13 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2008/03/01/41sf_i_lost_200gb_of_music. 98% of my electronic music, 75% of my ambient music, 75% of my post-rock, 98% of my experimental/noise, 98% of my indie rock/pop. Also about 15gb of music applications like Reason and Sonar.

This christmas I built a new computer, and it wouldn't accept an IDE hard drive and an IDE dvd-drive at the same time. So I had to buy another hard drive, a 250gb, and put the 200gb in "storage". I have two external HDs, 160gb and 500gb. The 160gb is completely full of music and the 500gb has about 50gb of music. My laptop HD also has about 50gb of music. Two days ago, I tried to hook up the old 200gb for the first time since I took apart my old computer, and it the file system is dead. My computer recognizes the drive but can't retrieve the data.

Before this, I had roughly 500gb of music so losing 200 of that is a pretty big fucking deal, considering it had ALL of my electronic stuff. A lot of the indie-rock and post-rock that was on there I have CD copies of, but not all of it, and a lot of it was hard to find.

Hopefully I can find someone in the area who has a shitload of electronic and ambient music so I can do a direct file transfer. Honestly there was probably 100gb of stuff on there I would never miss, but the rest was electronic and ambient music that was really important to me.

I suppose I will be buying another 500gb to back my music up on now. My externals haven't failed me yet, but one drop and they are done. I'm pretty depressed about this - it's going to take months to rebuild my collection, and I don't have the massive ratio I had on OiNK, plus, what and waffles are shitholes and don't have a lot of the stuff I want.

In order to not make this journal completely pointless, how about everyone who gives a shit and wants to respond can give some suggestions of stuff I should get, seeing as there is no way I will be able to remember everything I had. Mostly I care about rebuilding my collection of IDM, downtempo and ambient electronic, and glitch/experimental. Feel free to suggest stuff, or just join/laugh at me while I wallow in misery.]]> Reseting charts, here are my top 100, for shits and giggles. http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2007/11/05/41se_reseting_charts%2C_here_are_my_top_100%2C_for_shits_and_giggles. Mon, 5 Nov 2007 07:28:27 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2007/11/05/41se_reseting_charts%2C_here_are_my_top_100%2C_for_shits_and_giggles. 1 Play Weakling
653
2 Play Mogwai
626
3 Play Inquisition
556
4 Play The Smashing Pumpkins
458
5 Deathspell Omega
405
6 Play M83
333
7 Aäkon Këëtrëh
289
8 Play My Bloody Valentine
283
9 Play Porcupine Tree
271
10 Drowning the Light
254
11 Play Boards of Canada
248
12 Play Belong
246
13 Krieg
241
13 Play Jesu
241
15 Play 65daysofstatic
237
16 Play Burzum
226
17 Play Aphex Twin
223
18 Play Tim Hecker
219
19 Play Black Funeral
218
20 Play Fennesz
213
21 Hypothermia
202
22 Play Xasthur
201
23 Vlad Tepes
200
24 Play Beherit
188
25 Play Max Richter
186
26 Play The Apples in Stereo
180
27 Play µ-Ziq
178
28 Play Emperor
162
29 Play Sortsind
161
30 Play Judas Iscariot
156
31 Grimlair
153
32 Elysian Blaze
151
33 Graveland
141
33 Walknut
141
33 Play Krohm
141
36 Play Darkthrone
137
37 Play Sargeist
135
38 Play Clint Mansell
133
39 Play Hammock
128
40 Play Hate Forest
127
41 Play The Ruins of Beverast
126
41 Balun
126
43 Ancient
125
44 Satanic Warmaster
124
44 Play His Name Is Alive
124
44 Play Bedhead
124
47 Play Gridlock
123
48 Play Bathory
122
49 Play Ulver
121
50 Behexen
119
51 Choir of Westminster Cathedral
118
52 Play Venetian Snares
117
53 Play Agalloch
115
53 Play Leviathan
115
55 Play Negurã Bunget
114
56 Play God Is an Astronaut
113
57 Play Summoning
112
58 Play Tortoise
109
58 Play Eluvium
109
60 Play The Hold Steady
107
60 Play Gehenna
107
60 Nachtmystium
107
60 Play Dimmu Borgir
107
64 Play Amon Tobin
106
65 Play Ulrich Schnauss
105
66 Nortt
104
67 SoundArcade
103
68 Play Plaid
101
68 Play Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson & Sigur Rós
101
70 Play Ad Hominem
100
71 Be Persecuted
99
71 Woods of Infinity
99
73 Play Clark
97
74 Play Satyricon
96
74 Grabak
96
74 Play The Jesus and Mary Chain
96
77 Play Super Furry Animals
95
77 Sacrificia Mortuorum
95
79 Wyrd
94
80 Blut aus Nord
92
80 Play Bethlehem
92
82 Amesoeurs
91
83 Helritt
90
84 Play Sparklehorse
88
84 Play DJ Shadow
88
86 Old Wainds
79
87 Play Christ
77
88 Play Squarepusher
76
88 Play Nine Inch Nails
76
88 Play ISAN
76
91 Play Slowdive
75
92 Play Denzel + Huhn
74
92 Play Voxtrot
74
94 Play The Workhouse
73
95 Armagedda
72
96 Play Enduser
71
96 Profanatica
71
98 Play Asobi Seksu
70
99 Play Immortal
69
100 Play Mouse on Mars
68]]> Deathspell Omega no longer plays black metal. http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2007/10/27/41sd_deathspell_omega_no_longer_plays_black_metal. Sat, 27 Oct 2007 04:04:00 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2007/10/27/41sd_deathspell_omega_no_longer_plays_black_metal. Deathspell Omega was one of my favorite black metal bands. SMRC is a masterpiece, while Inquisitors and Kenose are not far from it. I really wanted to like their last album, Fas - Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum, but it has continued to elude my sensibilities.

After giving it a rest for about a month, I thought it was time to come back to the album. The only thing I could think of while listening to it was that it is in no way black metal anymore.

Fas is basically a technical progressive death metal album. The reasons are as follows: The musicianship is highly technical. The music is based on unconventional and rapidly changing rhythms. The drums are extremely high in the mix, crisp, and chaotic. There is no trem picking. There is virtually no melody. The vocals are relatively low, and closer to a growling rasp than to a scream. The instrumental/ambient passages account for a lot of the progressive nature, as well.

Simply put, there are almost no traces of black metal in this album. The only remnants of that genre are the ethos, lyrics, and attitude, but Deathspell has left most black metal behind in terms of seriousness in that regard and they are playing by their own rules.

I am really upset with this album because there are a lot of parts of it that I like and want more of. Some of the riffs are fantastic and crushing, but they last for only a very short time. There are so many undesirable elements, however, that it is almost impossible for me to have an enjoyable experience listening to it. The ambient sections are not actually ambient as many people have been saying. No, they are sections of nothing. Silence. Silence does not add to the atmosphere of the album, especially when placed seemingly at random within the songs.

The drumming, while very accomplished technically, infuriates me. It is too loud - I want to hear the guitars, but I can't over the drums. The jazz/progressive drumming is "cute" at best, at worst it is completely out of place and annoying. Every incredible 1-2 minute segment of actual black metal is subsequently ruined by an even longer segment of progressive improvisation and instrumental noodling.

At most I will concede that this album has maybe 12-15 minutes of real black metal - though even this is so close to technical death as to be almost indistinguishable. The remaining 45 minutes however is nothing even close to black metal. No matter how much I enjoy 15 minutes on a 45 minute album, I will never call it a good album.]]> Music is not subjective: Good Taste (Part I) http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2007/10/18/41sc_music_is_not_subjective%3A__good_taste_%28part_i%29 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 02:49:38 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2007/10/18/41sc_music_is_not_subjective%3A__good_taste_%28part_i%29 I intended to make this journal similar to my journal about bad taste. The problem is that, while the best examples of generic and accessible bands are easy to identify because they are so popular, the opposite is often true of bands that indicate good taste.

Bad taste is about close-mindedness or a simple lack of effort and willingness to expand. The more confined someones taste is, the more likely it is to cluster towards an increasingly popular and increasingly small number of bands.

People with good taste populate all sorts of genres and exhibit all sorts of listening habits. The trademarks of good taste, however, are more abstract and harder to put a finger on. There are some powerful indicators, however.

To have good taste, you must have some understanding of music, and a broad experience with different genres. You don't have to like all kinds of music, but you must have some idea why you don't like what you don't like. Good taste comes with a lot of effort, and the more music you listen to and the more attention you pay to what is going on, the more you know exactly what kind of music you do like and why you like it. It also involves being able to recognize the merits of music you don't enjoy.

The idea here is that the more you know, the better you know what you know. A person who knows by heart Newton's laws of motion can know them perfectly and accurately. But a physicist can know those same laws on a much deeper level, and he is better able to put them in context and understand their true meaning.

This is not just about knowing music. Taste is, however, associated with knowledge, and knowledge is what allows the formation of good taste.

One of the truest indications of good taste is ones ability to appreciate and enjoy music that is not immediately enjoyable. Any wise man will tell you the greatest pleasures in life are not the immediate ones. That applies to music just as it applies to anything else in life.

The real argument here is that people with good musical taste actually get more out of music than people with bad taste. That is, specifically, from the music or derived from the music itself. It's important to be clear about that because say, someone who "hooks up" with someone at a club because they were listening to hip-hop or whatever it is people do at hip-hop clubs, is not something derived actually from the music, but the environment the music is played in. There is a difference.

So someone with bad taste is listening to music which is easily grasped, immediately appealing, and naturally, fleeting. They may think that they are getting everything from music that they can, because they probably enjoy what they listen to very much and could want nothing more. It isn't because they are dumb or shallow, but because they have never put in the effort, time, or desire to improve their taste or attempt to dig deeper in music.

On the other hand, the person with good taste hears music on a deeper level, and his or her favorite music probably speaks to him on some profound level. He is able to listen to different kinds of music to achieve different effects, and he gets a much greater sense of accomplishment and reward when he goes through a lot more to "get" a certain piece of music. This is the same kind of thing you experience when, for example, you first the basics of a situation like who committed X crime, and then you proceed to learn exactly how, why, when and where it happened. There is a basic satisfaction from the first, and a much deeper from the second.

And yes, all of this means that there is "good" and "bad" taste. It's not just a matter of opinion. Because many people who are writing generic and accessible music are practicing a different trade than real musicians. They are businessmen and the music they write is designed to please a broad population. It is not designed to be creative or a work of art. In order to make music on a deeper level, you must have a deeper understanding and a true creative or artistic spark.

Well, this journal is way too fucking long already, but it simply wouldn't be complete without my trademark "arbitrary" list of artists. Also, noone will ever see it, and noone will read it. Not that I actually expect anyone to read all of this anyway. Certainly not the kind of people who mostly replied to my last journal (har har).

The following bands indicate at least some measure of good taste:
Steve Reich, Miles Davis, Frederic Chopin, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Merzbow, Blind Guardian, Oval, Tortoise, Squarepusher, Pan Sonic, Red Sparowes, Nagelfar, Maserati, Lurker of Chalice, Vinterriket, Lustmord, Slint, To Rococo Rot, Mountains, Sun Ra, Stars of the Lid, Brian Eno, Autechre, Atrium Carceri, Coil, Earth, Acid Mothers Temple, Growing, Hrvatski, Chihei Hatakeyama, Deerhoof, Ulver, Frank Zappa, Sigh, Einstürzende Neubauten, John Cage, Lightning Bolt

Essentially every genre of music has it's share of artists that make honest music and indicate good taste, but a few genres are especially notable:




]]> Music is not subjective: Bad Taste (Part I). http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2007/10/09/20zbo6_music_is_not_subjective%3A_bad_taste_%28part_i%29. Tue, 9 Oct 2007 08:31:22 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2007/10/09/20zbo6_music_is_not_subjective%3A_bad_taste_%28part_i%29. COUNTER-RESPONSE!!!: Here is a journal specifically written by maplejet (here is your moment of fame buddy) to be a counter-response to this one. http://www.last.fm/user/maplejet/journal/2007/10/22/555744/ I must say, it is written in true professional fashion. Be aware that all negative comments are deleted from that journal, so don't bother if you don't have something nice to say.

Music taste is not subjective. Music taste, referring to the quality of musical taste possessed by an individual, is a property which can be analyzed and perceived by objective means. That means you are not safe behind your imaginary it's just an opinion curtain. Chances are you have average (see really bad) taste, and my goal here is to section off large populations of music listeners in order to make clearer exactly who does have mediocre to awful taste.

Statistically speaking, most people have average musical taste. A relatively small number of people have bad taste, and an equally small number of people have good taste. This is similar to how, in America, the average person is fat. The morbidly obese are bad, and the in shape are good. In other words, having average musical taste is not something to be especially proud of.

And yes, this does make me better than you. As far as taste goes, at least.

If any of these apply to you, you have at least some measure of bad, or average at best, taste:

(Note: In the interest of time, I am not touching a few different areas notable for having fans with bad taste, ie. indie rock, country, nu-metal, heavy/thrash metal, rap, and some others.)

1. Having a top 50 chart predominated by artists including, but not limited to the following: Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Doors, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, John Lennon, Simon & Garfunkel, The Kinks, etc.

2. This one is pretty unfortunate, but exists nonetheless. There are a couple of genres we are going to be specifically looking for. If you have none of them, not a single artist from one of these genres in your top 50 list, then you have bad taste: , , , , , , ,

3. If any of your top 10 artists, or worse, a number of them, are artists who write music specifically designed to be as broadly appealing, generic, formulaic, unoriginal, and inoffensive as humanly possible, or have music written for them by the record industry of the same nature, YOU HAVE BAD TASTE. If you've managed to survive thus far, I wish you luck, because this will probably eliminate the majority of those remaining: Death Cab for Cutie, Wilco, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Modest Mouse, The Shins, Usher, Mariah Carey, Maroon 5, Akon, Alicia Keys, The Strokes, Bloc Party, Hilary Duff, Avril Lavigne, 98 Degrees, Daniel Powter, Westlife, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Fergie, Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson, Black Eyes Peas, Nelly Furtado, The Pussycat Dolls, Christina Aguilera, Audioslave, Coldplay, The Killers, Staind, Nickleback, 311, The White Stripes, 3 Doors Down, Lenny Kravitz, Sugar Ray, Wolfmother, The Wallflowers, Cold, P.O.D., The Raconteurs, U2, No Doubt, Silverchair, Snow Patrol, Creed, Everclear, Dave Matthews Band, Papa Roach, Queens of the Stone Age, Linkin Park, Deftones, Third Eye Blind, etc.

4. Metal. Just because you like metal does not mean you are getting off easy. A large bias towards any of these bands near the top of your charts indicates that you have bad taste: Slayer, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Pantera, Metallica, Megadeth, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Cannibal Corpse, Opeth, In Flames, Dark Tranquility, Dio, Motorhead, Judas Priest, Anthrax.

5. Black Metal. If you claim to be a black metaller, yet the vast majority music you listen to is dominated by the following artists, you have bad taste (and you are probably 16 years old): Burzum, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Immortal, Emperor, Satyricon, Venom, Dimmu Borgir, Gorgoroth, Carpathian Forest.


If there are any specific questions as to why a specific band indicates bad taste, please feel free to ask and I will consider posting an answer.]]> True musical open-mindedness? http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2007/10/09/41sb_true_musical_open-mindedness%3F Tue, 9 Oct 2007 07:46:32 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Buffalohed/journal/2007/10/09/41sb_true_musical_open-mindedness%3F It has always seemed obvious to me that the various scripts out there telling you how eclectic or open-minded your tastes are have been arbitrary. I had never put much effort into thinking about why, or going a step further and writing it out.

There are many aspects to being open-minded about music, and one of them occured to me today in a sense.

Today I saw someone with a literal fuckton of tracks in his top artists, and after a quick talley I estimated he had 35,000 of his 46,000 total tracks in the top 50, which is 76%.

Of my 27,000 tracks played at this point, roughly 10,000 of them are in my top 50. That is about 37%.

Now I am by no means touting my own charts. However, when I see people like the aforementioned user, I immediately assume that he is to some extent close-minded.

At least one aspect of being open-minded is the willingness to experiment with a large number of different bands. If you listen almost exclusively to a small number, you are obviously not being very diverse.

If I knew how to write an HTML script I would make my own "open-minded" chart that means a lot more than some random arbitrary calculation.]]>