Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Well, I did it. I entered my very first cooking contest.
In entering the recipe that I did I also took a big risk. Even though the rules of the contest didn’t stipulate that the recipe had to be something simple or easy to prepare, I felt no matter what it was necessary for [...]

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Creatures of habit?

by PJ Mullen on November 2, 2009

in The Crossroads

Robert Cray in concert, 2007

Image via Wikipedia

This post originally appeared on my music column ‘The Crossroads’ over at Dad-Blogs.com on October 26, 2009.

A few weeks ago I was in the middle of a funk coming up with new topic ideas for this column. In an effort to break out of it and find something to talk about I turned to Joe for some ideas. Through our conversation he started sharing some music that he was digging. While a lot of it was good, most of it were things that wouldn’t necessarily jive with my musical preferences.

As the conversation turned towards artists like Derek Trucks and Sonny Landreth, the music clips we were coming up with appealed more to me because I tend to gravitate towards the blues. It wasn’t until Ciara left a comment one of my earlier posts about how Bruce Springsteen wasn’t her thing and that people tend to gravitate towards specific genres that it hit me – are we musical creatures of habit?

Even though I like to think of myself as open minded when it comes to my taste in music, the reality is that I tend to stumble upon new music from an artist I already really like and play it ad naseaum until I just can’t stand it any more. For instance, earlier this year I had Ben Harper’s newest album in heavy rotation until the new Dave Matthews disc dropped a few weeks later.

As summer reached its fever pitch I needed to ‘turn it up to eleven’, if you will, and really wore out my copy of Chickenfoot’s debut album. Today I find myself switching back and forth between Phish’s ‘Joy’ and Robert Cray’s ‘This Time’, but no doubt the next time an artist I like puts out something new I will be mothballing the tunes I’m currently craving.

It’s not that I don’t like music from other artists, or even other genres, it’s just that it usually takes me several listens to really get into new music, even if it is a band or artist with whom I’m quite familiar. For some reason I don’t always possess the patience to get acclimated to new music. So, if there isn’t anything new that grabs me, I end up falling back on old faithfuls in my collection.

What about you? Do you have a specific genre or style of music that you tend to gravitate towards, or do you more readily experiment with your musical mix?

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Tagged as: Album, Arts, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks, Music, Robert Cray, Sonny Landreth

  • theteachertom
    I don't know if I gravitate to genre's so much, but my iPod is full of songs by solo, male poet/singers: Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Jim White, Bill Fox, Pete Seeger, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen . . . I guess all of these guys could kind of fit into a folk/country/blues box if I was forced to pick one.
  • That sounds like a good mix on the ipod. I've got everything from Miles Davis to Metallica to Sinatra to Jay Z on mine, but I keep finding myself drifting to my 'cannon', if you will.
  • Great Question! I would have to say that I have slowly evolved into a creature of habit when it comes to music. It does take me some time to get into music that doesn't tweak my ear within the first few bars, even if it is an artist that I am familiar with. When I was younger, I was a lot more into listening and accepting different genre's of music and/or new artists. Now I can get overstimulated with some music, and if it annoys me I have to turn to something else. It's probably because when I turn to music now a days, it's because I am looking to relax- which is already borrowed time- so I tend to go to whats comfortable. I would like to get back to my original state, though. -Jason
  • I was probably the opposite. I'd listen to anything growing up, but now so much of this so called 'music' annoys me. I had no idea what a lady gaga was until I was out in California on my blogger trip. I feel like one of the cranky old men on the muppets.
  • My tastes are for Jazz, older country (60's & 70's), pop and alternative. But in relation to what you're saying, I've got to agree. You already know my fondness for Coldplay, but when I was doing a little background work about the band I discovered they were college buds with and heavily influenced by Keane and Travis--the other two other bands that get the majority of air time on my iPod. Wasn't even aware they knew each other.

    Do you use Pandora much? I just think it's funny how they or iTunes' genius will match like bands/singers together. Got to admit they get it pretty close.
  • You like Coldplay? I had no idea :)

    I've set up a lot of playlists on Pandora, but I only really listen to it when we are in the car through my iphone, which isn't very often. I do like the Genius function on itunes, helps me put together some playlists, otherwise I'd listen to a full album start to finish and then go on to the next. I'd make a terrible DJ, I don't mix it up well at all.
  • I am a big blues fan. But I like all kinds of guitar based rock.
  • Same here, the more guitar, the better. I've been making a more conscious effort to listen to new bands within that realm and beyond, though. Internet radio is definitely making that a bit easier.
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