sympathy

Goo Goo Dolls - Sympathy (pops)

So I signed up for (or, rather, renewed my old account at) Last.FM today. You can see the link to my user profile on the sidebar somewhere around my Xanga and Facebook profiles.

In addition, I've got a little widget on the bottom of the page that tells the last three songs played in WinAmp on my computer.

I will warn you right now, I listen to very little "macho" music, and most of it is probably worthy of beating me up. What can I say, I'm a pop person. For every Sabbath album, there's three TMBG and three Cure albums.

I went through the heavy phase, like every male age 13-18. But I can't honestly say that I would rather listen to Maiden or Priest than Fountains of Wayne or the Gin Blossoms. I will say, however, that you should absolutely listen to Maiden, Priest, Megadeth, Cannibal Corpse, Killing Joke, and the like to get a rounded view of popular music.

That's what I'm really after. I listen to all forms of popular music. I listen to Gram Parsons, Wu-Tang Clan, Death Cab for Cutie, Lyrics Born, OK Go, Hank Williams, Slick Rick, Kelly Clarkson, Rush, Fall Out Boy, Nickel Creek, and the Amboy Dukes, all in the same day, if not in the same hour.

Part of my charm is that I won't discount something for being either too popular or too obscure. I will admit to liking Kelly Clarkson's last efforts more than any heterosexual male my age should. Just because it's popular and aimed at twelve year old girls doesn't mean it's not good. In fact, it's the best synthesis of Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Celine Dion I've ever heard.

It's also probably the only synthesis of those I'm ever going to hear, but that's really beside the point. Suffice to say, it's well-produced quasi-intelligent pop, and that's sadly becoming a rarity.

I'll listen to unsigned bands, too. The only problem is that, if they're unsigned for too long, there's probably a very good reason they haven't been picked up by a label. Mainly that they suck. There are exceptions, but they're few and far between.

That reminds me, I've got to get some new music to listen to. Now that I've got an audience that cares what I listen to, even if it's only an Audioscrobbler robot, I better get some that actually reflects what I listen to.

Well, that about does it for this week's show. Join us next time when we'll show you how to disassemble a carburetor from a 1972 Ford Pinto, build a fully insulated toolshed out of just a piece of plywood and a roll of kite string, and how to prank call unsuspecting Congressman without going to federal prison.