Do you still branch out musically?

[Perpetual Change]

While browsing this subforum, I can't help but notice many of the bands on the first page are the same bands that have been on the first page for years, i.e. Ayreon, Steve Wilson (multiple projects), Spock's Beard, Muse, Maiden, DT-side projects, Sabbath, and so on.

I'm not pointing this out to be judgmental, or even saying it's a bad thing, but I feel like DTF was much more a place of musical discovery previously, maybe 5 years ago. Since then, it definitely seems like most here listen to mostly the same bands and genres that have been popular here since (I guess) after the split. There's a few threads for newish bands and their albums, but not much outside what you'd expect (at least, prog and metal related).

Despite all the variety in the 2013 album tracker thread, it feels like people are listening to/talking about same old, same old...

Again, not saying this is a bad thing, but does anyone here really make an attempt to branch out and broaden their musical tastes? I'm interested to see how many people do, versus how many people tend to just stick with the old favorites.

Personally, I tend to stick with old favorites, but I make an attempt to listen to two or three new, off-the-wall (to me) albums each month (thanks to streaming music, it's pretty affordable to do so).

I also spend a lot of time going back and getting into older music that I never really listened to before. Been listening to tons of Grateful Dead and Joni Mitchell, for example. Not new, but definitely new to me and my tastes.

[TioJorge]

I've been doing a whoooole lot of the latter; branching out by listening to older songs that I haven't gotten into before or simply haven't heard. I attempt every once in a while to actively find a new band, but nothing has stuck with me like my usual favorites. I have gotten into a couple bands recently by listening to their past material. But no, I don't branch out much; I haven't discovered any 'newer' bands that have piqued my interest either, sadly.

[Phoenix87x]

At this point in my life, there are no borders or boundaries to what I listen to, but it wasn't always this way.

Back in high school, I pretty much listened to Prog Metal and prog metal only, then branched out to some older prog rock. Then I eventually got really tired of anything prog and branched out to Dance, Electronica, alternative rock/metal, hip hop, R&B, reggae and even pop music and now my library is very eclectic and I couldn't be happier.

I get jaded very easily, so branching out is essential.

[ColdFireYYZ]

I'm still kind of new here so I obviously can't compare this board to what it was a few years ago. However, when I joined this board a year and a half ago, I was mostly listening to prog rock, prog metal, and classic/blues rock. Prog is still my favorite genre, but I've started brancing out lately. Over the past year or so, I've been listening to more jazz and folk and I'm starting to check out some avant-garde and experimental artists. I've also liked what little ambient, electronic, and classical music that I've heard. I'd definitely say that my tastes are getting broader and I don't ever plan on "settling down" into one genre like so many people do.

[ZeppelinDT]

I'm constantly branching out and finding all kinds of new stuff.  But I think what happens isn't so much that the individual users here are limited in their musical scope... I think it's just more that people come here to talk about a specific type of music.  I know in the past I've started a few threads about bands outside of the general DTF scope of interest and they usually just kind of die off quickly, so I just kind of stopped bringing up those bands around here.  I think the last.fm thread is pretty good evidence of that too.  I look at those lists once in a while and I always see people listening to bands that are virtually never mentioned on DTF, so I think people are still listening to that music... they just aren't really bringing it here.

I mean, just look at what happened the last time a large group of DTF members started shifting their musical preferences and listening to primarily non-prog/non-metal/non-DT music.  I think that was a big reason for the 5/8 split.

[Sketchy]

Yes. I still have many places I need to go and experience music, as well as listening to music more commonly found in the west.

[ColdFireYYZ]

I'm constantly branching out and finding all kinds of new stuff.  But I think what happens isn't so much that the individual users here are limited in their musical scope... I think it's just more that people come here to talk about a specific type of music.  I know in the past I've started a few threads about bands outside of the general DTF scope of interest and they usually just kind of die off quickly, so I just kind of stopped bringing up those bands around here.  I think the last.fm thread is pretty good evidence of that too.  I look at those lists once in a while and I always see people listening to bands that are virtually never mentioned on DTF, so I think people are still listening to that music... they just aren't really bringing it here.

Yeah, I definitely don't post about a lot of the music I listen to because I figure no one would really be interested.

[Scorpion]

Ever since I've discovered DTF, I've been branching out, and I've discovered new stuff a whole lot. At the moment, I'm settling in a little with all the music that I have recently discovered. Pain of Salvation, Devin Townsend, Steven Wilson and related stuff, literally EVERYTHING with growls or any other form of harsh vocals, that's all stuff that I got into during the last year and it makes up a large part of what I listen to now. I guess, in a while, I'll be branching out again, but at the moment, I'm content.

[Big Hath]

Ever since I've discovered DTF, I've been branching out, and I've discovered new stuff a whole lot. At the moment, I'm settling in a little with all the music that I have recently discovered. . . .  that's all stuff that I got into during the last year and it makes up a large part of what I listen to now. I guess, in a while, I'll be branching out again, but at the moment, I'm content.

pretty much sums me up as well

[Ben_Jamin]

Most of the songs I recently discovered have been in many genres,  I'm mainly getting into more alt. Rock stuff and indie. I have always listened to Hip-Hop, R&B, and Reggae,  so that's not really new to me but I am still discovering great new interesting music within those genres.

[Arch Benemy]

I've been listening to as much music as I can get my hands on recently, from any genre. I have this odd complex where I enjoy music a lot more if I discover it by myself rather than having it introduced to me by somebody else, so recently in order to discover new music I've been browsing BandCamp and downloading ANY albums which are available for free download. Then I load a selection onto my MP3 player and listen start to finish.  I've come to realise that there's just so much music that I'll never get a chance to listen to, so in order to get a better musical 'education' it's good to hear as many different genres as possible.

[ColdFireYYZ]

I've been browsing BandCamp and downloading ANY albums which are available for free download. Then I load a selection onto my MP3 player and listen start to finish.

I do this too. There's so much good and free stuff on Bandcamp. I also have at least 100 Bandcamp pages bookmarked with albums available to stream in full that I haven't gotten around to listening to yet.

[Zantera]

I would say maybe 70% of my musiclistening is branching out. I love discovering new bands and artists, and I get really bored with listening to the same stuff all the time, so it's refreshing to find new things.

[bosk1]

I totally branch out.  I listen to prog and metal.

[sueño]

True Confession:  Prog Rock IS a "branch out" for me.  I got to know of Dream Theater thru Liquid Tension (I heard LTE first) about five years ago.  I'm loving it all (Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, Buckethead    )!  I'm guessing I'm working backwards in comparison to most of you here.   

However, I've always been extremely eclectic musically -- never exclusive.  I grew up in the '70s/'80s when the AM radio stations played a pretty good mix of all sorts of music.  My roots are in jazz and blues.  I regularly listen to classical, opera, rock, R&B, funk, neo-soul (is that still a thing?), bluegrass, Latin (especially Cuban), world music (particularly Indian/Middle Eastern and African), reggae, some hip-hop/rap.  I'm particular to vocalists and outstanding lyrics.

Good music is good music -- and if I like it, it's good to me.    I'm not a purist by any means.  I am open, mellow and groovy.      It all gets a chance! 

[atmyne]

@OP I totally feel ya. it's kinda the reason why I haven't been active on the forum for almost a year :/

currently listening to Disclosure: Settle, FEZ original soundtrack (lovely while studying/working, and a great game!), Purity Ring: Shrines, the world is a beautiful place and I am not afraid to die: Whenever if ever, Deaf heaven:Sunbather, Persefone: Spiritual Migration, Dillinger: Prancer, and other stuff here and there...

So much great music out there to listen to! Everyones musical tastes take different directions. Me personally, I have little to no hype for proggy stuff anymore, with the exception of the upcoming DT album (mainly out of habit now ). Although I will say, I was really let down by a dramatic turn of events (but I swiftly digress/will save that for a DT related thread), and am not as hype as i usually would have been for the upcoming DT album.

I will say that branching out is probably the best way to ensure that you're not missing out on music that could totally be blowing your mind in different ways than you are used to or expect. Definitely check out whats happening in different genres when you can. But most of all just enjoy music. Couldn't imagine life without it

[YngVai]

I branched out a lot more when I stopped visiting this board, but it's because I drifted away from the prog obsession I had going on when I joined.  It's now that I've started geting really into prog again that I've started visiting again, go figure. 

[King Postwhore]

Yes I do.  I love many styles of music.

[Dark Castle]

Yes I do.  I love many styles of music.

[Nel]

I branched out a lot more when I stopped visiting this board, but it's because I drifted away from the prog obsession I had going on when I joined.  It's now that I've started geting really into prog again that I've started visiting again, go figure.

Really? O_o It's boards like this one that encourage me to branch out musically. 

[sueño]

Same here.

[YngVai]

I branched out a lot more when I stopped visiting this board, but it's because I drifted away from the prog obsession I had going on when I joined.  It's now that I've started geting really into prog again that I've started visiting again, go figure.

Really? O_o It's boards like this one that encourage me to branch out musically. 

Haha, yeah.  It was more the way I discovered bands at the time.  Discover a (typically prog) band, acquire their entire discography, obsess, discover new band.  Nowadays I rarely have more than a single album for any artist I check out.  Too much music, too little time.  I practice more than I listen, for better or worse. 

[Big Hath]

I totally branch out.  I listen to prog and metal.

Elwood: What kind of music do you usually have here?
Claire: Oh, we got both kinds. We got country and western.

[jingle.boy]

I totally branch out.  I listen to prog and metal.

Pretty much. I know what I like (style/genre wise) and I stick to it.  Band wise, I don't have an exact count at the moment, but  in the past three years, my best guess would be discovering 150 mew bands/artists, and somewhere north of 400 albums. No need to go to a different tree when there are a gajillion branches on this tree still to explore.

[Super Dude]

I would say the bands I still "follow" has remained a consistent half a dozen, from Dream Theater to Linkin Park, but I'm always open to trying new stuff and a lot of my iTunes purchases are odd bands and genres here and there. Yes, it's all pre-dominantly rock-based stuff with guitars, drums, and singers, but I have made an effort to try new things: electronic, some rap, R&B, and a teensy bit of folk.

[SoundscapeMN]

when your girlfriend hates prog and loves soul and r&b, yeah, you kind of have to.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

No.

[?]

I rarely check out new bands that have only 1 or 2 albums under their belts, but I'm trying to find all kinds of interesting music from different eras and genres, although certain bands and styles tend to remain my favorites.

[hefdaddy42]

I still branch out.  Lately I've been listening to a lot of singer/songwriter artists and progressive bluegrass.

[BlobVanDam]

I still branch out.  Lately I've been listening to a lot of singer/songwriter artists and progressive bluegrass.

Is that a real thing? If it's still true bluegrass, I'd be very interested to hear an example of that!

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

It's 13 minute songs on banjo.

[BlobVanDam]

It's 13 minute songs on banjo.

But is it in alternating 6/8, 7/8?

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Yes.  11 minutes of it is instrumental interludes.

[BlobVanDam]

Still a better genre than prog.


(That's going to be my new thing, an extension of "Still a better love story than Twilight" )

[rumborak]

I actually just recently started enjoying the occasional dubstep song. E.g. Skrillex' "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" and Deadmau5 "Animal Rights".