What does Pandora say about what music you like?

[KingRazor]

I just recently decided to give Pandora a try and so far I'm loving it. Before, my music selection was rather limited because I'm so picky. This has been a nice way to find new bands to listen to.

Anyway, I often check the "why was this song picked?" and I've compiled a list of what appears to be the things I like in my music:

- basic rock song structures
- subtle use of vocal harmony
- intricate melodic phrasing
- a vocal-centric aesthetic
- a clear focus on recording studio production
- hard rock roots
- minor key tonality
- major key tonality
- electric rhythm guitars
- acoustic rhythm guitars
- acoustic rhythm piano
- mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation
- mild rhythmic syncopation
- punk influences
- varying tempo and time signatures

What about you?

[sevenyearsdown]

I really dig Pandora as well. It's like having a radio station that doesn't play crap all day long.

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by sevenyearsdown

I really dig Pandora as well. It's like having a radio station that doesn't play crap all day long.

Yeah, it is pretty nice.

I've always approached music with a "it either sounds good or it doesn't" mentality. I looked at the "why was this song picked?" stuff to see what exactly it is that I like about all of the songs I listen to. It's interesting stuff.

[sarcastro83]

Pandora tells me that I hate music because I am Canadian.

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by sarcastro83

Pandora tells me that I hate music because I am Canadian.

Well, what did you expect?

Sorry, I kid.

[zachoff]

I'm listening to my folkish station right now & Tom Waits just came on...

-mellow rock instrumentation
-great lyrics
-acoustic sonority
-acoustic rhythm piano
-major key tonality

[Nashrakh]

For those of us not in the know and too lazy to use Google, what is Pandora?

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by Nashrakh

For those of us not in the know and too lazy to use Google, what is Pandora?

Internet radio station, you tell it an artist or song, and it plays music related to what you tell it.

[SoComSurfing]

I change my Pandora station several times per day, so really the only common denominator it might bring up is "you like music with a tempo".

[KrisH]

Originally Posted by SoComSurfing

I change my Pandora station several times per day, so really the only common denominator it might bring up is "you like music with a tempo".

+1. I have many different stations I rotate through, ranging from Arlo Guthrie to Yes to Sunn O))).

[KingRazor]

Heh so far I only have one station. I just put in my favorite band and went for it. I've been pretty happy so far. The list of bands I like is slowly growing.

Here's a list of some of the ones I like:

Saosin
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Paramore
Skillet
Sum 41
30 Seconds to Mars
Relient K
Anberlin
Breaking Benjamin
Rise Against
Three Days Grace
Pillar
Story of the Year
Tenth Avenue North
We The Kings
Yellowcard
All-American Rejects
Skillet
Flyleaf
Fireflight
Hit The Lights
Senses Fail
Seether

[NateS]

Originally Posted by KrisH

+1. I have many different stations I rotate through, ranging from Arlo Guthrie to Yes to Sunn O))).

+1.

[Scourge441]

I just deleted my Pandora station and started from scratch. I created the station years ago and it eventually fell into disuse; my tastes in music have changed since and the old one was of no use to me.

Right now I'm working on cultivating a prog station. Opeth, King Crimson, etc. Unfortunately, Hammers of Misfortune aren't in their database. Thus far, the things it's given me are:

-hard rock roots
-gravelly male vocalist
-minor key tonality
-major key tonality
-mixed major/minor key tonality
-intricate melodic phrasing
-varying tempo/time signature
-thru composed melodic style
-melodic songwriting
-demanding instrumental parts

Obviously, it's still a work in progress.

EDIT: It just gave me "basic rock song structure," which is just about the opposite of what I wanted. Granted, it was applied to a King Crimson song, but still.

[fdeck]

Where does it tell you what you like? Do you have to sign up?

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by fdeck

Where does it tell you what you like? Do you have to sign up?

When a song comes up on your station, click on the options and select "why did you pick this song". It will say, "based on what you've told us so far we chose this song because it has _"

Once it came up with enough songs in a row that I liked, I just wrote down the things they all had in common. The list in my first post is what I came up with.

[Komakino]

I too hate music because I'm in the UK.

What I mean by that is that Pandora is not available to me, so instead I use Last.fm which is a similar concept. If anyone wants to listen to my station it's under the name of Yottskry.

[zachoff]

Yeah, I have a ton of stations too:

Guided by Voices
Bluegrass
New Wave
Swervedriver
Superchunk
The Clash
Classic Rock
The Replacements
Stanley Clarke
Bob Dylan
Neil Young & Crazyhorse
Stoney (stoner metal/rock)
Jurassic 5
High on Fire
Electric Wizard
Country as I Get
Jets to Brazil
Zach (my everything station that I listen to most of the time)
Johan Sebastian Bach

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by zachoff

Yeah, I have a ton of stations too:

Guided by Voices
Bluegrass
New Wave
Swervedriver
Superchunk
The Clash
Classic Rock
The Replacements
Stanley Clarke
Bob Dylan
Neil Young & Crazyhorse
Stoney (stoner metal/rock)
Jurassic 5
High on Fire
Electric Wizard
Country as I Get
Jets to Brazil
Zach (my everything station that I listen to most of the time)
Johan Sebastian Bach

Ooh an EW fan

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by zachoff

Yeah, I have a ton of stations too:

Guided by Voices
Bluegrass
New Wave
Swervedriver
Superchunk
The Clash
Classic Rock
The Replacements
Stanley Clarke
Bob Dylan
Neil Young & Crazyhorse
Stoney (stoner metal/rock)
Jurassic 5
High on Fire
Electric Wizard
Country as I Get
Jets to Brazil
Zach (my everything station that I listen to most of the time)
Johan Sebastian Bach

Wow, I only have one station right now

[Deluge Of Sound]

The only consistent one is "extensive vamping."

I like repetition, what can I say?