Interactions with Random People About Music

[HoyaSaxa03]

i posted this in the country/rap thread, but i think it deserves a thread of its own
 
 how do you explain your musical tastes to people with whom you're having a casual conversation?

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

I tell them I'm a music snob.

[xneverwherex]

i also say im a music snob, and mutter something about some english band that theyve never heard of. depends who im talking to really. when im feeling nice - i just say 'britpop'. and it kinda summarizes up some of it. and they still have no clue what the hell im talking about.

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

I generally ask who their favorite band is, and unless it's some elite indie band, I respond that "I've never heard of them," and inquire if they're a Pixies or Velvet Underground "cover band."

[miss pretentious]

depends on the situation.
 if i'm sober i try to explain that it's probably something they don't listen to. if i'm drunk, i'll blather on about how i'm a music snob.
 
 although recently and while drunk, i told a boy: 'i would never sleep with you because you have terrible taste in music.'

[azaghal1981]

"I like whatever I think sounds good."

[beetsnotbeats]

This is always a difficult question for me because of how varied it is and has been, especially when my work experience is considered. It really depends on the setting and who is asking. I'll often talk about recent purchases or obsessions as well as cultural, historical and theoretical aspects. It may be Tallis Scholars with one person and American Idol with another. I can always find some common ground.

[SalParadise]

i just hand them my iPod.

[nkotb]

Geez, I don't think Julian's tastes is that bad..
 
 

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
 although recently and while drunk, i told a boy: 'i would never sleep with you because you have terrible taste in music.'

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

Originally posted by nkotb:
  Geez, I don't think Julian's tastes is that bad..
 

:roll:

[miss pretentious]

Originally posted by nkotb:
  Geez, I don't think Julian's tastes is that bad..
 
   

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
 although recently and while drunk, i told a boy: 'i would never sleep with you because you have terrible taste in music.'

[/b]

Ahhahahah. Well, Julian hasn't tried to take me to a Steve Miller Band concert or talk to me about all the Dave Matthews Band concerts he's been to and can't remember.
 
 So he's in the clear...for now.

[HoyaSaxa03]

i play a lot of poker and sit and converse with a lot of random people for hours at a time ... here's a couple of observations:
 
 (1) invariably some middle-aged guy will strike up a conversation about music as a result of some band t-shirt i have on, ask condescendingly if i listen to any older bands "like the beatles or zeppelin", and get completely embarrassed when i start talking to him politely about 60s and 70s music ... i've yet to actually meet a middle-aged guy who knows anything about music from "his era" (beyond the big hits) even though they invariably ask why "kids these days" don't listen to the "good stuff"
 
 (2) people in their 40s to 50s talking about music (especially pseudo-intellectual lefties) ALWAYS bring up Bono and mention him as someone who their kids know, but they never have really heard of ... invariably, these are the same self-righteous "music fans" as (1) ... i point out to these people that Bono/U2 were more musically relevant not just to this generation of music fans, but about 20-30 years ago, which would have been right in their musical wheelhouse ... this implies, of course, that they really know nothing about music from "their own era" and generally leads to embarrassing silence
 
 (3) wearing a "your favorite band sucks" t-shirt to a poker game is a great way to start a conversation
 
 (4) super hard-core metallica fans (there's a lot in atlantic city) are really fun to talk with

[HoyaSaxa03]

Question 2:   what do you say when people ask who your favorite band is?
 
 this is such a loaded question, primarily designed for people who have owned the same 25 CDs for the last fifteen years
 
 i usually just say: "i listen to a lot of stuff, i don't really have a favorite" (which is the real answer) ... or i'll say "either The Magnetic Fields or The Replacements" (which is kind of the right answer) and get blank stares
 
 it doesn't really seem like there's a good way to answer this question if you know the person asking it will have no idea who the band is ... saying "i don't really have one" makes you sound like an idiot, and naming some "obscure" band just ends the conversation

[thirsty moore]

I generally mention a few bands that I've been listening to recently if someone asks what I like.  If someone asks who my favorite band is, I just say Sonic Youth.  Though I don't know if that's exactly the case anymore.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Hoya Paranoia:
  how do you explain your musical tastes to people with whom you're having a casual conversation?

I usually tell them "It depends on where I am and what I'm doing" and they will inevitably give me a scenario and I tell them what I would likely be listening to.  And then after 5 or 6 of these scenarios and I've confused them with an obscure indie band followed by some teenie pop band, they leave me alone or wait for me to give them a scenario, which I never do.
 
   

Originally posted by Hoya Paranoia:
  Question 2:   what do you say when people ask who your favorite band is?

I say "My favorite band is U2."  But I never ask them what their favorite band is.