I listen to a lot of music these days. Like triple figure gigabytes on the hard drive a lot. It’s an mp3 collection that spans a pretty good chunk of the current alt-indie-postmodern-folk-pop rock variety. It’s a good sampling and I have plenty of listening options.

I wouldn’t, however, say that my musical preference is particularly varied. I mean, on any given day I might double click on a Buena Vista Social Club or a Godspeed or a soundtrack or a something Neko Case, but in general the music that I tend toward is simply that music that makes me feel happy. (Oh, before I forget, speaking of Godspeed, Dan told me a while back about a coffee shop called Godspeed You Black Coffee. How brilliant is that?)

Anyway, that happy music falls under three categories. The first category would be that kind of anthemic, climax-reaching music. The kind of music with eight minute plus songs full of tension and buildup with a crescendo that you can feel rattling around your chest then slowly leaking out to the rest of your body before getting trapped in your head. I’m thinking of Sigur Ros or Explosions in the Sky, but I also have albums by at least twenty other bands that would fit the bill. My night driving, road trip kind of music.

Secondly, I like that real laid back zen/surfer music with a beat/groove. Jack Johnson, Thievery Corporation, and Zero 7 come to mind off the cuff. It’s good post-surf music, strung out and exhausted, and happily soothed while the sun sets.

And thirdly, I really like that goofy, easily accessible, pop-esque rock. Often more lo-fi, though not always. Simple lyrics, nothing too heavy on the ears. Say Hi to Your Mom is glorious. As is anything by American Analog Set or Stars. Snow Patrol was great until Clear Channel ruined them (I’ve still always got Songs for Polar Bears). But, they would fall in this category as well.

And after all that, I perused through my music collection and realized that there are a heck of a lot more categories of music that I really love and frequently listen to. For example my current listening pleasure of today is the Beta Band (listen to The Three E.P.s and fall in love) which is not so easily pigeon-holed. And I just listened to some old school Weezer (Blue), Oasis (Morning Glory), and Radiohead (Pablo Honey) last night. I do enjoy that Modest Mouse twang and those gigantic-sound new wave Killers, and Jack White commanding and Beck’s whining.

Really I suppose it’s just impossible to try to lump music preference into a blog post. Maybe some day when I have more free time (even today I’m too lazy to link all the bands listed above) I’ll take on that daunting task.