Good Music 101

For my birthday Jeff got me an iPod speaker dock. I had mentioned a few times how much I wanted one, as I like to listen to things when doing tedious cleaning tasks but find it annoying to deal with headphones while my hands are elbow deep in a sink of dishes. (Especially since all I have are those little white earbuds which never stay in my ears. I mean, ever! Are my ears somehow deficient? I never see anyone else struggling quite so much as I do.)

So the dock is great! I like it a lot! It is on right now!

But. It has also made me very aware, in the last couple of days, how tired I am of almost everything in my music library. It feels the way my wardrobe feels- haphazard and a bit ill fitting. And getting worn at the edges. A full third (or perhaps half) of my music has just migrated with me since I was eighteen, meaning there's quite a bit of early 2000's punk and pop punk that just doesn't do it for me anymore and a lot of things I thought I might like, once, but quickly grew weary of. And though there are a couple bands and albums I still genuinely like listening to, there is a reason I've spent more time listening to podcasts and buying episodes of Mad Men in iTunes than I have listening to music.

Also, as I just finished Jennifer Eagen's A Visit from the Goon Squad I've been thinking about how deeply uncool I am, when it comes to music. The sixteen year old me, who braved torrential downpours to hear my favorite bands (twice!), is understandably disappointed.

So, this is me asking for help! What music am I missing out on? What are you listening to over and over again, at the moment?

P.S. I'm open to most everything, though I don't tend to like country (outside of an odd love of the Dixie Chicks), jazzy things or really hard rock. A few bands I do like would be Arcade Fire, Sia, some Death Cab for Cutie, Mike Doughty, Regina Spektor.

P.P.S. Mom, if you read this, I am going to start listening to NPR's All Songs Considered, which I know is your advice!