anywhereisbetter

Hoobastank: No, I don’t like this band.

As you probably know, iTunes has a great little feature that allows you to share your music collection with other iTunes users on your local network. If your local network reaches only as far as your front door, checking out your “Shared Libraries” probably isn’t all that exciting. Sure, maybe you’ll be surprised to see that your punk rock roommate has the entire Huey Lewis box set encoded on lossless compression format, but had you thought about it, you really should have known. On the other hand, when in a larger environment of music listeners, perusing other people’s iTunes becomes a bit more interesting.

The obvious appeal to looking through another person’s music collection is to discover exciting new artists. For instance, maybe you’ll be scrolling along, and see that Decemberists album you heard someone talking about. Maybe you give it a listen, and let’s say you hate it. So there you have it; you never need to worry about who this Decemberists band is again. Pretty cool, right? The more adventurous peruser might browse these libraries in search of music they never knew existed. Who the hell is Big Stick? You probably don’t want to know, but give it a listen and decide for yourself. Just don’t say I didn’t tell you so.

Certainly, those of us more inclined to judge one based on his or her musical tastes might say that a quick look through someone’s stash of mp3′s can paint some kind of picture of that person. How do you get to be the kind of person that has 168 Barenaked Ladies songs in their library? (Ask my roommate.) Why do you have a 16 volume set of sound effects imported into iTunes? Do you hit shuffle and just listen to the squeaking doors and meowing cats? WHY? Sometimes, even just a look at the sheer number of songs in one’s catalog can be enough. 700 songs in your whole library? Pathetic. What’s wrong with you?

My favorite innovation in the “other people’s iTunes” phenomenon, however, is the one I’ve observed on my school network. Upon connecting to the now ubiquitous wireless network, a litany of shared libraries scroll down the program’s side panel, most with names like “Brian’s Wikked Beatz” or (this is real) “Suck it, bitch.” But increasingly, they’ll have names that include their dorm room numbers. Now you can barge into a perfect stranger’s living space, armed with the knowledge that they have that new Hoobastank album you’ve been meaning to pick up. I like to think that this happens a lot.

Music on my mind lately:

1. Mick Harvey – Pink Elephants

If it’s okay to say that you like the cover of an already great song better than the original, then I might say just that about a few ditties on this album–and not just because they’re in English. I love Serge Gainsbourg, but Mick Harvey can… well… he can sing.

2. Sisters of Mercy – Vision Thing

When I was 13, “When You Don’t See Me” was on frequent rotation at KUKQ, Phoenix’ “alternative” radio station. Vision Thing was the band’s more guitar-driven album, one that would lead me down the dark and angry path that was industrial music. I never got into the scene so much as to start wearing knee-high buckle boots and black spiked straightjackets, but I was an avid listener. I wonder if, on that fateful day in 1989, I had heard something off of Floodland instead, my tastes might have gone in a decidedly more gothic direction. Shudder. Thank you, KUKQ, for not ruining my life.

3. Minutemen – Double Nickles on the Dime

Duh.

4. Pailhead – Pailhead

Okay, I guess I’m on a kind of industrial revival here, but this EP fucking rules. Ian MacKaye and The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste-era Ministry? What could go wrong? Nothing, that’s what. Then again, I was excited about that Jello Biafra/Mojo Nixon project at one time, too.

5. Cake – Fashion Nugget

I resisted this band for a long time. I guess it was the commercial success of their smarmy “Rock and Roll Lifestyle” song that turned me off, but several years ago, driving around Seattle listening to Comfort Eagle, I had to admit that I like this band. I’m still not sure what the appeal is, but I like them. I don’t care what you think about it.