I Hate It When People Recommend Music To Me

So I’ve gotten into one of my I LOVE NEW MUSIC rampages, which I do about every six to eight months – these temporary quests where I comb Spotify for all the hot tracks that I will be playing on repeat for the next few years.

But I hate it when people recommend music to me. You know why?

Because most people don’t actually recommend music.

See, I think “recommending” has an element of “I know you well enough to think you’ll like this” embedded in it – I’m not recommending a Clive Barker horror story to an eight-year-old, nor a sweet romance story to someone who only likes Clive Barker horror stories.

Yet whenever I’ve said, “Hey, I like this music, it’s kinda nu-metal with an edge of rap to it” people just blare out whatever they like regardless of whether it’s even close – “HAVE YOU HEARD THIS ACOUSTIC COVER OF A 1940s JAZZ SONG?!?!?”

It’s alienating. It’s like I’m not even there – that I’m just a mirror to shout enthusiasm into.

Now, of course that’s different from someone celebrating their own musical tastes – “I’m bopping to this new K-Pop tune” is both awesome and encouraged. But me opening up the door for “I like this stuff, what else is like this?” usually gets met with a bellow of “IT’S NOT LIKE THAT BUT I LIKE THIS SO FUCK YOUR PREFERENCES HERE’S MINE”

To which I’m like, “…do you sell people on bands with that approach?” It’s the ol’ “Construction workers whistling at hot ladies” trick in that I’ve never seen it work myself, but I assume it must succeed sometime… that, or it’s kind of terrifying how many people are doing it with so many shitty results.

But you! You I trust. Maybe.

Because so many people have asked, “What are you listening to, Ferrett?”, I compiled a Spotify list of my current favorite tunes.

What’s there is mostly pop and hard rock, but there’s some weird edges thrown in there because I am super-eclectic with tastes ranging from They Might Be Giants to deep Zappa to Home Free, and by Lord am I not expecting anyone to follow me down my path.

BUT. If you listen to a song there and go, “This artist has a lot in common with the vibes there,” then hit me up. I don’t really hate genuine recommendations. I’m just… burnt by the number of folks who blast their own radio in through my car window.

Anyway! A bunch of possibly new music for you! Go and look! (And friend me on Spotify if you like, for whatever that means. I don’t know what the benefits are, but some folks like it.)