I have about 5500 songs and 50 videos / TV shows/ movies on my 30 GB 5th-generation iPod, which is just about at its gigabyte limit. I've got two options at this point, (1) buy one of the 5.5 generation 80 GB iPods - which would hold more music than my computer hard drive could handle, or (2) start weeding out my collection. Weeding is the cheaper and probably more useful option, especially since I haven't cleaned out my iTunes collection at all in the 3 years since I first purchased an iPod (has it only been that long? seems like I've had one forever). And my music tastes have changed considerably since then I think. I rarely put my iPod on pure shuffle anymore and when I do, I get confronted with a whole host of songs that I have no interest in listening to (but I once loved - or at least liked enough to put into iTunes). So that discourages me from listening to the shuffle, which means I only listen to playlists, which are basically new albums I've purchased or a grouping of new songs I've downloaded. Which means of the 5500 songs on my iPod, I listen to a group of 50-100 in any given week and then I get tired of them pretty fast since I listen to them so much in one week, so I have to scour the Internet for newer bands and songs and I end up downloading the new Explosions in the Sky album weeks before it's going to be released and trying desperately to resist the urge to listen to it immediately. Not good times. And don't get me started on all the new Arcade Fire posts from their concerts last weekend, featuring live versions of all the songs on theirnew album. So far I think I've heard about half of Neon Bible, so when I actually get to hear the rest on March 6th, it will probably be impossible to be anything but disappointing (see Some Loud Thunder). The solution? It's time to purge...
In alphabetical order, here are the bands on my iPod that are getting dumped wholesale, except for a possible track or two that slips through the cracks. I'm sorry. It's been nice knowing you, and nice listening to you all these years and maybe even for some time on the iPod. It's just time to move on. There's too much new out there for me to keep up otherwise. Sorry. You'll still be on my computer if by some chance in the future I need a fix of mid-90s Matthew Sweet. But that seems unlikely. Bye bye...
- 764-Hero
- Alice in Chains
- American Football
- At the Drive In
- Buffalo Tom
- Catherine Wheel (all but "Black Metallic")
- The Church
- The Connells
- Damien Jurado
- Deftones
- Dismemberment Plan (that's a tough one -- I was crazy into them about 4 or 5 years ago, but I really don't listen to them anymore)
Echo & the Bunnymen(except for "Bring on the Dancing Horses," because I'll never get tired of that or "The Cutter," for that matter, and just to be safe, "The Killing Moon" - forget it, the Bunnymen are staying)- Elliott Smith
- Fire Theft
- The Flaming Lips (same reason as D-Plan, except it was like 6 or 7 years ago, and I feel even more strongly about dumping them. Sorry!)
- Folk Implosion
- Imperial Teen
- J. Mascis and the Fog
- Jawbox (except for "Savory")
- Jawbreaker
- Jets to Brazil
- Juno
- K's Choice
- Matthew Sweet
- Mighty Mighty Boss-tones
- Monaco
- Ned's Atomic Dustbin
- Nine Inch Nails (at one time a top 10 favorite band --- that was a long, long time ago)
Nirvana(just kidding, although I really don't listen anymore, but that's too blasphemous)- Oasis (and after aaaaaaallll, you're my wonderwaaaaaaaaaaalllll -- no thanks)
- The Ocean Blue
- Our Lady Peace (sorry Canada)
- Owen
- Peter Murphy
- The Posies
- R.E.M. (all right, not all, just everything after 1988 or so)
- Rage Against the Machine (can't believe I had stuff on there from them. ugh)
- Rock*A*Teens
- Screamfeeder
- Screaming Trees
- Seaweed
- Sheila Divine (except for "I'm a Believer" and "Hum")
- Smashing Pumpkins (sorry Billy)
- Smoking Popes
- Snow Patrol (sorry, but "Chasing Cars" turned me off to everything they've ever done - these guys sold out faster than I can say "Coldplay" unless they just sucked all along -- that was probably more likely)
- Son, Ambulance
Squeeze(can't do it - I'm sorry, but "Up the Junction" holds up to this day)- Stereophonics (not all, but I had every song from several albums on here, so it's just being cut down a lot)
- The Weakerthans
- Weezer
- Wilco (I am not trying to break your heart)
- XTC (not "Dear God" though. I'm not insane.)
And here's a little bit of the new...
- Download Asobi Seksu - "New Years".mp3
- Download Explosions in the Sky - "The Birth and Death of the Day".mp3
- Download Arcade Fire - "No Cars Go (new version live)".mp3
- Download Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - "The Sword Song (bonus track from SLT)".mp3
Mixed with some of the old that is still worth a listen...
Although music is one subject we normally don't see eye to eye on (even though I did come in second in that so called contest that you had a while back - I think you gave Matt the answers) I will commend you for not dumping Squeeze. I really think you should reconsider "The Impression That I Get" by the Bosstones and some Smashing Pumpkins.
Posted by: Ira | January 25, 2007 at 04:25 PM
hey, dont get me wrong, ive been making daily visits to your site since the day i found it (about 3 months ago) and i loveeeeee your taste in music. However, my respect level for you just dropped approximately 48394 levels. And i know you dont care about some stupid person who doesnt even know you at all, but i am shocked that Elliott Smith and Smashing Pumpkins are on the throw out list. That's unacceptable! It's just unheard of, im so bewildered. I think you should definitely reconsider. I mean i understand the need to purge, i may be needing to that soon myself, and i understand the Alice in Chains, Deftones, Weezer throw outs, but not elliot, not billy.
Sincerely, a very sad fan.
ps. no hard feelings haha
Posted by: Nikki | January 25, 2007 at 05:11 PM
Thanks for reading Nikki. Not everything on the list is music I think is "bad" - it's the opposite, if I didn't like it so much I wouldn't have owned the songs in the first place. It's just that I've outgrown or gotten tired of everything on the list. When they pop up on my shuffle I just speed past (for better or worse). I probably haven't listened to an entire Pumpkins song in a couple years, and I'm pretty sure they were my favorite artist right around 1994/95. As for Mr. Smith, I was never a huge fan (ducking) so he's not as big a loss for me. His death was tragic, but I just can't get into the music anymore.
P.S. I think I only had one Alice in Chains on there - from the Singles soundtrack, but I figured that was a name some of my more casual readers knew.
Posted by: Bill | January 25, 2007 at 06:47 PM
Nikki, Mr. Bill cares a lot more about the comments made by people he doesn't know than from the people he does.
A lot more.
Posted by: LegFuJohnson | January 25, 2007 at 07:27 PM
Obviously, I didn't even merit a response.
Posted by: Ira | January 25, 2007 at 08:02 PM
Sorry, Ira, but LegFu is correct.
Posted by: Bill | January 26, 2007 at 08:07 AM
I know its totally your choice but couldn't you have kept some Wilco? Glad you kept early REM though, it feeds my soul.
Posted by: wayne | January 26, 2007 at 08:59 PM
hahaha i liked the (ducking) probably in real live it would have been a good move, but i respect that as long as your okay with not having it on your itunes. i don't know, it would just never work for me because i like just having it there. But anyway thanks for being so cool.
Sincerely, Nikki
Posted by: Nikki | January 28, 2007 at 01:43 PM
real life*
Posted by: Nikki | January 28, 2007 at 01:44 PM
I have to admit...At first you scared me when I saw Nirvana crossed out. Way to go.
Posted by: J | February 08, 2007 at 02:16 PM