Wtorek 15 Wrz 2009, 17:27
Today it is one year ago I joined last.fm. In one year time, I've listened to a little less than 10,000 tracks by some 550 artist. So I thought it would be nice to fill out one of those questionnaires which really overcrowd the journals around here. I'm already beginning to wonder why I am going to show you my motivations for listening to a sometimes shameful collection of artists, but I guess it's just fun.
1. What's your favorite song by 14 (Indica)?
My current favourite is Pahinta tänään, which I have listened to quite a lot since I first heard it last March 15th. That evening, I heard an English translation of this song live, and I really, really, liked it. That was my first introduction to this band as well, and I thought they were pretty good.
2. How did you get into 20 (Coldplay)?
I don’t know exactly, probably because of Clocks. It is kind of weird, though, there are many artists I’m not really into, but who have a huge amount of plays on my computer anyway. And I don’t know why. Coldplay is one of those bands. I usually play some of their music when I have some friends over at my place, who don’t like anything I really like, I guess.
3. Who is your favorite member in 8 (Keane)?
Tim Rice-Oxley. I guess I just like keyboard players in general. And he is more handsome than the other two, but that is quite irrelevant… (Hm, well… Maybe not as irrelevant as I want you to believe…)
4. What's your favorite lyric by 29 (Arctic Monkeys)?
Hm. I have to think about that one. One lyric bit which kind of stuck with me ever since the first time I heard it, is: “Yeah, but his bird thinks it’s amazing, though; so all that’s left is the proof that love’s not only blind but deaf”. No comment… But, well, lacking a better alternative, this will be my favourite. At least, for now. (Oh, and for those who want to know: it’s from Fake Tales of San Francisco.)
5. Have you ever seen 22 (Enya) live?
No, I haven’t. And I doubt I ever will.
6. What's your favorite album from 10 (Delain)?
April Rain. I like it more than Lucidity: especially the lyrics appeal more to me. I think I will buy the real, original cd sometime, when it’s a little cheaper than it is now. (Oh, and this is quite beside the point, but I’m going to see them play live in 10 days! Yay!)
7. Do you own any merchandise from 3 (The Corrs)?
Nope. And I don’t think I ever will.
8. What is a good memory you have of 7 (Alanis Morissette)?
Oh, dear. I’m not very good at this memory-stuff, unless there are any seen-live-experiences attached to it. Which isn’t the case with this artist. No, I can’t come up with anything good, so I’ll pass this one.
9. Is there a member of the same age as you in 1 (Nightwish)?
No, I don’t think so. For the record – and I have to look this up, but I have to admit I’m rather curious: Tuomas is 32, Emppu 31, Jukka 31, Marco 43, and Anette 38. I love Wikipedia. Ah well, it means I’m some 10 years younger than the youngest band members. I expected that much. Heh heh, so much for this interesting information…
10. When did you first get into 2 (Within Temptation)?
I have known about them since the single Ice Queen, so that must have been since winter 2001/2002. And I thought that song was allright (but I remember liking Mother Earth better in that time). But when did I really get into them… Must have been in 2005, some time after they released The Silent Force. I had a couple of friends who were fan of this band, and by means of a lot of exposure to their music, I turned into one myself.
11. Who likes 4 (Room Eleven)along with you?
A couple of friends like them very much, and even my parents think they’re okay. And that last thing is very unusual…
12. Which song did you first hear from 15 (Live)?
Must have been something from Throwing Copper or one of those other earlier albums. I can’t remember, really, because I was too young to be really interested in bands like this in those times. The first song of which I actually knew it was from Live, was Overcome, some years later. I was very impressed by that song, so I bought the album V, which is still one of the crappiest cd’s I own. Never listened to them ever since, until sometime last year.
13. What song made you fall in love with 5 (Dido)?
White Flag, if I remember correctly. I heard it a lot on the radio a couple of years ago and I thought it was rather nice, so I bought the two albums she had released up to then. And I listened to it a lot. I’m a bit out of love with her now, but I still listen to her cd’s sometimes.
14. Which song do you not like by 18 (Omnia)?
Lughnasadh for example. I don’t know all of their music – I have one album on my shelf here, and a few additional songs on my computer, because they’re very difficult to download – and what I know I generally like, but this is one song I usually skip when it comes around.
15. Why do you like 14’s songs (Indica)?
Because they’re nice, catchy and happy-sounding. I don’t understand a word of their lyrics, but that doesn’t matter. Finnish is a nice language to listen to and it somehow suits Indica’s songs. It’s just difficult to sing along, but I can always make something up.
16. Where did you first hear 6 (Kamelot)?
At a friend’s place. He wanted me to listen to some of his favourite bands, and this one stuck with me ever since. I actually started downloading one of their albums the very same night.
17. How long was 19 (Krezip) a musician before you liked them?
Not too long. Although, according to Wikipedia (still a wonderful website), they have been active since 1997. I have known them since 2000, when they released their single I Would Stay and gained popularity throughout The Netherlands. My music teacher kind of liked that song, so he made us sing it over and over again, until it actually got boring.
18. Does 13 (Maria Mena) have a song that gives you a bad memory?
Not that I can think of. I’m not really into this memory stuff, neither good nor bad. Unless the connection between the artist and the memory is really obvious, like about a concert or a festival, and those memories generally aren’t bad.
19. When did you get into 17 (Evanescence)?
I loved My Immortal right when they released it, but I really started listening a lot to them maybe two years ago. I rarely play their music now. Decided it wasn’t really my thing after all. Although I still love “My Immortal” and one or two of their other songs.
20. How long have you been into 1 (Nightwish)?
A year or so now. Nightwish was actually the very first band I discovered on last.fm, on my very first day here. Which is exactly a year ago today. I had heard of them before, I had their song Nemo on my computer since autumn 2007, but through last.fm, I really gave their music a listen. And I decided I liked it. A lot.
21. If 9 (Epica) have a concert 300 miles away, would you drive there to see them?
I don’t think so. It is much more efficient, and much cheaper not to forget, to just sit and wait here until they play somewhere near here. They must visit their home country sometime, right?
22. How many CDs do you own of 11 (Amy Macdonald)?
One, This Is the Life. The only one she released until now, I believe.
23. Does 21 (Ane Brun) have a song that makes you cry?
Songs usually don’t make me cry. Ane Brun makes no exception.
24. Does 27 (Anouk) have a song that makes you happy?
Hm, difficult one. I can’t think of one. And although Anouk’s music may get me in a good mood at times, making me genuinely happy is another story, and I don’t think Anouk will ever manage.
25. Does 23 (Queen) have a song that makes you smile?
I think so. Songs like Killer Queen, Don't Stop Me Now and Bicycle Race sometimes make me smile, especially when I’m already in a good mood.
26. What's the last song you've listened to from 28 (Kaiser Chiefs)?
I don’t remember, so I have to dive into my last.fm archive (which I don’t mind, since I’m doing all these little researches all the way through this questionnaire). Gee, I had to go through a lot of music history to find the last played Kaiser Chiefs song. It was Oh My God, 12 days ago.
27. Is there a song by 32 (Avril Lavigne) that you've listened to more than 30 times?
Not on last.fm. I guess I heard songs like Complicated more than 30 times on the radio, but that doesn’t count in my opinion, because what I hear on the radio is usually beyond my control and not my choice. Anything But Ordinary is the Avril Lavigne song I listened to most in the last year: 11 times. I doubt it wil ever reach 30 plays. The same goes for all other Avril Lavigne songs.
28. What is a song from 50 (Lacuna Coil) that you've only listened to once?
Closer. Again according to my last.fm charts, although I expect they are fairly accurate in this case.
29. Is there a song you are sick of hearing by 24 (U2)?
At the moment: no, there isn’t. But at one time, a few years ago, the version of One recorded with Mary J. Blige was played like every hour on the radio. That was very annoying, and I couldn’t really avoid that stupid radio at my holiday job.
30. What song got you into 40 (Agua de Annique)?
Not one particular song. I read about this band in a magazine at my music school, so I decided to download their album Pure Air. The first song I listened to was Somewhere, because I suspected it to be a Within Temptation cover. I was right. Nice song though, with guest vocals by Sharon den Adel, although I like the Black Symphony version by Within Temptation & The Metropole Orchestra (with guest vocals by Anneke van Giersbergen) better.
31. What is your favorite single by 37 (Galt MacDermot)?
Single? I’m afraid I have to pass on this one. I only know that he has written the soundtrack of Hair, which is brilliant, but I don’t know anything else about this man.
32. If 49 (Radiohead) hated you, what would you do?
Nothing. I wouldn’t care at all. (But I think this question is stupid. Why would anyone of Radiohead hate me? They don’t know me, do they?)
33. What would you say if 42 or one of the members from 42 (Di-rect) asked you out?
My first thought was that it would depend on which member would ask me out, but I guess a drink or something with any of the members (or ex-members) would be okay. Nothing more than a drink, though.
34. Would you care if 41 (Dawn of Destiny) had a boyfriend/girlfriend?
One boyfriend or girlfriend for an entire band? Oh, that must be the end of Dawn of Destiny! Oh, well, now I’m talking nonsense. But I wouldn’t even care if the members had three boyfriends or girlfriends. Each! (Well, I would raise my eyebrows on that fact, but more in a that-is-funny kind of way.)
35. Who has the best voice in 30 (Edvard Grieg)?
Some proof that some of these questions don’t fit all the possible artist. Edvard Grieg was a composer. He didn’t sing. (I believe.)
36. Do you think 26 (Apocalyptica) is/are good looking?
The pictures I have seen of them look funny. I guess they’re okay.
37. How many times have you listened to your favorite song by 36 (Bløf)?
Oktober is the song I listened to most (9 times). That is funny, because “Oktober” isn’t my favourite song at all, and I don’t remember ever playing it voluntarily. I guess I’m getting old then, with these memory lapses. The number 2 in my Bløf charts is more of my choice: Mooie Dag (7 plays).
38. How many CDs do you own of 30 (Edvard Grieg)?
One, with his best known compositions on it.
39. Is there a song from 38 (Elbow) that makes you mad?
It takes quite a lot to make me mad, so: no, there isn’t.
40. Which member from 33 (Marco Borsato) do you want to see go solo? If 33 is only one artist, what would you do if they joined a group?
What on earth is he doing in my charts? Anyway, I wouldn’t care a bit if he joined a group, except maybe making a mental note that this could be another group I might want to avoid. (Well, maybe that’s a little too harsh. He’s not that bad, but definitely not worth the effort of caring about his career changes.)
41. What does your favorite song from 48 (Acda en De Munnik) remind you of?
Many of their songs remind me of the beach, but I think the reason for that is that their lyrics often not so subtly suggest such a setting. (Hm… impossible sentence…)
42. Did you hate 43 (The Beatles) at first?
No, I have never hated them. I grew up with their music.
43. Does your best friend also listen to 33 (Marco Borsato)?
My friend gives an involuntary shudder when Marco Borsato's name is mentioned. I suppose that says enough.
44. Do you think your parents would like 23 (Queen)?
I’m rather sure they do. Why else would they own some of their cd’s?
45. Does 47 (Leaf) have a song that makes you want to dance?
Leaf’s music is rather danceable, if that’s an English word. And I’m rather sure I’ve danced sometime on their music on a fine summer’s day. But whether it makes me want to dance? I honestly don’t know. Not particularly, I guess.
46. Have you ever seen 34 (Hans Zimmer) in person?
No, I haven’t.
47. Do you like 44's (Travis) name?
Not particularly, but there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s not my business anyway. And I’ve heard worse names.
48. Is there someone in 48 (Acda en De Munnik) that you want to go out with?
No, definitely not.
49. Do you know anyone that hates 3 (The Corrs)?
Yes, my brother. Or at least: he says he does. I’m not sure whether he really hates them or whether he just wants to annoy me.
50. Have you ever danced to a song from 35 (Sinéad O'Connor)?
No, I haven’t.
Right, that's it. I have only one thing left to say: I'm never EVER going to do this again in Word. It takes like forever to get all the html-codes right afterwards.
Comments are welcome! (Although I don't expect many…)