Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Music

There was a time, way back before I was married, when music was a big part of my life. Every Sunday (I think it was Sunday), I'd listen to The American Top 40 (remember that?) and write (yes, write) down the Top 40 list. I knew what was playing and who played it. I didn't have a lot of money then (I was a kid with no job), but I managed to get a good collection of albums (the vinyl variety).

Then marriage and family came. I still bought albums (vinyl morphed into cassette – which I hated – then morphed into CDs – which I love), but of my favorites only (Billy Joel, Barry Manilow). I didn't have time for new music. Sure, there were songs on the radio I liked, but I had no idea who sang them. And I'd heard of band names, but I had no idea what they played.

Enter the Internet. When my favorite local station was replaced with oldies (ugh), it got me to search the web for an alternative. WOW! I not only found a great radio station, they told me who's playing the song, with the name of the song! It was great. Songs I had liked all along now could be identified (i.e. Killers, Coldplay).

Of course, all that identifying got me to buying. My CD collection started to grow once again (and as you can see from the picture, I haven't even put them all away – yes, they are filed alphabetically). I think I'm just as bad with my music as I am with my books. I find established bands and I want everything they've put out (i.e. Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Death Cab for Cutie, Weezer, Foo Fighters, Black Keys) and discover new ones (i.e. Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Carolina Liar). And all that music has been so inspiring for my writing. It's like my two favorite things in the world mesh together.

Yes, I do have an iPod (something I would have absolutely LOVED back when I was a kid), but I still buy the CDs. I'm one of those freaky people who like to have a hard copy of something they bought. I don't know if I'll ever change in that regard.

Do you keep up with new music? Or are you like my husband, who likes to stick to what he grew up with? Although, he is changing. Now that he walks everyday listening to music, I think he's getting tired of hearing the same stuff all the time and has asked what albums of mine he might like. That makes me very happy because now maybe we can listen to MY music when we travel!

12 comments:

Maria Zannini said...

Wow! What a collection. We tend to buy itunes now.

Good for you for alphabetizing your collection. I need to do that with my dvds.

Anne Gallagher said...

Hey me too. I used to listen to the top 40. I'd also stay up late and watch Don Kirschener's Rock Concert. I still have all my old albums (vinyl) and a few CD's but for the longest time didn't have a player. Finally bought one but havne't set it up yet.

And I think the only "new" music I've listened to is Nickelback. I don't listen to the radio in the car so have no clue who any of those bands you mentioned were. I've been into Disney music for so long it's scary.

Stacy McKitrick said...

Maria - My DVDs are alphabetized, too. Sure makes it easier to find the movie (or CD) I want.

Anne - I still have the old vinyl albums, too (down in the basement). I doubt I'll ever play them again, though. But I can't seem to get rid of them, either. Especially those I can't find the CD equivalent of.

Thanks for commenting, ladies!!

LD Masterson said...

I was crazy about music starting in the late 50's and stayed pretty current into the 80's. Now I don't keep up with the new stuff. I'm probably listening to that oldies channel you ughed about. Or I'm on XM where they have a channel for every decade. Of course, my other love is Broadway - old and new.

DL Hammons said...

Hey, I think I have that exact same bookcase and it's just as full. I also have 600+ vinyl albums still in boxes. And every bit of it is loaded onto my iPod! Although my default is classic rock and roll, I regularly listen to new music as well. So yeah...I keep up! :)

Stacy McKitrick said...

I have XM in my car and listen to AltNation. My husband prefers the 60's or 70's channel. My daughter is just amazed that she doesn't have to listen to her iPod when driving with me, because we pretty much like the same thing. Not so with her Dad.

Jennette Marie Powell said...

I like discovering new music but I can't find much of it on local radio, which is all the same ol' same ol'. Even XM plays the same stuff over and over, at least on the channels I like. So I tend to search for bands I like on Amazon and check out the "customers who bought yhis also bought" to discover new to me bands.

Also, great choice of reading material! :)

Stacy McKitrick said...

Hey DL! Guess I posted the same time as you (and I missed it first time around). I never counted my vinyl albums. I only know they're HEAVY!

Jennette - I thought you might like what I was reading :) It was nice to see it added to Goodreads, too!

Thanks for visiting!

K.A. Krantz said...

LOL. I'm right there with you -- owning a hard copy of the music for when the inevitable gremlin-attack on the mp3 player/hardrive.

Stacy McKitrick said...

That's right, KAK! It's inevitable.

Todd R Moody said...

Your musical taste is very close to mine, but I stopped buying CDs a few years ago, just iTunes now. I love searching for new music, and adding it to my library. Adele and Red Line Chemical are my two newest.

Stacy McKitrick said...

Can't say I've heard Adele or Red Line Chemical. That's not to say I haven't heard them, though. I'll have to check them out. Thanks!