I love music (yeah yeah you know that already), I love seeing music live (you know that already too), and I love loving both of those things (ditto)- that feeling, however, that feeling when you pass a band on to someone else and they end up loving the music, loving the show, loving the band... le sigh. Sharing the love... makes me feel like a bona fide hippie- and not in the unwashed and smelly kind of way.
I've said before that when I love a band, I'm not that bothered whether other people like them too, and that's true (only if they DO happen to like them, it kind of makes me super excited). That extends to pretty much any band I recommend to someone; I mean I might hear something and think its okay, but feel like it is right up Krista's or Em's or George's alley and then pass it on. Now even though I am not totally enamored with this band, if they like it, if I was right and it is up their alley, that is such a great feeling. If they really like it, if they love it, well then. Even better.
I am not someone who recommends bands willy nilly (neither do I trust the recommendations of those who do)! Recommending a band is like recommending a movie or a restaurant or a book: Just because I like it, doesn't mean everyone else will or should like it too. You have to take into consideration each person's individual taste, what other music they like, their favourite bands, and most importantly what it is that they like about their favourite music/bands. Someone who likes K-os for the singing parts is not necessarily gonna like Eminem, while someone who likes The Streets for their every-day-life lyrics would likely enjoy Scroobius Pip... I like to find out what it is about a song or a group that makes someone love it and then keep on the lookout for things that remind me of that...
Either way, you also have to be careful about how you recommend it... "You're gonna love these guys, they are sooooo good!" is almost as unflaggingly doomed as "You like the colour blue so you will love these blueberries!" Something like "So I found this band, they kind of remind me of Library Voices, maybe not quite as energetic, but you should give them a shot- I think you might like them!"- much more direct, much more honest, much more effective. Tells them what to expect and doesn't set the standard so high that they're bound to be disappointed regardless of how much they should logically love it.
When I first discover that a friend is in into music (sure arguably few people are not into music, but I mean 'into music' in an active way, where they will just sit down and listen to an album without doing other things, or get a craving for a certain band, or love going to live shows...) I start gathering information so I can make better recommendations. Making mental notes of which music they like and why. I mean its not a recommendation-a-month type of thing, more of a keep-an-eye-out matter, but I like to know what I'm keeping an eye out for. Of course if their tastes fall in line with mine I am bound to be passing on music on a more frequent basis, but regardless of my own reaction to new music my second question when I discover a new band is always 'who else do I know who would like this?"
Loving music is a pretty personal thing. Having a favourite band is a pretty personal thing. And recommending a possibly-future-band-like should be a pretty personal thing too. Don't cop out when passing-on bands: one good recommendation is so much better than ten unconsidered ones...!
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