When people not educated in music ask you what kind of music you listen to. . .
 

what do you say?

You can't say indie, because they'll think you listen to Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, and the Strokes. And to some people indie doesn't even mean that, to some people 30 seconds to mars is indie.

You can't say alternative, because they'll think you listen to STP and Nickelback.

If you're big into Fugazi, Shellac, The Jesus Lizard and stuff, you can't say post-hardcore because they'll think you like screamo.

If you like early 80's gothic rock, you can't say that you like gothic rock because they'll think Manson and NIN and Evanescence.

You can't say post-punk, because there are a bunch of new bands that sound like lame Fugazi rip-offs calling themselves post-punk now.


I think the best word for the stuff we listen to is "underground artsy fartsy rock"

I always say "post-pop" then run away screaming and laughing.

i always hate answering that, cause i always come off a real pompous shithead (maybe not a bad thing)
but i like many here listen to everything.
so sometimes i just say "everything"
sometimes i list everything for them
or just give them good chapter headings
punk
art rock
jazz
free imrove
acoustic based stuff
classical
avant garde
some pop
some rock and roll
blah blah blah....................
................
.....



its a hard question to answer as it is, and even harder if you dont want top sound too artsy fartsy

I concur with this. 'Educated' to me means either a) actually musically educated (something which I couldn't lay claim to in any convincing sense) or b) they have ears that function well enough to sense sound. I tend to side with the latter.

I've got even a more horrid experience. I was talking to a girl at university once, this classic small talk chatter between classes and she asked me what kind of music I was into. So I was like, yeah I like this indie music mostly.

To what she replied enthusiasticly: "Yeah, indie, like music from India? Like this guy PUNJABI MC, right? He's got some neat tunes".

I left the table without saying a word more.

hindi music.

To me, someone well educated about music knows about a lot of bands and movements.

It comes from when I was a teen and just getting into music and telling my sister that I liked Nirvana.

My sister said "Nirvana is ear candy, you need to be educated."

It is one of those off the cuff self mocking indie snob sort of terms.

I just say, "Mostly punk but I'll listen to pretty much everything but country."

haha,
that made me laugh.

The correct answer is, "What do you mean by 'kind of music'?"

To me, this is a nonsense question and I get confronted with it VERY often.

If pressed, I say, "Both kinds."

sounds like you missed a chance at getting some great punani there.

I fully understand and relate.

the problem is you are not truly taking it far enough. I work with people who have never heard of indie, or even of sonic youth. these are REGULAR PEOPLE. Answering the question "what kind of music do you like?" when it comes from a "straight" (my term for regular people) is tough.

I always just say "crazy avant punk."
and they leave clueless ad confused.

in most people's world's there truly are just a few genres of music, and you either like country, or rock, or r&B (shudder) or blues, etc.

ha ha ha! you could have punjab'ed her MC!

i think the older one gets the less the frequency one is asked to divulge their musical tastes.
i can't remember the last time someone asked me that question, but if someone were to ask i'd say something like: "i listen to a lot of music, pretty much every style has something i like."
then i'd probably leave it there, unless they quizzed me some more, if they did i'd just name some favourite groups or musicians. more than likely this would end the conversation.

generally, i feel under no obligation to explain my tastes to anyone.

its easy to answer with:

the last album i bought/listened to was..........

but i my favourite band(s) is/are .............

you know,

Judge Smails - "Hey there Ty, tell me, how did you do on your round this morning?"
Ty - "Oh, I don't keep score judge."
Judge Smails - "You don't keep score? How do you measure yourself against other golfers?"
Ty - "By height."

underground artsy-fartsy rock is as good an answer as any I have ever thought of.

I never know how to answer that question. I generally don't even like talking about music that much. I most certainly don't enjoy chatting about music with someone I feel is a stuck up person or a time waster.

I always just let people know I'm into "different" stuff, I guess, if they ask. Or, I'll say, "I'm into complex stuff." You know, cuz it's true. I try not to say genre names: "YEAH I LIKE GLITCH MATH FREAK FOLK JAZZ IDM." or something. But since my favorite genres ARE, like, surf and jazz, I'm sure most people can relate with that, so I'll use that as a stock answer sometimes. Really, I like all types of music, and people who are my friends for more than a month quickly begin to get used to the, uh, different types of stuff I play (I'll play Screeching Weasel one day, Sleeping People the next day, and .. uh .. Steaming Pile the next).

I've found that this question doesn't actually come up much in life, but .. it's hard when you go into a music store and you go, "Yeah, I need banjo strings." Cuz then you'll get, "Oh, you play banjo?"
YOU: "No..."
HIM: "...."
YOU:"...I want to put the banjo strings in my bass."
HIM:"...okay?"
YOU: "I have a broken bass that sounds all wobbly and ridiculous and I want banjo strings in there."
HIM:"..."
YOU: "I'm just doing, y'know, experimental stuff.."
HIM: "..."
YOU: "..you know, the Beatles experimented and stuff..."
HIM: "yEAH! THE BEATLES!"

Heh.

I mainly just get that confused look if i talk about the music i like (probably familiar to many people here) cos i dont hang in trendy social circles; as such if i talk about music i usually get labelled a snob. Its not that people are Philistines its just I listen to more music than most people.
I prefer to talk about comedy with people ive just met, seeing as its kinda more common ground generally.