Musicality Muse

I am not a ridiculous music fan. I do not go to (many) concerts, and would much rather watch an artist's performance on DVD from the comfort of my couch than wait in line for overpriced tickets and see the show from nosebleed seats. Free surpasses the expense of concerts for me in most cases. Me + the Justin Timberlake Madison Square Garden DVD = Amazingness (thanks Colin for that gift, it's a fav).

The Eagles have been one of my favorites for decades.

That said, I am a loyal fan of a handful of bands. The Eagles. Coldplay. Dave Matthews. Ben Folds. Classical picks like Tchaikovsky or Saint Saens. Jazzier selections from Diana Krall or Natalie Cole. Things I grew up with hearing at home, like Eric Clapton or Sting. OutKast when I need jams to get me pumped up.

I love all these artists for their different styles, and need their music at different times during my day or during my week. Home alone on the weekends while cleaning or cooking, I love to blast Bruce Springsteen throughout the condo, imagining I am hanging out with my family on a lazy weekend day. Heading to work in the mornings, I've become a recent 90.1 NPR convert, craving soothing string music in contrast to the chaos of the commute.

As you might guess from the examples I listed out, I am not one to pick up on a lot of the newer music trends. I became a Mumford and Sons fan this year, oh, only about a year after everyone else loved them.  

Hip hop is one exception; I am a closet 106 and Park fan and love hearing (and telling others about) the newest jams first :)
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Even if I am not searching it out, though, I do love listening to new and different radio stations to hear what other things I might be missing out on. Pandora is clutch for this; it never fails to serve up a new-to-me selection. Yesterday, it was Joshua Radin's Simple Times album. I loved the chillness of his songs, and how they reminded me of my old favorite Nickel Creek.

Here are a few other recent "finds" of mine out there in music land...

Florence and the Machine - um, love. LOVE.
Glee Soundtracks, of all things - I am not a GLEE show fan. But their music? That definitely made my flight home much more fun. Just try to not sing along to their albums while on a plane. I dare you.
My Morning Jacket - I am slightly embarrassed to say that I had never heard their albums before. They sound awesome.

These new finds have me hooked. I need some more inspiration. What is your go-to favorite band? Any new(er) ones I may not have heard of out there?



PS. I just ran across Spotify after hearing about it from a handful of people. Any lovers? Haters? What do you think of this new music platform?