What Music Truly Moves You?
People—myself very, very much included—are very protective and particular about their music. Diss it, and, well, you’re itching for a fight!
I’ve been reminded of this many times recently, and I remembered something Bill Simmons recently wrote:
For many of us, it’s how we feel about the music that well and truly moves us. We probably all have varying degrees of affinity for music, but I’d argue that most of us have one or two artists that well and truly have a hold on our ears–so tight a hold that, when those artists are criticized, our attack response is pretty darn Pavlovic.
I’ve not been a fan of Over the Rhine for very long, but they would come in second place for me these days; first is and probably long will be Caedmon’s Call. [I'm cheating here, because the Caedmon's Call umbrella, for me, extends to both former-CC'er Derek Webb and current-CC'er Andrew Osenga. Please don't make me choose more than that, because I'd hate to choose Andy over Derek.]
It’s funny to me that, five years ago, this list would have been Blues Traveler and Eric Clapton; go back another five years and it would be Clapton and Billy Joel. It’s interesting how that, as time passes, we start to look back and see the faults and failings of our old musical interests. They age, and so do we.
So I ask you: which one or two artists are so essential to the way that you understand and consider music that negative words about them spring forth a violent reaction, expressed or hidden, from you? I’d be curious to hear my brother’s answer to this question … for the life of me, I just don’t know. 
Before the Rocklopedia chimes in, let me say Big Band Jazz (Glen Miller, Count Basey, Stan Kenton, etc.) is number one, Modern Jazz (Dave Brubeck, for example) is number two and Classical (Wagner, Bach, Beethoven, primarily) is number three. Everything else is in fourth place.
I may not agree with your tastes in music but I will defend, to the death of my LPs, your right to enjoy it.
May 17th, 2004 at 20:30I didn’t join in the rmfo conversation, except to say that I wouldn’t fight for any band. That has a lot to do with the fact that I’m not a good arguer/debator. I also believe in freedoms. You have the freedom not to like my favorite bands.
Now that having been said, I think I’ll join on the Caedmon’s bandwagon, and also (you might not be surprised) Toad the Wet Sprocket. It blows my mind that anyone would not like them. I can grant anyone a few songs that might not be to their taste, but as a whole they were spectacular.
May 18th, 2004 at 09:20Can I point out that I did NOT read this before starting the .net discussion about two artists you’d get angry over?
May 20th, 2004 at 18:43Carla: No, you may not.
May 24th, 2004 at 08:43Too late. Already did. (And I really didn’t read this beforehand.)
May 27th, 2004 at 12:16Dad (dad?) already pointed out a bunch of great artists, but there’s this song that can almost make me cry. You might know it: Lavinia by The Veils.
June 22nd, 2004 at 12:46Oh, did I mention you can listen to that song on their site? Here’s a direct link.
June 22nd, 2004 at 12:49